Tropical Plants and Gardens #118

Hey all! Just back from a week's sailing in the BVI's, and looks like this thread took a break while I was away, too! Best part of vacation for me is coming home to see all the changes in the garden!

Paula, keep me in mind if you have any begonias you're looking to get rid of? I have white and pink Brugs already well rooted, and cannas to trade! btw, my walking iris do great in the sun here. Are they not hardy for you?

You might have to go sell your ponytail palms at the local swap meet - won't they be awfully expensive to ship with their big, heavy bulbous bases?

Nun's orchids, agapanthus, daylilies, amaryllis 'Bogota'.

Awww Elaine, don't tell us of your wonderful adventures and make us jealous!!! LOL That sounds like so much fun!! Were you on the sailboat the whole time??

Hubby and I are going to the Dominican Rebublic in three or four weeks. Our company sends our best clients on a vacation every year and someone has to go ahead of time and 'approve' of the destination and available entertainment, so my hubby and I are going this year. Not to wild about the DR but at least its tropical and they have been before except to a different resort and they really enjoyed it.

Elaine, I promised to root you some begonias at one time, haven't forgotten. I have several rooted now, but have several more I want to root. They all took a hard hit this past year from all the neglect with me building the house. If you can give me a list of the ones you already have. Not all of mine are labeled but I have some really nice ones, mostly canes. Is that what you want?? Your are probably right about the ponytail palms, but they may fit in the large flat rate box.

I can't wait to get back home and get to work, but still on spring break. I am going back home today to check on all my animals and water my plants then will come back late tomorrow. Its only an hour drive. Hopefully I can post some pictures and get a list of my plants I have to offer.

Paula, yes, we were on the boat all but the first night. Stayed over in St. Thomas then took the ferry to Tortola and got on the boat for the rest of the week. It's a nice big, comfy 50ft. Beneteau with a/c and all the mod cons. We cruised around for half the week then raced the last 3 days so coming home is for a rest now! Lots of fun, too much sun & partying. Not enough time to scope out the gardens on shore, though.

I am having good success with all kinds of the cane begonias. Will d-mail you the list of what I have. But I'll take anything you've got lots of. I especially love the ones with the dotted and patterned leaves.

Big fat calla lily blooming in the pool cage. I can't get a good picture of it until almost dark, it's so white! A bunch of my orchids popped up with spikes while I was away too, so more flowers to come. Just shows I need to go away more often, right?

Debra, Stargazer x pod 2 had a nice pink bloom last night (we got home after midnight) that is now done, will have another flower tomorrow for a picture! Do you need a Monster White?

Now, I know you are all outside dealing with your rampant spring fever. I am stuck indoors today as we had heavy rain last night(YaY!) and everything is sodden. So here I am, gardening online again.

Passionvine on the back fence has loads of blooms and fruit! The one that climbed up into the bamboo stand (P. quadrangularis) has a flower but it is 20ft. up there, and waving around in the breeze so I can't get a picture of it.

Begonias going nuts, too. I must get to potting them up for the summer, very soon! Cooler weather next week, thank goodness, and DH is away too. Fun times for gardening!

Oh, come on, Elaine - we want to see a picture of P. quadrangularis!!!

yeal, so go up there and get us a pic!

Too late, the bloom's over already. I'll use my binoculars to keep an eye on the top of the vine.

Is that a gold Easter cactus? Very cool. Looks like it should be on a piece of jewellry.

We were just kidding!

I'm not I want to see that bloom.....;-)....:-).....;-),,,,,,,

Mm, hmm. Me too. As I said, it's going to take binoculars. DH is going to build a little bamboo pergola for the plant, then I can cut it back so it doesn't keep going up.

I briefly considered writing a posting with a picture of a person on crutches with a cast . . . "oh well, I fell off the ladder trying to photograph that darn flower . . . " Just for entertainment, of course.

This is where I was when that flower opened.



This message was edited Apr 6, 2012 10:33 PM

Elaine....................................... I think I could be forced into that! I believe you might have to twist my arm though! ; ^ )

Martha, shame on you - trying to guilt poor Elaine into climbing a tree to photograph a flower! LOL

This is a bloom from one of my Passifloras last year:

We have had sailboats over the years but they were noooooowhere near that big. Just beautiful. I would pass on seeing a flower for that ride too.

Amaryllis Nymph is having agood year.

Elaine, I am glad I listened to you, the purple odontonema still has color, I was ready to deep six that one. What should I do with it now? Do you ever cut it back?

Drew, LOVE the kitty picture.

This message was edited Apr 7, 2012 8:00 AM

Alice, I am a beginner with it, too. Got it as a cutting from Rita last spring. It was slow to get going, but when it started to bloom (December?) it's just kept on and on. We need to ask Rita how big it gets and what she does with it. All I have done so far is plant it, fertilize it, and just last week I took the first flower head off.

My Abutilons that I started from seed are blooming already!

Rita, where are you? How about it, can we whack these plants back in the spring?

This is an oopsy, I generally toss old rootballs from dead plants into the woods behind my potting bench, they take too long to decompose in the compost bin. Today I noticed some color back there and found I have a Vera Purple Bougainvillea growing happily on its own back there. I used a telephoto setting on the camera to get the photo, it is way too deep in the brush for me to get close enough to get it out. I had no idea that plant was still alive. I remember when I tossed it and it was in the spring of last year so it has been back there about a year but I never saw any flowers before.

Good work with those abutilons, I never thought about growing them from seed.

Alice,(Richard follows me like a dog) thanks and I am glad you found the flower in the pile as I found my Monstera deliciosa the same way, but, it had been 5 yrs.!

