Echium Pininana - Paperblog

It was only when my Agave americana started whimpering and heaving itself out of it’s pot, millimetre by millimetre, that I thought, “Hmm, really must repot that.”

After a prolonged struggle I managed to lever it out; the state of the roots were, frankly, shaming.

Sorry, sorry – so sorry. I’ve now re-homed it into a nice new roomy pot.

Really, I’m so sorry. Forgive me? I haven’t been so inattentive with all of my plants. Honest. For example, back in the Spring, my good friend David (his real name and such a pretty one) very kindly gave me some tree echium seedlings. At about the same time I sowed some echium seed of my own and managed to raise four to a decent size. Along with the plants from David, I now have eight of them.

August 2011

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August 2011

Every few weeks throughout the summer, I’ve potted them on as their roots (very quickly) filled their pots.

August 2011

Do you know Echium pininana? I first came across it some years ago in Cornwall. I drove past one growing out of a crack in the pavement and, as it towered some twelve foot into the air, I had to pull over and investigate. They are biennials and in their second year throw out an incredible, an amazing and really quite preposterous flower spike – up to eighteen feet long! Eighteen feet long and smothered in blue flowers. Imagine that! I’m hoping that next year my eight plants will each launch their own infeasibly long flower spikes.

The Marsden Echiums stored away for the winter. (Sorry about Solo the Terrier hogging the shot. Lift a camera to your eye and she sprints into shot and strikes a pose. Like working with Lady flipping Gaga).

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The problem is they are not hardy so I shall need to overwinter them in the Priory greenhouse. What concerns me is that next Spring, when I plant them out, will they have sufficient time to put out enough root to support such a long flower spike? Won’t it just be “T-I-M-B-E-R” at the first puff of wind? I guess we’ll find out, eh?Having squirrelled away my eight precious plants into the greenhouse, I dreamed of a bank of tremendously long blue flower spikes towering over oohing and ahhing visitors.A few days later, I was at the Old Forge and was busy pruning a bay tree and almost trod on an … yep, you’ve guessed it. An Echium. Obviously, the previous owners had grown them and this one had self sown. The Old Forge is only a mile or so from the South Coast and the plant is in a very sheltered position. I’m going to hope (against hope) that it will pull through this coming winter and flower next year. Without protection. Big hope. I may try and drape it with horticultural fleece through any really sharp frosts but they are difficult to protect long term with their large, floppy leaves. I have my fingers crossed and would ask, politely, that you do the same. Thanks.