I dragged myself out this morning and did a bit of gardening, then found myself this afternoon taking the glass off someone else’s greenhouse to remove the moss balls and try to get it a bit more watertight. The frost last weekend saw off just about every remaining flower and though some of the Camellias are staging a comeback they aren’t there yet. Another very mixed bag then for this weeks offering.
One.
The only thing with reasonably intact flowers that survived the frost is Rhodochiton atrosanguineus. I had this down as a tender plant but it seems to be tougher than I’ve given it credit for. I didn’t get seed from it early enough to get plants going before the winter but will sow very early next year. Such a workhorse of a plant.
Two.
Open this week for the first time this year is Camellia ‘1001 Summer Nights Jasmine’. This is the one in the garden; there is another in the conservatory but that’s another story. Last year it was in a post on Christmas Eve, having just opened. This is the “new big thing” in Camellias, it is supposed to flower all summer.
Three.
What I went out this morning to do was to tie up my Indigofera pendula, which had made a lot of top growth which meant it caught too much wind, snapped its stake and ended up at a jaunty angle. It now has an ugly metal pole which I will attempt to disguise, but at least it should get through the winter. I cut it down too.
Four.
I grew some Abutilons from seed that Fred sent me from France. I have four planted in the garden and had pretty much resigned myself to them being killed by frost but didn’t want to give in without a bit of a fight. I cut the end off a plastic bag and put it over one plant, then filled it with leaves, thinking if I could keep even the bottom half alive it would survive and recover. Turns out I needn’t have worried, the frost appears to have had no effect on this plant or the other three. Just another four months to get through…..
Five.
There are of course odds and ends in the greenhouse that I’ve picked up here and there. Like Primulina dryas ‘Hisako’. I don’t know that I’ve quite worked out what conditions this wants but it seems happy enough kept frost free.
Six.
Another plant I took a fancy to at some plant fair or other was one bearing the name Plectranthus oerphendelii. Not for the first time, putting it in a Saturday six has prompted me to look it up. The Plectranthus bit is right. The species is oertendahlii, so close. Most of what comes up is other species of Plectranthus so it seemingly isn’t very common. I had it in mind for a container plant outside in summer, it has attractively silvered leaves. It remains to be seen whether starting to flower in late November is its usual behaviour. Like the Primulina, it’s in the greenhouse with just frost protection and seems perfectly happy so far.
Loads of rain is forecast for the weekend, but all during the night, so I might get a bit more done out there. Keep your posts coming if you can, they’re part of what fills my days when I’m pinned down indoors.
garden ruminations 
Interesting sculpture in no 5 this week – I live in SE any of my larger outdoor sedums have long since been lost! Great idea about filling bag with leaves for frost protection – plant in flower too you really are ‘green fingered’! Thanks for an interesting read again this week.
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As always, I enjoy your camellia posts. I must say though this is my favorite time of the year to see them blooming. They brighten up what can be such a gloomy time of the year.
Here is my six:
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What a nice surprise to have the Abutilon come through the frost just dandy. The camellia is lovely and bright.
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I’d love to have space for a Rhodochiton. I’ll have to make do with admiring yours Jim.
Here’s my six, something to keep you pinned down during the rain:
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Wonderful Plectranthus, there are mostly the purple ones here. I will be interested to follow the Flowering Maple. It seems they should not like the frost. Plants have minds of their own, I think. Thank you for hosting. https://theshrubqueen.com/2023/12/09/six-on-saturday-december-in-south-florida/
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Are those Echeverias in Herman? Do you leave them outside? Mine are in the conservatory, as I am sure all the rain would kill them off, but my neighbour seems to leave some of her succulents outdoors through out the winter.
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They are Echeverias and probably wont survive if left out all winter. They’re also probably infested with vine weevil and wouldn’t survive indoors either. Sue has loads of that particular variety so we’ll just make up another pot next year.
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Ahh, the luxury of having a greenhouse! I suppose it is better I don’t have one – heating it would be prohibitive around here, though I could get a jump on spring planting… I decided to time warp back to my community gardens between 2000-2016 where I could find some color. Have a great weekend all!
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I only aim to keep frost at bay in my greenhouses and since we don’t get very many frosts and they’re not especially hard, I can get away with a minimum of heating.
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Your Purple Bell Vine is still in bloom?! It’s gorgeous and I’m hastily adding that to my ‘seeds still to order’ shopping list. I’ll be happy if it blooms until the end of summer.
I’d also add the camellia to my plants list if I thought it would flower here from winter through summer. That one must be a keeper, it’s lovely.
I thought I’d have a frosty six for you this week, but a little overnight visitor whose bedroom was being redecorated meant I didn’t have time to finish it.
