New Bees 03/12/11 friends - new and old...Come on in...

had my fingers crossed for you nettie, but it is awesome Missy got 3 reds! Congratulate her for us and be sure she posts pics.

ld, if I may be so bold to ask .... what is RSD? I have my fair share of aches, pains and syndromes, but I agree that being out in the garden just makes everything better. That is until I stand up and try to walk. lol I even just love setting out by the pool in the shade and watching nature around me! Love the quiet except for the birdies songs.

Hi ID - Welcome to our crazy little corner of this web site. I just sent out my souvenir packs to everybody today, but didn't have your address in Dave's extras files. When you get a chance, add it in so us folks can send you goodies and swaps. In any case feel free to harp in on us on just about any subject or cause. Most of us have been here a while and 'bout heard it all.

Al

Love your pics Al .... so beautiful. The little tomato you sent me didn't make it. I guess the freeze got it too bad. If you have anymore, would you mind sending me a couple? TIA

Sorry about your tomato plant Crit, but I may have a few leftover seeds if you want to try again. I knew this was going to a certain risk right in the middle of winter. Anybody else having luck with the Tumbling Toms I sent out earlier?

Al

Al, my Tom is in a pot and has teeny tiny blossoms on it, so I'm hoping it will soon have teeny tiny maters on it;o) So far so good...

someone talk to me about ribbon grass i bought some at the garden show thought it would be good in flower arrangements but i don,t even know about planting it. need a little help nettie.

Put it out at the edge of your garden or yard cause it grows and spreads. Well it does here.
The roots will go under ground and spread and come up all around. I wouldn't consider it invasive but it can get out of hand if ya don't watch. Kinda like bamboo canes and yard cactus, or Trumpet vine, once it gets it's feet established, it hard to control in my area. Not sure in yours. But it is beautiful growing.

Boy is Mekos right. I see this stuff thrown away at the side of roads. I don't think I want any.

Look at the wisteria growing in the trees behind the Lady Banks rose.

Isn't that gorgeous!! I hope mine made it thru the winter! Reckon I'll know 'bout June? lol!

My Lady Banks is about to start blooming too. But mine don't climb like that. It is on a trellis. My wisteria is putting out buds everywhere too. Not sure if my red wisteria made it yet, it is not doing anything yet. S i g h .
Yours is nice Charleen, and when it is all bloomed out it will be breathtaking!

We have a freeze warning here tonight. Guess I better move my WS'ing boxes up closer to the house, have lots of sprouts. What causes damping off? I removed the tops from my jiffy seed trays and I'm losing a bunch of the seedlings. I raised the lids a little for several days before removing them.

rrm i need a start of your lady bankes rose the one i had died. several things bit the dust around here last year love nettie

AL, I just got the sweetest little box with the nicest things inside. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Not gonna mention what it is so not to spoil it for others but believe me, I love it! Hope you have a wonderful day! Thanks.

This is my new orchid.

mekos she didn.t give ne tue name for that orchtd it ic almost 3ft. tall never seen one that tall hope it does good for me.so i can shair with my friends. she had some big bloom orchids but they were very costy over my head. if you know wkat it is please tell me nettie.mekos jj said it is a nuns orchid jj/s english is not the best but if i could find my garden book could probly find it in there and maby not,

This message was edited Mar 26, 2011 8:41 PM

Mekos may know. Al, I got my little box too. If you was here I'd hug your neck. The little candle is heavenly I love the smell. Couldn't keep my head in the bag too long or I'd smother :-) Teasing, but I did love the smell. Love all the trinkets and the TI plant, stub. I will start scraping off the wax and I love the Rock. I love rocks. Necklace was nice too. I love everything, even the little box.
Thank you from
Charleen and That big red mule.
Hugs and nuzzles.

Just found out that someone in NY won the Mega Millions jackpot. Sure hope it was Al, teeheehee! Or at least someone from here! We don't have any of those games here in WY, but check the numbers for DM all the time, cuz she buys tickets once in a while. I think the jackpot was 300 million, or some such thing. Al, are you a millionaire now?
;-)

Nettie it is a Nun's Orchid, let me go see if I can find a link for you to see the name.

