This is the journal of my endeavours to grow a range of fruit, veg and flowers from seed, grow organically, and my attempts to create a personal paradise with 1/2 acre of maintained gardens and 1/2 acre wild meadows. Northern Ireland's average daily high temperatures are 18 °C (64 °F) in July and 6 °C (43 °F) in January. Soil type: Clay

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Nicotiana (Tobacco Plant) Flower

The Tobacco Plant / Nicotiana grown from seed has done really well. Here's a snapshot of how they look in the borders.

Variety: Nicotiana 'Evening Fragance', Half Hardy Annual, Carters Tested Seeds, 79p (or 2 seed packs for £1). Sown 18 March 2011 indoor. Planted outside June. Good germination rate; quick growing; great height; good cottage style plant.


Left and Below: In a space of about 2x1 metres I planted about 10 plants.


I have no idea if they need deadheading. I find them difficult to try to deadhead. They've grown fairly quickly and germinated well from seed.

I've really enjoyed Nicotiana and would definitely grow again.

Lately I  have noticed an increasing amount of greenfly on them (pictured).
On a rainy day I found a large slug eating the flowers (rather than the leaves). I've never seen a slug stretch so high! It was amazing watching his unusually big mouth open to take big bites (picture below).

I think slugs have eaten my sweet pea flowers this year but that's another story.

He really enjoyed his meal (but it was his last).

12 comments:

  1. I guess once the greenfly visit they are stuck as the stems are sticky aren't they? I wonder whether the slug enjoyed it's nicotine fix before it met it's end.

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  2. That really was the last supper. I like nicotiana, they put on such a lovely display.

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  3. I have seen this flower seeds on sale on our local seed company catalogue. But I can never imagine how the plants look like. Very pretty flower. Thanks for sharing.

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  4. Hmm, maybe a plant I should add to my list for next year -- good shots of the slug, and glad he met his doom.

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  5. Very pretty blooms.....Can't say the same for that slimey slug.

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  6. I have to admit to having a degree of sympathy for that poor old slug - he was obviously an olympic-class athlete mollusc. Still, I know that he and his colleagues pose a major threat for your plants and it's best that he had his moment of stardom and them faded rapidly from the scene! Whatever else we may think, it gave you a brilliant photo-opportunity.

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  7. Your flowers are beautiful, with such active slugs. Aggressive little boogers, aren't they. Not shy at all. He may as well have smiled for the photos.

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  8. Amazing picture of the slug! That blooms was too enticing for him! Look how hard he worked for that (big) bite!

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  9. Great slug pic! I love the shape of flower, saw some really great examples of this plant on a recent visit to the Dorothy Clive Gardens - they look great in a traditional setting

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  10. Hi Kelly,

    Those are beautiful photos of your tobacco plant .... and the snail.
    I can imagine that this is his last meal, because too much nicotine is it deadly??

    Can you even cigarettes or cigars in it??

    A very fine weekend and kind regards, Elly

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  11. Hi kelli,that slug gave you a great phot op!Any garden photo competitions that you see use it!I grew nicotania a few years ago and found that it took over the border to the expense of anything else and reseeded as well.

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  12. Loving the slug photos. I've had slugs crawl several metres up a wall past plenty of green foliage to eat flowers. There is something even more soul destroying about that. They seem to know how much I have been waiting to see the flower open.

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