Bananas, Pots, Fun guy, Kiss me Quick, Grubby plants.

A wet and cold day at the office. I have just emptied the camera and here are today's pictures

Between  the downpours I was up a ladder  doing some late  pruning of a climbing rose and turned back to look over the  Whichford Pottery display yard.Everyone is getting ready for the Big Half Price Sale . 

Bananas

We have several pots of banana species at the pottery  and all are overwintered in an unheated poly- tunnel. If it gets  very cold the plants are swaddled in  fleece.

They have been getting taller over the years and it was time to cut them back. The growing point of bananas is set deep in the bottom of the plant  and what looks like a trunk is just a build up of long  leaf bases and  though it may seem brutal and a bit scary they can be cut back very hard which  gets rid of the  pseudo trunk  and leaves you with a  shorter  and neater plant. 

These had their tops chopped off  a week ago.   

This growth had popped up within a couple of hours.

By today, a week  after being cut back, they had shot up several inches.  

Big cells,succulence, and interesting patterns in this cross section of the banana stem.

Here's a fun guy to be with. Geddit?

The setting sun in the bottom right corner is the edge  a one penny piece just  to give you some idea how small these  li'l cuties are. They were growing on the compost of some dying plant in the greenhouse.

Succulence

Does this plant say to you 'Please kiss me'? No? Then it must be just me who is a bit weird. 

No invitation to kiss here. 

Oxalis siliquosa

This photo does very little justice to the exquisite colour and character of the Oxalis siliquosa 'Sunset Velvet'.  Even without its yellow flowers it is a delight  with pretty leaves of lime  and reds and every blend in between.  It needs a bit of heat  through the winter  and  makes a good house plant. Cuttings root very easily and  small plants can be used in container plantings. They will make  plants  20 - 30 cms across during the summer .

The different colours of the foliage means they will complement a wide range of other colours.  

Bush Tucker?

These succulent looking grubs  came from amongst the roots of some Liatris spicata grown in pots. 

I don't know what they are yet but their size was pretty scary. Let me know if you recognise them.

 Grub's up!