Opuntia dillenii
A shrubby, bushy cactus from high up in the rocky ground of the Himalayas, its leaves are actually modified spines, and the stem is a flat, spongy, leaf-like structure. Grow it in very free-draining gritty soil because it's used to dry, ... [... more]
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Hippeastrum 'Double Record'
Find out how to grow Hippeastrum 'Double Record' Cultivar: 'Double Record' Commonly known as amaryllis, Hippeastrum are popular flowering houseplants, often given as Christmas gifts. 'Double Record' produces attractive double white blooms that ... [... more]
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Hippeastrum 'Lady Jane'
Find out how to grow Hippeastrum 'Lady Jane' Cultivar: 'Lady Jane' Commonly known as amaryllis, Hippeastrum are popular flowering houseplants, often given as Christmas gifts. 'Lady Jane' has beautiful salmon-pink flowers. Before planting, pick ... [... more]
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Rhododendron simsii
The indoor azaleas produce large funnel shaped flowers in a range of bright colours making them ideal for use as winter houseplants. They dislike warm conditions and are more suited to a cool room or porch. Plants need a loam based acidic compost ... [... more]
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Hippeastrum 'Mary Lou'
Commonly known as amaryllis, Hippeastrums are popular flowering houseplants, often given as Christmas gifts. 'Mary Lou' is an almost pure white variety, making an attractive contrast to some of its more colourful cousins. Before planting, pick ... [... more]
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Aloe variegata
This easy-to-grow succulent forms dense clumps of rosettes of fleshy, dark green leaves that are banded with white markings. In summer, each rosette produces tubular pink flowers. Found growing wild in South Africa, this aloe is best grown as a ... [... more]
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Yucca elephantipes
Yuccas come from the deserts and plains of southern North and Central America and with their stiff, leathery leaves and panicles of creamy white flowers, they make great architectural plants. Y. elephantipes has light to mid-green leaves that are ... [... more]
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Strelitzia nicolai
This spectacular clump-forming perennial was named in honour of the Russian tsar Nicolas I. Its long stems and large, paddle-shaped leaves are highly ornamental. The blue and white flowers, arising from dark purple bracts, resemble the crest of a ... [... more]
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Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum'
Spider plants are one of the easiest houseplants to grow. They are grown for their colourful foliage and look good in containers or hanging baskets, either in the house or conservatory. Grow in loam-based potting compost, in bright, but not ... [... more]
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Aeonium arboreum
This pretty, jade green succulent has an upright habit and lightly curved, mainly smooth leaves with small leaf scars. Yellow, star-shaped flowers appear on larger plants, borne in cone-shaped clusters at the end of the stems. The leaf rosettes ... [... more]
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Crassula ovata
One of Anne Swithinbank's favourite succulents, the jade tree makes a long-lived, easy to grow houseplant. It has glossy, fleshy leaves and forms a tree-like plant. Star-shaped white flowers appear in autumn. A native of South Africa, it needs to ... [... more]
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Passiflora 'Amethyst'
A climber with particularly beautiful flowers in late summer and autumn. The bowl-shaped blooms are purple, with a blue tinge and can be 10cm (4in) across. Orange, egg-shape fruits follow the flowers. 'Amethyst' is a vigorous climber with smooth ... [... more]
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