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There’s a convoluted saga around the summer flowering Camellia which no-one seems to have got to the bottom of yet. I wrote about it here https://wp.me/p7pIt7-2s5 Rhodochiton has been a struggle for me from bought seed and better but not always successful from my own saved seed.
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I’ve read your post about the Camellia and it’s very interesting. I’d like to give the plant a try and notice a few places have it in stock – though I’ll wait until next year.
If growing Rhodochiton is difficult for you, then I think I’d be best buying it as a plant or as an alternative I can get jumbo seedlings from Sarah Raven in May. That might be a better option for a less skilled me. 😁
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You’ve still plenty of colour in your garden. Rhodochiton did very poorly here this year so I’ve not bothered saving the roots this year.
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My Rhodochiton weren’t as good this year as last. They worked best when sown in May to be planted out the following spring, already 3-4ft tall.
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I’ll give that a try. They were roots overwintered from the previous year but were smaller than I’d normally plant out.
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The 2010 winter and -17 c did for my Abutilon but it was the blue one which is I think Abutilon vitifolium. But they tend to be short-lived anyway, so I was philosophical. Since then the new introductions are thick and fast and I hope yours is hardy now it is wrapped up. Horrendous wind here as I write!
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I’ve been reading up on Abutilons and it seems they should survive all but beast from the east extremes. I’ve taken the wrapping off mine for now but will keep it handy in case it’s needed.
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Rhodochiton atrosanguineus is a new one for me. I like it! Time to go google and learn more.
We have also had several freezes, so the only things flowering in my garden are a few cyclamens. My six this week are from a bonsai show I attended last Saturday. Today is forecast to be 21 C, which would be good for cleaning up the garden, but I am scheduled to take Youngest Offspring to a reptile show (she is shopping for a pet snake) and then put up the Christmas tree.
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There’s a world out there of which I know nothing, a world of young people and snakes and reptile shows and 21C in December. You don’t have enough wild snakes around already?
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You have to test the rhodochiton Nick. I’m sure they will be successful for you as I sent seeds to a NC friend ( she also tried successfully)
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I can safely say there is nothing of interest left in my garden so no Six from me this week, but if anyone would like to see this year’s wreath in memory of my mum (I make one every year) then it’s here – http://mytinywelshgarden.home.blog/2023/12/09/remembering-mum-2023/
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It is a great testament to your gardening diversity that you have so much to show each week. My weekly offering is getting a bit thin – but I do have parakeets and persimmons to share! Aah, moss balls and greenhouses – now’s there’s a job that needs doing. Here’s my link https://n20gardener.com/2023/12/09/six-on-saturday-gloomy-gardening/
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It is nearly always too cold, too wet, too windy or too something else to tackle moss balls on greenhouses. Too many plants inside that need to stay dry. I wish all unpleasant jobs were so easily put off.
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It gets harder each week to find something worth photographing, just about managed it this week. Like the camellia, very Christmassy!
My six are here……https://www.leadupthegardenpath.com
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I can’t remember what the Head’s name is (behind the Abutilon) – but he’s looking good with his succulent hair-do. Rhodochiton atrosanguineus looks and sounds great https://onemanandhisgardentrowel.wordpress.com/2023/12/09/six-on-saturday-9-december-2023/
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Herman the Head! I’m amazed his hair survived.
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My Six are only one tree. I could not show the process in only one picture.
I featured Abutilon on my blog only recently. It should be finishing bloom any time, even here. However, it is still too pretty to retire. (The particular specimen that I got a picture of is potted, so comes back to the nursery while it is not contributing to the landscape.) I know that frost there is very different from frost here. I really do not know how resilient Abutilon is to frost. I have seen it damaged, but in other more severe climates.
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Hardiness is such a complex thing with so many variables coming into play. The Abutilons cost me nothing and it looks like the cuttings I took should live, so I can afford to experiment and perhaps learn something.
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This is a very good experience for the abutilon and I’m interested to see how yours survive in the ground ( and frost) . Here I didn’t have the courage and I brought it into the frost-free greenhouse (in a pot)
Concerning the rhodochiton I already noticed that it was a very hardy plant and gives quite long flowering. I had saved some seeds and I think that like you I will sow some again next spring. https://fredgardenerblog2.wordpress.com/2023/12/09/six-on-saturday-09-12-23/
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The Abutilons didn’t strike me as the sort of plant that would lift well. It will be interesting to see how they do. I don’t think I had any seeds set on mine but I haven’t looked closely.
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Lovely little camellia. I don’t have a post for this week but will read about other’s gardens.
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