Welcome to Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden of Plants

Hoodia gordonii is from the Kalahari Desert of Southern Africa and is morphologically weird. Hoodia's look like cacti & feel like cacti with awfully awesome devilish spines protruding from deeply ridged alien like juicy stems, but are in fact a succulent from the family Apocynaceae which includes the delicious scented houseplant Stephanotis. These two plants couldn't look more different! And right now at the apexes of these bizarre, dinosaur looking stems are emerging acutely angled flower buds with some opening into the delicate papery flowers. Each flower with its pale brown to slightly dirty yellowish coloration is up to 5 inches across with a delightfully spooky blackish dot in the centre.

And as the recent temperature in the Hot & Spikey cactus house has risen to 40C, oh boy have these flowers reek of dog faeces! The first time I excitingly approach this stunner in flower I even checked the bottom of my trainers to check I hadn't trodden in anything unpleasant! This reeking odour can still stink on you & your clothes even after you‚ve walked away from the plant!

Why does this plant need to produce such a stink? Well, it relies on carrion flies to pollinate it, they love this nostril tingling smell and are seduced by it. They've been swarming to Lullingstone this week! I just hope that we don't lose visitors as a result. Many more flowers to come!!!

I love it: Whoopee, Whoopee doo, here's to Dog Pooh Plant.

Fact Finding Hoodia gordonii Footnote: The use of Hoodia gordonii has long been known by the indigenous populations of Southern Africa, who infrequently use these plants for treating indigestion and small infections. However, it is their centuries old use of the meat of the plant to suppress appetite when making long hunting trips in the Namibian Desert that has stimulated the most interest in weight control.

Bloggers let me introduce you to the very friendly BFG (Big Friendly Gum) Eucalyptus macrocarpa, commonly known as Mottlecah. I obtained this plant from a real Gum Nut, John Purse, a couple of years ago. It's a frost tender sprawling shrub with big greyish -green succulent looking leaves that are covered in a layer of white slightly sticky powder. This powdery layer is thought to protect the plant from the high levels of UV in Australia by reflecting them. Hardy Eucalypts (No, I haven't misspelt Eucalyptus. Eucalypts is a plural form of the word Eucalyptus. Wowsers, dare I say Jeepers Creepers, this article is becoming seriously nerdy!!!!!), grown in this country such as the Tasmanian Cider Gum - Eucalyptus gunnii - also have this powder on their stems and leaves but to a far lesser degree. The Mottlecah's native home is in the Westerly Wheatbelt district of Western Australia where it has a widespread distribution.

I've seen the fabulosus single flower bud develop over the last year & when it burst forth at 9.39am last Thursday I completely lost it. Even though there wasn't a cloud in the sky, let alone a moisture laden cloud I ran around the World Garden in a rain dance style zestful way, even removing some articles of clothing! - only sporadic sleep since. And when I do drift off to the land of the nod I think you can guess what I'm dreaming about! It's those psychedelic deep red bloody filament bottlebrush like flowers with a dollop of pollen at the end of each filament that really turns me on. But the way that it pushes off its large leathery flower cap (this cap is called an operculum and is a mass of fused petals & sepals) to reveal this delight is unforgettable.

Any visitors to the World Garden who wish to see this very rare, awesome character of the plant world. Just come and find me and say "Saucy Eucalyptus" and I'll show you.

Summery Hugs to you Bloggers,

Tom Severe Gum Nut xxx.

Terrestrial Orchidmania:

The native orchids being cultivated in the World Garden in the form of The Common Spotted Orchid & the saucily fab Marsh Orchid Hybrid Dactylorhiza x majalis have also spurted forth in magnificent style.

Then come the wistfully thoughtful, yet x-rated in their naughtiness. The exotic ground dwelling orchids such as the hugely arousing, Hyacinth Orchid (Bletilla striata) from Japan with its circular like disc for a rhizome & the horticultural princess, with a hunky edge, on them all: The Queen's Lady's Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium reginae) from the Eastern United States of America. This is the first time I've flowered a slipper orchid, and the turtle wax like glistening white & pink pouch with a seductive entrance makes you feel all funny inside. My rampaging chlorophyll in my plant induced veins goes all gooey almost instantaneously as my dilated pupils make contact with this naughty woodlander specimen!!

What's so joyous about these delicious Page 3 stunners is that they are NOT difficult to cultivate and NOT expensive to purchase.

All of the Orchids that are romping away in the World Garden whether native or exotic are NOT dug up from the wild but propagated in cultivation & sold to nurseries & garden centres as young plants. I've found that if these hardy terrestrial orchids are giving a nice sunny position in a well-drained but slightly moisture retentive soil that tends to be on the alkaline side they'll romp away just fine and dandy. Suppliers range from Beth Chatto Gardens in Essex to bulb wholesalers like Parker's.

