seeds

I have to figure out what to do. The idiot that lives across the street from me has a hibiscus growing in the corner of his yard near the street. The people who sold him the place had a yard with flowers, but since he moved in he has removed just about everything. Anyway the hib is covered with seed pods and has gone dormant for the winter. He will not allow me to pick the seed pods. He's pissed off at us because we will not cut down the 6 maples on our property. He doesn't like the birds to roost in them at night. So I'm thinking that if I take a walk later tonight with my flashlight, I can just reach over the fence and grab any I can reach. I'll have to let them dry as it rained all day, but I love the hib.
Mary

You would be better off seeing if you can find some seeds to buy or someone to trade with you instead--technically speaking what you're proposing is stealing and given that this person already doesn't like you, if they happen to see you doing it they could call the police, or else since it sounds like he's not a very nice person, it's possible he would try to get even in some way (doing something that would damage your maple trees for example.) I doubt if this hibiscus is so rare or unusual that you couldn't find a less risky (and more legal) way to acquire some seeds for something that looks similar.

Hey my mother always said that "high graded" (read stolen) cuttings and seeds always grow best. Of course my mom would never have harmed someones plants to do this (or really asked permission). However, if it were me, he has to go to the store sometime (or to bed) and I'd be watching. I'm just sneaky that way, lol. I know, I know, not very nice but it's a hibiscus after all.

Anne

I only have to reach over a few inches to get the seed pods. And the local nursery wants alot of money for hibs of this kind. Of course, they have the red one I want. The one across the street is white and large flowers.
Mary

I'd hurry and get those seed pods before he chops that flowering plant down also. I kinda doubt he's been counting the pods and will know a gust of wind came along and blew a few over onto your turf.

I lucked out. He cut down the dead stocks of the hib and threw them over the fence onto the side of the road. When he went into the house, I rushed over and grabbed the branchs that have seed pods and beat feet for my house before he came out again. I saw him from the window come out and start picking up the branches I don't think he even noticed that some were missing. I got lots of seeds in the pods. Am soooo happy!!!
Mary

Haha... congratulations!!!

sometimes we just gotta do, what we just gotta do

tee hee I'll bet they grow to be the prettiest you've ever seen.

I wonder if they will look like the mother plant? In the spring I'll take pictures of the mother plant in bloom, if he doesn't kill it off before than. My sister tells me that sometime in the spring he takes off for several weeks to Florida. Wish he would stay there.
Mary

Maybe you can send him down my way with some of those seeds!!! Ah ha ha...

PurePlants,
Do you want me to mail you some of the seeds. There is alot of them. I've never grown hibiscus from seed, so this will be a trial and error thing with me this year. I need someone to tell me when I should plant them and how. I can't plant in the yard yet due to getting it plowed later this month. I need to do that to kill off most of the pasture grass and weeds that have been growing here since hector was a pup.
Mary

now this story has a great ending!

Martin -- I posted my experience with the hib seeds this last 6 weeks in this thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1025728/

What kind of hib is it that you got the seeds from? I have seeds from my hibs, and would be happy to trade some. I have really started falling in love with the hibs this summer/fall. :)

All I know about the hib is that my sister says she thinks its white with a darker throat. She just can't remeber and it is dormant for the winter. She says the flowers were big. She knew the people who lived there and they planted it but sold out and moved away. The guy who bought the place and killed off all the plants in the yard except this hib. All he wants there is grass. Most people around here just want lots and lots of grass. I hate to mow, but they seem to like it. I HAVE to have some flowers. A color different from just green. If you want to try some, I'll send you some seeds. I'd like to try other hibs so am willing to trade. Dmail me OK
Mary

This message was edited Nov 2, 2009 9:29 AM

It sounds like my neighborhood here in South Florida. Everyone wants low maintenance plants and everything is green, green, and more green. My yard, with all its color, sticks out light a sore thumb. LOL

I know how you feel. It will take me a couple of years to get this yard really going, but it will stand out in the neighborhood also. In some areas until I can decided what to do and have the money to do it, I am planning of getting a bunch of seeds and just sowing them and let them grow wild. I did that once in Ventura in a 10x10 area. I mixed nigella, cosmos and a couple of other seeds and just tossed them around the area. Turned out beautiful. Am going to try it again. Plus I'm going to put in bird feeding station. That will make the jerk unhappy, but me happy as I like feed the birds.
Mary

Sounds like a good idea. I was just at Lowes today looking at all the seed packs that have come in stock in the last couple of weeks and bought a few. They had these huge bags of wildflower seeds you would just toss into an area I guess. I picked up a couple of gerbera daisies and an amaryllis bulb also. Both of those can go right into the ground here.

