dale, i love all those palms especially the bismark!
thanks ardesia, they are nice. they look like little bonsai.
Tropical Plants and Gardens #118
My pleasure.
Paula, which flower show?
First amaryllis to bloom for me turned out to be the butterflies, I need to find a better location for them, they do not show up in this spot.
Oops, those are not the butterflies but the Cybister Lima.
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This message was edited Mar 4, 2012 9:58 AM
The Begonia Fragrance Experiment has yielded results - the flowers close at night and are not fragrant. They open in the morning and release their scent! Who knew?
It's windy here and cooling off, but we did not get a drop of rain! =-(
My rain gauge goes to 5 1/2" and it was overflowing this morning. Looks like we are finally going to dry off but it sure got cold today, it is damp and windy too. I am going to go out and pick some begonia flowers and see what they do inside here.
good grief, that is a lot of rain. I want to do some of those pots, but can't even begin to think about 94 lb bags of anything..
We've been picking up potted plants that were strewn/blown about and knocked over this morning.
Storm blew thru and dropped 1 1/4 in of rain is about 40 minutes...well that was what was in the rain guage...it rained so hard sideways my entire front porch was wet clear to the door, and it blew water up under one of the rollup barn doors.
Letting everything dry out, so I can put some things back in the greenhouse for a few days. Don't have to move everything tho...Thank Goodness !!
Elaine, The Beg. odorata you sent me is growing I'm looking forward to blooms on it !! Cool about the fragrance, I'll have to keep that one up closer to the front of the bed.
Alice,
It was the Amelia Island Plant show...Fernandina Beach, FL...,,I think this is the 3rd or 4th year they have it....very nice.
Second round of clerodendrons in the back yard just opened yesterday, in time for the cold weather tonight . . c'est la vie.
I keep trying to get a better picture of that purple firespike. The inflorescences just get bigger and bigger on it. These are over a foot long from where the leaves end, and there are new spikes branching and flowers opening. This has been going on for a couple of months, I'm sure.
Mj, I think it probably was Alice that sent you the B. odorata Alba, because she sent me a start, too. It's just barely to the point where I could take a cutting off it now. Mine's wanting to sprawl rather than stand up, so I'm thinking it's going in a hanging basket. Maybe I can hang it so the flowers are right at nose level!
I just bought Hibiscus 'Creole Lady', in a 2-gallon pot, from Lowe's - only $20!!!! I am SO EXCITED - it's STUNNING!!!
http://www.logees.com/Hibiscus-Creole-Lady/productinfo/R1719-4/
Great find Kay.
Yeah Kay....Your better with the Hib's than I am. Here they either have to be in shade, or full blazing sun where they cook and get dehyrated.....not alot of options to keep those lovelies happy. I know you'll be happy with it.
Fantastic pictures everyone!
ardesia, after viewing your lovely amaryllis, I had to go check on mine, planted in the ground. I thought that they were all goners after the garden flooded but I found a few showing a little green.
candela, the begonias you sent me several years are still alive, but have never bloomed. I dug it up and repotted them in better soil, wishing that it would soon look like the one in your picture. I love your Orchids, what a collection !
dyzzy, if you ever decide that you woud like a start of the other colors of the firespike lmk, I am a big fan, as sometimes they are the only plants that start blooming in the fall and continue through winter in my hoop houses.
I found a few plants starting to bloom!
1. Clerodendrum ugandense (rj)
2. Red Plumbago
3.Ruellia colorata (wild petunia)
4.flower from Rachel
5 VooDoo magic.
mjsponies, I hope everything is back to normal after the storm, on the plus side your rain barrels must be full.
GAgirl1066, lets see what you bought at the show! I sure wish that I could have been there.
joeswife,I promise to include a squirrel's tail plant in your pakage.
Kay Jones, great find! I hope that they come to a Lowe's in my area.
A few more Philo that are making a comeback, which pleases me immensely!
1.Philo Martianum
2.Variegated Giganteum
3. Philo billietiae.
I hope to see some cajun hibiscus around here, but so far all the ones I have had ( and lost) have been from mail order,altho they did last three years.
Your hoop house is amazing Rita. Thank you for thinking of me.
My blue butterfly clero has been blooming here. finally. first year to bloom and it has been in winter. My firespike is so tall and leggy, I feel like I should cut it back before going outside. what s your opinions?
this philo is in it's original tiny pot. should I leave it there? It is so big now.
Second pic is the firespike.
third pic is the calico pipe vine from martha.. gonna be hard to take these down to take outside, son came over today to bring me a table with folding shelves on roller with a bottom shelf ( he moves people and businesses and got this on a hospital move) anyway, he is trying to convince me to leave all this stuff in all summer.
