Monday 13 May 2013

I am not totally obsessed my Meconopsis and thought I might show a few other plants that I grow with them occasionally. Here on the east coast of Scotland in Fife we have a naturally alkaline soil with major limestone out crops in places. Over many years I incorporated tons of coarse peat tailings into the garden and to this day regularly topdress with large amounts of well rotted leaf mould but it is largely still alkaline and some ericaceous plants are not happy. The soil is never turned over and over the years I have had literally thousands of Dactylorhiza orchid seedlings. What is incredibly strange is that these should take many years to grow to flowering with, for some years, underground  mycorhizal associations before they even appear above ground.  I have never seen a young orchid plant at any stage until they appear and flower. They originate from the first orchid I obtained - the Meditteranean species D. elata and hybridized with the local D. fuchsii. also in my garden. A new one this year and already split up into 6 tubers I shall name 'Full Circle' This is illustrated.