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=chr-yie8&va=nun+orchid+blooms
Here you go Nettie. The real name is Phaius Tankerville or Nun's Orchid. I have one but it has not bloomed for me yet.

Wow! Very pretty! Hope it does great for you Nettie cuz we want more pictures! Want to see yours in bloom too Jan!

I am just hoping mine survived the winter. It is in the greenhouse.

Al and DW, I got my box! Love, love, love it!!!! Love the shell necklace .... so pretty and dainty!!!! THRILLED to get the TI start. Isn't that the one you lay on top of the dirt and it puts roots down? Or am I thinking of something else? The little flower candle smells heavenly, and the piece of.... errrrr ... rock (teehee) is cool. Thanks so much for thinking of all of us while you were on vacation. That is very sweet and kind. I'd hug your neck if you were here. ^_^ I loved hearing all about it and seeing all your pictures. Wonderful trip, I'm glad you all got to take it!

I too received my lovely souvenir package today!! Thanks so much Al! I really enjoyed your trip and am grateful you and the DW brought us along for the ride;o) Interesting the Ti plant. Something new to try!

Sorry girls, I'm not quite a millionaire just yet, got a long ways to go. I think it might be fun to own a coffee plantation, though. I'd let you'all cook the pastries for me.

I think Mekos is an expert on Ti Plants, I'm kinda new at this. Some of my books say to soak them lengthwise in water until they root, others say to just lay flat in damp Jiffy type soil mix. I'm going to let Jan horn in on me for this one, I need a good answer.

Al

Yep, we are waiting for instruction...☺

thank you mekos im so bumed out its mostly stressed out , not about winning or not winning but just getting it done when we do extra we are helping other people win you have 4 arrangemenbts in every class and if one person who doesn,t do what they say they will do can get a whole class kicked out. they won,t even judge it.kinda sad but thats how it works. all the clasies must be full.. it has been a long three days. im glad it is over got a tree for the syock pond a bald cypruss bill would hurt me if he knew i had that tree. i hide it in the greenhouse. put it out first chance i get.love and hugs nettie. my word i almost got caught.

This message was edited Mar 26, 2011 10:59 PM

LOL @ nettie

Nettie you better watch out, Bill will catch you girl. ;0)
Hey I am no authority on anything you guys. But I have rooted them several times. I have done it 2 ways and also heard of the 3rd way but never did it that way. Well, you can scrape the wax off each end and stick it upright (Tall) into a glass of warm water half way up the log, or plant halfway down in damp potting soil. Both these ways work well and I have used them both ways. They root very easy so which ever you choose is good. That way you get 1 plant but will be bushy at top. Now if you lay it cross way in water or soil, it will root all the way across and you clip it into and make sections of it (after you got roots all the way across), and you end up with as many as you want to cut it into. Maybe 3? As long as each piece has roots it is ok to cut them apart. BUT it will be slower growing and not as bushy till it grows a lot. These are slow growing at first but in the late fall it will shoot up bloom spikes and bloom kinda like an orchid spike with tiny blooms all the way up the spikes.
Very cute in bloom but the foliage is awesome! The more sun they get the brighter the reds look. Mine are kept in the greenhouse and it is not heated but the lights keep it from freezing in there so mine will die back in January and then sprout out again in spring.In fact mine are sprouted out right now. If you keep them inside in warmth they will be beautiful all winter. I just don't have adequit light for mine to live inside. :0( So they have to start over fresh each year. But they are very easy to grow and care for. Since they are tropical, they cannot live outside here in winter.
Thanks to you again Al, it was very sweet of you to think of us and bring back such wonderful gifts! Hugs to you and DW.

Here is mine. I do not change the water every day, what I do is add back in warm water as it goes out. I keep it half way up the log. It will root just like Brug logs for those of you who root brugs in the fall/spring in water or soil. It all works the same way. They do best with warm bottoms.

my puter has been acting up i hate them when they act bad. its not in the mood for flower pictures then the key bord stoped working. good to see you all on here talking love nettie.

This message was edited Mar 28, 2011 12:18 AM

Thanks for the instructions Jan, you've been a great help. I think there are other plants that can be grown from stem cuttings like palms, crotons and such. We've grown willow bushes here in NY simply by rooting branches in water.