Go on give these hardy crackers a go - they'll add exoticism to your patch!

The Electric Shock Plant:

"Is my hand going to be okay?", he anxiously wondered. I reassured him that the syringe like painful bouts of throbbing stinging sensations would cease in a few minutes & that the weird swelling would subside shortly. My calming reassurances produced a broad smile of relief as he turned to leave. The last words I heard him quirkily mumble were "It's certainly interactive here, Lullingstone needs a health & safety inspection of its plants!!!" This is now the 5th person to have been attacked by the devilishly interactive‚ Electric Shock Stinger! All five will never forget their visitor.

It's a twisted world is the plant world - I LOVE IT!!!

I originally planted this frost tender ground hugging South American curiosity in the new cloud garden structure as a bit of a "joke" to get the kids interested in the stomping world of plants but it seems that I will just maybe have to rethink think this ideology!

But hold on bloggers, I can't get rid of this flamingly brilliant stunner. I love this hardcore vigorous trailing plant hailing from tropical forests of Brazil & Uruguay. Even its name Blumenbachia hieronymi is funky! It's just such a rampant delight what with its viscously armed stinging hairs, much more painful than our stinging nettle, pretty white nodding flower with stark red & yellow moulded centres & twisted seeds cases that resemble an aliens recently laid egg! It's brilliant. And will now have its own warning sign!

Obtaining this plant isn't difficult I got it from Chiltern Seeds based in Cumbria for £1.80 per packet. And besides even if you are wary of this wacky species purchase a packet anyway and I promise that you'll no longer have any unwanted nocturnal human visitors. Trespassers beware!!!

Bird of Paradise:

This well known plant was introduced by the Scottish Plant Explorer Francis Masson in 1773 from the Eastern Cape of South Africa where it originally comes from, not Madeira as so many people think. Another interesting fact is that Strelitzia reginae is a banana relation!

This arousing awesome quintessential tropical bloom is a must for anyone who has a conservatory, greenhouse or well lit reasonably large space indoors.

Furthermore this still popular beauty isn't difficult to grow and of course most importantly flower. The large specimen (needs 3 strong blokes to move it!!!) in the "Hot & Spikey" house at the mo is simply a knock out what with its 8, 4 foot flower spikes and emergent animated cockatoo style crested flowers which are dazzlingly bright orange colliding with indigo blue. Both of these colours are mind numbingly set boat shaped green and red bracts - wowsers what a spectacle. But sun filled bloggers let's not forget the paddle shaped leaves with their greyish-green hue & leathery touch all delicately spread out in a fan like rosette. Horticultural sleepless nights ahoy!

And the cracking thing is that the Bird of Paradise ISN'T difficult to grow. Put all books and internet sites to one side and follow this advice: 1). Keep excessively pot bound so that only when the pot begins to change shape coz the roots are exerting themselves so much, would I re-pot and even then into a pot size only minimally larger in size. 2). A well drained compost of third gravel, third multi -purpose compost and third silver sand is completely adequate for the compost mix. 3). On the watering front, only water when the compost has dried out and feed once a month with Tomorite from April to September. 4). Lastly keep in a frost free bright position in the winter and crucially put outside from June to September. They love fresh air, good sunlight (avoiding midday sun) and good old slightly acidic God's Tears.

Bloggers go for it,

Tx.

GOLD AT DETLING:

Talk about a team effort from Jim & Sylvia designing and putting the exhibit together, Andrea, Jo, Pauline, Iris & Alan bantering with passing Spring Show visitors whilst handing out World Garden leaflets, Jim, Sylvia & Moi manning the World Garden stand & Sylvia, Jo & Mr Adrian in charge back at Lullingstone!! At full mental & physical stretch maybe but did we come out firing on all chlorophyll endowed cylinders ABSOLUTELY!! I'm pooped out!

Oh plant filled bloggers it's the recognition that I now grave to an addictive level of horticultural madness: The World Garden with the Lullingstone team at the helm of this titanic horticultural paradoxical extravaganza are going to take over Kent & beyond. Lullingstone's on a mission to keep "The Garden of England" here in Kent. Those "Garden of England" signs on our roads are here to stay if I have anything to do with it.

To be perfectly upfront with you I'm amazed this week to be honest that I haven't ejected myself to outer space, finding a new solar system & some human compatible planets along the way...In fact I've astonished myself that I have actually managed to get some shut eye this week. I'm not 100% sure that you readers can take anymore of this: A decade in the making; intense blood, soiled sweat & cascading tears along the way; what all starting with an innocent grant from the Royal Horticultural Society & Kent Gardens Trust of £1000 to collect seed from Eucalyptus in Tasmania in 1999, has culminated in the magic phone call a week last Tuesday: Excessively loud Drum Roll please: Readers, Lullingstone Castle & The World Garden now officially has the National Collection of Eucalyptus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please forgive the copious amounts of exclamation marks, but it's justified! We have approaching 100 species & varieties. The biggest collection in the UK. This is what I live for, what my purpose in life is, and to share it with friends, family & visitors to Lullingstone is the biggest bonus I could ever wish for.

