Home again
By siris
8 comments
We have just been away for a week’s break to Sunnier Climes, glorious weather, 30c. On returning the weather has been wet, 10C at night, 15C during the day so if it hasn’t rained it has been misty, not conductive to photo taking or going outside.
These differences in climate reminded me of the exotic plants we saw and the differences in what we can grow.
Not as exotic as clusters of dates but…
ripe clusters of Red Currant. These have already been picked and are now jam.
Oh! for those exotic Hibiscus but Hibiscus Bluebird, a quick growing shrub, is hardy in the south of the UK.
My Bougainvillea, which is growing in a pot in the conservatory loses its’ leaves in winter. The conservatory has frost protection using tubular heaters.
Although this flowers each year, this is the only cluster of flowers this year, right at the top. The plant is 17 years old and would probably benefit from repotting again.
More versatile than pomegranates?
Jonagold Red apples, picked 3 weeks ago + and now in storage.
Green Sleeves apples, not a great storer, but a pollinator for Jonagold which is a tripoid variety.
Stopped raining now, time to get outside and prepare for winter. This Phormium, with exotic looking flowers produced in summer, has stripy leaves.
As the ground is so wet, I will prune the Rosa glauca, pictured here and tie the stems to the trellis behind.
Have just cut back the Rose, but run out of string. Have also divided the Phormium. It was huge. Have got 9 divisions, one placed back in the same place, 3 heeled to give away and the rest for composting. Problem….. I normally put stuff thro’ the shredder before composting, but it has matted itself around the spindle. The solution to 2 problems……I have slit the leaves down their length into string size “raffia” strips. These I have used to tie in the rose. It has worked brilliantly…. not called New Zealand Flax for nothing!
Hope the ground dries out soon as at the moment it’s like pudding and still more things to move.
21 Oct, 2014
6 likes
More blog posts by siris
Previous post: Sunnier Climes
Next post: Reblooming Iris germanica, update
Comments
The jam is delicious, Steragram. The Hibiscus flowers are on my next door neighbours plant, about 10 years old, survived frost and snow. My seedling is now 2 ft tall, which I think is the time they are most vulnerable.
21 Oct, 2014
Oh used to love the redcurrants in mum and dads garden and the red jelly they used to make was delicious, I do like the phormium, never tried one here but there is a huge one around the corner from us, I always wondered if its leaves were lethal like the Pampas but with you using them for twine I guess they aren't.
Nice pics Siris...
27 Oct, 2014
I never heard of making jam with them Siris. Do you include the seeds and everything? I gave several pounds to a neighbour who wanted to make jelly but she had trouble setting it and uses it as a sauce for puds and icecream.
Perhaps she should have added some pectin?
27 Oct, 2014
Redcurrant jam/jelly is delicious, but preparing it is a pain. I take the berries off in clusters, wash them then strip the berries off, leaving the seeds, cook, then put thro' a sieve to get out the seeds, reboil using pectinated sugar, pot, and eat.
28 Oct, 2014
Ah, sounds like jellybag time then - means you don't have to struggle getting the seeds out of the holes in the sieve...
28 Oct, 2014
I suppose you could call it jelly jam.
30 Oct, 2014
A rose by any other name...who cares as long as it tastes good?
30 Oct, 2014
Recent posts by siris
- Striking Sunrise
27 Jan, 2024
- Identification?
2 Sep, 2023
- Olive and friends.
5 Aug, 2023
- Swag
18 Jul, 2023
- Variability
29 Jun, 2023
- Siris' Irises
1 Jun, 2023
Clever move Siris! I think redcurrants are worth growing just for their beauty - and they last so long on the bushes if you don't harvest them as soon as they are ripe. (If you keep the birds off!)
Your hibiscus is gorgeous - has it survived a hard frost yet?
21 Oct, 2014