Spring Garden Catch-up

This is a bit of a catchup, lots of photos I haven’t posted yet so this may turn into a long scroll for you. I hope its of interest! I’m trying to learn more of the proper names for my plants so please forgive the insertion of latin names here and there.

Our Aloe Vera is doing something quite special—it’s blooming!

The tall, light-green stalk growing from the centre is called an inflorescence (a flower spike). While common in the wild, it’s a rare and exciting sight for an indoor Aloe. We’ve had several plants for years and this is the first time I’ve gotten it to bloom.

This is called a Nerve Plant, but it was labeled Fittonia when I bought it. Or specifically a Pilea involucrata  aka ‘Moon Valley’

I love the distinctive pattern on our Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura), (variety kerchoveana) I bought it at B&Q last year about this time and this is just one cutting from the original. It seems to love the kitchen window!

And it has been blooming for over a month!

This tiny Pickle Plant (Delosperma echinatum) is a recent acquisition. I’ve started several cuttings for use in terrariums. It is a low maintenance succulent and will produce tiny yellow flowers.

Also purchased for terrarium use is this Fittonia,  called ‘Pink Forest Flame’

JJ fancies this flower from her valentine bouquet, which is described simply as a Stock flower. But research tells me that its scientifically known as Matthiola incana, and its actually a member of the cabbage family!

When I transplanted my Saxifrage into this pot I had forgotten that  yellow Daffodils (Narcissus) were already planted there, waiting for spring to bloom!

Being crowded didn’t stop the saxifrage from blooming, pink, white and more pink.

I haven’t had a quince in several years. This one is most welcome! Variety is ‘Crimson and Gold.’

While tidying up my plant collection, I noticed a curious little guest sprouting in one of my hexagonal pots! After some observation, I’m fairly certain this is an Almond seedling (Prunus dulcis). You can see the nut on the surface of this tiny pot but I don’t recall having any almond seeds. It could be an apricot or even a cherry, though the nut doesn’t look right for a cherry. Fingers crossed it gets big enough to accurately identify. I would love to have an almond tree!

This isn’t from my garden, it’s a neighbour’s front garden. I just thought this patch of Purple Dead-Nettle (Lamium purpureum) looked better than boring old grass. Its covered with small, tubular purple-pink flowers. I think he considers it a weed but I like it, and besides , it is an important early-spring nectar source for bees.

I think my Christmas cactus was in bloom just last December. It must really like where it sits: up on a shelf and near the big garden windows.

Our fake palm has put out a massive new frond, though it took almost two months to unfurl. I think the money plant is a bit jealous!

To be fair, I moved the money plant and replaced it with our Dragontree plant. It has grown a good 6 – 8 inches in the past few months. It’s probably too big for this window ledge so when I can finally put some plants outside overnight, this one will go live in the living room. I’m apologising to the Money plant by giving it a larger pot and some fresh compost.

I was out detecting in Hamshire recently and noticed the entire hedgerow was covered in small white flowers. These Blackthorn shrubs will produce small, dark blue fruits known as sloes, which are commonly used to make sloe gin. But mind the thorns!