Loropetalum chinensis.

Black Pearl must be a newly raised variety, really dark foliage, which I like. My Fire Dragon is still producing flowers despite a couple of frosts. I will fleece it sometime shortly.

That is a lovely plant with such a rich colour. Hope it does really well in your new raised bed. The cyclamens look very pretty too.

A lovely looking plant, Janey! That rich dark foliage complements wonderfully with the Cyclamen beside it! Is the shrub going to be planted with them?

Hi Siris, it's only small, but a little beauty..:)
I shall.check out your Fire dragon, I imagine like it's name.it's a lighter red? It is supposed to be hardy, and I shall mulch it well...

Thanks Wildrose, I hope it does too. I just want my area outside finished! It's taking forever, and so far there is no soil in.the bed..:((

Well.I shall try it for you Julia, I don't seem to get frost right by the cottage, and when.I look out the doors, the raised bed is quite near and so will be Black Pearl...it's the Chinese witchhazel.. I just popped it by the cyclamens for the photo, but I will.plant some with it too.

Thanks Balc..:) Well, when my raised bed is full.of soil, I shall plant pink cyclamen with it..
I would love a couple of acers too. I'll see when.it's finished..

Black Pearl looks great Janey … quite different from my Loropetalum Fire Dragon which has bronze leaves and pink flowers. Mine’s definitely not hardy, in fact it’s sheltering in the greenhouse already!

Lovely dark foliage..I would call it winterberry colour..looks attractive next to the gorgeous cyclamen.

Janey, such a shame your outside area is taking a long time, so frustrating for you. I bought an L. chinense 'Ruby Snow' in March this year. It looks good in a pot now, but I think it will need to be protected in the cold greenhouse before too long.

Hi Sheila, well I'm thinking, this is only a baby, so it'll have to be wrapped in.the greenhouse too..:(( I've looked online for growing conditions, it did say hardy, but it depends where you are and where it will be in your garden. So in the greenhouse it will go..

Thanks Kate, it is a really lovely colour, winter berries is perfect..:)

Ruby snow Sheila? It sounds pretty, I'll look online and check it out. Yes I'll wrap this one and it'll stay in the greenhouse with aeoniums
and two.pretty fuchsia I want to keep.
I can't wait for outside to be done, it'll not be too long though..:))

Janey, I bought it on impulse with no idea where it was going to be planted, hence it's still in a pot on the patio! I must put it safely away tomorrow - makes note to self - :o))

I think that's where mine will be for a couple of years Shirley..haha. it needs a cot right now, not old enough for it's big bed. I could in.the spring, plant it's pot in the bed!

Nice to have a different coloured leaf and love the cyclamen.

It is Linda, it's only small as yet, so it's having extra care till Spring when I'll.plant it out..gorgeous colour flowers!

I hope it does well for you Janey. I still have the two avocado pears growing that I started from the stones. I've placed them in the conservatory for the winter. I cut the tops out and they are throwing side shoots.

Goodness, you've done well with those Linda. How old are they now? I've tried growing them before, but couldn't get the stones to shoot..maybe not enough patience!

They will be two next spring. The stones take around three months to germinate and you have to plant them the right way up with the tops showing above the compost. I'll put a photo on.

A great many years ago I managed to get a couple of stones to germinate when we still lived in Spain. I had them suspended above water with the base hardly touching the water. I potted them up but I don't think either reached their 2nd year.

It's a long process then Linda, I don't think I waited that long with mine haha! You've done very well having them two years, I'd love to see a photo of them..:)

So it's a difficult process Balc. I seem to recall Ian, my late husband doing something similar now you mention it. I think he held one above water with cocktail sticks, I'm sure nothing happened tho. Linda's done very well!