I must confess that I am a little doubtful that my Selaginella plants that you can see in my photograph above are actually true Selaginella apoda. However, for more than three years I’ve seen exactly the same type of Selaginella on sale at various nurseries and chains of garden centres and all of the plants were labelled as Selaginella apoda – and so I may well be wrong and this maybe the correct name for this plant.
Juniper is also known by its botanical name, Juniperus communis. Juniperus communis is an evergreen conifer with spiky needles. Plants are very hardy and they flourish in exposed and sheltered locations. These plants need a bright and sunny position; Juniperus communis is happy growing in almost any moist but well-drained soil, including stony ground and chalk. When choosing where to plant Juniperus communis, avoid shaded areas and soils that are prone to water-logging.
Ranunculus flammula is an aquatic plant with beautiful shining-yellow, bowl-shaped flowers. This plant’s common name is Lesser Spearwort, but it’s very much like a lovely buttercup to grow in a pond! Ranunculus flammula can be grown in streams, ponds, lakes, or continually wet bog gardens; if you don’t have a pond, you could grow Ranunculus flammula in a container filled with rainwater.
Callisia repens is a low growing, tender herbaceous perennial plant from Mexico, North, Central, and South America. Plants thrive in partially shaded conditions, in shallow, free draining, acid soils. This easy-to-grow plant readily adapts to a range of circumstances; tolerating both brighter and more shaded environments, as well as moist, humid, and drier conditions and neutral compost and soils; making Callisia repens a superb houseplant, thats hard to kill!
Courgettes, also known as Zucchini (and by the botanical name of Cucurbita pepo), are tender vegetables that are very productive and rewarding to grow. Courgettes vary from one variety to another; you’ll find seeds of yellow courgettes (like my plant in the photograph above), pale forms of courgette that are such a soft green they’re almost white, as well as light green, very dark green courgettes, and striped courgettes.
Aesculus pavia is a large, naturally rounded, curvaceous shrub that eventually grows to anywhere between 3.5m (12ft) to 5.2m (17ft) tall, and around 2.5m (8ft) to 4m (13ft) wide – depending of course on your soil and your plant’s growing conditions. In this shrub’s native habitat, in the USA, Aesculus pavia‘s tubular flowers are a popular food plant for ruby throated hummingbirds.
Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Emina’ is a tender, evergreen fern that grows to a minimum of around 30cm (12 inches) tall. It’s possible that this fern may grow a little taller if it’s grown in optimum conditions and is healthy and happy. Nephrolepis exaltata ‘Emina’ produces arching fronds with a twisted, curved detail all along each frond, giving this fern a more modern, striking, and recognisable appearance.
Jerusalem artichokes are both easy to grow and useful vegetables! I’d describe Jerusalem artichokes as having a wonderful, smokey, savoury flavour, which is quite unlike any other vegetable I’ve ever tasted. Jerusalem artichokes have a truly delicious flavour.
The one thing I must say early on, is that Jerusalem artichokes are such a strong-growing and self-propagating vegetable. Once you have grown Jerusalem artichokes in an area of your garden or allotment, it will take a year or two to dig out any volunteers that continue growing after your harvest is lifted.
Selaginella pallescens makes a super addition to a terrarium or bottle garden. This plant is both interesting and beautiful, and it is perfectly suited to the growing conditions a bottle garden provides. Selaginella pallescens requires very humid conditions to succeed. If you’re thinking of growing Selaginella pallescens, you’ll need to provide your plants with an environment where the humidity level won’t fall below 60% RH, so a terrarium, bottle garden, or vivarium, is usually the best location for this endearing plant.
Peperomia rotundifolia makes a lovely terrarium, vivarium, bottle garden, and Peperomia rotundifolia can also be grown as a pretty houseplant.
Peperomia rotundifolia enjoys moderate growing conditions. This plant doesn’t like too bright a position – so avoid placing your plants in an area that receives harsh or direct sunlight, but take care to avoid the other extreme, as these plants won’t thrive in deeply shaded conditions either!
Helianthus annuus, also known by their common name of sunflowers, are tall growing annuals with very large, round flower heads with brown centres and yellow outer petals, which are very attractive to bees and butterflies. The flower heads of Helianthus annuus turn to face the sun, they slowly turn as the sun moves throughout the day. Helianthus annuus grow best when planted in a very sunny spot.
Drosera rotundifolia is a small, low growing, perennial carnivorous plant that forms a rosette shape as it grows. Drosera rotundifolia is also known by its common name of round leaved sundew, this plant naturally grows in acidic peaty, boggy, marshy soils, across heathlands, lowlands, moors, and other areas, where you’ll find Drosera rotundifolia growing in acidic soil. Drosera rotundifolia flowers from mid to late summer.
