September Blooms

These mums have been blooming nonstop since July

Here come the white ones

Datura Double Black Currant Swirl finally blooming

Another rebloom for Stella

Another bloom on magic rose

This comos was 4 1/2' tall got knocked over by the wind, I tried staking it but Wall-e stole my stakes(dumb mutt!) It's laying on the ground but blooming like crazy!

Flowerjen---

The picture you posted and called the "Black Currant Datura" does not really look anything like it should.....Perhaps it cross-pollinated with a white one--or something????
The B.C.Dat. is as intense in color as my most purple/white Datura metel I have ever posted. Deep, deep purple and a bit of white....From some of the pictures I have seen--I cannot really differentiate the Metel from the Black Current....BUT--there must be some kind of a distinction? Hard to tell....

Stormy---

I got ONE plant of all yellow. Gloriosa Daisy from someone at Holly's.. WHO??? Own up!
It has been in bloom for most of the summer----I mean the SAME blooms--just hanging on! So far--I have only harvested ONE bloom that went to seed....The rest are still there---a bit wilted, but still there....HUGE blooms!
It has been eons that I had a Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia Hirta)--right???.

Also--I LOVED your blue Asters....I am still contemplating buying a couple of these. They are a bit expensive at HD....(What isn't???)---$6.97 for an 8" pot!
My hesitation is that the few times I have tried these--they have never come back. Is there a secret to it?

Wanna see bloom flush #4 on my "Maya"???? The buds for all these blooms were already there while Flush #3 was going on. I just CANNOT believe this plant doing what it has been doing this Summer!!!! TOTALLY NOT!

Here it is Wednesday. I have been hanging on to hear back from the Cylburn Arboretum whether they want o "adopt" this plant. The silence is driving me crazy!
I understand how a City-owned Parks and Recreation place may not have the time (HA!) to respond to me. I have exhausted my efforts to GIFT them FREE this amazing Brugmansia! If THEY don't care enough to answer--then I do not either! I DO NOT need to be begging THEM to accept a FREE gift of this amazing plant! THEIR LOSS!
....can you tell I am frustrated??????

As soon as send this Post off--I am writing "Chesapeake" by D-mail that these two are hers....and getting the ball rolling to arrange for their transport. I can just hope I can do all this digging up--but it is her son, who works in Lansdowne and owns a Lawn Service that will be coming here to get it. I hope all this happens soon!
Tonight, the Temps are dipping down to the low 40's....
GET YOUR MORE COLD-SENSITIVE PLANTS IN SOMEWHERE PROTECTED!

Here is the "Maya" in it's 4th bloom flush--just taken today.....I still think this amazing performance is because this plant, and the other one too, is hopelessly ROOTBOUND!

First picture.....

And--the second one--from a different angle......

Gita...............Recognize this baby? It put on a show all summer long. Now just in the nick of time I have two cuttings like this. I assume the beauty will throw roots in about four weeks or so. Never tried to root one. The medium is Pro Mix and Vermiculite 50 /50. No fertilizer. I did put a pinch of mycorrhiza in the pot. What say ye?

doc--

These Begonias will root if you even sneeze at them! In water OR in soil!

EVERY year--for about 25+ years--I have been cutting back my Angel-Wing Begonias EVERY Spring, as they lose most of their leaves in the house during the Winter--leaving only these long, cane-like stems with leaves at the top.
That is ALL you really, ever need to propagate this plant. Keep the Mama cut back. Take the tip cuttings. Discard (or root) the in-between stems. Yes! They will root! -And so it goes--on and on and on....

The cuttings get rooted and make amazing new plants to share. They root easily in just soil.
The Mama plant gets re-potted (every 2 years or so) keeping all the viable/good roots and tossing the old/used up ones.
The tip-cuttings get rooted in water (or directly in soil) to carry on.....They will become good-sized plants in just ONE season. Keep them in semi shade or morning sun.

The re-potted Mama plant I have is now almost 3' tall again. It always sits on my N.facing front steps.
I do not have a picture--but will be glad to take one tomorrow. It grows, magnificently, each year, but does not bloom al that much, as only the top/tip growths of the plant will bloom freely.
SO! The tip-cuttings, once rooted, will bloom before the Mama (original plant the cuttings were taken from) will.

It all depends on the weather--the exposure---and the timing.....

Doc--I am confident you can make ANYTHING bloom sooner than anyone else!

Gita

This is a picture from Oct. 2008 of the Mama Begonia and how it can re-grow from a total cut-back in the Spring as I put it outside. It is an amazingly long-lived plant--IF you keep cutting it back--rooting the "babies" to carry on and keeping it inside for the winter. It can, almost, go semi-dormant......Water it sparingly and put up with most of the leaves dropping off--unless you have a Sun Room. Then--I would imagine--it can keep on going......

Gita,

I THINK ....mama will be left to die back. I shall go next spring with whatever these cuttings make. I got many compliments on the beauty of this plant's leaves. We had three arms proped up a bit about eighteen inches tall. As you said..........we shall look for bloom and pinch back to get a neater plant next year.

