Passiflora edulis

Another seed I have been growing is those of the passion fruit.

Again, they are normally grown from seed, although they can be grown from cuttings (clones).

Passionfruit are self-pollinating climbers, fast-growing and have the most gorgeous flowers. A lot of them suffered from sunburn while in pots in the garden, but the one plant I put in the soil next to a chain link fence is looking really healthy and green.

The one in this photo is recovering from its sunburn in the safety of the house.

Read more about growing passionfruit

Growing Kiwi

I've been growing kiwi from seed too. I've got a few left out of maybe 100; there is something they don't like here and I'm not sure exactly what it is yet. They grew really well in my Dad's (unheated) greenhouse in Scotland but their growth is stunted here.

Kiwi have male and female plants and, like the papaya, you need both to produce fruit. Again sex cannot be determined until they flower and none of mine have flowered yet, and I think I read it may take years until they do.

However, it's an interesting project if not exactly a money-spinner.

To Grow Kiwi from Seed

Buy a kiwifruit in the shop, take it home and cut it open. Extract a few of their tiny seeds and remove as much pith as you can from around them. I find the easiest way to do this is to lay them on absorbant kitchen paper and place the paper, seeds and all, inside a colander and run them under the tap.

1. Leave them to dry in a warm dry place, and when they are completely dry they can be planted into some compost, just lightly press them into the surface of the soil.
2. Water well, and seal the whole pot inside a sealed polythene bag.
3. Leave in a light, warm place out of direct sunlight and after a couple of weeks you should see the seedlings peeking through. 
4. At this point, remove them from their plastic bag.
5. When they are large enough to handle, after they have grown at least their second set of leaves, gently transplant them into individual pots. 
6. Keep in as bright a situation as possible and water daily, potting on as they outgrow their pot.

In a warm climate like Spain they can be planted straight into the garden, but in cooler climates you will need to keep them indoors or at least in a greenhouse or conservatory, bringing them indoors when frost threatens.
There are varieties you can buy now at Amazon.co.uk that is specially grown for UK climates.

The botanical names for the kiwifruit vines are usually either actinidia chinensis or actinidia deliciosa.

Castor Oil Plant

I'm an awful one for collecting seed I find on my travels. Then at some future date I plant them; and when they grow I haven't a clue what they are!

Extensive searching on google suggests this cute little fella is a Ricinus communis except he doesn't seem to have red leaves yet. I did have three or four others that I potted on and planted out, being fast growers, but they promptly died on me!

Carica papaya

Papaya plants are normally grown from seed. Belonging to tropical countries, I am experimenting to see if they'll grow successfully here in Relleu ( sub-tropical), however, I do not expect them to do too well come the winter storms as their stems break easily. Two are in pots and may be moved indoors. The third is in the garden.

Papaya have separate male and female plants, and both are needed for successful fertilization, though one male can service many females. As I have no way of knowing what sex mine are until they flower, I'm hoping three is enough. With my luck I'll get three of the same!

This one here is approx. 6 months old and 3 feet high.

Air Purifying House plants

spider plant Dracaena

Many toxins enter households every day in the form of food packaging, cleaners, waste material etc, and NASA has done research to see what plants are best for getting rid of them.

Formaldehyde: Commonly used in a number of items including particle board, pressed wood, foam insulation, cleaning products, and treated paper or fabric. If your home or office contains particle-board furniture, grocery bags, tissues, paper towels, or anything that has been treated to make it stiffer, wrinkle-resist, fire retardant, or water-repellent, then you’re likely to have formaldehyde in the air.

Benzene: A solvent used in manufacturing paints, inks, plastics, rubber, dyes, pharmaceuticals, and detergents.

Trichloroethane: Can be found in adhesives, varnishes, paints, and used in dry-cleaning.
At the very least, chemicals like these can irritate the eyes and skin, lead to allergic reactions, and cause headaches. At worst, they’ve been linked to more serious problems including asthma, cancer, anemia, organ damage, and birth defects. Given the pervasive presence of these chemical in our homes, it can be difficult to create an environment that is free of them.

Top Plants for Reducing Indoor Air Pollution

Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)
Dracaena (Dracaena sp.).

English Ivy (Hedera helix)
Ficus, or Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)
Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
Golden Pothos (Epipiremnum aureum)
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum sp.)
Philodendron (Philodendron sp)

Pot Mum (Chrysanthemum morifolium)
Snake Plant, or Mother-In-Law’s Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’)
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

For best results, have at least one six-inch plant for every 100 square feet.

My Palm Tree

It's possibly a Trachycarpus fortunei but I'm ready to stand corrected.

Cordyline australis

This is my 2 year old cordyline australis shortly after I planted it out earlier this year.
I have another growing quite happily in a bucket, and several dozen seedlings less than a year old.
Another of my experiments, I haven't seen any growing locally. There are plenty yuccas, agaves and palms so I'm hoping this palm-like plant will fit right in. It also withstands strong winds which, of course, is a necessity here.