A new Echeveria!

On thursday I met up with Chris from the HTUK forum to swap some plants, Chris works in central London so was easy to meet up for a chat and a beer (well i had the beer- Chris had a coke as it was his lunch break).

Id been meaning to meet up with Chris for months as he had a plant for me that id asked about ages ago and never got round to meeting up to swap it.

Its Echeveria rosea a beautiful succulent plant that turns a fiery red colour in winter. And best of all its hardy :)

Mine is only a baby at the moment- but i can look forward! to it turning into this before too long!

Back in the garden noticed that there are some plants you have in the garden that you just dont appreciate how well they look after the winter we have just had- this little Puya i bought from an RHS London Show 2 years ago as a unknown species and has been left unprotected and has shrugged off the cold. Its lovely apple green colour with silvery undersides and reminds me very much of a pineapple top- which is not surprising seeing as Pineapples are Puyas. It is a prickly little plant though- watch out fingers when moving it around!

Lastly we set up an area at the back of the garden for the hens run. This was they can be outside of their pen and scracth around in the soil without eating all my good plants- which they have been attempting to do up till now! I know its looks a mess but i intend to make the pen more pretty and make the sides a bit better with corner supports but the roll of wire and 4 bamboo canes will do for the moment! Its a 3ft fence so I hope the hens wont even think about trying to clear it! The plant in front wrapped up like a mummy is my Musa sikkimensis Red Tiger which has been there 3 years and grown from a 6inch plant to a 15 foot monster! :) The area between the hens run and the front of the border is to be plante dup with all the new ferns that are lined up in the pots on the bed. Anything inside the run is chicken food but the bamboos and Arundo donax and Paulonwnia tree are quite tough so should be ok.