with Epipactis gigantea – a helleborine orchid from North West America strutting its stuff; in the temperate Cloud Garden structure at Lullingstone something exceedingly fabulosus has burst force from its glistening burgeoning bud. I’ve never flowered this plant ever before and have waited over two years to induce an inflorescence. I joke about combusting on the spot in an slightly exaggerated enthusiastic way – but readers a couple of days ago when i saw this orchid flower I swore that I could see sporadic puffs of pure white smoke belching from my ear holes and nasal cavity!!!

Sorry everybody for the suspense – the orchid in question is the superlative Disa uniflora – An awesome member of the orchid family from the cool streams in the dizzy heights of Table Mountain in South Africa. My actual plant is Disa ‘Unifoam’ – which is a man made cross between Disa uniflora x Disa ‘Foam’. The flower colour as you can see from the picture is a wacky glowing orange. The longer that you stare at this plant the more your retinas also pick up reddish and pinkish hues. It transfixes you – seduces you. My eyeballs look more like one of the Simpson cartoon characters!

Planty bloggers if you take a little care on the husbandry front then you’ll succeed with this curvy show stopper. To flower my plant – I gave it RAINWATER ONLY – no tap water or else you’ll kill it. Plus I always keep the compost moist. My substrate is half peat/half coarse sand – or as an alternative you can use 50% chopped sphagnum moss and 50% perlite. Keep frost free in winter and DON’T OVERHEAT YOUR PLANT - a cool place in the greenhouse, conservatory or windowsill is ideal. In spring feed with a diluted solution of Seaweed Fertilizer to develop new growth and in the early autumn to enhance tuber growth.

For further info look no further afield readers than East Yorkshire and Dave Parkinson Plants on (01405) 860693 – the UK’s biggest Disa nursery. Not the easiest to grow but absolutely wonderful when inflorescences are achieved.

Big thoughtful plant filled wishes to you all – Tom the Green Man. X

From Stone in Dartford to Swindon to Lullingstone this magnificent pea relation from the mountains of Morocco – has been laden with crisply bright yellow conical flowers. Big and small specimens are falling bum over breast, virtually collapsing with the sheer weight of bloomage! Perhaps readers the last continental style cold winter was beneficial to this hardy plant? – like the double flowered Japanese cherries – that decorated the pathways and grassland – wedding confetti style and the humongous mount of blooms on the Roses this year.

Often grown against a sheltered sunny wall or fence – the trio in the miniature Morocco at Lullingstone have thrived well away from a wall – with NO WINTER damage whatsoever! I have never seen so many flowers and the odour of pineapple crossed with quince heavily wafting yet skipping like a rampantly overheating kangaroo through the garden is sumptuous. This week I’ve regularly been opening my mouth, trying to chew on the scented air molecules! This smell once intravenously in the depth of your lungs becomes part of you.  In The World Garden – the smell has no boundaries and can be smelt from far flung climes such as Tasmania and Chilean Patagonia! Even a visitor last Sunday in Ireland commented on the smell.

The Pineapple Broom was given the award of merit in 1984 and it’s not surprising – The exquisite, clusters of rich flowers coupled with the greyish-green silky sheen leaves is adorable. The urge to run these soft caressing leaves across your face is irresistible.

Readers you’ve got to have one!

Big Hugs,
Tom x

I was then overpowered by the aromatic gorgeousness of a carpet of thyme – my soul temporarily left my native county of Kent.

Anyway I digress – I want this week to lightly banter about the amazing bearded Irises in the World Garden – they have seemingly loved the cold winter and have looked splendiferous this early summer. I have to horticulturally heartily recommend the three types of bearded iris in the attached picture – Iris ‘Kent Pride’ on the left with coppery hues, Iris ‘Blue Shimmer’ with light blue dazzling colorations and Iris ‘Black Swan’ with black-blue tones. The Bearded Irises have been stunning this year and a bonus is the sweetly crispy fragrance that tickles your nostrils.

The species in the garden have also done wonders including the white and purple blue Iris sibirica – from chilly billy Siberia and the dazzlingly golden yellow – Iris variegata from Hungary. The trick with good husbandry is to plant in a well drained alkaline soil in full sun and to partly expose the fleshy ginger like rhizomes and your well away.

For purchasing plants look no further that Iris of Sissinghurst  01622 831511  01622 831511      01622 831511  01622 831511    01622 831511  01622 831511 or Beth Chatto    01206 822007  01206 822007    01206 822007  01206 822007 .
 
Big Floral Hugs,

Tom x