4th pic is Maya, she is happy.
5th pic is of a morning glory, there are many glorys blooming right now..
does anyone know the name of this plant? I swear it was a tiny inch tall cutting tip sent to me in the mail last winter. now look at it.
This glory is from plantladylin, it is a weed where she was at when she sent the seeds to me.
daturas are all still blooming for me , too.I turned my head away and came down and found these dormant cannas had grown three feet.
should I take these to my office ? ( last pic..)
Fabulous pics, as always Rita. You've sent me so many gorgeous things, I still haven't found the right spot in the garden for a lot of them. Still remember a start of the dwarf water lily 'Dauben' for you but our pond has had a leak and we've been working on that for, let's see, well over a week now. So I haven't gotten around to the clean-up and dividing the plants yet. Still trying to start a cutting of my clerodendron for Kay, too. I think it needs the weather to be warmer to root.
Hibiscus, oh yeah. Voodoo Lady and Creole Magic are just amazing. Mj, I'm with you, can't make them grow to save my life. Yet I have a huge old double red outside the fence that does well, blooms constantly and never gets in bug trouble as long as I leave it alone. It's in full sun in the morning, and shade later.
Deb, your basement must be just a little paradise, there! The MGs and Datura are wonderful. I still have seeds for the Datura that I haven't started yet - too many brugs I don't know what to do with! (can't really have too many)
Maya looks beautiful - such a nice shape! D'you want a start of Charles Grimaldi? If I take a cutting soon, it will have good roots in a couple of weeks. He is sort of an odd shape right now so could use a little pruning . . .
My big Monster White is in the ground in place of the old pink NoID I had, and it's just full of blooms! Sure smells good out there at night! Could wish it would warm up enough to sleep with the windows open, so I can smell it all night. Its many offspring are ready to go to new homes if anybody wants one yet?
Stardancer x pod2 is 2ft. and shooting up, and I am going to have to pot up Damien, Indica(??) and Frosty this week.
Elaine,
I think I have already asked for a monster white, if not I would like one. I still have some things to send to you. I moved all my brugs to a storage building at the new house the last cold spell we had. NEVER thought they would have much damage. Toasted them all, I could not believe it, they are all mush. I hope they will come back, but I am not very hopeful. Also lost several other things also, one being my giant Queen Emma Crinium. I cried when I seen it, but it should come back.
Debra, your plant looks like Alternanthera 'party time', but some of the leaves are big and roundish.
I'll post all the plants I bought in a little while...got to get baby girl ready for school...she wants me to curl her hair this morning.
OK I'm back...she's getting ready.....
bought 5 of these...they were so pretty couldn't pass them up Varge. hydrangea
#2Boston fern - 'tiger'
#3 Pentas - to plant around the pool - one of my fav annuals
and lantana
More in a sec - gotta go curl
Next is 3 diff begonias, orange marmalade, aspidistra milky way, coleus, and a celosia
#2 - purple ichroma
#3 - flax lily and plumbago
#4 - heliotrope, New Zealand rose, Crucifix orchid
Next is Honycomb buddleja
#2 markdowns at lowes - 3 different cupheas, fushia, 2 gerbera daisys, 2 betilla orchids.
#3 from tropiflora - Anthur. plowmanii 'grande' and Anthur. 'red birds nest'
#4 - 12 diff little succelents, varg. crown of thorns, hybrid COT, two hoyas, and varg. string of hearts - from bob smoley
More later
Ohhh, I want that variegated C of T - BEAUTIFUL!
Paula, you have been on a roll. We all need to go shopping with you.
We made out OK with the low temps, 48 yesterday and 46 this morning, all the plants are fine. They did get blown around in the storm the other day but all's well now. Whew, let's hope this is the last of the cold weather.
Elaine, I am going to have to wait to sniff the begonias, we had sustained 30 knot winds for about 10 hours which blew all the flowers off my begonias. New buds are setting now though, soon.......
Hi everyone! I'm a long-time gardener but a new member of the forum. I have lots of questions but I'll just say "hi" for now. All of your photos and gardens are lovely! Can't wait to talk!
Why do I always find out about garden shows a day after they happen? I have the Amelia Island Garden Show on my calendar for next year. Here is the link if anyone needs it: http://ameliagarden.com/
Carol in Jacksonville
Hi Carol....welcome...we are almost neighbors!! If you don't know, there is a orchid show in Jax March 17 & 18. I hope I can go....I went for 3 or 4 years in a row and haven't been in 3 or 4 years now, but want to go this year. Maybe I'll see you there, its really worth going!! You will love the Amelia plant show....lots to buy!! There is also one in St. Augustine usually in April. I've got to check on that one....its a good one also...didn't get to go last year.