Great pictures everyone! Back to reality here in the Carolinas! 80's and 60's to 60's and 40's!!! It was fun while it lasted!

Richard - love the name too. LOL My son has a cat named Brian and he acts like a dog too.

LOL

Elaine

great looking boat and the water looked perfect for sailing.

Jan

Hey Jan, long time no see! How's your garden?

Drew, gorgeous plants and cats as always. Wish my cat would follow me, and get in the pictures. She avoids me when I'm outside, and assumes an indelicate position if I point the camera at her.

Squirrel's tail blooming away, and these nice little cupheas came from HD. Bargain Phal from IKEA has bloomed almost non-stop since Labor Day!

Alice, did you look at the comments here in Plant Files? http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/62195

The first comment says his got 8ft. tall and 10ft. wide in one season! I'd think you could cut it back with no fear. Either that or make way for it to get huge!

Alice, stick those cuttings and trade them for other goodies - my present from a wonderful Tropicals forum member has just started growing again. It bloomed in Feb. for me.

I did stick the cuttings I saved from the red one and got about 30 young plants. I brought them to a propagation class I was teaching and used them for show and tell and gave everyone something to take home.

BTW, Happy Birthday - http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1251244/

Happy Birthday to youuuuu Happy Birthday to youuuu HaPPY Birthday to KayJOnes, Happy Birthday to you!!!!!!
I love you , sister!

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate, and Happy Gardening to those who don't


I love all your gardens and poictures, and hope to meet you all some day.
See you soon, KayJones! And Rita... and Tropicman, and Lazlo... and.. LO Anyone else live within 150 miles of my destinated beautiful vacation adventure?
My sis in laws orchids are in full bloom this year, after feeding it three ice cubes a week all winter long..

Ice cubes?????

Oh, you guys are so sweet to send those good wishes - THANK YOU! I am a BLESSED 62 years old, today!

Alice, there is an Orchid (Phal.) that is sold as the 'Ice Cube Orchid'. I think it's meant for those who've never grown them successfully, due to over or under-watering, so the three ice cubes seem to take care of those issues. I have a few of them in bloom right now, too - they are really pretty Phals, albeit small blooms.

Thanks youngster, ice cubes, who knew......

Youngster - ME? Ha, you don't see me after I've chased the Grandsons all day and worked in the yard all day - I feel NINETY on those days! LOL, but like a Timex watch, I keep on going and going and going!

Debra and Sherry are coming in May, for a few days - I am going to WEAR them out!

I can't wait!
anyway, I have the tropicals out front, all that is left to take out is the crazy gone wild calico pipe vine, the huge passions ( three crosses in the same tub,) the blsack eyed susan vine, and a few of the cerus cactus. Boy, have we been busy, even after a full blown easter dinner with the kids and Paula over..
I am tired.. I think..
I have two of these in the back alley wilderness area.. any clues?

Deb, it LOOKS like a weed that grows around here, but don't pull it out until it blooms - it might not be a weed.

Everybody's out gardening again, geez! No posts here for 4 days? Don't you guys ever sit down (at a computer) ?

Finally summoned up the nerve to haul Passiflora quadrangularis down out of the bamboo stand. It now has a little bamboo pergola to ramble on, and the flowers are within camera range! Here's the flower, and it's about 3 times the size of my regular passion flowers.

My little white Geiger is in full bloom, too. Such pretty little crinkly flowers.

Wonderful Thunbergia that I got from Mj as a cutting last fall is taking off. I have a spot for it, but am hacking oak roots the size of my wrist out from under there so it can have half a chance. I want it to cover an old water oak stump that has been putting up suckers for nearly 4 years now. Will it ever give up?

beautiful passion flower! I have tried and tried to grow that one from seed, no luck.. waiting for tornadoes this weekend, they say we are in for a hit.. oh well.. at least i have lots of water from the rain we have had so far..

Debra, hope no nasty weather comes your way !! Head for the basement.

Elaine..That Thunbergia will cover your tree stump in no time at all.

Do you have problems with breakage on your Geiger from wind ? I've thought about getting one....

Hoya and Columnea gloriosa

The Geiger is still very small, and my yard is very protected so I'm probably not the one to ask about wind problems. That being said, there is a big one over at the Extension office that seems to survive everything and bloom nearly all the time. It was moved from the Florida House garden 5 years ago and has doubled in size since then. Can't be getting broken down in the wind, I'd venture.

Went to Selby again on Thursday and saw many more wonders: an odd Thunbergia with panicles that hung down from a pergola, Anthurium luxurans I'm sure Drew will like, a brom with elegant red flowers, another columnea? and some sweet little red flowers on a plant with gorgeous leaves, too.

This message was edited Apr 14, 2012 8:06 PM

Elaine, I wish you had snitched me some cuttings of the Thumbergia mysorensis (1st picture)! Deb got me a small start for my birthday last year, but it died - it was just too small to survive the shipping. I SO want this vine!!!

I have it but have not had luck with it. I've had it about 3 years and it hasn't bloomed yet. I'm going to try to 'baby' it this year and see what happens.

Elaine, love the picture of the anthurium. I need to make the trip down there.

We all need to make a trip down there.

Elaine, I think the last photo with the red flowers is an episcia, don't know which one tho. They are fun, easy, bright and in the same family as achimenes.

Alice, it looks like it could be Episcia kuparilehti - VERY pretty!

The docents in the greenhouse at Selby are fierce guardians of their plants, Kay. I'll have to find another one to snitch a cutting from. It really is an amazing thing! You can bet if it's thriving in that greenhouse, it's getting perfectly controlled temps and deluxe TLC.