STEPHEN'S BLOG
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BROWSE CATEGORIES
Ipheion peragrinans
This cute little South American bulb was and still is sold around the traps as I. ‘Rolf Fiedler’ but has at last been given a species name. It has more substantial and bluer flowers than the more commonly offered I. uniflorum forms and so is a worthy quick growing sun loving bulb for late winter
Stephen Ryan
Elegia capensis
The South African Thatching Rush is a truly spectacular foliage plant. Its fluffy stems grow to about 1.5metres and are elegant adornments to the garden or as cut foliage which lasts and lasts in water. It loves a damp site and is obviously ideal next to a pond but unlike so many bog plants it
Stephen Ryan
Tropaeolum tricolorum
This cute as a button herbaceous perennial winter growing climber always gets a response from those that don’t know it. It is simple to grow in sun or semi-shade as long as the potato like tubers are kept dry in summer. I usually pot grow it so that it can spend the summer in the
Stephen Ryan
Bystropogon canariensis
This is an evergreen shrub funnily enough from the Canary Islands with small grey-green leaves with a Pennyroyal scent so plant it near where you walk so as to brush past it. It is however for its masses of fluffy grey flowers produced almost throughout the summer and autumn that you would chiefly grow it.
Stephen Ryan
Oxalis furcillata
No not all Oxalis are weeds and that is only to be expected from a Genus of over 800 species and I have a passion for them and have so far over 25 different species and forms mainly from South Africa and a few from South America in the collection. Most of my South African
Stephen Ryan
Arum, palaestinum
This is a very hardy winter growing tuberous plant from the Middle East with handsome bright green foliage and large burgundy-black flowers in early spring. The flowers smell of manure for the first day or so making it an ideal practical joke plant (just smell the lily!). I use it in my perennial border for
Stephen Ryan
Cydonia sinensis
This was until recently known as Pseudocydonia sinensis or the mock Chinese quince and it has to be the best small tree that one could have! It has attractive pink blossom in late spring that in summer become large egg shaped yellow -green fruit which can be used for jelly or as I found out
Stephen Ryan
Trachelospermum jasminoides ‘Tricolor’
This amazing ground cover form of star jasmine which is usually a climbing plant is ideal as a slow growing plant for a small spot in semi- shade where it will light up the area with its pink and white variegated foliage. I have one in the garden that has been there 10 years or
Stephen Ryan
Firmiana simplex
A rarely used deciduous tree comes from China and Japan and its huge leaves make a tropical statement without the tree its self being tropical. It will grow in anopen aspect and tolerate a range of different soils so there can only be one excuse for its lack of representation in Australian gardens, no one
Stephen Ryan
Styphnolobium japonicum ‘Pendulum’
This truly amazing specimen was captured by me in a chateau garden in Northern France and what a beauty it is! It hangs down from a 3metre standard to the ground and then down over a 4metre wall and this garden has 2 of them. If you want to do the same with or without
Stephen Ryan