Oh, Thank you. Maybe I should have waited to post the pic. You think?
My Family are all gone so my heart goes out to Neal and his family.
Cottage Garden Seed Swap and Chat #42
Neal, so sorry for your loss. My T & P's are with you, also.
Neal, my heartfelt condolences.
Regarding growing roses from seed - well, all I did was seed-snatch some ripe rose hips from some landscape roses at the college. I don't know what type they were, and they are all ripped out now because the college is building a new science hall.
Anyway, I clean the seeds from the hip (which was very ripe) then I put them in a damp coffee filter and put that in a zip-lock baggie and through them in the vegetable crisper for a few months. Then in February I planted them in potting soil under lights in my basement. I had about 12 germinate, but I must admit I was soooo busy this spring, that the seedlings were rather neglected. Anyway, I put the survivor in a 6 inch pot and then put it in the garden. The rose was blooming by mid-July when we left on holidays. We went away for 6 weeks, came back and it was still alive - probably because of all the rain New England had this past summer. In mid-September, I finally planted it in the ground.
Now, I also started rugosa roses. Some I winter-sowed (that works fine) and some I started inside. Again, because we went away, I only have 3 rugosa roses. Two will be white (I got these in trade) and one will be pink (I think). Anyway, none of these have bloomed, though maybe they will bloom next year. I have to find a spot with lots of sunshine for them.
I am going to try a whole bunch of rose hip seeds this winter. My understanding is that most roses will take a year or two before they bloom, and most will probably not be as good a quality as the parent roses - but you never know . .. Anyway, my roses will all be open pollination, so it's a real crap-shoot as to what one might get.
Here is a link that will help
http://scvrs.homestead.com/hybridizekb1.html
Very interesting Seandor. Thanks!! Good luck with your new ones.
Jeanette
Ah, Neal, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom.
I finally got the new thread up that I'd been promising, with some photos of Joyanna and also of baby sea turtles...
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1049530/
:-)
Neal, I'm also really sorry to hear about your Mom.
Neal, I so very sorry about your Mom.
Big hug for you!
Susan
=^..^=
My sympathy to you, Neal. I am so sorry for your loss.
Janice
Thank you all so much, your words bring comfort and strength. While Mom did a little bit of gardening, and knew the names of quite a few flowers, she never got into it to the extent I do. She always said I reminded her so much of her mother in my love of gardening. I never knew my maternal grandmother, as she was about 40 when she had Mom, and Mom was nearly 40 when I was born, so she was long gone by the time I arrived, but I've always felt strongly connected to her. I think Mom and I had a special connection because of that.
The casket spray turned out nice and the siblings and I felt Mom would have been pleased with our decisions for the service arrangements. There was a good crowd at the funeral home last night, and lots of pleasant memories shared. All in all, its been a peaceful process. The funeral is today, and thankfully the weather is supposed to be nice for our time at the cemetery.
Charleen, your Camelia is gorgeous! I so wish they were hardy here!
Thank you Neal. My thoughts will be with you today.
Take care.
Charleen
Rides,
Your flowers are very pretty! The leaves on the plant look very similar, if not exact, to zinnias.
It came in a package of mixed zinnias. It is pretty. I love white until it starts to fade to brown. but then I know the seeds are ready. i will keep them seperate for someone who wants a pkt. of white zinnia' They were about 2Ft. tall. i have a white Dahlia Too, they are still blooming , guess after it freezes back will dig them up. First year I have dug up dahalia. but these are blooming so nice. Want to save them.
Ride, are you going to save any seeds from the Dahlias? If so, I will be interested in Dahlia seeds.
Neal, just jumped on here to see what I was missing haven't been on for a couple of days and saw the your mom passed soo sorry to hear that, get out there and garden it does help a lot, prayers to you and your family Neal :)
I can try. Have you? I've not done it before , have you?
I know they have some. Let me check. Sometimes I deadhead them. they sure are blooming pretty. did I load a pic?
Getting old, can't remember. i know I took some. Now we do and there are spent buds, so we have seed.
Do you dig yours up every year?? This is my first time.
I really like this one.
Oh that sure is pretty : )
thank you, have a dark red one too.
Well -- i got home last night and many of my plants "bit it" with the cold temps in Oct... but i've been out harvesting seeds. not as many plants [choices] as i'd thought i'd have for the swap.... but sometimes that's just the way it goes.
LOTS of Hyssop though.
Where do I go to check on how to harvest Dahlia
Seed?? Help.
Charleen, I cut off the heads that had already lost all their petals, and laid them in a dry, airy spot. Wicker baskets or paper plates work well. I left them laying upside down for the first few days so that any moisture trapped inside would drip out. They're slow to dry, at least 2 weeks, probably 3. After they're good and dry you can break them apart and find the seed pretty easily. There's a lot of pale, papery chaff in there, but the seeds are big, dark brown, and firm, so you can feel them as you separate them.
I will give it a dry and also try to seperate the colors, I hope.
Tehy don't have names, just pretty. The little pin/white one is my favorite. But they are all pretty.
I hope to stake them next year or put them in a tomatoe cage. You all ever try that.
Oh, Thank you, I appreciate the help.
thank you Again.
Charleen, It was nice that you took a picture from a bit of a distance. That gives us an idea about how tall they grow to. Sometimes when planting in certain places that helps. So many times people don't think to do that. Just take close ups like the others you took. Those are important too. They are beautiful. I have never collected dahlia seeds, just dug the tubers. You will have a nice bunch of seeds out of those.
