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Charles Tyrwhitt Mens and Womens clothing

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I just came across a store, based in the UK called Charles Tyrwhitt The store is located in London, but you can access the store and shop online through their website, or by catalogue.

At this time they are having a Winter Sale. The site states their prices are back to 1996 prices. The store sells a variety of items for women and men ties, cufflinks, formal dress shirts, suits, shoes and clothing. I was looking at the women’s blouses and they appear to be of very high quality and I like the cut and style of many of them.

The company sells it’s items internationally so the items that they sell may be of interest to any of my readers. Please do visit the Charles Tyrwhitt if you are looking for quality gifts for your loved ones.






Growing Datura

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Datura, also known as the Devil’s Trumpet

I teased everyone the other day by showing a photo of a datura seed pod and making them guess what it was. I did promise that I would write about the Datura plant in that post though – so here it is.

Datura - Devils Trumpet Depending on what area of the world you are growing Datura it can be classed as a perennial or a tropical annual – meaning that it only survives the winter months in warm zones. It’s hardy to USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8° C (25° F). The plant grows 18″ to 24 ” in height, but has a tendency to spread out, so if you grow Datura allow at least a four foot diameter around the plant for growth.

All parts of plant are poisonous if ingested and handling the plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction. While the flowers have a lovely cross of lily to Jasmine scent the leaves have a repugnant scent when lightly brushed with the fingers. The foliage is Silver/Gray with a Velvet/Fuzzy-Texture.

The datura plant has also been used for divination in Native American milieux, to find one’s totem animal, for communing with birds, to allow one to see ghosts, and like all the tropane-containing plants, is said to have gone into flying ointments. Daturas and brugmansias contain the extremely dangerous tropane alkaloids atropine, hyoscyamine, and scopolamine.

Datura Seedpod Some species of Datura bloom at night. Mine tend to bloom in the late afternoon on ward with the flowers closing in bright light. They do need full sun to grow properly even if they tend to only show their beauty at night. The flowers are large and lush and tend to face upward. They bloom from early summer to mid Fall.

Some of the seed pods must escape my notice each fall and I always have new seedlings come up in the early summer of the following year. Therefore hardiness is not really a concern of mine as I know they reseed generously.

Thanks Giving Cactus

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There are several species of Schlumbergera but the ones that most people know of is the Christmas Cactus. In fact that name is commonly used to wrongly describe other species of Schlumbergera.

One Schlumbergera that is commonly mistaken is the Thanks Giving Cactus also known as the False Christmas Cactus and properly defined as Schlumbergera truncata.

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There is a very strong resemblance between both the Christmas and Thanks Giving Cactus and the easiest way to determine which is which is to look at the leaves on your plant. The Thanks Giving cactus has sharply serrated or “toothed” leaves, whereas the Christmas cactus has smooth sided more rounded leaves.

thanksgiving cactus leaves

Thanks Giving Cactus leaves
 christimas cactus leaves

Christmas Cactus Leaves

Another strong difference between the two plants is that the Thanks Giving Cactus begins to develop buds near the beginning of November and is often in full bloom by the time that the American Thanks Giving takes place. Christmas cactus bloom around Christmas time and often into January and February.

Christmas Cactus Flowers Actually both the Thanksgiving Cactus and Christmas Cactus are known to bloom twice a year, with the first blooms of the Thanks Giving cactus between October and November and the second between February and March, while the Christmas Cactus tends to bloom in December and January, and then again in April or May.

The other species of Schlumbergera that I referred to earlier is the least common of the three. It is the Easter Cactus. Schlumbergera gaertneri only blooms once a year in April – usually near Easter, hence the name. Its flower is very different.

It is not nearly as popular as the Thanks Giving and Christmas Cactus’ because it is rather more difficult to grow well, and it has the disconcerting habit of shedding its stem segments at the slightest drought, or whenever over- or under-watered. It may refuse to bloom for no apparent reason.

Enthusiasts tend to lose patience with this one, which is a pity, because it is quite magnificent in spite of all that.

The tips of the leaf segments on the Easter Cactus have soft bristles making it very easy to distinguish from the other two common species of Schlumbergera.

Easter Cactus leaves

Easter Cactus leaves
 Rose Easter Cactus

Rose Easter Cactus Flowers

Thanksgiving cactus is a winter-flowering houseplant native to Brazil, which comes in a wide array of colors including red, purple, oranges, pinks and whites although reds, whites and pinks are the most common. When planted in a decorative pot, Thanksgiving cacti make a wonderful holiday table centerpiece, or as a gift for friends and family.

Thanksgiving cactus grows well in light shaded areas. They prefer an evenly moist soil although they can tolerate dry conditions. So, do not allow the soil become waterlogged, especially during the dark days of winter. Do not let the soil dry out either. Reduce watering from fall through spring. Fertilize plants monthly from the time new growth starts in late winter or early spring, and throughout the summer using a one-quarter strength soluble fertilizer. Reduce fertilizer during the fall and early winter. The Thanksgiving cactus flowers best when kept somewhat potbound. Repotting is necessary only about once in three years. The potting media must be well-drained with good aeration, because the plant does not grow well in heavy, wet mixes. A good mix may contain one part potting soil, two parts peat moss and one part sharp sand or perlite.

They do not tolerate frost and hence they need special care during the frosting months when they should be brought indoors. For these cacti to form buds, during mid-September, these cacti will need 12 to 14 hours of total darkness along with cool nighttime temperatures. The easiest way to achieve this is to place the plant in a closet from dusk to dawn. Or you can cover it with a large brown paper bag. If you keep the plant in a cool room (around 50 degrees F 24 hours a day) in September and October, chances are excellent that it will produce flowers, regardless of day length.

In the last two years, since Toronto doesn’t get very cool until November I’ve often continued to keep my Thanks Giving Cactus and Christmas cactus outdoors (they spend the summer outdoors in fairly sunny spots- but not full sun) until at least mid-October. At that time I bring each of the plants into my cool basement. I tend to bring the Thanks giving cactus back upstairs at the beginning of November and the Christmas Cactus back to the main floor in Mid November. In this way they get the cooling and a period of very low light that they need in order to jolt them into blooming machines.

Happy Thanks Giving to my American visitors!

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