West Cornwall Day Trip

lucienc · Post by **lucienc** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 7:44 pm

How do you get away from the bad weather we all had yesterday ? Head to exotic West Cornwall !!

Saturday started much later than I planned due to finishing off most of a bottle of red Friday night. I arrived at my parents in East Cornwall just before lunch, grabbed a quick bite. I'd invited mum and dad on the trip, "We're not really into exotics but we'll come have a look".

Its only about 60 miles to Penzance, I thought - that can't take long. After battling the stationary traffic around Bodmin, and taking a scenic route over the moor, we made it to Hardy Exotics in just over 2 hours ! I can see this will be much better once the roadworks finish.

Well just walking into Hardy Exotics the parents were converted, and became Echium mad.

Hardy Exotics :

After Hardy Exotics, we headed for a rushed visit around Trevena Cross. Dad didn't take any pics there - we were trying to take it all in quickly !

As everything had closed (hint next time I have to get up early and get there before the day has ended !), we headed for some dinner, then went to see around the bay. Was 24C at 6:30pm looking over to St Michaels Mount !

It seemed every other garden in Mousehole has loads of Echium's.

Mum thought the car was full, I did show the Akamba meet pics, and she now realises the car was empty.

So what did we buy ?

Hardy Exotics :
(Mum and Dad)
Echium piniana
Roscoca purpurea

(Me)
Echium candicans syn E. fastuosum
Roscoca purpurea
Colocasia esculenta 'Fontanesii'
Cordyline 'Red Sensation' (for bodster)

Trevena Cross :
(Mum and Dad)
Echium piniana x 2 (didn't you just buy one - yes but these are on BOGOF)
Protea cynaroides

(Me)
Echium piniana x 2 (well they're on BOGOF)
Protea cynaroides
Dicksonia squarrosa
Cordyline ‘Jurassic Jade’ (got a £1 discount, as when pricing up the assistant said "Oh, is that from the bargain bin?" - I said if you think it looks bad then I should have a discount

)
Phyllostachys vivax Aureocaulis (for my neighbour - 3 people having seen mine send up its first culm want one !)

Also spotted an "Alocasia" for £2.49 in Morrisions so that got bought. Can someone ID it for me (ta).

Got back home to Exmouth around Midnight, and the car's trip meter told me I'd travelled 320 miles. Only 20 miles less than the Akamba+Mulu meet !

Going to head down west again very soon, next time I will definitely get down there first thing in the morning, and try and fit in the other nurseries that have been recommended.

Hope this hasn't been too pic intensive, and sorry for not putting a "May Contain Aroids" warning at the top

.

Lucien

phurst · Post by **phurst** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 9:23 pm

Wish we had fantastic places like that up here

, it would take me a day to get down there, I have either to take my chances on ebay for baby plants or wait until B&Q start to stock them. Hope you enjoy your plants, regards Phil. Hull.

Post by **Dave Brown** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 10:07 pm

Hi Licien,

Looks like you had a busy day, My morning was divided between the laptop during rainy spells and the garden when it dried up.

Are you really only 60 miles from Penzance? My Father had Bungalow at Praa Sands near Penzance, and if memory serves, it was 320 miles and 10 hours driving.

And that was back in 1980, before the M25.

The echium flower stems do look impressive, and I notice some T-Rex in that polytunnel.

The fourth picture is that Maurelli or 'Montbeliardii', Looks more upright than my Maurelli.

The haul is a good one. The Alocasia looks like a type of Amasonica. The Colocasia Fontanesii I can't tell if it has shiny leaves. I just planted a couple of mine in the pond.

Anyway sounds like a good day out..... but 320 miles..... about £50 in petrol now

mixiepalms · Post by **mixiepalms** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 5:33 am

Hiya

We went to cornwall 2 weeks ago, I went to hardy exotics but personally found them too expensive and the plants a bit tatty. I mean they wanted £7.50 for a small fuschia.

Went to Trebah and also Boshan. Preferred Bosahan as it is almost wild.

