Thanks Carol .. yes, I removed all the deadness, LOL. She looks pretty pitiful but I have hopes that in the next few months she will renew growth.
It's just the opposite with things in the ground ... I never prune anything back until after March 1st because we can surely have another cold snap before then. I just hope we never have another winter like this one! I've always moved potted plants into the enclosed porch and on the covered deck, always covering them with old blankets and have never lost one. I was so surprised that Iris Marie took a hit like it did. Most of the plants on the porch are looking great, no sign of damage with the exception of maybe a couple of leaves that have dropped. There were even two orchids out there that the cold did not affect at all. I had moved (I thought) all of the orchids and most of the hoya's that I could into the house. But, I ran out of indoor space so some of them had to stay on the porch. I''m thinking with Iris Marie it might have been too wet before the cold set in. I tried to water well before the first freeze we had and some things may not have dried out enough, so the wet soil and the 20 something temp's could be the cause.
January Flowers
Lin, if your Iris Marie needs replacement, dmail me - I'll send you all the cuttings you could ever need. It grows like a weed for me, but is a tough one to get to bloom. I do however think it makes a fine foliage plant. I love you H. merllii; it is one of my favorites. I had a tough time with it when I first got it, but now it looks great, and I don't care if it ever blooms.
Carol, once again beautiful blooms!
Doug
Thanks Doug! If my Iris Marie doesn't make it I might take you up on a cutting or two when the weather warms up! From now on I know it's one Hoya that I will find a place inside for during an unusual cold winter!
Oh...and here is one of my favorites... H. acuta from KotaKinabalu...
Love those colors!
OH, I added to the post with the PNG-6 that Ted says it is H. chunii
Well Carol, I officially have bloom envy! Beautiful photos. I am over winter and just thinking of lush foliage and colorful blooms lifts my spirits.
Lin, sorry to see damage from your cold snap. The good part is that there is always hope when you have some green left on a plant.
I lost several flats of small Hoyas to the cold. My growing area has many different micro climates and some plants on the lower shelves of my plant racks simply got too cold after too many frigid nights. The good news is that the days are getting longer and other plants are perking up and sending out new vines, which indicates spring is right around the corner.
We got hit with some really cold nights. I just had total knee replacement so I'm depending on my hubby to take care of the greenhouse hoyas. He did have to add additional heat for about a week. I haven't even been in the greenhouse since my surgery on 1-11, I can't wait until I can go in and sit. I had some hoyas hanging in the orange trees; he took those and hung them under the gazebo, I think they're doing okay.
Blessings,
Awanda
Thanks, Mel....they are all loving the longer days and blooming is becoming 'the thing to do'.....YAY
I think this winter has been weird for many of us in the continental U.S. It's warmed up here some but we've still had a couple of nights at 39ºF and days in the low 60's ... sprinkled in with a few days in the upper 70's and one at 81 ... very weird! I think another cold front is supposed to come through, I just hope we don't have another freeze!
Awanda: Hope you recuperate quickly from your knee replacement surgery. My youngest sister who is only 53 yrs old just had her second knee replacement the week after Thanksgiving and she is back walking, driving etc. She had the first knee done a year ago and that one was a fast recuperation as well. She is young and plays tennis year round and blown out both knees a long time ago and doc's have told her she needed new knees but they wouldn't operate because she was only in her 40's?!?! She is so glad to have new knees now, for playing tennis!
Heal up quick Awanda!! I bet sitting in your gh will speed up the healing process too.
We just had a few days in the 50s here (January thaw) but tonight it is super windy and snow is drifting. We will be down to single digits tonight and tomorrow night, with windchill, down to 22 below!
Oh my goodness ... I can't even imagine what minus 22º must feel like! Brrrr ... I'd have to hibernate for sure! We went to Denver about twelve years ago at Thanksgiving, and what a shock that was to these Floridians ... it was 7 below when we got off the plane! I had never been in below zero temp's before or anywhere near zero! That's the only time I've ever seen a snow plow ... after we picked up our rental SUV we were heading down the highway to find the motel and I got to see them plowing the roads.
Ha, ha!! That is so funny! Makes me chuckle! Yeh, 22 below means you zip up, wear a hat and gloves before you even think about opening the door and you heat up the car for a while (make those seats heat up right away!!) Funny things happen to machines and pipes. They don't wanna work at all. You pray for snow cover in the garden before it gets this cold (for insulation). I'm wishing I sprayed Wilt Pruf on my rhodies last week. Sigh! No way I'll do it tonight!
LOL, my husbands oldest living brother lives in upstate N.Y. and I remember a few years ago him saying something about warming up their car before they go out in the winter time and I stated, Yeah, but I wouldn't want to have to run out to start it to get it warming up ... he told me about the new remote control gadget that apparently comes in really handy in northern winters! ^_^
I've just heard about that wilt proof stuff this year and thought I wouldn't want to try it (older and not so trusting here) Well, someone on the Fla. gardening forum talked about using it with the horrid winter we've had down here and she posted a side by side pic of plants that had the Wilt-Pruf and one that didn't get it ... sure made me a believer! I'm going to have a supply of that stuff on hand next year, just in case!
I've only used it a few winters but last year I didn't and I had to cut a large ancient rhodie way down. I'm waiting for a hoya bloom......
Got home tonight and went on my usual inspection (was away for only one week this time). There's been a lot of rain, but the "Los Banos" filled its corner of the garden with a strong fragrance. Same plant but different peduncle to the photo above:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=7484289
The only other bloom coming up is the "Kapit Borneo", probably in a day or two. Surprised the buds are still intact though, after all the heavy rain. Previously any rain would knock off the buds before they opened. Maybe the plant has toughened itself up a little after realising the rain's not going to stop any time soon.
That is just such a great photo of that beautiful bloom! How long does your rainy season last? We could use a little here in my area.
I have to plant more of that (cumingiana/densifolia/golam...?) around my gardens...it smells so incredibly!!!
Brevialata is open.
Nice!!!
Oh boojum, that is really, really nice!
Boojum...you caught it just in time!!!!!
Lin, while I was answering you question lightning during a severe storm this morning took our power out for about 5 hours. The rainy season officially starts in October (what we call the Build-up) and finishes April. It's possible, like this season, to get rain in September, but not usual. There's usually one storm, 20 - 25mm rain, early May. The highest monthly rainfall I've recorded at my place was an April when a late cyclone came through. So far this month I've got 101.5% over my January average rainfall. One day to go. I'd send you some, except the envelope might get a bit too soggy ;O)
Carol, sort of like my idea with the australis rupicola. (Just put the last major finishing touches on it this morning.) Next is something similar with the Queensland one, australis tenuipes. Might even throw in the "Los Banos" with that one. I wonder what a blend of those two fragrances would be like?
Boojum, fantastic picture of Brevialata!
Doug
Thanks, Doug. And everyone. What is special about it? I was surprised by the response.
Boojum...look at your picture and look at the actual flowers today. Is there a difference?
boo: It's a crisp, clear photo of those beautiful little flowers.
Ah, the petals are rounder today, more reflexed. I get it about the timing-they were wide open but not reflexed. I often don't see the blooms let alone photograph them till a few flowers have gone by. Okay, I get it.
Here's the after pic.
Oh, boojum, I love brevialata's flowers before they reflex! One umbel on mine opened yesterday - hoping I catch one of the others before fully opening!
Great photo!
Kelly