Plants in Our Garden – Hibiscus

I love Hibiscus as they look so exotic and I still wonder at how they flower so well each year in my North facing garden.

The variety I have is Hibiscus syriacus ‘Oiseau Bleu’ which has amazing large deep purple/blue coloured flowers with a bright magenta centre. It is a deciduous shrub but has lovely dark green foliage during late spring and summer.

They like to be in full sun and planted in a rich, moist, well-drained soil, they are fully hardy and flower between August to October.

Prune young plants in late spring to encourage a bushy habit but once established they need little care except to mulch well in autumn to help retain moisture and keep down weeds.

Buy your own Hibiscus from Crocus.co.uk.

The photograph above is the property of Linda Peppin and must not be copied or used in any public work without her express permission.

Poinsettia for Christmas

I love Poinsettia and for me Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without at least one; this year I’ve got four! My four poinsettia are arranged on a deep windowsill in red pots surrounded by a green swag which is covered in red fairy lights – it looks amazing! These days this deciduous shrub is produced in vast quantities and are usually quite small and bushy; ideal for Christmas displays. The red bracts should last for up to six months, depending on the growing conditions. Try to position them in a bright room away from direct sunlight and draughts. To keep them going as long as possible let them dry out then give them a good watering, mist occasionally to promote a humid atmosphere. The modern Poinsettia is produced to last about six months but if you want to try to make your poinsettia turn red for next Christmas following these steps: February or March: Cut the plant back to 4-6 inches. This will encourage the plant to produce new growth and bush out. Stop it getting too “leggy” by pinching out the tips. Late spring or early Summer: Re-pot into a slightly larger pot and continue to pinch out the tips. Through the summer keep it outdoors or in a bright room away from direct sunlight, fertilise every two weeks. Early October: Place your poinsettia into a totally dark cool place for at least 12 hours a day to encourage flowering and for bracts to turn red. Continue this routine until mid December when the flowers should have formed and the bracts should be a lovely bright red. Then all you need to do is enjoy your plant.