Yorkshire Kris wrote:Saw this plant on Gardeners' World last night and thought "Wow! that looks very different" Anyone growing it?

I saw it too and thought the same thing. Crug Farm have three forms for sale. Paris polyphylla v. stenophylla very different looking.

Good news for Butia eriospatha. Very happy with the growth I've had from my plant. Only 4 years from seed and already forming trunks (it was twins from 1 seed). faster even than any Phoenix I've grown from seed. Not tested it outdoors yet though and I don't consider it totally hardy here in the penn...

You might get seed. I have before from pads i'd just received with out roots. The benefit of cuttings rather than seed is that you get the plant's maturity. It takes around 10 years for Opuntias to flower from seed.

Wow that L. bruchii is stunning. There's a well known O. englemanni at (I think) Cambridge University which has survived outdoors for years and is a good size.

I grow quite a few hardy opuntias and several forms of O. compressa including Monmouth County. I'm slightly sceptical about the hardiness of anything grafted and I think the winter shrivelling effect of the root stock will make for an unstable bond. Certainly never heard of anyone trying it though a...

That Chammy's been there for years Cordy :lol: They don't focus on exotics much but I'd recommend a walk round their houseplant section. They do a lot of the more tender bromeliads at a fraction of the prices I've seen at the flower shows and their Washingtonias are very reasonable. They even had a ...

I've germinated E. bicolor seedlings too but I mixed bought seed with collected seed so can't say which have germinated. Sparkling Burgundy is a form of E. comosa so resulting seed might revert to green but could still produce some interesting forms. I've never dared to leave mine out but over a few...

Keeping them dry in winter is the way forward. I've lost a few big-ish Trichocereus over the last few years. T. peruvianus with very vicious spikes was around 30 years old and I killed it in one winter. I had a fair sized Lobivia (Soehrensia/Trichocereus/Echinopsis) bruchii which also didn't make it...

My two planted out are still alive with only fleece for protection. Two others in large pots get dragged into the garage. They are all just entering year three have had just one plant flower last year.

You'll be near to The Eden Project Karl. When we went a coiple of years ago, we came out the Eden Project at about 3.30pm and there was a garden I wanted to see called Headland at Polruan so I checked with the Satnav and it said 30 minute drive. We arrived over an hour later after a ferry ride and s...

My conservatory is totally full of plants - Agaves, Cycads, small Palms, Aloes, Manfredas, Mangaves. Bromeliads are a must in a conservatory - Tillandsias, Aechmeas, Billbergias, Puyas, Ochagavias, Dyckias can all go outside for summer.

washed sand so it's salt-free. :) I also mulched my arids with gravel to prevent the roots being exposed (due to being planted a little higher than the surrounding ground) Gravel of 20mm dia. seems to do best for me and for agaves and cacti no soil except what comes with the roots. I've worked up t...

I'll second Lamorran. Should serve your interest in palms quite well too. The Eden Project is a very good day out for the whole family too.

I can't see it being an arrestable crime to keep using Cheshunt Compound. A local garden centre had it for sale on their shelves well into 2012 but there has long been some scepticism around regarding Cheshunt Compound and whether is might adversely affect germination. I think I may have killed seed...

For comparison, I've bought these:

http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/cat ... uare-Pots/

http://www.greenshorticulture.co.uk/cat ... quare-Pot/