Tuesday, 21 October 2008 12:58
The Plant Nut's Hairy Balls!!!:
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Hiya World Garden Blogger's;
What autumnal hues in 2008, it's a pleasure working outside in the current balmy autumn we're having. Seed Collecting ahoy still continues apace in the World Garden & with the roofing of the Mexican scaffolding still to go plus most of the South American tender plants to be lifted, winter preparation here at Lullingstone is still not quite complete. I certainly know when November 1st arrives with over 2,000 plants by then (I hope!) lifted from the garden coz I've got an ever so slightly niggling tweak‚ in my back!
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One of the great characters in the World Garden that has recently been lifted from the World Garden is the hilarious Hairy Balls‚ plant from South Africa. Its Latin name is simply wonderful; Gomphocarpus physocarpus (Synonym Asclepias fruticosa). This endearing beauty brings a smile of curious glowing joy to me every time I see it. As I say such a cracking character of the Green Globe we live on.
The Hairy Balls‚ refers to the bristly hairy, puffed up, large, round to ovoid, how shall The Plant Nut put it; distinctive, suggestive fruits!! The puffy yet supple squidgy fruits have lime to pale green mixed with attractive purplish hues decorating the outside of this instantly recognisable fruit. See photo of Jo holding a cluster of my Hairy Ball's.
Seed was also collected for selling to visitors next year in The World Garden. Hairy Ball's with its spectacularly curious horticulturally endowed assets, albeit frost tender is easy to grow, loving pot culture and sold as something different‚ from some seed companies such as Chiltern Seeds. It's a member of the milkweed (Asclepiadaceae) family and oozes milky sap if any part of the plant is damaged. This milky sap as far as I'm aware doesn't cause dermatological allergies.
So go on Blogger's grow your own Hairy Balls......
Random plant filled Fact of the week: Gomphocarpus physocarpus‚ latex is used in Yemen as an animal hide hair remover!
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Tuesday, 14 October 2008 12:58
Well World Garden Blogger's it's, keep your back straight‚ for the next two weeks as the Lullingstone World Garden team swings into full on action. Yep, its that time of year again to dig up, take cuttings or collect seed of over 2,000 plants in the World Garden before Jack Frost rears his chilly head. And the pressure is on because we've never had to lift so many increasingly bigger plants, after already having a couple of close shaves with Jack!
Why on earth do we do it? Well all of the plants that we lift are tender or at best half hardy and simply can't withstand the cold temperatures that we experience at Lullingstone (- 10c is not unheard of). Even with fleece, Granny's old net curtains and Dad's old jumpers they wouldn't survive or at best be sooooo badly damaged that you'd have to throw them away in spring. Also a lot of these plants are highly ornamental, rare plants in UK cultivation and beyond: This is what makes the World Garden so different from anywhere else in the world, its huge range of unusual specimens on display. But it's back breaking lifting these treasures.
On an easier, less spine challenging front; Cuttings are taken with plants like tender Salvia's & seed collected from tender annuals such as the South African Arctotis fastuosum.
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The problem with digging up almost one-fifth of the World Garden is where they are going to be stored!?! The answer; crammed into a 50ft x 20ft polytunnel with some potted specimens being stored in the new cactus house. Most are bare rooted however and are literally dug into the ground in the polytunnel. This structure with two gas heaters is kept just above freezing, with crucial air circulation provided by a powerful fan.
The main areas for horticultural excavation are South America with plants like the Puya's and Canna's; East Africa with the Aloes & Kalanchoe's, Asia with the Cycad's & Bananas (See Photo) and the Canary Islands with dozens of tender beauties such as the succulenty Aeonium's.
Jeepers World Garden Blogger's this is a character building job and the biggest annual job in the World Garden (erecting this weekend the scaffolding and corrugated plastic structure over Mexico to protect the Agaves etc is a close second!). Without the awe-inspiring Lullingstone team they'd be no World Garden. Enjoy this sunny mild spell (I'm writing this column on Tuesday morning things may change!), and surprise, surprise it's back to the garden for the Green Man to carry on digging up these tender stunners.
Floral hugs to you all. x
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Monday, 06 October 2008 12:58
Roy Lancaster:
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Well World Garden Bloggers, last week I promised you that I had something special to type for the Green Man Column well here we go:
Last Tuesday evening Mr Roy Lancaster, the legendary plant hunter arrived at Lullingstone.
I've grown up with Roy - he's been my childhood hero, someone to aspire to & marvel at for his enthusiasm towards the world of plants. In my personal opinion he's the last of the great plant hunters. And what's so brilliant about Roy in a very glaringly obvious but crucial fact: unlike the plant hunters of the past: He alive!!! You can talk to him about his worldwide expeditions, introducing exciting plants to our florally endowed shores! Roy had never been to Lullingstone before and I had only met him a couple of times before literally to say hi. This occasion was momentous though and seriously orgasmic for moi. Tom the plant nut developed a severe case of shaky knees. A week on I've still got it bad and no tablets are available for this plant hunter's case
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The plan for the evening was for me to show 80 specially invited guests around the world garden followed by buffet supper in the house and then a talk by Roy in the chapel of St Botolph's. Roy's talk was superb with crystal clear deliciously enticing slides of plants and places throughout the world he visited backed up by an enthusiastic yet soothing Northern voice. It was magical. In summing up Roy's talk: modern plant hunting still continues albeit in a different form, using planes instead of ships for example; hurrah for Roy Lancaster!!!!
The highlight by far though was before the evening kicked off, guiding Roy Lancaster around the World Garden on a personal tour. I'd waited a long time for this. As we entered the moongate and purposely drifted passed the UK & Ireland I could see Roy was warming up. By the time we hit a flooded Atlantic Ocean (rained heavily an hour earlier!), circumnavigating the Canaries and Mexico Roy was off! Gesticulating at plants he'd seen in the wild or as it turned out in one case a plant he'd never seen or heard of before! Yes Bloggers, I have a plant in the garden that the great man has never before encountered. The shaky knee syndrome began to uncontrollably kick in! It was the architectural Verbesina microptera from Mexico. By the time we had circumnavigated the world in a brisk 25mins Roy turned to me and said the ultimate compliment; Tom I'll be back!!
Since the dark days of Colombia I had dreamt of this ground-breaking stroll around the garden with Roy. Well supportive Bloggers, dreams really can come true. Enjoy the autumnal, colourful feel, over and out from an emotional Plant Nut.
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