Hi James, How are feeling today?
Tropical Garden #91 - February 2011
We had 39 but the humidity makes it feel so much colder. I too am so sick of this winter. Supposedly our temps will go into the 60's this week but that is still 10 degrees cooler than normal for us. Bah humbug. This year was a real wake up call for me, I need to put the brakes on buying more tropicals, it is just not worth it since I don't have a good place to keep them over the winter. I have seen a few paperwhites blooming in the neighborhood but that is all. The ocean water is so cold this year it is keeping the sea islands cooler than the mainland.
Yeah, the cold last night caught me off guard, too. Rushed out at 11:30 in my jammies to cover my eggplants and tomatoes. All have fruit and blossoms and had just given up their cold pouting. Luckily the breeze kept up during the night so it didn't go as low as the weatherman thought it would.
This week . . . ahh. Supposed to reach 80 by next weekend. Thank goodness. Anxious to plant, and have some produce ripen up.
I'll try some more Thunbergias from seed, soak and nick them. Thanks! Big ugly stump with a metal fence post embedded in it so they won't grind it out for me - it's getting a Black-eyed Susan disguise for next summer! GAgirl those "Spanish Eyes" are the ones I tried to get going - love the soft colors!
mjs, How sad hope they come back for you. These weather patterns we have been having the last few years are really hurting you Floridians.
I was wondering does anyone have Sky Blue Vine seeds that you could send me. I don't have much to trade for them but will send postage.
Holly, do you mean Thunbergia grandiflora ? If so I've grown it for several years and have never seen seed for it and I've not ever seen offered for sale anywhere. I could send you a cutting later in the summer if you remind me.
Yes, I believe that is it. We saw these at Washington Oaks in Fl. and I just love them I was thinking they would grow from seed. I would love a cutting if you can root one for me.
Holly,
just remind me in later spring/early summer. They are froze to the ground right now, and I didn't get any overwintered. They come back from the roots just fine here but it won't have enough growth for awhile, then I will have plenty ! lol
Yes I will. Thanks.
a little valentines wish for all of us who are tired of these weird temps ..
James, I bet these look familiar to you.. hope you get well soon..
And a little Oxalis bloom for Rita..
Sorry Mj that you are still getting that white yukky stuff, ours is melting nicely now.. Here is the A gigantica I got from you.. it has a nice heart leaf just for you..
Debra,
I love that first MG pic ! I've got. I've got 20 different ones started or going, including the caudex's. I've picked out at least another ohhhhhhh 50 or so I want to start too. I'm doing them in "waves"..
So glad to see. A. gigantica doing so well, and your getting a jump start for spring. It goes to the tree tops here.
Well, the Weather "Guessers" say we are warming up. Hurump, we'll see ..........
Well... Happy Day to all my Valentines..
not much for flowers here now.. but I saw an interesting one...while getting my hair cut back some..
my first thought was artifical as I couldn't identify it.. but then I saw it was real...and an orchid..
unusual paterning of the color I guess confused me..
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, everyone!
Wow - a blue Orchid - never heard of this one before!!!
Happy Valentines Everyone!!
Thought I would share my latest finds. HD had just gotten these in yesterday! I wanted all of them.
Looked for this one for a while...as you can see I bought both of the ones they had.
lithops...probably should have bought them, but they are so cute!
I know these aren't really tropical..
thought this one was different..
another I have been looking for - firesticks
others
and some haworthia
GAgirl, I love succlents and have been collecting some myself. I just checked out our HD & Lowes the other day but they didn't have any yet. Last year I got some nice plants from them.
Those look tropical to me since I have never sen half of those in my whole life. LOL
I love them all. Good Job!
It's been awhile since we've heard from Rita....I hope she is ok.
Good morning everyone!! It is a beautiful one here in Texas today.
I have totally enjoyed all the posts and pictures!! It is much better than any gardening magazine.
Welcome to all the new Tropical plant lovers to the thread!! I met Holly Anna when I first joined Dave's, she introduced me to the Lotus Lily. I have yet to find a blue flower.
Pencolagarden, get well soon.
Mjsponies, thanks for asking, I am OK. I have been very busy getting my hoop houses in shape after the (very) cold snap. I have more foliage on the ground than on the plants. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that most will come back from the roots and that I can get back to some serious showing off, come spring. lol.
Gordon's pic of that orchid really does look "too blue to be true" doesn't it? I found myself wondering if the grower maybe gave it plant food with dye or some other coloring in it. They do that with grocery store carnations and marguerites to make them that funny turquoise blue sometimes. I'd never waste an orchid blossom trying that . . . but Wow! Maybe it was a purple one they didn't like the color of, so tried the dye. In the flower world, that's like being abducted by aliens.
