On Sun, 24 Jul 2011 09:25:38 +0000, vomog
wrote:


lannerman;930863 Wrote:
Sorry, the small plants growing near the base are part of the plant and
the start of the clump, so, no, theres nothing you can do with them ?
when the plant matures, you may divide the clumps but the long sword
like leaves have to be cut back to about 12 " for these divisions to
survive !

Cheers Lannerman, Looks like the boy. We do get cold winters here. Could
I put it in a large pot to put away for the winter?


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The word is that these are half-hardy. Huh?! I finally dug one out of
the garden last year after 20-odd years of tolerating something that
was originally labeled as a smaller variety of phormium. Harsh winters
never seemed to do any damage. Indeed, in the UK, at least around
here, they are municipal plantings along roads and reliably flower
each year. Warning - the flowers are as sticky as anything and very
attractive to bees, wasps and, I found, flies!

Given the time of year, you may get away with planting outside now,
maybe protecting for the winter with a bit of fleece for the first
year. Alternatively, overwinter in the greenhouse (but I'd pot on into
a bigger pot) and plant out in the spring.

Allow plenty of space. Mine reached about 6 feet across (at head
height, about 3 feet at ground level) before I zapped it. Stunning
specimen plant if you have the space - a good replacement for pampas
grass!

Cheers
Jake
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Gardening at the dry end (east) of Swansea Bay
in between reading anything by JRR Tolkien.

www.rivendell.org.uk