Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Mortuary Plants

After being evacuated from my Flat yesterday by the Police due to a Prison bomb scare I went plant shopping...
I listened to gardeners question time and one of the panelist said she loved to see what plants were on the mortuary shelf. That were dried up or wilting, and needed some TLC to bring them back to their glorious state.
I smiled because I love plant bargains, and the urge to tend sick plants back into health is fun.
The plants I got yesterday from Hampsons mortuary trolley were five Celosia which looked wilted and sad, and a white flowering Impatiens.
Hils also let me stock up from her garden and greenhouse plants and house plants for the Indoor greenhouse challenge nurturing them to health.
I bought Two Canna's unknown variety,a Sisyrinchium Californicum Brachypus, and a Parahebe Catarractae. Hampsons has the most enormous Alpine section, with hundreds of varieties some single ones for the alpine garden with spreading plants and delicate flowers.
Growing Alpines in a Belfast sink like Fran is a good idea, as it brings the plants up to eye level so you can admire the detail and flowers at close range.
From the plant sale Hils had some of my flat grown plants. They were well developed in her greenhouse the busylizzies, Viola midnight runner had flowered, and a few clary with purple leaf tips. What a difference it makes growing these in a greenhouse with light from all sides and not one side only...
Nestled next to one Clary was a seedling that I thought I'd killed off for this year.. A germinated Datura Ballerina mix. Germinated in the greenhouse in a pot with Clary in it. These has come back to the Flat.
Joining the Mortuary plants, Canna's, and Alpines were a trailing Dancing flame Fuschia with the most giant pink flowers, Four slug eaten Dahlias needing some TLC, A sickly looking Bird of Paradise twice the size of mine, A zebra plant with Yellow four sided Bracts, A Stomanthe which looks poorly, A gorgeous Bouganvillea in flower, and two Auriculas.
The Flat is bursting again with the green leaves of many plants..I am waiting in for my RHS course material to be delivered still.This flat is hard for parcel force and business post to find :(
I hope to start the Studying soon when the stuff finally arrives.

2 comments:

Gardenista said...

How interesting, someone in the nursing profession trying to help some limp and pathetic beings back to thriving health! I think there's something interesting there.

I visited Kew gardens in 2005 and enjoyed it greatly, and I enjoy looking at your pictures of the gardens around your area.

David (Snappy) said...

Thanks Gardenista,I guess Gardeners spend so much time growing and tending plants they give them human qualities.
Feeling sorry for wilting, neglected plants to take them home to TLC.
I have also wanted to go to Kew Gardens.I have only been to Harlow Carr twice now.I want to go back though often, to photograph the changes as the months change.