Our bathroom is the most perfect place for propagating plants such as these . I often start off cuttings of Rain Forest plants and tropical seeds on this little windowsill .
A few weeks ago , I acquired a generous handful of 10 bulbils of Amorphophallus bulbifer ( on ebay ! )
I planted these , as you can see here , just partly submerged in compost ...I wasn,t really sure which way up to plant them ..but look...they are all putting out either roots or shoots..and some of them have both ! So I needn't have worried .
I am not sure if I should cover them with compost now . These bulbils form at the base of the leaves and fall to the ground as the leaf withers away . ..so I thought to myself , that if this is what happens in their natural habitat , then this should be the best way to start them off .
The pot has been standing in a plastic bag, just a little bit open , to keep the humidity which they like .
I will probably put these into a much larger pot or even some of them, into the ground eventually , with good drainage of course .
Any advice would be most welcome !
Then there is this ......Humata (Davallia ) tyermannii also known as the White Rabbit foot fern , and the Hare's paw fern , but the name I like the best is the Tarantula or Bird Spider Fern !
Oops...that pic is a bit dark ....hang on .....
It has beautiful furry rhizomes that look just like the legs of a Tarantula hiding in amongst the fern leaves . It is an Epiphytic fern that would be happier growing up on the branch of a tree in the forest in somewhere like Fiji .
I dont know why I like it so much given that I am terrified of spiders !
Especially in the bathroom !
From the curtain pole hangs Tillandsia usneoides or Spanish Moss. I have both the thin one and the thicker form...this one is the thicker form .
This is also an Epiphytic plant , which is to be found growing on trees in tropical and sub-tropical zones . Central and South America Mexico , Bahamas , Bermuda and my bathroom !
These two Orchids , also Epiphytic plants ,which my brother gave to me , have long lost their labels and are not flowering at the moment , but when they do , the blooms last for weeks ! My brother would have his growing on bark rafts in their own special greenhouse ..maybe I will have a go at that .
Next to the Orchids is a big pot of Epiphyllum cuttings ...in the coming weeks I will be tidying up my Epies in the greenhouse , now that they have pretty much finished flowering and I will be taking lots more cuttings .
Let me know ( local to me in Mullion only ) if you'd like to try and grow one .
Not on the bathroom window-sill but I thought you'd like to see this anyway , is my Bowiea volubilis or the Climbing Sea Onion ..it has been dormant for months and months and has just decided to wake up . This comes from Eastern and Southern Africa preferring hot dry areas . It is quite happy on my landing North facing windowsill ...and is about to do it's crazy thing , I do love these interesting plants :)
Lastly..on the North facing kitchen windowsill are a variegated Clivia miniata which I grew from seed about eight years ago and still only has four leaves ! Anyone got any ideas on how to get this thing growing faster and bigger ? I am growing it in an Orchid and compost mix and only give it rain water .. is there some kind of a plant food that I could give it ? Help ! Anyone know ?
Then there are lots more Epie cuttings from a really lovely Epiphyllum called E. Clown ...which are all now rooted and coming along nicely .
The very strange plant in the middle of the picture is my newly acquired Albulca spirillis . It is a very peculiar thing , a bulb ... like an onion ..which sends up thick grass like leaves which are so funny , as they are curly at the top ! It has a sweet yellow flower I,m told..mine has not flowered yet . It dies completely back and goes dormant over winter I believe..as I have not had mine very long ...I,m still learning about it .
I bought some seeds from Ebay ...but nothing came up....very disappointed ..and then was delighted to find this plant ( down a very,very,very long , narrow country lane ...and thank God nothing was coming the other way !) at the Duchy Nursery in Lostwithial Cornwall .
Actually everybody calls it the Duchy Nursery ,but it is actually properly called The Duchy of Cornwall Nursery . Here's the link for you --- http://www.duchyofcornwallnursery.co.uk/
There is a lot to see there , lovely healthy plants , helpful staff and a lovely cafe .
....is this it ? .....nope ......
It was worth it in the end though ! It is a truly fabulous nursery with lots of the more interesting and totally weird plants that I love ...and everything is labelled with the plants botanically correct name on the label ! Excellent !
Just a tad expensive , but if you find the plant you've been craving for then it,s worth it to feed your addiction .
Albulca spirillis gorgeousness !
Cheerio for now !
