Euphorbia milii, Corona de espina/Crown of thorns

Caravaggio, 'Crowning with Thorns' 1607 (127 x 165.5 cm)

Kunsthistorisches Museum ,Vienna.

Euphorbia milii var milii



Euphorbia x lomi (Poysean Group)

One of the plants associated with Easter is Euphorbia milii or Christ-thorn. Some of the different varieties and hybrids are shown above. The common name given to it alludes to the legend that the crown of thorns worn by Christ at the time of his crucifixion was made from the stems of this plant. The stems are pliable and can be made into a circle. Though it is native to Madagascar ,evidence suggests that it had been brought to the Middle East before the time of Christ. The genus Euphorbia was possibly already known, having been named by King Juba 11 (50 BC to 19 AD) of Numida (Algeria) to honour his Greek physician Euphorbus. The species name milii came much later after its introduction into cultivation in France in the 1820's.It was named after Baron Milius ,an administrator and governor of Bourbon (later Reunion) a couple of hundred kilometres east of Madagascar.The lucky Baron had obviously sailed across to explore the island while on leave from his governorship. Madagascar has an extraordinary rich and diverse flora and fauna.

Just to confuse the issue the species name of splendens is also used in relation to this plant. It is a splendid plant indeed and can be guaranteed to flower for most of the year, though ,like Bougainvillea it responds to cycles of dry and rain to stimulate flowering .This is something to keep in mind if you grow it indoors or as a balcony pot plant. 

2017 update: I have limited stock available.

Yucca species,Spanish Bayonet,Adam's Needle

Yucca aloifolia in flower
Yucca aloifolia 'Marginata'

Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata'

Yucca desmetiana

Yucca elephantipes 'Green and Gold'

Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'

Yuccas are familiar and popular garden plants both here and in America and Europe. Trying to sort out the different species and cultivars can be a bit confusing. The most helpful reference text is Yuccas: Giants among the Lilies by Colin Smith who holds the Yucca National Plant Collection in the UK. This is published by the National Council for the Conservation of Plants & Gardens www.nccpg.com which has as its patron HRH The Prince of Wales.

Many Yuccas are very cold hardy and will tolerate freezing conditions but the main requirement is that the soil is well drained around the roots .They make dramatic accent plants in landscape designs and contrast well with fine leafed grasses and soft perennials . They were used in this way by the famous garden designer and writer Gertrude Jekyll.

2017 update: I still have a limited number of varieties available though their popularity is less now than in previous years.

Aloe x spinosissima 'La Mortola'

Aloe x spinosissima 'La Mortola'

One of the must see gardens of Europe is the Hanbury Botanical Garden at Cape Mortola, in Ventimiglia, Italy, particularly if you like cactus and succulents. This Aloe originated from there and is possibly a hybrid between Aloe humilus and Aloe arborescens. It is a lovely compact plant which forms a dense bush to about 40cm, It can be grown as a single plant if you can be bothered to remove all the side growth suckers. The flowers are a nice shade of coral pink and are produced in masses during winter with odd flowers throughout the year as well. It makes a good low hedge or border plant and the dense growth ensures that weed growth is excluded from around its base.It will tolerate some frost.
2017 update: I normally have stock available throughout the year but only in limited numbers.

Codiaeum variegatum, Croton

Codiaeum variegatum Croton

Before plant breeders got to work on developing the multi coloured foliage of the tropical Croton ,it was a fairly inconspicuous green plant native to Fiji and other Pacific Islands. It is also found in Malaysia. Here it can be grown as a gaudy garden shrub anywhere from about the mid north coast of New South Wales right through the tropics and it does particularly well in sandy coastal gardens tolerating dry and sea winds as well. It makes a good container plant in warm temperate climates and can be grown as an indoor plant in even cooler climates. The only problems I have encountered in growing it is from spider mite which causes the underside of leaves to go silvery .Mealy bug and scale insects can also cause a few problems if you grow it in a sheltered spot over winter when temperatures drop. It would make a great pot plant in a hot sunny courtyard garden which gets sun all year round.
2017 update: I don't stock them but can order on request.

Russelia equisetiformis Fountain Plant

Russelia equisetiformis

This cascading shrub from Mexico is almost continually in flower and is a hardy plant even tolerating sea side conditions and cold down to about -2C. The small tubular flowers are produced in masses and are very attractive to honey eating birds. The most common form is the red flowering variety but the lemon/white and pink forms are also popular.
It is very suitable for planting on embankments or in large planters/window boxes on balconies where the thin leaf-less branches can cascade down for a metre or more. Just make sure the flowers are not dropping off onto the patio floor of the apartment below as they will be faced with the task of sweeping them up and you will find yourself very unpopular indeed.
2017 update: I am currently out of stock but have them available from time to time.

Waterlilies/Nymphaea

Nympheas ,Claude Monet ,1916 ,Musee Marmottan ,Paris

Nympheas, Claude Monet, 1920-1926, Musee de l'Orangerie, Paris

When I think of waterlilies, I always associate them with the French Impressionist painter Claude Monet(1840-1926) and visiting, not only his garden at Giverny but going to the Tuileries Palace at the Place de la Concorde in Paris to see the vast mural like paintings of them in the Musee de l'Orangerie.The paintings have a dream like quality which leave a lasting impression.

The other person I think of when it comes to waterlilies is the great English horticulturist Frances Perry who was described by Anna Pavord as 'one of the tribal elders of the horticultural world' Her books on water gardening and horticulture are worth seeking out and are great reading and reference books.

Frances Perry (1907-1993)

The three main sorts of waterlilies are the Hardy (European), Tropicals ,and Night blooming types.

There are many hundreds of varieties of these available and it is worth contacting a specialist grower to buy them from .The expert of note in Australia is Nick Romanowski of Dragonfly Aquatics (RMB AB 366 Colac, Victoria 3249 ph 03 52366320) who has written many books on water gardening . In New South Wales it is worth contacting Wallis Creek Watergarden http://www.walliscreekwatergarden.com.au/ .

From my experience,I have found waterlilies fairly easy to grow as long as you can place them in a pot at least 25cm or more in diameter and they have at least 25 to 50 cm of water over them. They also need still water and don't like to have a fountain or pump too close to them . They need re- potting every 2 or 3 years or so and if they form a dense leafy thicket ,as in the photo below ,you know the time has come to thin them out and replant.. The traditional method of planting them is into a heavy clay soil with added well rotted cow manure as fertilizer. This is still a good way of planting them but tablet style fertilizer pellets have made it a bit easier to maintain a good supply of nutrients and ensure plenty of flowers.

Congested waterlilies ready for thinning out

Pink flowering tropical waterlilies in Brisbane City Botanic Gardens

A white flowering Hardy variety in a Sydney garden still in flower in autumn


A miniature yellow variety from my last garden

Salvia muirii

Salvia muirii

This small growing shrubby (30 cm) South Africa Salvia from the Cape veldt was named after Dr John Muir who found it in 1915. The flowers are a delightful shade of ice blue with a white flash in the centre . The overall effect is quite dazzling, As it is tolerant of heat and dry like its native habitat it would look good planted amongst silver foliaged yellow flowering Gazanias or as a foreground to the Euryops pectinatus daisy.
2017 update: I am currently out of stock but do have plants available on a regular basis.