Plant of the Day

Friday 3 February 2023

This bench of carnivorous plants at Duthie Park was grown by the junior members of the Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen. These plants grown in acidic conditions and attract, trap and digest animals, mainly insects, for the nutrients they contain. The flowering plant is a Pinguicula species (butterwort) that is an insectivorous perennial producing rosettes of sticky, pale green leaves.

The first four pages of my book

Plant of the Day

Tuesday 17 January 2023

The large, fragrant flowers of Brugmansia aurea (golden angel's trumpet) need the shelter of a glasshouse in winter as this evergreen species is endemic to Ecuador where it is sadly considered extinct in the wild. It is a member of the nightshade family so all parts of the plant need to be treated with caution as they are toxic.

Plant of the Day

Saturday 28 January 2023

Although technically a shrub Heliotropium arborescens (heliotrope, cherry pie) is most often grown as a tender perennial. Here it has the protection of a glasshouse and is continuing to flower during the winter. The plants were filling the air with the sweet-scent of cherry pie from the clusters of deep violet-blue flowers.

Plant of the Day

Friday 27 January 2023

In this glasshouse the tender, evergreen perennial Solenostemon scutellarioides (coleus, painted nettle) creates a colourful pool of orange foliage. This plant has semi-succulent, square stems which will root easily from softwood cuttings which allows a huge range of cultivars to persist. The small, spikes of blue flowers are usually removed to encourage foliage development.

Plant of the Day

Wednesday 1 February 2023

Adding a vertical element to this cacti house is Cleistocactus strausii (silver torch). This is a vigorous cactus covered in white spines on hairy, bluish-grey columns. It must be lovely when covered in tubular deep red or burgundy flowers which are scattered along the stems in summer.