This was the result of my terrible habit of buying sad-looking plants that nobody wants. The nicotiana was about to flower - the leaves were all torn and it was therefore reduced (I like anything reduced) and the lobelia had suffered from having missed the garden centre spray a few too many times and was wilted and languishing, all shrunk up in its polystyrene cells. I took both home and plonked the nicotiana in the middle with three of the healthiest lobelia around the edge.
The lobelia recovered almost instantly, but the nicotiana took a little longer to grow some new leaves at the bottom (they are so brittle that they almost never survive a garden centre without being decimated). That's why this offering is two weeks late - the pot was in intensive care. Here it is, good as new and giving out that intoxicating evening scent.
Delicious no?
Here's what's in it
you need
1 Nicotiana sylvestris
1 pack of lobelia bedding
Multi-purpose compost
1 pot - mine is 30cm diameter
Keep it watered and make sure you place it near a door or somewhere you're likely to spend some evening time chilling out - the scent only comes out to play at night because the flowers are mostly pollinated by moths. This is also why the flowers glow seductively in the dark. Now I think about it this is a rather good pot to have around if you're trying to get someone to snog you.
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