Feb 04 2010
2010 already
It hardly seems possible that on the 31st of January, 2010 it was six years since we moved from Yorkshire to Orkney. I am kept fairly busy with editing The Limpet (Stronsay’s monthly newsletter), acting as organist at Stronsay’s kirk and attending the Michael Lee’s weekly evening classes in “singing techniques”. People also seem to think that I’m knowledgable on computer matters and seek my advice but I know my limitations and pass on any tricky problems to someone more skilled than myself (thanks, Malcolm). However, the important thing is that there’s no great stress involved and we’ve quickly realised that nothing is so important that it can’t be left for another day.
Margareth, one of Stronsay’s community nurses, has sent me photographs of yet another mystery plant - I think her house is part of the Twilight Zone! It is growing in a mixed pot of foliage plants (umbrella plant and peace lilies) in a south-facing porch. Margareth thinks that it is a varigated member of the Dracaena family and according to the books she has consulted it is a foliage plant. However, the flower spike is 10″ long and appeared very suddenly. Any ideas?
Dracaena 1
Dracaena 2
17 responses so far
It’s a variegated miniature Schefflera.
The un-miniature ones have leaves that are 10-12 inches long, 3 or so wide.
These (miniature ones) are very hard: mine, nearly 4 years old, was rescued from a neighbor’s trash pile on a bitter March morning.
It spends late fall to winter in my living room (average temp, 62 deg F, yes, chilly) at a window; May through October on my unenclosed front porch, temperatures varying from 64 to 95 deg F.
They take heavy pruning, but it should be done early in the spring. Mine put forth strange spikes which developed tiny berries– a 5 month project for Ms Schefflera. I’d never seen such a thing in many years of owning Scheffleras.
I’ll send photos on request (slater.anne[at]gmail.com)
Sorry– the plant in back (labelled as Umbrella Plant, yes, that’s its nickname) is the one I was referring to. I mis-read the post and now you all had to be bored by me
Sally’s on the job with foliage plant identification, consulting a botanist friend of ours and she will report her findings to Margareth. Warm wishes to all our Stronsay friends from the Cambridgeshire Rawlinsons, John and Sally.
I received this but none others for ages, do you have my new(ish) isp address?
Is it not related to a “yukka”? I had a “yukka” once that gave flowers like that evry four or five years–KC and his sunshine band(kingdomcats pu’s)wil probably know what it is
Mary,
The only email address I have for you is the one that I used to send out the announcement. This blog entry is the first since 06 Dec 2009.
for Taddoe: Yucca, which is horrendously hardy, is a lot taller in leaf. (Mine, now 8 years old, are about 30″ tall, and each plant has a spread of about 36″)
The leaves, which have mildly raggedy edges, are of an unvariegated pale green, about the color of a Granny Smith apple.
The flower spikes are about 5 feet tall, with flowers simpler than the ones on the dracena.
It appears to be a flowering dracena, or corn plant. They are tropical plants so congratters on having it bloom in Orkney! If it is fragrant the Latin name is Dracena fragrans massangeana.
This Margareth person is obviously wasted doing whatever she does. On the basis of this and earlier blogs, the woman is a plant wizard! Most impressive. And Anne, your note about the schefflera was very interesting. I had one once but all the leaves gradually fell off, so clearly I was doing something wrong. Not one of my successes! I also once had a yucca but had to give it away (to a teacher who had a very big office) while it was still small enough to go through the door
And its leaves were lethal.
Great blog again, Bruce, sorry to hijack it and turn it into Gardeners’ Question Time!
I loved seeing the longer view with the ‘umbrella’ plant - I have the duplicate in my living room
It was a baby in a two inch pot back in 1975. It now grows against the ceiling and resorts to growing along the ceiling when it finds it can’t win.
I agree with Jill, we have hijacked your blog into a GQT !
Bruce, you make no mention of what your weather has been like during this cold spell every evening when we watch the forecast we always wonder what you are coping with. Did you get lots of snow like we did down south? It is always heartwarming to recieve your blog and news of Orkney and Surrey the cat of course.
Enjoyed the saga as always, Bruce. Hope you are all well and staying warm. Spring with soon be here.
Karen
Good Folks, the following comment has nothign to do with this blog but it is an Event of Importance for Stronsay, the ORkneys and IB so here goes:
Here’s the follow-up on the epic rescue effort that Bruce told us about in his October blogging!
http://www.rnli.org.uk/rnli_near_you/scotland/news_detail?articleid=525631
Three cheers for the crew an’ a’ an’ a’! I find it quite exxtraordinary that the lifeboat service is a voluntary organisation, also in Sweden. Can anyone explain the logic of that?
Just imagine if it was run as a public service by the government of the day…’abandon hope all ye who enter here’ would be scrieved above every liffboat shed.
John Rawlinson emailed me today (Fri 19 Feb) to tell me that his botanist friend says “If the flower is fragrant it could be Dracaena fragrans from Tropical Africa in which case it’s doing very well in Stronsay!!!”
My name is Piter Jankovich. oOnly want to tell, that your blog is really cool
And want to ask you: is this blog your hobby?
P.S. Sorry for my bad english
Thanks for your kind comment. My blog is just a hobby, nothing more.