Trying to keep plants alive...

The first picture is the cutting my Mum gave me
to replace the houseplant which died. I don't seem to be able to keep houseplants alive which is sad. The other 2 pictures are what it will look like when it has flowered (if I can get it to that stage). As you can see it looks quite healthy at the moment so fingers crossed I can keep it that way! The one in the barrel was a cutting taken from the old plant, it thrived outside but the indoor one died.

This particular plant is a Seychelles Busy Lizzie or 'Ray of Hope', a hybrid of a rare plant which the Eden Project in Cornwall are trying to conserve. Proceeds from the sale of the hybrid are being used to fund conservation work back in the Seychelles. I bought one as a present for my Mum when we went to the Eden Project in 2004. At that time there were only about 120 of the original plant, Impatiens gordonii, in the wild. See the links below.

The Eden Project - Conservation horticulture

The Eden Project - Ray of hope

A large number of containers, hanging baskets etc. at my Mum's house now contain cuttings from the original plant; she's very green fingered unlike me...

The barrels outside look quite healthy still and I've been pleased with my gardening efforts. I wasn't really interested in gardening when I was younger which is a shame as my Mum and Grandfather are very good gardeners; I think my Mum was quite sad that my siblings and I didn't show an interest, I'm trying to now though.

I've got quite a few different plants and some herbs too and aside from the odd snail attack they're all doing very well.