I was determined not to fall for orchids, but my daughter sent me a couple of Phaels last year for my birthday, and one is putting up two new scapes now. They're the only plants that I actually bring into the house in winter in, and out, and in again. Maybe this was the last of the cold?
Are those Arums with the pretty foliage in the pot beside that amaryllis, Rita? I've had some in my garden for 2 years that have not yet bloomed. My 'Bogota' amaryllis have each put up a flower scape - can't wait to see how they look.
RIta, I saw a true blue orchid in the rain forrest at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. It does not show that way in my photo but it was indeed blue. One of these days I am going to find a camera that records colors the way I see them.
Rita, I have never seen a blue lotus either but they call this one Blue Lotus of the nile but it really a tropical water lily.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/37041/
This is another tropical water lily, not a lotus, but it does show up blue in the sun.
Most blues I've seen in flowers in nature are slightly leaning towards lavender rather than turquoise. Exceptions are gentian which can be electric blue, (like that orchid) and of course those gorgeous Morning Glories.
I have a water lily that was supposed to be blue, too. "Dauben" is actually pale, almost white with brushings of lavender.
I should have another pic of that Orchid in the other computer I will post it when I can. They had some like it at the Rawlings Conservatory in Balti. A bit more than an hours drive from us.
The only turquoise flower I have ever seen is the Jade Vine which should grow in FL or in GH's. The pictures in PlantFiles do not do it justice but there are some good photos on Google images.
http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS343&q=Jade+Vine&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=qvZaTfnkLsP7lweQ9OGnDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CDMQsAQwAA&biw=1259&bih=587
Here is the pic I have a bit blurry there is one in the background as well. It is hard sometimes to really see the colors. Lighting can have some effect on what color you see many colors show different under florescent lights, house lights and sunshine. I will say that I remember this Orchid as more blue than purple.
Loving everyone's blooming beauties as well as the foliage plants. It's finally warming up down this way and we are expected to have mid to upper 70's the rest of this week and through next week! I am going to be out of town for at least a week. I leave on Saturday morning and haven't decided if I'm going to take my laptop with me or not ... so if ya don't see me around I'll pop back in when I get back home.
Debra: Love your beautiful Morning Glories ... so pretty! I have that same Oxalis, planted beneath a variegated Ficus and I just noticed this afternoon that it has buds. It never went totally dormant this winter as it has in past years.
GeorgiaGirl: It sure looks like you have a love for succulents! I really like those Haworthia, and the Euphorbia tirucalli Rosea ("Fire Sticks") is gorgeous! I can see why that one is called Fire Sticks. I had three very large solid green Euphorbia turicalli ("Pencil Tree") plants but they got frozen last winter. Two were planted in the ground and two others were in containers ... they froze to death in our many nights of low 20º temps!
I'm loving the Blue Orchids ... HollyAnn: Your's looks like a Vanda but I'm not sure about GordonHawk's. They sure are pretty. The only blue orchids I've ever seen are Vanda's and I've been thinking about trying one ever since someone here in Florida on another forum told me that Vanda's do really well in our sunshine! I guess they can take more sun than other types?
Rita: Love that photo showing the Lily's, are they the Stargazer's? And that flower in front looks like an Amaryllis I used to have. I noticed a couple of them popping up when I was walking around the yard a few days ago. I thought I had dug them all out and given them to my sister but must have missed a few, now I am curious as to which ones I have left.
This is a planter that a friend gave me recently. I couldn't decide what I wanted to put in it and ended up planting it with "Cape Daisy" (Osteospermum). I might end up changing it out in a few weeks.
Holly Ann, that orchid has the same sort of netted markings on the flowers as Gordon's bright blue one! Wonder if they are related?
Here's a link to an outfit that dyes orchids blue for sale for weddings etc. Hmmm
http://www.fiftyflowers.com/product/Blue-Orchids-Dendrobiums.htm
Pretty flowers, and I am still trying to get a lotus seed to germinate, been trying for 2 years.
Wow Thanks everyone I am doing better but still here I think maybe by the end of this week I may be able to go home but not sure yet....Thanks for all the pictures!!!
James
Debra,
I tried the lotus seed too with no luck. I finally gave up.
I just sowed seeds for Climbing Alstroemeria - Bomarea hirtella
http://www.strangewonderfulthings.com/172.htm
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/95835/
Keep your fingers crossed !
This message was edited Feb 16, 2011 6:54 AM
That is a beautiful plant, Not only are the flowers beautiful the seed pods are so interesting. Good Luck with your seeds.