Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Tropical Garden #113, 1 by dyzzypyxxy

dyzzypyxxy wrote:
Great shot, Sherri. Those big swallowtails are awesome - I always expect to hear 'flhup, flhup, flhup' as they fly by. My Mex. sunflowers are blooming 12 ft. in the air, too.

My salvias took a rest in the summer, but are blooming again now. I've been gradually shearing them back to encourage new growth, and that's what seems to be working. You don't want to cut them back all at once. I'll shear one branch down, fertilize then wait a couple of weeks for new leaves before shearing the next. The flowers are on the new growth areas. They were in some shade through the summer, too. But now that the sun is lower, they're getting a lot more sun.

Sad about your orange tree, but they do have a sort of short life span, from what I understand. 20 to 25 years is about average and there's no rejuvenating them. Your brugs will be lovely near that new patio! Let us know if you want cuttings to get started. I have 4 different types, and Debra (joeswife) has many more.