Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Think Spring! Lunch & Seed Swap, Sat. February 21, 1 by Gitagal

Gitagal wrote:
It's blooms get a "puffy" appearance when fully open...
It is a reliable bloomer--flush after flush during the Summer.....Roots easily...quick recovery after Winter in a dormant state in my basement.....Just keeps on greening up and growing....NO transitional woes.....

I used to have 2 more pink Brugs--now gone--or eliminated......
1--"Rosamond"--What a robust bloomer!
2--"ForeverMohr"--hybridized by Shirley Mohr of IA ("Brugie")--a cross of Rosemond and "Butterfly"......BIG blooms! But--late to flower in the season....Have had it for about 3-4 years now.....Gave it away last fall.....GONE!

I know how we all can get "obsessed" with Brugs once we first have them-----BUT then, after a few years--one gets to realize how much care and fertilizing, and watering they need. They are "pigs"--feed them anything you have--and they will reward you with some blooms.....some sooner--some too late in the Season....
Then--you may get a glorious flush of bloom end of October, here--too late to just let it all be and enjoy it! By then--frost will be nipping at the plant and you will be freaking out what to do with it!!!!
I had to cut down every branch of my Maya last October--and ALL the tips were loaded with buds--that I never got to enjoy--as frosty weather was coming....Glad my cuttings are thriving under the lights i will soon need for seeds.....

You have to drag them in the house for the Winter to "dormant" them over.....
They need to be in BIG pots to let their roots spread--Hey! They are trees in their native habitats---just graceful annuals here.....

To be honest--I have tired of them--but I cannot stop having them. If nothing else--for the "gawk factor" of people that see them.....Hoooo...Hummmm....
For some reason--maybe because no one here has ever heard of Brugmansias--I just cannot let them go.....so I keep plugging away and carrying them over from year to year.....

Do you see the emotional struggle here????? Getting to old for all this! NOT enough space in my beds to have an interesting garden! Too many Maple-Tree roots.....If I want to plant dsomething NEW---it literally means--something old has to go!
Wish I could just dig up a fresh patch somewhere and throw in a hand-full of new seeds and enjoy the flowers. NOPE! Nada!

SO! I will go to Seed Swaps and enjoy the camaraderie-----and, I will gladly share seeds I have with others----BUT--I sure do not want new seeds to plant--as I simply DO NOT have the space appropriate to do so.