Monday, 24 November 2014


 Flowering in the Med House this Week

Well, that cold spell and last week's snow fall certainly put an end to the few lingering blooms in our gardens. Although it's currently not peak bloom time in the Mediterranean Garden if you are suffering from withdrawal symptoms and need a "flower fix" then go have a stroll through RBG centre's green house.




Most resplendent right now is the Bougainvillea that drapes across the arbor above the stairs to the second level and is even seen poking through the aqueduct of the train display with a cluster of magenta blooms.








Pentas lanceolata 





There are many Pentas lanceolata (Star Cluster) plants and clumps of Osteospermum ecklonis (African Daisy)  scattered throughout the garden, brightening up the greenery with colours of pink, yellow, white and mauve. 






Osteospermum ecklonis
Reds seem to dominate at the moment with the prolific blooming of the Pelargonium acetosum (Sorrel Geranium), the tubular flowers of the Tecoma capensis (Cape Honeysuckle) and the delicate blooms of the Callistemon linearis (Narrow Leaved Bottlebrush) and Acacia farnesiana (Sweet Acacia) with it's brush type red flowers. 






Pelargonium acetosum (Sorrel Geranium)
Tecoma capensis (Cape Honeysuckle)
Callistemon linearis 
(Narrow-Leaved Bottlebrush)
Acacia farnesiana (Sweet Acacia)




Nandina domestica (sacred Chinese Bamboo)
 Another splash of red colour is provided by the large clusters of berries of the Nandina domestica (sacred Chinese Bamboo). This is not actually a bamboo, but an erect evergreen shrub. 


There are many more flowers around the Mediterranean Garden at the moment in varying colours of white, orange and yellow. Go have a look and see if you can spot them yourself. 




While you are at it be sure to wander through the Cactus and Succulent Collection. This is not a place you would normally expect to find flowering plants. However, the Euphorbia have a few specimens with blooms, including the red of the Euphorbia milii (Crown of Thorns), the yellow flowers growing above the spines of the Euphorbia grandicornis (Cow's Horn) and the less defined yellow flowers along the ridges of the Euphorbia ingens (Candelabra Tree).  Cacti can produce large stunning flowers, but expect to find those later.  Right now there are several small white flowers on the Mammillaria plumosa (Feather Cactus), while the Mammillaria prolifera (Texas Nipple Cactus) has just about finished flowering and is displaying the resulting red cylindrical fruit.


So give yourself a treat and take time to wander around the Med House on a regular basis.  In the coming months.It will certainly provide a cure for the winter blahs.


Euphorbia milii
Euphorbia grandicornis

Euphorbia grandicornis
Euphorbia ingens

Mammillaria prolifera

Mammillaria plumosa

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