Blimey Bloggers, 2009 is going to be a good year. Happy Horticultural Dreams to you all.

Blue-Eyed Goddess:

Plant Filled Ladies & Gents I give you the world's largest Forget-Me-Not; The Chatham Island (Located off the East coast of New Zealand) Forget-Me-Not Myosotidium hortensia. The glossy, crinkled Hosta like ginormous leaves are the first plant porn filled attraction, but the turquoise deep blue flowers are something else that is simply not type able!!! Exhilarating will do for the description for now!!!

At the mo it's in full flower in the new "Cloud Garden" house at Lullingstone. It's not difficult to grow in dappled shade, with humus rich, moist yet well-drained soil. This Page 3 stunner can attain a spread of 2ft x 2ft but is only half hardy. It's also becoming more widely available, you'll pick up it up every now and then especially on the internet.

But there needs to be a health warning attached coz humans will be having heart failures left right & centre, it's just sooooo seducing. Aren't plants great readers!!!

Tom xxx

It's amazing what's on your doorstep

Everyones support has been awesome, from World Garden visitor's to the splendid Lullingstone Helper's to Mum, Dad, My Sister & of course my legendary Granny. The World Garden wouldn't exist without all of your support.

Now onto this week's horticulturally spine tingling subject. An extremely rare sight indeed is to be observed right now in glorious full flower in the nearby village of Farningham. In fact to be specific in the picnic area of the Lion Hotel Pub right next to the river Darent! It's a tree called the Dallimore's Chestnut (Aesculus + dallimorii). Only a hand full of specimens of this wacky curiosity are known in the UK - this is the largest known! And the closer and closer you get to this substantial beauty, you'll notice something rather strange. Almost half the tree is normal Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) & the rest is the Yellow Horse Chestnut (Aesculus flava) - completely bonkers!!!

Basically readers it's a graft from a nursery with the root stock being the good old horse chestnut & grafted to it the rarer Aesculus flava. But after being planted out the Horse Chestnut graft has decided to take over. But the Yellow Horse Chestnut resisted & has tried its best to battle off the more vigorous Horse Chestnut. The resultant two species in one tree, with half the tree blasting out white flowers, the other half yellow flowers is sooo brilliantly horticulturally twisted, you've got to check it out.

The quite unremarkable dare I say boring leaves & scraggly habit don't prepare you or give you any plant filled build-up for the enormous terminal, dazzlingly tubular flowers. Not only are they spectacular for their size but also for their surreal florescent pink orange colouration. The highlight for me though is the black ended male stamens spurting from the floral centre. The stamens' bloggers are floral Optic Fibre heaven.

No human induced paint palette could invent these eye rolling colours, but the guy upstairs has delightfully managed it. All in all this plant is too much for my horticultural body, I've got to stop typing about this staggering stunner or else I'm going to combust on the spot!

Oh one last thing plant nut bloggers if you would like a "Marvel of Peru" : This weekend come to Lullingstone when were open (it's our exciting plant fair this Sunday 11am - 6pm!) & come and find me and say the magic password "sex on stems" & I'll give you a FREE cutting!

Horticultural Hugs to you all,

Tom. XxX

A Spiritually Gothically Endowed Plant Man:

With the finale of one of the most gorgeous firework filled sunset's in weeks dropping out of sight, darkness surrounding the ever reliable legendary Vauxhall Astra I entered paradise, and only 2 and a half hours from Lullingstone. Or should I say we entered (I was in the company of a very foxy lady friend) - The Ornamental Drive in Rhinefield.

From a pretty open, still dusky A337 just beyond Lyndhurst we drove into virtual pitch blackness being surrounded by massive Douglas Firs, Redwoods & Pine's. This was a spiritually enclosed experience not a horticultural one! It was that good. The gigantically boled trees seemed to move in the alternator driven wavy headlights. My lungs were airless all air filled molecules rapidly pumped out as I gasped in ecstasy whilst trying to keep the Astra on the undulating tarmac. Stars began to fill my vacantly stunned eye balls, I thought I was going to pass out. Lord of the Rings eat your humping hum dinging heart out: Bountifully eerie no less. Then as the squeaky just about automatic windows descended, my nostrils were filled with the engorging smell of The New Forest moist moss, I'm astonished that the Astra is dent less!

It was only a five minute leisurely drive down ornamental drive but it could have been hours. After I pass away can I please come here: This must be plant heaven?!?

