Of course, it is the Lily of the Incas – the Alstroemeria. All modern Alstroemeria come from just two original sources. One group grew in the Andes and was a winter growing plant. The other group was from Brazil and was a summer growing plant. When this was discovered, the first thing European plant breeders decided to do was to combine the two. This created a long-flowering Alstroemeria which starts budding at the end of May and finishes the end of November. All our modern garden Alstroemeria are a hybrid of this Chile/Brazil mix and as a result are particularly long flowering.

Now this plant has some really interesting features. The first is the leaves are upside down! As the leaf grows it twists from the base, so what appears to be the upper leaf surface is in fact the lower leaf surface. (Have a close look at one; it is fascinating). Why on earth could this happen? Greater minds than mine believe both Chilean and Brazilian Alstroemeria developed this independent of each other and as a result is a defined feature carried through to all our modern cultivars.

The Chilean version, evolved to twist its leaves in order to breathe better in the mountains. The underside of a leaf contains more stoma – through which a plant breathes. By presenting the side with more stoma on the top, the plant can transpire or respire more efficiently. In the rarified atmosphere of the Andes this would make sense. So what about the Brazilian Alstroemeria, why would it evolve the same habit? Well, it grew in the rain forest of Eastern Brazil. By turning its leaves upside down it stopped water collecting in the leaf node so reducing the likelihood of fungal infections. It’s great! You’ve just got to admit plants are endlessly fascinating. If both did develop independent of each other!! Amazing.

Another interesting feature about this plant to which I want to draw your attention, is the plant dances the Samba as it grows! If you saw a time-lapse video of a growing Alstroemeria and listened to Jaoa Gilberto playing his Bosa Nova, you would see the plant rhythmically swaying side-to-side to the music as it grew! Sadly, it is not really dancing. The scientific explanation is the plant is unusually producing new cells in a spiral sequence and this causes of the head to move the way it does. However, what does science know? For those of us who prefer a more romantic view of life, let’s continue to believe the plant is dancing!

Plant your Alstroemeria in full sun in well-drained soil. Add a light application of organic fertilizer to the planting hole. Set the plants 1 foot apart. Mulch around, but not on top of the plants, with 3 inches of organic compost. Water well until soil is completely moist.

Mulching around the top is important because if it gets to hot they stop growing. When the soil temperature rises too high (above about 22 degrees Celsius) the Alstroemeria plant puts its effort into producing more large tuberous roots at the expense of flowering shoots. This is presumably a defense mechanism to store food and water in its roots in preparation for an impending drought. Hence the importance of the mulch, or perhaps look for a spot where the roots are in the shade. Pots or tubs can heat up much more quickly than the open ground so be careful to ensure that they don’t spend all day in the full sun. Water well weekly especially summers when there is no rain to rid the plant of its drought-phobia.

What about pests and disease? Not a problem. Did you really think a plant which can turn its leaves upside down and dance, would let itself be attacked without a defense? No way. It has a chemical in its sap which protects it from external invaders.

Unfortunately, like many beautiful flowers, Alstroemeria has no scent. The plant breeders continue to try breeding in a fragrance and occasionally come up with a variety that has a faint perfume. Though none has yet been good enough to be produced commercially. However to balance this, they do have an extended vase-life – up to TWO weeks!

OK, must dash. I am off to put on my bright Mankini and dance the Bosa Nova amongst my Alstroemeria.

See you next time.

Cornwall is the place we go to on our holiday. The sea, the rocks, the beaches. The tin mines, the folklore, the pasties. The place to inspire poets, writers and artists…and plant breeders.

For here in the secretive heart of Cornwall, away from the tourists, lives Steve Yoxall. Now Steve Yoxall is not a name which springs to mind when you think of Cornwall, in truth Steve Yoxall does not spring to mind on any subject… unless you mention the two magic words: “Hardy Abutilon.” You see Steve is the master breeder of Abutilons. In the world of Abutilons, he is Stradivarius.

I am not sure how familiar you are with Abutilons and as you are about to find out they are an enchanting flower. They are often referred to as the Chinese Bell Flower, or the Chinese Lantern. When you look at the pictures you see how they resemble a paper lantern. When the angle of the sun is in the correct position, the flowers light up as if they had a candle inside. It looks very special.

The problem with these lantern-like flowers has been their hardiness. Native to tropical and sub-tropical parts, you wouldn’t expect them to last too long in a British garden. This is where the genius of the soon to be famous Mr. Yoxall comes to the fore.

Suppose you are a plant breeder and you have a plant from a warm climate and you want to make it suitable for a British winter, what do you do? There is one answer to this. You breed it smaller. The smaller a plant becomes, the hardier it becomes. Hence in recent years we have had the hardy Gerbera – an African daisy which can now grow in your garden and the price the plant paid… it is half the size of its native African grandparents. How about the hardy Gardenia? Same story. The hardy version of this South Sea island beauty is slightly more than fifty per cent of the size of the original tropical plant – whose flowers garland the hair of dusky maidens walking along palm fringed beaches, their soft skin glistening in the… err sorry, where was I? Oh yes, the genius of Steve Yoxall.

What Steve has managed to do is create the Hardy Abutilon but with BIG FLOWERS. No loss in size but hardy! This is why he is so great. As a gardener you will find growing the hardy Abutilons easy and enjoyable. They start to flower in the late spring to early summer. This will continue to happen until the frosts at which time the plant will close itself down for the winter. Carry out your usual deadheading routine as flowers fade. Do not do any trimming until the following spring when the new growth starts to appear. They are drought tolerant, but they must have a well-drained environment in full sun. For the patio and balcony gardener you will find they perform exceptionally well in pots and containers. Not too difficult even if you have never grown a plant in your life.

A couple of other things to add to their wonder are, the stems arch to hold the lanterns and they are very attractive to butterflies and the rapidly disappearing bumble-bee. Oh, and best not forget the foliage is like miniature maple leaves and the plant grows to an imposing 90cms high.

What is not to like? This is the reason when you visit Cornwall and the waves crash onto the rocks as you see the old tin mine in the distance, whilst surfers glide on the waves as you feel inspired to write poetry brushing the crumbs from your pasty as they fall onto your paper… one name will come to mind. Steve Yoxall! I told you in the world of Abutilons he was Stradivarius and the hardy Abutilon is one to tune up your garden this year.

See you next time.