Jon

Throw some of those wild flower seeds over the fence!!! he he...

I would but I can't punish the poor flowers like that.
Mary

Plant some 4 o'clocks along the property line! You know, mowing over them won't kill them, you have to dig up the tuber. And the tuber is never directly underneath the plant. I know. I've done it.

Maybe if your neighbor does dig up the hibiscus he will throw it where he threw the cuttings. Then you can just go steal the plant!

It's pretty sad the neighbor is stingy like that with the seeds (that they likely are throwing away anyway). As a homeowner, it's in his/her best interest to help beautify and improve the other homes in the neighborhood because it helps to increase value for everyone. I plan to provide each of my neighbors (even the buttheads next door with the tree that keeps dropping limbs on our cars! grrrr) with some new hib plants this spring/summer when I get them growing good from my seeds. I've already shared a few seeds with some of the homeowners on another street nearby who are plant lovers as well.

Like I said people here just want green lawns. No flowers. They consider them to much trouble. Found one of my neighbors, actually just around the corner and they were raking up leaves. I stopped and asked if I could have them for my mulch. And guess what??
I brought home 32 trash bags full of leaves. And one of the ladies even gave me daylily plants, she says their orange and a Rose of Sharon (burgandy color) It is about 4 inches tall and I have to pot it for now. I also found some iris that someone threw away and they've been growing along side a side road. My sister says their purple. Me! I don't care what color they are. They are now mine.
Mary

Those 4 o'clocks DO keep coming back. I thought I had dug them out last year and they returned. I just let them be for now. It's good to share your plants with neighbors...if they are plant lovers. I used to give some of my extra seed grown flowers to neighbors, but don't do it anymore. It was too discouraging watching them immediately go down hill and die.

I get loads of leaves here as well for mulch. I have 12 oak and maple trees on a quarter acre. Last year, I dumped them in a big rubbermaid trash can, and took the weed eater to 'em to grind them up, then dumped them in my beds. Good stuff.

I forgot to mention, I had a nice experience earlier tonight. Went to the local ace hardware store to get some potting soil, and got to talking to the woman there. When I mentioned needing something for the GH, she said, "Oh, you have a greenhouse? Would you like my mandevilla? It's going to die otherwise, because I can't bring it into the house." I pick it up from her tomorrow afternoon when I get off work. I've not had one before, but always loved them! I need to brush up on my mande' care now. I told her that I'd bring her some hib seeds to try for the spring.

marti;

You have me laughing, not at ya, but along with ya, cause I would have been doing the same as you....teee heee.

Hay, a few weekends past I went to a seed collecting class at Holden arb. up here. We came across this RED hibiscus and I have enough seeds to share with you if you want some. The red should go nicely with your newly acquired white.....LOL

If so just drop me a sase and I'll drop some for ya. If they will grow up here in the North Pole then I'm sure you should have great success down home.

Janet
DM for my mailing address.

Jennifer what a great idea for mulching those leaves down, I'd of never thought of that! Thanks again!

It was a LOT easier than mowing them, and having to rake them all over the place. Plus, the trash can isn't all that heavy so I just carried it around and dumped 'em where I needed 'em. Please be sure to: 1) Wear eye protection, as you have to be right up on top of the trash can to do this with a weed eater; 2) only put leaves in the can -- no twigs, branches, etc., as they become potentially impaling objects when spun up by the weed wacker.

One other plus of it is that it's a GREAT arm/upper body workout! LOL

...you didn't have to put that last line in until AFTER I'd finished...sigh...wonder how long it'll take me using my food processor? LOL (not really LOLing)

BTW Jennifer, I was finally able to print from the last email you sent, thanks!