These are the blooms of succulent Echeveria Black Prince bred by Frank Reinelt in California. It is a cross between Echeveria affinis and Echeveria shaviana. Well, that's got the Latin out of the way. Phew ! I purchased it as a young plant this summer, and really didn't expect it to bloom this year, but here it is in December. It spent the summer in the greenhouse, and was moved to a windowsill just a few weeks ago. Seems to appreciate the move.
Today is the Winter Solstice, when the sun turns round and heads back towards the northern hemisphere. It is also known, in some circles, as the start of winter. Although if today's weather is anything to go by, that's no bad thing. It was a beautiful day today; took the dog for a long walk, and refilled some summer baskets with winter pansies and primroses. I'm trying a new method this year; re-using last summer's compost and feeding with slow-release granules. I read about it in an article in Which? Gardening, so we'll see what happens next spring.
Could have done with more daylight today, but then again, it is the shortest day. From now on it starts getting lighter at night. Yippee ! But did you know that it continues to get darker in the morning for a week or so ? Not that you will notice, as at this time of year, it's usually dull and cloudy.
Well done for starting this blog - really enjoyed pictures and narrative - made me feel relaxed!!
ReplyDelete