Velvet Rose Brugmansia

Ken, that's as bad as here, it snowed all day yesterday, the school cancelled, my GD, loved it being able too stay home, I
sure hope your hoop house does alright for you
Metish, great idea, Yes lets all dwell on an early Spring, we deserve it
Debra, it's hard too say where that would be, since the south got slammed, I think it would be Naples, Florida, it's 24 degrees, this morning, but Thank goodness, the snow has stopped for awhile

Elizabeth

I don't know where we could go Debra, this Arctic front may push us all the way to Guadalajara. I have not checked the hoophouse yet, I will wait until tomorrow, don't want to open the door. It only got down to 23, so maybe the heaters kept up.

well we got 1/2 the storm they thought we'd get .. only about 8" On the roof I still had 16" from the 4' drifts from last storm. but the street in front has been plowed more n the last 30 minutes as it was all last storm... and bet they plowed 100 times since it started... they got such bad marks on the cleanup of the last storm.. they are out proving they aren't as incomptent as they were two weeks ago
public schools are open... they have only been closed 6 days since back in the '80's...
With the sun... the cool room is 2*F warmer than the 45* setting... now that the sun is up... outside temps are 25 *F now... I've a new humdfier for the house plants.. as relative humdity is 16% inside .. and I'm gettig alot of limb withering and die back..
Ken... well heating the hoop house with wood you're not likely taking a winter vacation very far from home...
up to the roof to charge up the bird feeders.. perhaps an addtional saucer of food also.. the doves are already massing.. and they don't do hangng feeders very well.. but are great for keepng underneath the feeders spotless..
OH... it's Hatian earth quake day... one year and the progress is amazing... almost nothing done..for housing... but we didn't do real well on our own gulf coast either... in that first year..

This message was edited Jan 12, 2011 9:48 AM

hi all,the snow has stopped here for now,we got 8"and its all of 3 degrees right now.weather won't be much better tomarrow.
had the test done today,they found and removed 5 polps.
won't know the results of those for about 3 to 5 days.
i hope i won't have to repeat that again.but doc said yes in 3 to 5 yrs. yuk,yuk.
hope everyone is fine and doing well.
retta

Oh Gordon, it is hard to believe that is your roof top Garden eh?

I supplied the mourning dove that has stayed back this winter with some raisins and millet... poor thing, it is an albino and doesn't sit on the feeders very well.
I have had a few limb withers, but figured it was from over watering.. I am really being stingy with the water now..
Gosh Retta, I am glad that is done for you already. Stay inside and stay warm, our high today was 13.
Elizabeth, I am trying mstishs idea... THINK SPRING real hard. ugh.

debra,don't worry,i intend to stay in and keep warm.it's 0 here now at 5am.
retta

Ken, I do hope you didn't get that snow, on the weather this moring, they said Texas had snow
Gordon, I feel for you also, as Debra said, that sure doesn't look like your Beautiful Garden, I also got a bunch of die back
on some of my Brug limbs, yesterday, I had too mix up some neem oil, the aphids were having a feast on my Leaves, I will check today, too see if they're dead, that really bugs me, it looks like saw dust on the Leaves
Retta, I am glad you got that over with, I thought 24 degrees was cold, stay warm Girl
Debra, I am thinking Spring, I had a Bud on Super Spot, I somehow knocked it off, so I brought it up, put it in front of the Kitchen window, hopefully I'll get another Bud

Elizabeth

thinking spring real hard,then i look out the window,yuk,yuk
spring,spring please
love to all
retta

Retta
just think, February is a short month, then that much closer too Spring & Brug Blooms
Where's Charlene?

Hugs
Elizabeth

Well, I found *mites* so.. off with their heads and out to the trash, and out came forbid , and we start all over..

Debra, Forbid is my #1 line of attack also but I have found that if switch back and forth with Forbid and Bayer, it really works better. I spray first with Forbid the Bayer in about 5 days and them Forbid again in another 5 days.

Good Morning everyone
Debra, I have aphids, I sprayed with neem oil, then checked the next day, they were still alive, so I took the leaves of the plants, then sprayed again, hopefully that took care of them, I like Forbid also, I found a couple Leaves that were curled
also, I took them off, just in case it's mites
Ken, good information Thank you

Elizabeth

I have both, so I will try a 30 day regime. I refuse to have growth that has mites. and I feel like getting new potting soil and re-doing that too. what a chore.