Our B & B knocked my already bedazzled mind a step further. Rhinefield Hotel it's called. Set amongst this wonderful stand of Victorian Trees. And it's a Hogwarts Harry Potter of a place‚ as Gothic as you like: Sculpturally awesomely spellbinding. A bit steep at £100 for the night maybe for a double bed, but I wont forget this clandestine style escapade for the eccentric luxury of the Rhinefield Hotel with its stain glass breakfast grottos and weighty chandeliers or the Giant deeply ridged trees and of course my foxy lady friend. Bloggers this summer you simply have to visit. Romanticism Galore...............

I was attending the monthly meeting of the Eltham Branch of the British Cactus & Succulent Society. The organiser, Jim Earles who's been so supportive with prickly donations to the "Hot & Spikey" house at World Garden, organises these meetings. It was awesome. Dudley the speaker showed decidedly saucy slides of plants known as caudiciforms (succulently endowed plants with a swollen often circular to egg shaped lower stem). I learnt heaps of eyebrow raising things: I didn't appreciate how some Pelargonium's from South Africa could look so succulently with massively swollen stems, an adaptation to dry conditions, let alone bindweed relations with stem like a turnip!

I loved it and it was superlatively cracking to be in the same room with fellow plant nuts. The knowledge exuded during the talk both from Dudley the speaker & the audience chipping in with a debate style banter, combined brilliantly with lots of umm's & ahh's (increasing to near gasps in some cases!) as exceedingly rare & well grown caudiciforms were illustrated.

My heart rapidly began to throb with excitement, my plastic chair with its metal legs screeching on the now sandpapered floor as the familiar and the unobtainable time and time again were displayed by Dudley. I've got that or I want that I whispered under my planty breath! And in one case mine's bigger than that. I was referring to "The Cabbage Tree" Cussonia paniculata from South Africa growing away in the South African Border in the "Hot & Spikey" House at Lullingstone.

I loved it. I was in my element! As everyone seems to be talking about the credit crunch and is throwing out money saving tips, well now The Green Man will step in & give you readers a tip; without having to fill up your suitcases and catch an expensive plane journey all you have to do is fly along down to the Eltham Community Centre and be blown away by our wonderful world of cacti & succulents.

Come on Join in, you'll never forget it. Jim can be contacted for further details on 0208 8511076 or jim.earles@ntlworld.com

That is until last night whilst peacefully strolling around a growth spurting World Garden. It hit me sideways. And it wasn't a plant that I thought I'd go for. It's a Daffodil. This type is widely available in good nurseries & garden centres. My now clump like treasures came from the bulb specialists, Parker's. Bloggers let me introduce you to Narcissus Professor Einstein‚ check out the photo.

It totally turns me on what with its glisteningly white outer petals and engorged dirty yellow pollen sacs in the centre. And how can you stroll passed this stunner without your retinas catching a view of the ever so slightly frilly wacky orange inner petals. It really does take my breath away. And proved to me that even with all of these thousands and thousands of different plants that I'm growing at Lullingstone - It's often something simple like the Daffodil that came 1st.

Horticultural Hugs this Eastertide.

posted by Tom Hart Dyke at 04/14/2009 11:33:28AM

It's been hammer & tong with shovels at dawn of late to get ready on schedule. And with seven minutes to go 2:53pm last Saturday before the official golden ribbon cutting ceremony we had installed the small smoke machine together within a swampy area we'd only created two hours earlier, finished off the water feature with dazzling glistening when wet South African Rocks in the watery environs, planted 300 horticulturally endowed mouth watering plants, installed a plum coloured slate pathway with edges & got the Amazon CD via bass endowed speaker's to blast out rainforest tunes - to try & transport you to the depths of Chile or wherever. Still a bit of planting & general tweaking to crack out but basically, WE DID IT.

All of the Lullingstone Helpers were in full force putting in zany hours to get the Cloud Garden up and running. Stiff backs & brains all round but it was adrenalin pumping awesome excitement all the way till 2:53pm last Saturday. I can't describe the rushing chaos to you with minutes to spare: plants being bunged into the ground at the eleventh hour, plants & helpers alike being watered with the hose, people tripping over barrows & rocks & yours truly almost falling into the pond!

This is what makes me tick, this is why I've been placed on our Green Globe. To grow and show off plants. Happy Happy Easter to you all.

posted by Tom Hart Dyke at 04/07/2009 10:38:09AM

Monday, March 30th, 2009

Cloud Garden:

Since January it's been up to the Lullingstone team to design the inside & get planting with hundreds of different varieties of plants by the end of this week for its unveiling this coming Saturday - The 4th April. And we've still got the designs to finish and the plants to plant! I love a challenge. The idea of this wondrous cloud garden is to transport visitors once they step through its spanking new doors to the far flung climes such as New Zealand, South Africa & North America. The wacky planting itself, to include carnivorous pitchers plants from North America, stunningly sexy tree ferns from New Zealand & knock out Tree Dandelions from The Canary Islands will at least get you to Gatwick Airport! The sounds of Amazonian bird noises courtesy of a stereo system, a water feature & a small smoke machine will help you getto your flung destination!

