Northern Hemisphere August 2010

[cohan]

Cohan,

yes, it is a tender but extremly easy to care for.
C.macrophyllum makes rarely stolones and if, then always a single one at the end of the flower stalk when the seed ripens. The flower stems are about 40cm high, they are thick and hard and grow straight upwards, not long, thin and hanging down as the stalks of the usual Chlorophytum commosum. It grows not as fast as C.commosum und rarely builds a second or third plant in the pot.
I have it in the house in winter where it needs not much watering and also grows happy without much light.

thanks renate, i will watch for seed available..

[cohan]

Nice pics Stephen!

In Denmark we had a nice warm summer, but my Ken Aslet did not flower yet. Do you really eat the tubers?

Poul

Poul: Well, I don’t grow a lot of Mashua, but put a few tubers aside for Xmas dinner. Tropaeolum tuberosum or Mashua as it’s known in its homeland was the 4th most important root crop in the Andes behind potato, oca (Oxalis tuberosa), and ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus). I prepare all 4 for Xmas dinner in most years and it makes for a very colourful dinner as you can see below. You can read more about Mashua in the on-line book Lost Crops of the Incas: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=1398&page=67

I also use the flowers in salads (they are milder than common nasturtiums).

An interesting point to bear in mind is that Andean men apparently refuse to eat Mashua as they believe that it is an anaphrodisiac. Therefore this a food reserved for women and children..

So this is definitely a food that should be promoted in areas wanting to curb population growth!

If your Ken Aslet isn’t in flower now I would suspect that you have one of the imposters doing the rounds! I can send you a tuber of the real Ken Aslet if you wish – remind me mid-October.

The first picture shows the attractive tubers from Ken Aslet.

The second picture shows assorted Ullucos (yellow, green – there are a whole range of colours), Ocas (reds) and a long white variety of Mashua (ready for the pot for Xmas dinner). The white variety doesn't flower.

(I would also eat your surplus Dahlia tubers, another American root vegetable!)

these are very cool! hmm, that might be a reason to grow dahlias --i don't have one otherwise are there dahlia forms specifically cultivated for bigger tubers without regard to flower forms?

[Stephenb]

Dahlias: No, they were I think mainly collected from the wild in their home range, although I guess that they were probably moved into home gardens as edimentals. I know one guy in the states who is trying to develop better food varieties. We'll see what he comes up with. The ones I've tasted are not that exciting with little or no taste and a hard skin which, unlike potatoes, must be removed.

[Lesley Cox]

Stephen, do you ever sit down to a good hearty steak? or maybe roast lamb?

[cohan]

Dahlias: No, they were I think mainly collected from the wild in their home range, although I guess that they were probably moved into home gardens as edimentals. I know one guy in the states who is trying to develop better food varieties. We'll see what he comes up with. The ones I've tasted are not that exciting with little or no taste and a hard skin which, unlike potatoes, must be removed.

ok, i wont bother then...lol; i'm digging up an overgrown bed with rhizomatous iris and daylilies--i remember the daylilies being edible--though so far, not that much to the roots..was thinking that might be the best use for them..lol--used to like them, now not so much, and this is just some old humdrum orange (not that i like the fancy colours, the yellows are nicer though)

[Stephenb]

Agree, I also prefer the botanical species - I have H. altissima and citrina growing side by side and just coming into flower (both yellow), will post a picture in a few days (they've never flowered together before, one or the other but not both...)

[dominique]

Thank you all for the nice plants that you show us;
I send you some pics of  some plants that I like in my garden now.
Impatiens glandulifera Alba. Nothing to do in a fresh half shade place
After, association Lilium and Dahlia that I sew. The orange single one was received under the name : Dahlia imperialis !!! But I like it

[dominique]

I think nice to associate single Dahlia with the botanical species Rudbeckia triloba which is in bloom during 4 months

[dominique]

I like too to associate nice wild species as Nicotiana megalosiphon, Petunia violacea and Salvia tiliifolia. I show you after Ipomoea collection : I. coccinea, coccinea v. hederifolia and a cultivar of purpurea : Carnaval de venise

[dominique]

and the more spectacular : Ipomoea alba, as large as a cake plate !!!

[dominique]

Ipomoea alba has a very strong perfume all around  in the night. It opens around 19 o'clock until 10 o'clock in the morning. It is a curiosity because  the flowers open alltogether  : 10 to 40 by day in 20 minutes and died after one night each. They are visited by night butterflies (Sphynx)
For the end, I reserve you an other night queen which is hardy here. It is a fireworks of nice flowers with a very long tube and nice perfume : Mirabilis longiflora v. wrightii
Thank you for having walk with me to discover these vegetal friends.

[Gail]

Wonderful Dom!  I love the moonflower Ipomoea alba but have only got it to flower once here, our summers are not usually hot enough.  Mirabilis longiflora v. wrightii is new to me and I shall look out for it.

[Ragged Robin]

Thanks Dom for a walk by day and night to see the wonderful flowerings in your garden and their visitors (in addition to you  )

[fleurbleue]

Nice pictures Dom 

[Regelian]

Well, we have very little blooming at the moment and the rains are not making things any prettier!  It's been three weeks of water, water, water and my garden pool is overflowing!  In any case, here are the few items still worthy of a photo:

Eucomis bicolor
Eucomis zambesiaca
Agapanthus inapertus

The E. zambesiaca I found on the plant market in a pan.  I'd never seen it before.  A dwarf with chrystalline white flowers.  As I understand, it is not winterhard in my zone, so I will need to bring it into the cold house for the Winter.  Anyone have experience with this species?