Elizabeth,try putting some dish soap in that neem oil bottle. soap really helped me on those last winter. I also bought a bunch of lady bugs. Can't do that this year, the forbid might kill them.

debra,trust me,nothing will kill lady bugs.they are just beatles.i know during the winter i have them in my house,and i have tried everything,all i do now is vacuum them up.i like the bugs,but out doors.
how they are getting in,i don't know.but i feel they have a nest behind my cupboards.and i'm not tearing those out.yet
retta

Ladybugs do not have nest, they lay single eggs where aphids are so their young have a food source.

well... the lady bugs have compleatly neglected laying their eggs near my aphids.. what's up
lots of posion... but they really leave/die. .. after an alcohol wipe with a Q-Tip.. no waitng around wondering if they have died

well i don't have aphids anywhere,so why the bugs?on the internet,says nothing will kill them.when they come back,i will try the alcohol treatment and see what happens.
retta

They are just looking for a place to keep warm. There are worse bug to be invaded by. There are lots of insecticides that will kill Ladybugs but I don't think I would like to be spraying them in my house.

3ast winter I had 1500 lady bugs in the basement garden, but none made it up the stairs. They munched on the aphids very nicely, and then hid out in the rocks in the pots. It seemed after I would spray or water with Bayers, they would die, a few at a time.

Last nite After the forbid, I dusted with a greenish powder that has pyrethins in it. I hope that thwarts what ever it is eating little holes in my leaves, I looked for small snails and slugs, no luck finding any yet.
This little Isabella tip is rooted, but It sure looks like mites on it as well. It is stuck in a lime zinger EE pot, so that maybe why I have mites. Those EEs seem to carry them I think.

Good Morning everyone
I sprayed neem oil, again, but first I took a paint brush too the leaves,I got so many aphids off the leaves, then I drown them
so hopefully the Neem oil will keep them from coming back, I took the other leaves that look like it had mites, off the plant
I brought my Miss B. Havin up from the basement put her in front of my window, she has some nice size leaves on her
with no aphids, I glad they don't bother her

Elizabeth

Gordon .... a friend of mine had accupunture, and she too swears by it. She has been trying to get me to go for a long time. I need to make an appointment, and if he takes our insurance that would be even better!!!

I am proud to announce I have no more webs on my Brugs. I first used Garden Safe Fugnicide3 by Shultz. It is a Fungicide, Insecticide and Miticide. I did that for a couple of days, then sprayed with a Glass Cleaner with Ammonia. No more dropped leaves or webs. I also turned on the ceiling fans and a table fan, plus the humidifier fan.

Debra, I lost 4 of the Brugs you sent me, they never took root. Could you save me some starts for the spring of Cupid's Blush, Cherub, Cassie's Curls and Milk 'n Honey? I also lost a Katrine Bell and Super Nova. Didn't mark who I got those from, but if anyone has starts of these, could I please get another start of them?

Hope everyone has a great day!

crit, no problem, I have lots more to share with you. As soon as Our zone temps stay below freezing, for at least a week, I would be glad to send you some rooted plants. Heck, we could just drive and meet up for them LOL.
Ken, I am coming to Texas, this July.. watch out! Hehe.. Where are you anyway down there/?
Elizabeth, I sure wish I could drive up to see you someday.. that would be grand. Well Heck, meeting all of you would be fantastic. Dee, Charlene, Retta.. All of you! Nice tmeps today all the snow is meltinng, more coming on wenesday. from 46 to minus 2 in three days, go figure.

Crit
that back problem is no fun, been there done that
Debra
it would be great too meet everyone in person, you'll have fun in Texas, I am glad you had nice temps, this morning it is 37 degrees, but raining, the snow is pridicted for tonight, Wednesday, & Thursday, so we'll just have too enjoy Spring in our basements
Where's Charlene & Dee? I really Miss them
Gordon, I am glad the Accupunture works for you
Ken, How's your weather this morning?
Elizabeth

Debra ..... I hope you meant 'above' freezing. lol Made me giggle, good way to wake up. :-))

yes,would love to meet you all to.
retta

Great Debra, bring a truck, I have plenty of shovels. July is always hot here but we will make the best of it. It is 49 this morning and is forecasted for another cool spell but nothing like the last one. I can deal with upper 20S at night as long as it warms up during the day, more like Texas weather.