But wowsers‚ bloggers it's been knackering. We only started building the internal pathway at 5am last Saturday morning. The entire Lullingstone Team really has pulled together with, Jo, Jim, Mr Adrian, Andrea, Sylvia, Keith, Iris, Jo, Alan, Sarah & Pauline really getting stuck in.

Readers I assure you that by this Saturday at 12 noon Cloud Garden‚ will be up and running.... I hope..........!!!

posted by Tom Hart Dyke at 03/30/2009 11:26:47AM

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

It's not just the knockout dusty yet glowing late afternoon sunshine spring yellow flowers that really make you do a double take but the overpowering exudation of a coconut smell that makes you want to ravish the gorse poking your nose in all sorts of places. I felt like jumping into the deepest centre of my Gorse Bush yesterday, but with the pricks & thorns that Gorse is endowed with, best just too lightly sniff & snort away! On a still spring day with the sun out the concentrated coconut oil smell is a total and utter head rush. WOWSERS what a high. WOWSERS what a drug. It's good to be alive bloggers. Life's great.

posted by Tom Hart Dyke at 03/24/2009 11:59:31AM

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Decidedly Delicious Daphne's:

The Lullingstone air has been delicately, indeed romantically freshened over the last couple of days with the hum dinging, nose smelting smell of Daphne's. I've never seen a spring where the Daphne's are in such full force in the flowering department. Wonderful. Magical. In fact I've never seen a spring where so many floriferous delights are strutting their assets in succinct succession: Daffodils brushing bursting buds with fading snowdrops & winter aconites. And clustered Hyacinth buds shyly peeping out in the centre of whorls of strap like leaves smiling to themselves as they realise for yet another year that they are going to beat the tulips in the flowering rat race.

Tom Hart Dyke, Lullingstone Castle and The World Garden, by Vikki Rimmer

Gosh bloggers the Plant man's intoxicated planty sap is all over the place rising rapidly and now been magnetically pulled all over his body with pulsating vigour courtesy of the spring smells, dominated by the Daphne's: Just to banish the severe frosts of February behind me & ecstatically enjoy downright cracking days like last Sunday & Monday (oh what glorious day's!) is pure ethereal joy.

Springtime rambling thoughts aside now and back to the subject: Daphne's. Two Daphne's joyously out now that I would thoroughly recommend is the evergreen Daphne odora Aureo-marginata‚ from deepest China & Japan, with its golden tinted leaf margins has a perfume to die for. Also worthy of inclusion is our native Daphne mezereum with the sumptuous of pinkish glossy flowers borne on naked stem, a more subtle odour that the above but nevertheless it'll get your juices flowing!

Oh before I forget another Daphne worth giving a bash is Daphne tangutica from China which flowers in April but can re-flower later on in the season. All Daphne's are pretty slow growing, so be patient. Also requiring a moisture retentive yet free draining soil planted in a reasonably sunny aspect. My inspirational Granny's, Daphne odora & Daphne tangutica that she planted over 20 years ago quite literally knock visitors to The World Garden over as they stroll down her border.

P.S. Plant Nut's Health Warning: Although you may be induced into eating your Daphne coz the smell is sooooo sexy & is a huge plant filled turn on, please refrain as all parts are toxic!

P.S.S. A few eyebrows were raised last week by my signing off with a random bundle of words: Ho Hum Diddly Dum Piddly Pomlets. I would like to point out that this is a fictional phrase made up in the random Green Man's mind in a fit of springtime sap rising excitable madness!!! Apologies for the confusion this may have caused!

Well farewell readers once more & Ho Hum Diddly Dum Piddly Pomlets‚ to the rapidly incoming spring..........!!!

posted by Tom Hart Dyke at 03/16/2009 11:52:16AM

Monday, March 9th, 2009

It's actually massive quantities of pollen from the Yews Trees at Lullingstone. With this mild spell often mixed with warm drying sunny weather whole mature Yew trees have been going up in smoke, releasing vast volumes of pollen. I thought that the main house was on fire the other day when I saw the more than a century old Yew Tree's next to the house, when smacked by a random blasting breeze, turn from a sea of deep green dull, graveyard thought provoking foliage into a yellowish white cloud, literally exploding into a fireworks lifestyle!

I've never seen a display like it. U don't want to get caught amongst the pollen though coz you'll have a seriously rasping tickle at the back of your drying throat for a few days! With these humongous amounts of pollen being exuded one can only assume that it's going to be a bumper crop of Yew Berries in 2009?!?

