Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Yardening Summer 2013 Part 3, 1 by typwc

typwc wrote:
Gita,

"Speak of the devil"...! Check out Sally's article for today on Acalyphas!

I need to get another fluorescent light fixture but yes, I am planning on bringing at least the cutting inside this winter. I hadn't really thought about treating it as a houseplant, I don't think I have room for it unless it will tolerate low light. I guess we'll see. I don't want to lose any of mine either. $3 each is a lot of money for annuals but I think they are probably worth it. They pack a huge punch, and would look magnificent en masse.

I guess if I think about it, for my tiny front bed, I would only need 4-5 to completely fill the bed and then just a few little things in front. Plus I have that Velvet Mocha Coleus that you gave me that would offer a beatiful contrasting texture to the big shiny smooth acalypha leaves..... Oh the wheels are turning! Anyone else planning next year's beds already? :) I'm attaching a picture of this year's bed. It's a little less exuberant in the few weeks since the pic was taken. I think the petunias are sulking/succumbing to fungal diseases and are just generally past their prime anyway.

I will post pics of the acalypha this afternoon. The flowers look like catkins, the male ones are long and skinny and hang down. The female flowers are short and spiky and stand up more. So cool! Here's a picture I found in a google search to tide you over till I can take pics this afternoon. http://www.biologie.uni-regensburg.de/Botanik/Schoenfelder/k...

This message was edited Aug 7, 2013 7:20 AM