Western Daily Press (Saturday)

Tropical surprise for Beverley after plant grows 14ft

- KIM HORTON kim.horton@reachplc.com

AWOMAN who decided she was going to bring a touch of Greece to her garden this summer is staggered at how tall one of her plants has grown.

Beverley Wallace, 51, from Matson, knew that her Echium Pininana plant could get tall and maybe expected it to grow to around six feet tall.

Yet the plant has far exceeded her expectatio­ns and measures a massive 14ft and four inches tall and is still going.

Beverley said: “Due to the pandemic and lockdown I have not been able to travel to Greece as I would normally so as a bit of a joke I decided to create my own tropical garden.

“I have really liked gardening and have been working on getting this ready since March.

“I have a lot of what were house plants outside now. I have palms, succulents and even Swiss cheese plants in there.”

Due to the pandemic and lockdown I have not been able to travel to Greece as I would normally so as a bit of a joke I decided to create my own tropical garden BEVERLEY WALLACE

Beverley saw a gardening programme which featured a Echium Pininana and sent away to get some seeds.

Last year she planted a few seeds and two took and grew to six feet tall.

But the plant, which has been planted where her dog Daisy is buried, has really taken off.

She said: “It is so nice to sit outside. I have planted olive, pear, cherry and apple trees and have many different types of vegetable plants.

“My housemate likes to come and work in the garden instead of outside because it is so lovely.

“I am pleased that the plant is doing so well here. You normally hear of them growing that big on the south coast.

“We have lovely gardening groups in Gloucester and surroundin­g. Being in lockdown I have really enjoyed it and having the internet on hand if you are not sure of what to do with certain plants is very handy.”

 ??  ?? > Beverley Wallace using a tape measure, left, and an 8ft long piece of wood to accurately measure her Echium Pininana plant growing in her garden at her home in Gloucester
> Beverley Wallace using a tape measure, left, and an 8ft long piece of wood to accurately measure her Echium Pininana plant growing in her garden at her home in Gloucester
 ?? Pictures: Paul Nicholls ??
Pictures: Paul Nicholls

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom