Ginger Spice

I never seem to have time during the day to take proper Blips, being a working man, so I end up rushing round the garden at 5.30 when most of the place is in shadow. The sun goes down behind the hill quite early leaving only a small area well lit. I even went into Oban today but didn't take any pictures except a cluster of red brambles overhanging the Black Linn and an out of focus duck - I was trying my 50x zoom handheld!

Anyway I did take one of a ginger lily outside the glasshouse - Hedychium densiflorum. I think it's that species but forgot to check and had turned my computer off. As the common name suggests, it's in the ginger family and being a high altitude species from the Himalayas is hardy enough to grow outside here. The most handsome of the genus by far (in my opinion!) is Hedychium gardnerianum, which I've grown inside many times. It will survive outside but then flowers very late if at all and the flowers get spoilt. See it here.