Dede Sophie

How do you start a ‘Mother of Thousands’ baby? LOOKING FOR MOTHER OF MILLIONS AND THOUSANDS PUPS? THEN CLICK HERE TO FIND THE SPECIES AVAILABLE AT THE ‘SEEDS OF EADEN’ SEED SHOP  The ‘Mother of Thousands’ ornamental plant, as well as  the ‘Mother of Millions’, are amongst several species within the Bryophyllum (previously known as Kalanchoe) genus known for their ability to produce baby plants known as ‘Pups’ along the edge of their leaves. Although not unique, it is because of the Bryophyllum’s unusual ornamental quality that many gardeners are tempted to try and propagate these pups in order to produce new plants. So how do you start a ‘Mother of Thousands’ baby? Mother of Thousands pups growing on soil surfaceYou will be pleased to know that it is surprising simple, in fact just allowing a pup to land on some damp compost is enough for one to take root and establish itself as a mature specimen, however this...

Its rare to come across any nerine in the UK unless it is the ubiquitous (and the only species proven to be hardy in the UK) Nerine bowdenii – the Guernsey lily, name as such despite its South African origins! However there are approximately 20–30 other half-hardy and tender species in the genus, the exact number of which is still being debated by scientists. As you would expect from a genus with such a showy blooms, Nerines have been widely cultivated and much hybridized worldwide, especially Nerine bowdenii, N. masoniorum, N. sarniensis and N. undulata. Notably, the hybrid cultivar ‘Zeal Giant’ with its umbels of deep pink flowers up to 5 cm across has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. However most of the other 20 species are rarely cultivated and very little is known regarding their biology.  In fact many species are threatened with extinction due to the loss or degradation of their habitat which is why the collection of Nerines o...