Happy New Year!

Photo: London Eye New Year Celebrations Source - Daily Telegraph

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Agave schidigera 'Shira Ito no Ohi'

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David Nash Sculpture in the Princess of Wales Conservatory, Kew Gardens. 

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Princess of Wales Conservatory, Kew Gardens.

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Happy Christmas Everyone!

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Street sign spotted with some additional 'enhancements' in Paris.

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Sulcorebutia steinbachii var. gracilior - tongue twister of a name but I really like this one!

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Twinkles

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Christmas wreaths in Paris.

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Christmas is coming.... at the Marché aux Fleurs, Île de la Cité, Paris...

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Ficus Roots, with a variegated Pteris fern growing in one of the root hollows.

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We visited the Botanical Gardens in Paris, The three tiered platforms are a sight to behold themselves, looking like a rock face and blended in with plants climbing on its surface.

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Meryta denhamii

Meryta denhamii  comes from New Caledonia and can grow to about 6m tall. The large, stiff, leathery leaves are elongated, curved at the edges and appear in tufts or bunches at the ends of the branches. Their central rib is thick and fleshy with longitudinal grooves. On younger trees the leaves are up to 45 cm long and about 12 cm wide. On older trees the leaves may be up to 1 metre long and 24 cm wide. The flowers exude a sweet scent. The plants are either female or male. Since the anthers protrude from the flowers, it is likely that the pollen is spread mainly by wind. Female flowers also occasionally produce anthers, but these are stunted and unproductive. This plant featured is located inside one of the glasshouses at Jardin des Plantes, Paris.

Source: Wikipedia

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A reminder of summer, Trachcarpus fortunei leaves.

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Parisian Cats

We got back from Paris earlier this week and one of the highlights was visiting the Marché aux Fleurs on the Île de la Cité near to Notre Dame. From typical Christmas decor, exotic plants and an assortment of nick nacks, we were reminded of our own cats (well sort of!) by the above wooden ones. For more photos see our post on Alternative Eden.

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Maianthemum amoenum as seen on the Crug Farm Display at the RHS London Plant and Design Show

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Bamboo Windchimes

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Twinkles watching Cat TV

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Schefflera aff. rhododendrifolia

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Oreopanax floribundus from Crug Farm (BSWJ10669 

Oreopanax floribundus collected by Crug Farm from the stunning central mountain range of Colombia where they found examples of this rare species growing to 4m tall. Our plant is still young and kept in a pot to be kept away from the cold weather over winter.

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Cycas revoluta covered in snow from Wednesdays snow fall.

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We had a light dusting of snow yesterday, Knickers spent the morning exploring this strange new world (although he has seen snow before). I'm not sure what his expression says... but he is giving me a very strange look!

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Its beginning to feel a bit like Christmas, or so the song goes, we have got quite a bit of our Garden preparations done ahead of winter taking hold, plants are safely tucked away into greenhouses, and the large shed. Last weekend we had a couple of nights with temperatures hitting -3C so the tender annuals on the whole have now given up. Not all though as a selection of pelargoniums in pots by the front of the house are still alive and kicking, but the annual display of succulents have given up the ghost, as has the tall and imposing ricinus above. So attention can start to turn to indoors and Christmas, we have been looking at a selection of Christmas gifts and started to pick a few things out as suggestions. We normally get a few small garden related presents, recent years have included wind up torches (for going to check on the greenhouse heaters after dark) and mugs with caps to keep the tea nice and hot. Will have to suggest a few things to family for them to pick up on this year.

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In September we were visited by Loree from the lovely Danger Garden blog. Last week she featured our garden on her blog and along with a fantastic write up she posted a number of beautifully composed photographs. The above image is probably my favourite and captures the essence of our jungle garden brilliantly. I have taken photos from similar angles in the past but somehow this one just captures everything.

To see more of our garden from Lorees point of view check out this blog on Danger Garden.

This photo is (c) Loree Bohl of Danger Garden, please do not reuse without permission.

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Schefflera delavayi

Do we need an excuse to show a Schefflera photo, this one is the rather beautiful Schefflera delavayi.

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