Ho Hum Diddly Dum Piddly Pomlets back to the developing temperate house which you've ALL got to visit this year - you won't be disappointed! It's gonna be hardcore horticulture! That I promise.

posted by Tom Hart Dyke at 03/09/2009 12:46:37AM

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

Galantho-Heaven:

The upbeat turn of events was definely instigated by the best ever show of sunny yellow winter aconites followed swiftly by the snowdrops. I have never seen a show like this before – in fact Dad reckons the best flowering performance since the bulbs were planted by my Late Granny Lady Zoe Hart Dyke, some 60 years ago.Perhaps the recent cold snap – enhanced their flower power! Who Knows? Hey what with all of this “global warming” in a few years time snowdrops will be invading the UK proper as we enter an ice-age!!!

Clearing the brambles & saplings around the snowdrops last year thus increasing light and air movement & making sure we NEVER mow the area till the leaves have completely turned brown – thus the goodness returning to the bulb, may also have been factors in their change of fortunes. Snowdrop with the, I think romantic Latin name - that slides deliciously off my sandpapery tongue - of Galanthus nivalis are such a well loved British Native Plant. Or are they? Well loved of course but native? This might come as a bit of a shock to some of you readers that Snowdrops are now officially NOT native to South East England including of course Kentish soil. In fact the only region in the UK that snowdrops MAY be native is parts of the SW West & Wales. But nobody seems to be sure. They have been linked with the Romans who may have introduced them. Natively they do however grow on mainland Europe. Whether a native or not snowdrops have knocked my horticultural sock way off-line this year.

Ho Hum bloggers back to tidying up the World Garden for me. With only 5 weeks till we open I’d bet get cracking. Enjoy the longer hopefully sunnier spring like days.

THDX.

I’ve been fortunate enough to grow up with a whole cluster of ancient trees at Lullingstone from the stately trio of pre-Victorian Cedars of Lebanon between Lullingstone’s St Botolph’s Church & Tudor Manor House to the oldest collection of Oak Pollards in the UK on the 18-hole Lullingstone Park Golf Course. Some of these glorious specimens are believed to be over 700 years old!!!Just think what their ancient retinas have seen – from Kings and Queens strolling around the former Deer Park to the sound and impact of bombs landing (Lullingstone Park was a dummy airfield in the Second World War) & now the celebratory roars of a hole in one or two or three or four......of the new residents, the golfers.

And nationally ancient trees are at risk – with the problem growing. We have to patriotically SAVE what it my opinion is our heritage. By not only conserving & respecting the ancient trees we still have but starting younger generations with the planting of ancient wonders such as Ecstatic English Oaks & Besotting Beeches. Too many cherries, Sorbus & birches etc are being planted - which don’t get me wrong, is a good thing, they're wonderful plants, but we can’t forget, space allowing, to plant our much longer living ancient Beeches & Oaks.

Ho Hum bloggers back to the garden for the Green Man.

Oh and before I leave the laptop in the Gatehouse – got some exciting news to share with you plant filled readers: I’ve finally managed for the first time to induce into flower Aeonium arboretum ‘Schwarzkopf’ – lots of friends have flowered it but never moi, till now. All that leaves is for me to shriek out joyous rants of Whahey!!!

Of the many Eucalyptus species that evolved with fire, none is more positively incendiary than Eucalyptus globulus otherwise known as The Blue Gum. This Eucalyptus is more familiar to us in the UK in the form of cold blasting formulas such as Vicks Vapour & Fisherman's Friend.

Fire fighter's even call them "Gasoline trees". Fire doesn't kill most Eucalyptus including the Blue Gum. Rather, they depend on fire to open their seedpods and to kill the vegetative competition. Eucalyptus are sometimes referred to as near suicidal plants‚ as they promote fire with their prolific combustible oil, copious leaf litter, and long shreds of hanging bark designed to carry flames to the crowns. It's a survival strategy. Moreover Blue gum Eucalyptus doesn't just burn it explodes, sending firebrands and seeds shooting hundreds of feet in all directions. Hence the spectacular firestorm images on the television.

Living next to one of these trees is like living next to a fireworks factory!

So Lullingstone Blogger's not all is lost,

A reflective flower power filled plant fancier. X.

Whilst researching this week's plant nutty blog on this wacky donation on the World Wide Web I stumbled across phrases such as "All Natural Weight Loss Supplement"; "Lose real weight naturally" "Click here for your natural appetite suppressor".

Yes, I'd been offered up to 3,000 plants of the famous Hoodia gordonii famed for having magical weight lose properties. But recently funding was withdrawn for continuing development because of toxic properties discovered within this curious plant that could have an adverse affect in humans. Despite potentially health scares - well known faces like Paris Hilton take Hoodia based pills not that she need's to!

