Tropicals & Tender Perennials: 'Phoenix' bird or paradise, 3 by pk33635

pk33635 wrote:
LOL...finally, an addiction worth having! It is fun, and I'm very excited to see how everything we've planted (@ 40 plants) over the last year go thru a full spring/summer and do some maturing. We cleaned up the area around the water softener/ac unit on the side of the house and made a little bordered bed. And...it faces east! So yes, I'd love to try those gingers. The bed is probably @ 2 ft wide and 6 ft long. Enough room for a plant there?

Ardesia, those glads are beautiful! Never heard of them before, and the color is amazing! Not sure if there's 'old house gardens' around here tho...? I promised in my last post to abandon planting them if they dont do well this year...but maybe if the byzantines are designed for the hot south....hmmm

I will convert to pellet fert. when I finish the 2 little bottles I have. I gave most things a good drink on saturday, and will again next month to get it gone. (back to that scottish 'thriftyness' thing) luckily, its a bit before rainy season so hopefully some of the goods get a chance to soak in. That stuff sure seems to dilute slowly in the water...after doing the whole yard the bottle barely seemed less than a qtr. emptier.

Lol to your unsuspecting weeding helper...bet he wishes he picked a different street! Also why I want to sit back and see what I've done to myself in the maintenance dept before going further crazy with planting! You know my taste pretty well by suggesting that ginger :)

The jasmine has a whole fence it can claim. Its a less than attractive white thing that previous owners put up to deter golf balls (we are forever in a hail storm of golf balls. I'd think real hard before living on a course again, a public one at that!) The flower buds are everywhere...cant wait for that scent drifting in the bedroom window...ahh. Will remember about pruning when the time comes, they're still pretty small. (pics 1/2)

I've been giving the cannas lots of water, and they are really on the move. Cant wait til they really get tall! (pic 3) This week of 80-85 degree temps should really get everybody rock and rollin' I think!

The seeds for those 3 c. pulch plants were ordered as a 10 pack from J Hudson (?) in CA last year. I collected some off the larger plants too, and am starting a few for some friends and one of the grounds guys on the golf course. He cuts our lawn and noticed how well the larger ones did last summer. He wants to put a few out there on the course in full sun places where other things have fried.

Sam, the nasturtium-loving pup, will be 1 next month. When he sees me pick a flower he gets all excited like most dogs do if you are getting them a cookie.

Revisits:
Lobelia- Finally 'big' enough that I could take a picture. Still ridiculously small. (pic 4)

Sweet Peas- These little guys, along with the zinnia seeds, are just growing like mad! Seed packet said 60 days to bloom...which would be @ April 1st. I'm hoping they win the race before its too hot! (Pic 5 - will def re-do these in the fall)