I'll try to post my other finds after lunch...about to make chicken salad and then I'm going to ride my new horse...such a beautiful day!!!
Welcome Carol, my son and his family live in St, Johns. You have some great nurseries down there.
WooHoo, I am going to try and make the St. Augustine show, it all depends on how busy the kids and grands are that weekend. They stay so tied up with activities there is little time for grandma and grandpa these days.
Here is a link. http://www.epiccommunityservices.org/Expo%20press%20release%20-%202.23.12.pdf
St. Augustine has some wonderful nurseries too.
It's nice to meet you, Carol. We have many wonderful gardeners here, so come on in and sit a spell!
Thanks Alice, let me know if you go, would love to meet you. Maybe we could trade some plants. I have lots to share. Oh BTW, if I didn't tell you I got the water lily and Thank you!!
**********************************************************************************WELCOME MY NEW NEIGHBOR CAROL*********************************************************************************************
Hi Carol! I look forward to seeing your gardens..
I moved some of the EE's out of the brug room and put them in the middle of the main room to get real sun ..
I had forgotten I planted a bunch of bulbs and they were popping up, so I put them where the EE's were
I have a tulip!
and there is a bud about to open on the calico pipe vine..
I left boa and the other smaller EE's up on the top shelf in Charlies room..
Hey Deb,
The EE's are ready for some sun! They are looking great!
Paula, is that Anthurium cubense? they are jamming also!
Elaine, everyone is going to come and "smell your yard" as it's like incense I imagine...
Rita, the recovery is coming along nicely on the Philos.
Kay, what a beautiful Hibiscus; Says it will get 2-4'. You will have it to 5'!
Great growing everyone... Have I mentioned I would like to see Spring around here!!!!!!!!
Drew, I think DEBRA is the amazing grower on this thread!!!!! Everyone's flowers are so beautiful - thank you for sharing the pictures with all of us!
Hey, all you Aroid-o-philes, please advise? I have these two pretty little Philo. Gloriosums that are putting on new leaves and busting out of their little 4in. pots. My plan is to pot them up together and sink the pot in the shady border area along the east side of the house, under the huge oak tree.
So they obviously want to crawl along the top of the soil, right? Should I pot them up in a rectangular pot like a window-box so they'll have room to crawl, or should I give them something like a burlap totem already, to climb?
Potting medium? Can I go big on the new pot, or must I gradually increase the pot size?
It's a runner Elaine! I would pot up gradually! I would use a Light Mix type of potting soil. 25% perlite 50% Good potting mix and 25% medium Orchid mix. Sure would be nice to let it run along that wall in the ground.With that eastern exposure in the summer and winter it would go nuts! Course, you would have to cover when need be in the winter. You guys get many freezes in the winter?
Thanks, Drew. I'd totally put it in the ground if it didn't have to compete with the oak tree roots. What do you think? Will it stay on top enough that I can get it enough nutrients to thrive? I'm guessing it's the type of plant that would naturally grow under a tree canopy, right?
We very rarely get a real 'freeze' and did not have any temps below 35 this winter - no frost, even. Also my garden is very protected from wind, and I have miles of frost cloth. The place looks like a tent city if the temp is forecast to fall below 40. I'm well prepared to protect it as needed.
Maybe I'll hedge my bet, pot one and put the other in the ground and see what happens. Stay tuned!
Go for it Elaine! Work some peat moss and cow manure and some compost in the soil along that wall a few inches down. I think it would grow well!
Always good to hedge the bets!
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Elaine, do you do any volunteering at Selby ( good for MG hours), I would love to know how they keep their tree roots from interfering with plants such as these P. speciosums, they had many, many big ones.
They are gorgeous, aren't they! Maybe they rotate them out with some that they nurture in the greenhouse? Or maybe they really do get enough nutrients under the tree canopy. The plantings do change there very regularly.
I'd love to volunteer at Selby but Extension won't credit us with MG hours for volunteering there, unfortunately. I think it's because it's a privately funded and managed facility.
Oh right, I forgot that is a private garden. Bummer.
Has anyone ever used Dynamite timed release Orchid and Bromeliad fertrilizer? I recently contacted the manufacturer about getting some of their citrus fertilizer and they mentioned the other formulas they carry. I bought some for the broms and am looking forward to trying it.
Alice, what type Philos were those?