Arriving at this amazing scientific site & to be guided around by a lovely biologist in charge of growing these bizarre plants was awesome. She enthusiastically showed me all of the intensely heated, often artificially lit glasshouses (See Photo) where these plants were grown to perfection her husbandry was exceptional. She explained that they look like cacti & feel like cacti with awful devilish spines but are in fact from the family Apocynaceae which includes the delicious scented houseplant Stephanotis. These two plants couldn't look more different!

Mr Adrian who'd accompanied me for the day only put 12 plants in the boot. I wanted more but their final home will be in Lullingstone's cactus house - not much space left in this burgeoning cacti & succulent delight. Moreover when the fiery papery flowers appear they reek of pungent dog poo which apparently can still stink on you & your clothes even after you've walked away from the plants. So we didn't want too many plants or we'll have no visitors back to check out the developing World Garden!

Only Kew Garden's & a couple others wanted anymore plants so the rest were to be skip to make way for the next experiment Tomatoes. A bit different!

I even got a CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species) certificate as Hoodia gordonii is an endangered plant which in the wild ranges from Southern Angola to Central Namibia. I felt sooooo chuffed leaving with these rare Page 3 stunners. I have such a strange life in many ways. Every day is certainly diverse. But I love it. Whoopee!

Fact Finding Hoodia gordonii Footnote: The use of Hoodia gordonii has long been known by the indigenous populations of Southern Africa, who infrequently use these plants for treating indigestion and small infections. However, it is their centuries old use of the meat of the plant to suppress appetite when making long hunting trips in the Namibian Desert that has stimulated the most interest in weight control.

The minimum so far with the snow this time is 2C. Also snow is a good insulator so that if there's a severe frost the snow will protect your garden treasures. This Russian Arctic spell were experiencing doesn't seem to bother the blackbirds & our gardening companions, the robins their out in significant number's searching for unwary worms & bugs. I just love the Robin glowing orange puffed out chest contrasting superbly with the frost caked snow & its stick like dinky legs.

The biggest challenge for the certified plant head case with the white stuff has been scraping of vast quantities compacted snow off the cactus house polytunnel to prevent the snow literally bursting through the plastic. The Eucalyptus have needed a shaking to brush off excess snowfall or else some would be uprooted! Guess who got wet under the gum tree's!?!

But what a winter wonderland the Kentish Landscape had been transformed into. Okay when its thaws, becoming a muddy sludge it's a mess but at this delicately painted stage it's out with the camera & sledge. Also heaps of admiration for the guy upstairs for his artistic flair, and who's definitely been generous with his frozen tears in 2009. Last Monday a friend & I did venture to Swanley post office from Lullingstone. It took an hour (normally 5 mins)! And yes it was the good old gardener's banger - The Vauxhall Astra Estate that got us there. Just!

Snowflake filled Hugs & stay warm,

Tom. xXx

The glowing metal framework is spectacular but the highlight is the bubblewrap style skin‚ used to cover the metal framework. This tough yet versatile unpoppable curious material, traps 70% more internal heat than glass, has a ten year guarantee & wouldn't look out of place in a sci-fi movie! Furthermore even on a dull day it's lighter INSIDE than out, care of the unique evenly spread diffusive properties of the bubblewrap like plastic.

Plans are afoot for insectivorous water features, swamps with smoke, an MP3 player softly releasing jungle sounds with a background of Bolivian flutes & of course jungle style planting throughout. The mission statement of this ground breaking essential Lullingstone addition is to mentally transport visitors to The World Garden from North West Kent to temperate sub tropical Chile, Australia, New Zealand and so on, as they enter inside the temperate house. All by our first open day of Friday April 3rd!

Readers if you have any funky ideas for a name of this new structure other than "The Temperate House"‚ please let me know by e-mail: hartdyke@btinternet.com - the wackier the better!

Hugs, Tom the exhilarated plantsman. X

But blogger's the work really started over last weekend when it was with great sadness that the awesome crew of Lullingstone helpers & I took down piece by piece the old Venlo wooden Glasshouse. This rickety glasshouse had to be replaced to make way for the fresh & funky new acquisition.

The Dutch Lite Venlo was a glasshouse that I erected when I was a teenager. Together with Granny (who's very excited about the change), books and internet the Venlo has been my self-taught inspirational teacher propelling me head first into the world of plants. He or indeed she feels like a friend; we've had highs and lows together. Shed a tear, bantered endlessly & had a good laugh. And although the conversations, tears & laughs were one-way traffic I've felt that this dear 20ft x 40 ft structure was alive with horticultural zest. There to protect my babies when naughty Jack Frost came calling or a fearsome arctic chill tried fruitlessly to sneak under the creaky glass. Perhaps I should get out more and visit something called a pub but The Venlo has allowed me in a self-taught fashion to germinate my passion for plants whilst experimenting on the horticultural edge with a saucy range of exotic delights.

