At least one of the holiday makers would have been quite satisfied with a vist to your garden instead of having to suffer all that sunshine and Sangria!
I don't believe that.
The Plumbago here is about 2 metres tall, and has been flowering for about 3 weeks now, mind you it is in the greenhouse, which is in the back garden.
After last years deluge of a summer, when we had no flowers on it, I decided it would stay under protection this year, a good call I reckon as we have not had a brilliant summer. It is indeed a lovely colour.
The Oleander is in our plant wpg, although you nearly gave me a heart attack, thinking I had missed that one out. It is under it's correct name of Nerium Oleander. We have 3 colours and 4 plants, currently at 2 metres plus in height.
I have a rotation pruning regime for them, the two I pruned back last November have no flowers on, the two I didn't prune have a few flowers, would have been more with more sun. The two I pruned in November will not be pruned this coming November, the other two will. Reason for pruning back, they will just grow too big.
I take no protective measures when pruning, It is a well known fact that many holiday makers abroad have been ill from cutting parts off the Oleander down to make sticks for sausages etc when having a barbeque.
Our description of Oleander being a river weed, stems from the fact that they often grow on the edges of large streams, in the summer when the stream turns into a trickle, they have good roots to find the moisture, next time you fly over Spin/Portugal, keep a good look out the window, you will see the gorges cut into the hills by the steams, lined with colourfull Oleander. One of the reasons I always want, and get the window seat on the plane, the other reason is so I don't have to sit next to an obnoxious person or child. Lyn has had a few
All of our Oleanders came from cuttings we bought back from Spain, which were rooted in water.
Regarding the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis we have here. One of them has pink OR red flowers. Ok so there must have been two different plants in the pot when we bought it. But no, as it will flower occasionally with a flower that is red and pink.
will see if i can dig a picture out for that.
All the Hibiscus sinensis we have were originally bought in local garden centres, as small decorative plants. After keeping them for about 3 years they will suddenly start to make bigger plants, I think they are sprayed with a dwarfing agent, or growth retardent to keep them small. Much better when they grow out of it.
Malcolm
