I found these pink Siam Tulips, Curcuma alismatifolia 'Pink' and since I have a very shaded area to fill with plants they came home with me. Sunday afternoon I was just about to go out the front door taking out some trash and saw a car very slowly drive by our house, the woman in the passenger seat had her head literally hanging out the window looking at something in my garden. The car stopped and backed up with the woman still gawking, then she got out of the car and started walking into the garden. It was time I went outside to meet her. She was enthralled with the Siam Tulip and asked dozens of questions about it, she and I talked for several minutes and Randy went out to the car to talk to her husband, comparing notes about their plant crazy spouses no doubt. After a few minutes, with directions for getting to the garden center where I bought them, they took off. I hope she was able to get a couple of them. Siam Tulips ( photo / image / picture from toni's Garden ) Siam Tulip blossom ( photo / image / picture from toni's Garden )
I used to have some of these lovely, and unusual, plants. Sadly they didn't survive our Scottish winter. I hope your 'visitor' managed to get some for herself at the garden centre.
Actually it's a Curcuma alismatifolia 'Pink' 'Siam Tulip' Ginger , it got the Tulip name because the bloom superficially resembles a tulip.
A great story and a devine plant. I have grown ginger before, but alas, like Eileen, mine didn't survive. Eileen, we have greenhouses....maybe we should try again and overwinter them in the cosy glass houses?
Toni, that is a good story--I hope that if she gets some that she wiull return and let you know howthey do. You must feel pretty good because of inspiring this woman. The flower is quite exotic-looking, isn't it. I try and pay attention to Latin names and I see this one has the tag, Curcuma. I right away wondered if it is the same spice that we use here in Holland to make curries. We call the yellow powder made from the roots, Kurkuma". I read a paper a copuple of years ago where it suggested that as substance derived from the root of the Curcuma longa plant might have some sort of preventative action in Alzheimer's. I found that interesting. Pity that I didn't pay more attention to that scrap of trivia at the time.
Sjoerd I found these articles regarding the Curcuma Longa plant and Alzheimer's for you. :-D http://curcumalonga.com/ http://alzheimer.neurology.ucla.edu/pub ... edChem.pdf
