Montreal Gardens is a really magical spot in the mountains, on the Caribbean island of St Vincent. It is located at the top of the Mesopotamia Valley. The gardens were created by a local Vincentian, Douglas Brisbane. It was really interesting to see what, we’d think of as common house plants, in temperate parts of…
Category: Garden
Patagonia Revisited
I took this photo when I visited the Perito Moreno Glacier in spring 2013 (September in Agentina). It is such a beautiful, fascinating place. It is lovely to look back at some previous travels at this time of year. Especially when travelling continues to be difficult for everyone. The Patagonian Sierra Finch, Phrygilus patagonicus, Yal…
Vanilla orchid and Edmond Albius
Vanilla is actually produced from the cured seed pod of the vanilla orchid, Vanilla planifolia. This species of Vanilla orchid is native to Belize, Guatemala and Mexico. It’s thought to have been first cultivated by the totonac people. Vanilla has a climbing monopodial habit and is found growing up trees in its native habitat. The…
The Orchid bee, Euglossini
Gongora powellii is an orchid species native to Panama, with its pollinator; an orchid bee, Euglossini species. You can see orchid pollen sacs, called pollinia attached to the bees back. Euglossini bees are typically iridescent colours and there are over 200 species at least! This photo was taken at the conservation centre; Aprovaca in Panama…
Wildflower Meadow Update
Back In 2014, I helped to create this wildflower meadow in a garden lawn in Witham, Essex, United Kingdom. The addition of hay rattle or yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor) in 2020 has been a big success. Hay rattle parasites grass species, reducing there vigour, helping more choice wildflowers to establish. The yellow rattle was direct-sown…
Growing Gibraltar Native Plants
I’ve really enjoyed growing the Gibraltar native plants this year as part of our Conservation work at Gibraltar Wildlife. in this post I’ll share a few of these native plants. Firstly, we have the Melancholy toadflax, Linaria tristis from seed. The common name is a reference to the species name (specific epithet) ‘tristis’ which means…
Nonsuch Park
It could almost be Japan; but this is actually Nonsuch Park, on the edge of South London. The Park is located in Cheam, in the London Borough of Sutton. Nonsuch used to be part of Henry VIII’s deer hunting estates, but is now a thriving public park. This mature Yoshino Cherry, Prunus × yedoensis is…
Growing mistletoe
In this post, I will share how to grow your own mistletoe, Viscum album from seed. January or February are the best months to start your own mistletoe plant, so don’t throwaway your bunch of Christmas mistletoe after Christmas. It is a really fun thing to have a go at and great to inspire younger members…
My Wardian Case 