Jen, I really like that white cosmos.

Gita and Lady, Thanks to you fine folks I have all of these Begonias to bring in this year. Well, that's a chore for Saturday. Have to spray for bugs, wipe all of the pots and make room for them inside. Gita, That Angel Wing is blooming beautifully right now.

Jen if that black currant swirl is from me.... it was grown from bought seeds.... and Gita is right it doesn't look true... should be more purple on the outside of the bloom... none of mine bloomed.. so at least you have that

this is what it should look like - http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/31588

all the coleus got haircuts & put away today... so depressing... these were grown from seed I received from Cathy in the coleus forum

my one post

and the other

Allison, Those are just gorgeous. How much do you cut them back to bring them in? Do you not take cuttings?

Ha jen, I have that cyclamen too. Have put coffee grounds arund them to make a dark background so I can see them. They are tiny! Pretty mum pictures, and yes those cosmos, it's something how they fall over, then the stems tip up and lkeep going

wow, onewish, nice posts. Yes it is a little depressing thinking about bringing everything inside. I better get moving! Need to read about plumeria winter care. at this point I have three brugs and a plumie to bring in with good size pots, and a small banana if I keep that going too. No I don't have a sunroom for all that stuff! I guess I can fit three in my bedroom. I'll need some kind of planters to hide the plain pots. Well, now you know what I better get working on, if this chill keeps up!

thank you... I usually leave 2 sets of leaves on each stem... looked like a coleus massacre.. I took some cuttings now ... but I will do more when I am sick of winter later on.. gets me though the cold days!

Yes, Allison that datura was from you.

Jen sorry it's the wrong one... I should complain to the seed company they came from... I made the mistake and planted mine in the ground... they are still only a few inches tall... big bummer

I would def let them know, use my pic.

My "stuff" is all in and set up as cuttings or pots to be held over. Showing some cuttings in 50/50 Pro Mix and Vermiculite. The smaller cuttings of coleus and herbs are in Oaisis cube units. They should all be rooted easily within four weeks. At this point I pot them for holding over the winter.

There are a gazillion ways to make a good cutting mix. My experience is that with these cuttings I expect to get easily 80% rooting nicely. Translated in good old dollars. Every potted plant ready to go next spring saves me at least three dollars. There are fifty cuttings showing in this picture.

Just for interest- I took this pic of three different cuttings after (I think) three weeks in soil. Big variation on rooting activity between plants. Tropical begonia, coleus, alternanthera

MY OPINION.........all thee of these cuttings are ready for potting. The smaller one will catch up in a few weeks. It could very well be the best example of just about perfect to be potted in a growing medium. The best time window is quite wide and subject to opinions that may differ slightly. That picture is a great instructional shot for anyone just begining to root cuttings.

Wow, Doc you've been busy!

Good info Sally.

Need Atlas gloves for yourself or Chistmas gifts? Co-op now taking interest!

This Sunday Night is full moon. If we have the right conditions we are going to get our butts kicked with a killing frost. That would be two to four weeks early from the last few years but not out of average for our area. The counties or areas just one hour's driving time North of me had killing frost last week. They are just a little higher in the mountains and a little closer to those fall Canadian fronts that brings in the cold weather. After such action we often have up to a month of nice weather or roughly to the next full moon. We rarely get past the next full moon without a killing frost. That would be the 31st of October if memory serves me well.

wow- I'll be on the lookout. I dug up my plumeria today to ready it for inside. and gathered some of the cuttings and small pots. and wiped ff a plant shelf.

YEEEAAAHHH!!! My two Brugs are GONE!
A nice guy from Cylburn Arboretum came and got them...They barely fit (Height-wise) in this huge, enclosed van.

Took a couple cuttings yesterday for the lady on the Eastern Shore who I said could have these huge plants----and then Cylburn called. They had first dibs.....Boxed up the cuttings and ran to the PO and mailed them.

I dug the potted Maya out of the bed--wasn't as brutal as I thought it might be....
Put a plastic trash bag around the exposed roots peeking out the bottom holes of the pot--and waited for the truck to arrive.
I sure hope they do well there--no matter WHAT they decide to do with them. If taking cuttings and selling them brings them a few $100--I am happy.

Here it is--ready and waiting for the truck....

That's great news, and they will be showstoppers! You sure had to work hard to gift them with those. Maybe next time they'll be quicker to appreciate the treasure someone's trying to give them.

New thread for October...
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1045052/

This is a bouquet of flowers that I picked today from my front yard. Loves lie bleeding do come handy sometimes...

Wow, Orchidfancy, that is absolutely beautiful. I've never grown that Love lies Bleeding . I will have to look into it. It is so nice to see you posting here.

We've already started an October blooms thread. Some folks may have unwatched this one. So that your lovely bouquet gets the attention it deserves, would you mind posting it also on the new thread? Here's the link:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1045052/