Al

That is true Al. Some plants do great in water and some just clip and stick in the dirt. See what does best for you and keep doing it. I think the most important thing is give light and keep the bottom warm while rooting. I did some blue Gingers last year laying them long ways in the soil and 5 out of 6 did great. I then gave all but 2 away after rooting them and my 2 are looking great. I did keep them inside the greenhouse for winter and they have put out nice. I'm hoping I will get blooms this year. They came from a friend in Hawaii along with several Ti logs.

im in trouble with the dh he said to go ahead and plant the tree. i like them they have the nice knees on them but that is all the water i have on the place so thats where it will have to go.i was told not to be sneaking around so i won,t ill just go out there to the pond and put the little thing in the water. as soon as it warms back up.its cold here now. going to get rain the next two days, if those cloths will get dry i can go to bed love you all nettie.

This message was edited Mar 28, 2011 12:46 AM

Now Nettie, you tell DH if he wants to eat your cooking again, just settle down! It's your home too and if you want a tree, it shouldn't bother him. Then give him a hug and smile and make him a nice dinner. WORKS EVERY TIME!
Good morning everyone. Still raining here. :0( I think I saw my boat in the driveway sailing away this morning! :-| Sigh....

Good morning friends;o) Thanks for the Ti log instructions mekos. Sounds easy enough. You can send some of your rain my way. We're expected to hit the mid 90s by the end of the week - ugh! It's too soon - lol.

I know Kelly. This is exactly how it began last year. Rain soaked everything till my banana trees rotted and so many other things that didn't need all the water, and then went straight from winter to Hot humid summer and we cooked! I really had a horrible time breathing last year outside so my grounds and gardens suffered badly. This time I put banana trees and gingers in greenhouse with Amorphs, and all the rest to protect from all the rain and just waiting till time to take them out and get into the ground before it gets too hot for me to go out. There is so much yard work that needs to be done some even left from last year that needs hauled off or burned. DH was just told they are going 6-7 days a week starting April and on till the end of the year. He won't be able to do much here outside. :-| Health wise, I can't do much. So another year .........................................................................................
Sure wish I could win the lottery! I'd hire a garden worker to make and keep this place gorgeous. Dreams, just dreams. Sigh. Sure was counting on it being Al winning that lottery, Al ya just popped my bubble!

YIKES! OH Nettie guess what? I just went to my greenhouse to check it out whilst it wasn't raining cats and dogs right now and my Nun's orchid has a bloom spike shot up and I can see purple showing in the buds! YE-HA!!!!!!! It's gonna bloom! HOT DAWG!!!

mekos you are going to love it, the lady i bought myne from said she only uses miracle grow potting mix on her non orchids and hers were beautifull she only had 2 left at the end of the show. myne already has 3or4 little ones on the bottom of it im excited about it and the little ground orchids have big blooms on them if we don;t get a late freeze the next 3or4 days i will have bloom so them. al i got a nice surprise today alittle shell neckles coffee and candle and lava rock yhank you best vacation ive ever had and din,t evenn have motion sickness wonderfull thanks al and wife i loved all of it and tie log almost forgot about it. love nettie have a good evening everyone. .

I put mine in miracle grow also Nettie, It was just a tiny sprout when I got it 2 years ago and I was hopeing for blooms last year but it just didn't do it, forgot about it till you mentioned yours and went to look and there she was. Smileing like a big girl! I brought that baby inside where I can keep an eye on her. She is still small but doing good. It suppose to frost tonight so I had to grab all my seedlings and freshly sowed seeds and take them into the greenhouse. Crazy mixed up weather! But my baby gonna be warm! Big smile ;-)

Al, I got my box today! I absolutely love it! Gonna get a ton of use out of the necklace, and the lava rock is on the fireplace mantle, and the candle I have on my desk, and pick it up and sniff often ;-) and have the Ti log soaking it water for a wonderful plant! Coffee is in the pot for in the morning! Yippee!! Love all of it and it was so kind and generous of you to send us souvenirs of your visit! Thanks so much for taking us all on your vacation to HI with you both! Love all the pictures!