Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Flowers and Foliage Now => Topic started by: Michael on July 07, 2008, 05:05:30 PM
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In May 2006 i saw in a flowershop 2 small pots of a plant that seemed to me some sort of Campanula in white and blue.
"A campanula here in Madeira?, I must buy it straigh away, and not let go this gold oportunity!!!"
And yep i was right, because i have not seen the plant again since :(
Then after an intense search i found that the 2 little plants i bough were in fact Platycodon grandiflorum and not campanula as i though in the beginning. After they flowered they have died to the ground. Next spring (2007) i had no growth at all, but the tubers were very healthy and resting. The same was about to happen this year, but since i was advised to use the refrigerator from several people here in the forum, i used it during 2 months with this plant to see what would happen. And guess what? 2 days just after i took it out of the frige the soil was already cracking and now several weeks latter i have my first bloom in 2 years!! And the plant is even bigger and full of buds. But unfortunately only the blue one survived, the white one rotted, but anyway, flowering a hardy like this one in this part of the world is the same thing as flowering a banana tree in the north pole! Ok probably i am exagerating, but anyway, i feel very happy with it and it gives me still hope for the next hardy or alpine plants that i might want to try in the future! ;D ;D ;D
Here are the pictures of my King Platycodon (sorry about the quality though)
(http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o38/Jindegales/Plants%20June%202008/Ph_0019.jpg)
(http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o38/Jindegales/Plants%20June%202008/Ph_0003.jpg)
(http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o38/Jindegales/Plants%20June%202008/Ph_0007.jpg)
Michael
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Isn't nature a wonderful thing Michael ???
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Well done Michael.
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And after all Michael, Platycodon is the same family as Campanula - Campanulaceae, so you're not too far away. :)
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Congratulations Michael. Isn't finding (and keeping) something totally out of character for the area like that just SO cool!!? 8) I always get a kick out of my Beaugainvillea which does well for me here, despite the frosts and the fact it "shouldn't" grow here. ;D Great stuff!! :D
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Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? 8) well done, Michael!