Good Morning everyone
Lets do a count down too Spring, as of tommorrow, the 20th, it's 70 days till Spring, Ken I am sure it's less for you, yesterday it was 41 degrees here, but there's another cold front coming through with maybe 7 inches of snow
for Thursday, in the afternoon, Ken will you post your recipe for Brugs here? I think I have all the ingredients, I just don't
remember how much of each thing too add
Debra, it will be so nice too meet Ken & Maggi, I hope you do take a truck, you'll have too let us know, what all you get
Retta, good too see you

Elizabeth

Morning Elizabeth and company... I am not driving a truck LOL. Just to meet people is all I look forward to, and gain their knowledge on growing brugs. Mostly to see my little sisters face when she stands on a real beach. The snow is upposed to start here again tonight before I Leave work. YUK.

nice to see all of you as well,not much to say.snowed again last night,and more for tonite.
yes elizabeth,i'm counting the days to spring.i hope it holds true.
its 1 degree here right nowand its 10:30 am.
retta

I know you all missed me. My internet modem died and had to get it replaced. Same time as snow/ice storm swung thru. I was a whole week without my computer, It was awful, or it seems so.
but got it up and going yesterday, so I'm back all my friends. gordon you better be careful as also the rest of you. We finally got it all thawed but they are calling for more this weekend. I don't mind the rain, but the freezing is what I dread. Been a bad year in the ice department.
so glad to be back.
Charleen
Charley sends nuzzles to you all.
We had freezing rain snow then a topper of more sleet. So glad it is almost all gone.

yes... the last snow turned to rain.. and it's going to rain again today.. iabout 38*F and I'm down to my last foot of drifted snow on the roof.. hope t all leaves ..so if have to start over building some up... I'm at least starting from " 0 " .......
Good point Charleeen... if you want t to be working.... you need two of them..one ready to go..
[ a little warning to the greenhouse heaters ] and perhaps one that is powered by a different source..
beautiful Cardinal there .. I've a few that come visit the birdfeeder.. I have some over a skylight... it's like TV or an action movie for the cat's winter excitment.. Boy.. was it busy when the snows are covering the ground..
pctured..a friends place

It's beautiful Gordon. It is pretty here today.
We have several feeders out and lots of Cardinal. Mourning doves too. they do feed from the ground. they have such a sad call.

charleen,good to ave you back.missed you.a lovely cardinel,my favorite bird.
boy you did get an ice storm,we did to,but not that bad.more snow comin in tho.only 4 degrees here now.
i feel like we're in the ice age.i hate the winters,cold.yuk

beautiful pic gorden,lots of nice succulents.
retta

I don't like the ice either, Retta. Ready for winter to hobble on out.
Charleen

I made it home , yippee!! it is a long drive when it is raining ice ..snow is one hour away they are saying.
Lovely cardinal, Charleen, Glad you are back. Gorgeous Greenery, Gordon. I am glad you have birds up on your roof top Garden there.

Warm hugs your way Retta.... so cold for you there..
Elizabeth.. I am ready to start warming up.. how about you?

yes.. we.re looking at two feet of snow..

he he ^_^ he he

Good Morning everyone
Debra, glad you made it home safely
Charlene, we sure did miss you, Love the Cardinal, I sure hope you are done with the ice, we suppose too get 7 inches of snow today, the school has cancelled, so my GD will get too go shopping with me today
Retta, now that's cold, we are at 23 degrees now
Gordon, Love the photo, I had a catcus, just like yours, I donated it, too the conservatory, I loved it when it Bloomed, but the downside, I got poked when taking it in & out of the house, neat feet also
Think Spring, Think Spring, Think Spring, maybe that will help us

Elizabeth

hahaha,oh gordon that is funny.

elizabeth,yes it is cold and i sure hope you don't get the snow.
i've been thinking spring since thanksgiving,but rest assured,it will get here.
just not fast enough for us.
hugs to all
retta