Oh well, down it came in a flash the only things now remaining are rare shrubby tender specimens planted in the ground, once covered by the Venlo, that are now experiencing their first breeze, rainfall & near frost of last night! It's all going to be a close call, let's hope the structure will be erected in time before my frost tender babies get nipped! Not much sleep over the next few days it's simply all too exciting!!!

Next Week's instalment of Tom's Blog: The Temperate House goes up!

Also known as grey mould after the characteristic fluffy growth that appears on the surface of affected plants, botrytis is one of the most recognisable fungal infections, and one of the most difficult to deal with once it has managed to get a hold.

Early recognition of the signs of infection is the key to preventing too much damage from being done, but clearly the best method of control is avoiding infection in the first place. Of course, no matter how hard you try, you cannot always guarantee success, but there are a few simple precautions you can take which can certainly help to tilt the odds in your favour.

Blogger's Good Management is the key: Good management is the best weapon against botrytis and the trick is to avoid providing the conditions which suit it best and allow it to spread. The fungus does well in cool, damp and poorly ventilated environments, so ensuring that the soil is free draining allowing good air movement will be big steps towards reducing the risk for your plants.

Over watering and overcrowding also favour the fungus, so water carefully, especially at the times of the year when botrytis is most likely, and space out your plants to cut down on the chance of cross-infection.

Things are a little easier if you are growing plants in a greenhouse, since you aren't quite so much at the mercy of the weather and the environment is a lot easier to control; try to aim for an atmosphere that is slightly on the dry side.

If, despite all your efforts, you are unfortunate to see signs of botrytis, it's important to remove damaged plant material thoroughly and burn it to prevent re-infection and any shelves, staging or other hard surfaces will need a regular cleaning with a suitable disinfectant. In the greenhouse, make sure to reduce any chance of condensation as best as you can and maximise the air flow to limit the spread of the fungus.

Spotting the signs of infection: Botrytis enters through any damaged parts of the plant, affecting the leaves, stems, flowers and fruits. The first sign of infection is usually the immediate area turning brown and rotten, with grey fluffy mould subsequently forming over the plant surface. This fuzzy growth appears particularly quickly in damp conditions, spreading rapidly over the plant or fruit.

A humid environment also favours spore production and large numbers are produced which can spread the infection rapidly hence the importance of keeping the surroundings well ventilated and slightly dry wherever possible.

Plants affected by this pest do not necessarily have to show all of these symptoms. When conditions are not humid enough to support the growth of the fuzzy mould, the fungus can still cause plants to shrivel and rot, while tomatoes and cyclamen flowers may only show very small pale areas of infection known as "ghost spots".

Although some of the commonly available fungicides will give a measure of protection against botrytis, according to the Royal Horticultural Society, there are none available for amateur use, which are designed specifically to control this mould. From a practical point of view, the lack of a ready-made chemical solution simply reinforces the importance of good management and preventative measures in dealing with one of the most common and potentially damaging of fungal problems in the garden.

Whichever way you look at it, avoiding botrytis is a much better approach than trying to eradicate it once it's got itself established.

I have found that Bordeaux mixture made by Vitax seems to control botrytis if you are going for chemical control, but my darling red Echium wildpretii (See Photo) had already lost its flowering centre before I managed to cut out the infected parts & apply the coppery blue staining Bordeaux mixture.

Ho Hum plant induced blogger's its all part of the wonderful journey that is gardening!

A Reflective Certified Plant Nut:

Anyway back to Kentish Soil with a humongous bump & the last few days which have been chilly billy (-9.3C on the 30th Dec). The nearby fishing lake is partly frozen. Plans are afoot this month to construct Lullingstone's first temperate house (blood boiling with excitement) - But more on this tantalising new house nearer the time.

The postman has being delivery exciting packages in the form of seed catalogues for me recently including the holy grail of them ALL: The Chiltern Seeds Catalogue. It's filled with scrumptious seeds all mouth-wateringly written up. Lullingstone Blogger's you've all got to possess this catalogue. You'll spend hours up at night tucked up in your cosy bed flicking through the crisp pages of this teasing cracker.

Now is a good time to order seed from whichever source you prefer - ready for sowing this spring. To moi the arrival of seed catalogues heralds the beginning of the new growing year. You can feel the sun's rays growing in strength and the day's lengthening - well okay maybe not quite yet!

While my flickering mind with random thoughts transports me back to dear Bolivia & to a sea of smelly, putrid lilies I tracked down in the vertical Inter Andean Valley's of Bolivia. I turn to the right of my laptop in my bedroom in the gatehouse & catch the wording on the reverse of the Chiltern Seeds Catalogue "All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today". And fleetingly but defiantly think to myself; 2009 is going to be cracking year, just don't watch too many often exaggerated news programmes.

Floral Hugs Galore, The Plant Nut. xXx.

P.s. Chiltern Seeds can be contacted on (01229) 581137 or on www.chilternseeds.co.uk