I will probably start getting them tomarrow.
Supposed to rain Friday. So better get my rump in gear, huh???
You are more than welcome to some. i love to share.
Neal gave me great instructions, so now I know what to do.
Charleen
Charleen: You asked if you should dig the tubers. I leave mine in the ground here in zone 7a and they do fine. I do mulch them, but they always come back. Even the ones I planted in Asheville make it through the winter and everyone there said I'd have to dig them and store over the winter. Well, I'm a lazy gardener and if a plant can't make it on its own in the ground, it's history. I don't coddle things!
That said, you have some lovely dahlias. I tried dahlias from seeds this year for the first time ever and wow, were they ever great! They're Unwin's Dwarfs, but don't let the name fool you. Those babies grew to 18-24" and bloomed like mad all summer long. I'm going to utilize them lots more in my borders next year.
Here's one:
This message was edited Oct 20, 2009 9:28 PM
And here's another:
Oh, those are beautiful. Do you cut them back after they freeze,
then mulch.? Or trim them then mulch?. I still think I am going to try some of the seed.
It should be interesting. Thank you.
Charleen
I don't do anything except mulch heavily around them and let them die back naturally. I'm afraid to cut them as I don't want to spur any fresh growth and our autumns usually consist of a few cold days and then more warm ones, right up until Thanksgiving. I'm not pruning anything right now that I don't want to put out new growth. I'm only pruning the long canes on my roses so they don't whip around in the wind and getting rid of a few dead limbs on trees, shrubs, etc., and cutting back the plants that have already bit the dust.
That is funny 'cause that is exactly the way I feel about plants. I used to leave them in the ground when I lived in Seattle, zone 8, and they did just fine. I cut them back to about 4 or 5 inches Charleen. That all will probably rot off anyway then in the spring you can just pull it off. But that reminds you what is there and where they are so you don't put a shovel in them in the spring. Every year I planted those same dahlias that you posted, (and thank you folr taking a pic of the whole plant) under my dwarf fruit trees. Just a mass. And they were beautiful. I would fill in between the ones that made it thru the winter.
Anyway, since I am now in zone 5, I plant dahlias in containers that I take in. I garden in containers now.
Jeanette
Those are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! I love dahlias!
o.k. That sounds like a winner to me. I sort of
unambitious sometime too.
If it's not broke, don't fix it. ^_^
I have A LOT of these seeds.... Upright Yellow Prairie Coneflower Ratibida columnifera 'Yellow'
basically -- Yellow Mexican Hats.
Nice prairie flower..... they produce an unbelievable amount of seeds... and they are a perennial for me.
If no one wants any ... I may donate them to the Newbie Seed thing....
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/product/82030/
also -- a lot of unknown Black Eyed Susans .....
these would be good for newbies.... and great for Wildflower gardens.
and i know... One demerit... I'm not supposed to talk seed swap til Nov 1st.
I'll go sit in the corner now....
So, I've got a question. I'm a newbie to the swap. When you have a ton of seeds of one kind, how many do you put in a pack? I mean like I flled the packs and had 9. 'cause I got tired of stuffing them at that pointl Should I go back and cut them in half and make 18? Or, does it depend on what they are? Don't remember, think they were hollyhocks.
Jnette... for me, it depends on the size [and how 'valuable' ] the seed is.
for the Mex hats... i'd do a "pinch" or two.
if it were something harder to come by, rare, or highly sought after.... maybe 10-15.
if the seeds are like dust, again - pinch or two.
something i want to get rid of, because i have a lot... again - pinch or two or three... if it is more than the recipient wants... there is enough to split and trade on.
another thing.. and i know what you mean by, tired of stuffing baggies....
last year, i found my Flax seeds were in high demand.. after i had divided them , i found there was more demand for them, so i split them even further.
HTH
Thanks HTH, kinda what I've been doing except I think it is hard to know what other people want. i.e. high demand when it might be something you have plenty of. Others might be wanting it. Guess you would know and then if it is something you have stuffed the bags, you could split before sending.
OK, gotcha, thanks.
Jeanette
Neal you are in my thoughts and prayers.
tcs I would like to try some of the ratibida. I checked them out and it looks like they would grow here. Always looking for good xeris plants.
Oh my! They posted a 'sneak peek' list of what will be available from Summerhill in the coop: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7190985
Quite a nice selection... hopefully I can resist a little, and oink first, buy second :) It's gonna be a challenge though!
thanks George... I'll baggie some up then. and yes, i tend to do all xeriscaping plants.
Oddly enough, i have found Swamp Milkweed [ Asclepias incarnata ]has done well in my Xeri-garden.
Dah Dah. Dah. Dah.. la. la. lalalallala. Hey I like to do Mexican hat dance too. heheheheh
We have 60 people this year, give or take cuz sure afew gonan drop that signed up, so fix what ya got cuz ya knwo with that many people folks gonan be wantign soem for sure. : )
For newbies. Ya don't have evrythign ready at once. I sure won't . I wil have soem stuf f up and then wil some mroe alogn the way and post and then do some mroe.
And some I have in bigger bag. and can abotut ell exactly how many trades I have of it and will just post for that many trades and nto even bag up til somebody oinks for it, espcially the pain in the rump ones. LOL
TCS I would like to try some of the seed. Thanks!!!!