Mixie

lucienc · Post by **lucienc** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 9:07 am

Dave Brown wrote:Are you really only 60 miles from Penzance?

The echium flower stems do look impressive, and I notice some T-Rex in that polytunnel.

The fourth picture is that Maurelli or 'Montbeliardii', Looks more upright than my Maurelli.

Anyway sounds like a good day out..... but 320 miles..... about £50 in petrol now

My parents live in Callington in East Cornwall and are 67.3 miles from Hardy Exotics according to MapPoint. I'm another 55 miles east from them in Exmouth, East Devon.

There was a big T-Rex in the tunnel, no where near the size of Mulu, but my folks seemed to like it.

The Ensete looks more Maurelli to me. I've seen a few mature 'Montbeliardii''s recently, and they're all much more upright than even that pic. The onces I've seen don't have a single leaf leaning out.

I've calculated it cost me about £30 for the diesel

, but worth it for a nice day out with the folks.

Lucien

SteveW · Post by **SteveW** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:04 pm

Hi Guys,
I visited Hardy Exotics last week,to pick up a Schefflera Taiwaniana, and ended up having a chat with Clive the owner for a bit.The only Taiwaniana left was a bit iffy so he went to their other site to see if he had some better ones,and ended up bringing an Impressa back with him.Which he convinced me was the Hardier option.
He mentioned the Tetrapanexes,he's got both the normal and the Rex.He also mentioned he's got a Variegated Rex

which is at the other site so was unable to see it.
The Ensete is definately Maurelli,as he was telling me how he propagates them,pretty much the same as Mark Halls method.Which I'm soon to try myself

lucienc · Post by **lucienc** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:13 pm

SteveW wrote:I visited Hardy Exotics last week,to pick up a Schefflera Taiwaniana

also mentioned he's got a Variegated Rex

I knew there was something I was supposed to be on the look out for when down there. Guess if the last one was there, then thats why I didn't spot.

Wonder how long till the Variegated Rex is available. I'll have to ask next time.

Lucien

SteveW · Post by **SteveW** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 8:29 pm

He did have a smallish Taiwaniana,but the Impressa looked the better buy.
I reckon when the Rex is available it'll be expensive

Steve

Post by **Dave Brown** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 11:40 pm

Lucien... 120 miles sounds more resonable.

Steve, welcome to the forum, Sheffy is on my list, Loved the look of the Mulu one, but I don't get to Cornwall often. Last time was 1980.

My Maurelli is going great guns after putting chicken poo on it. This may seem stupid but it has grown 3 leaves in 10 days

much faster than the green ventricosum. The 'Montbeliardii' is very green looking, but with dark purple stems.

Best regards
Dave

mixiepalms · Post by **mixiepalms** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 12:17 am

gonna have to get some chicken droppings. lol.

SteveW · Post by **SteveW** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 5:25 am

Hi Dave,
My Montys growing like the clappers,at the rate its going it'll be huge at the end of the year

I wasn't expecting it to grow quite so fast.I think in a couple of weeks it'll be big enough to go in the ground,which is a bit of a prob as i have no idea where to put it.
Think i'll have to move some Eddoes

How quick are the rest of your bananas growing?
I'm asking as mt Sikkis are soooo slow this year,especially the red tiger.Yet the Helens hybrid that i bought from Mulu is going for it.I've only had it 4 weeks(ish) and its on its 4th leaf already. It's even quicker than my Basjoos.
The Yunnan is faster than the Sikkis,but only just.
And the Rubinea is about the same
Steve

Post by **Dave Brown** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 7:01 pm

'Montbeliardii' is growing a second leaf in 2 weeks... not bad. Basjoo are slow for me. I think they migrate out of the planting hole into heavy clay, and don't like it. They grow about one leaf a month in summer and a bit more in autumn. The one that is about to flower is the first in 13 years and since early march has grown 3 leaves. My Sikkis are quicker than basjoo.

Post by **Dave Brown** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:53 pm

Steve the Mussella L. are growing all the plants have grown a new leaf. The problem I had with the other plant must havew been the plant itself, it just never got going.

Pic of the Mussella