Tropical Plants and Gardens #120

Alice, we have sailboats, so there's an infinite supply of rope around here. What I did was loop a long piece of rope 3 times around a big branch, so that the weight of the basket is distributed and not all on one rope, so hopefully they will not cut into the bark and injure the branch. Then I, or I should say "we" hooked the basket hook through the loop of rope hanging down. So far it looks good, but as I said, I don't know what I'll do if I ever have to move the thing. I'm sure it weighs 100lb when it's wet. B. odorata alba is contributing nicely, though. It's going to be The Monster Begonia by the end of the summer.

Unless I use that same branch again, I don't know what to do with the second basket. When I finally do find a spot to hang it, I'll fill it up after it is in place! Love to put fragrant things in them, then hang them right at nose level.

I have those same hanging baskets, as well as some self watering ones that are huge, put one in the middle of the arbor, it made it bow, so now they are all on the ground.. bleah.
KayJones, I forgot it was our anniversary when I was talking to you.. LOL I am getting old too, remember? I had to move all the tomatoe plants from the potato patch to the bean patch, since I was told you can't grow tomatoes in a potatoe patch.. something about virus.. I dunno, now the beanpatch is holding almost 35 plants of different varietys and has four bags of whatnot seeds and some baby transplanted plants growing in them. including the ipomoea sp karabeck from Zig, and the Ipomoea setosa, lav moon vine, alba moon vine, triple white, purple, yellow and a dark center datura collection. I also transplanted a couple snow in the mountains so this new flower...tomatoe patch will be fantastic to watch. now.. what to do with the red cedar mulched north potato patch now vacant?okra> ? Corn/? buy more flowers? LOL

Rita, if u see a prennial that I post that you would like to have, please holler up, since I am pulling so much out and throwing them in a "holding " box until someone raises their hand.

Debra - you know I love you, even if you have CRS disease!

If you can put some names to the above flowers, I'd like to know what these are: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10

Such a pretty show, Deb. I have a big clump of Monarda that Mj sent me a start of last fall. Beautiful, healthy foliage, not a flower or bud to be seen! Is there a secret formula? Maybe I'm watering them too much? But they wilt in the afternoons if I don't . . . arg.

Just potted up 4 Brugs, a Monster White, Damien, Frosty, and Insignia. Was joking about making a hedge out of them earlier in the spring, but they seem to have found their place with Stardancer x pod2 for the summer, all along the outside of the pool cage. When I get the other 3 Monster White babies into bigger pots, there sure enough will be a brug hedge all along there! It's gonna smell great if they all bloom at once!

Hello Everyone!!
Kay, the Duranta is in a regular 8" plastic nursery pot. The big steel pots were made in Mexico and purchased at Northaven Garden here in Dallas. I have to admit they are very heavy but I have a pully to get them up and down using steel cables.

Dyzzy, I love the color combo in your basket, I have a few sitting on stands from Wal-Mart, it's just a suggestion for your other basket if you are out of branches to hang it from.

ardesia, I have no other info on the duranta,If it blooms like that for the rest of the season it will make up for the hefty price.

Hanging baskets

Ben, thanks, I now have to find me a start of the Zingiber Dancing Crane. I have no desire to consume any part of it but will enjoy it's ornamental value.

Deb, what a parade of colors, you are so being rewarded for all your loving care. I will take you up on your kind offer later in the season when I will have time to take care of them properly.

Rita, I am SALIVATING for the fourth plant - can't recall its name at the moment. I had a big shrub 2 years ago, and of course, it went dormant and, as I later found out, doesn't leaf out again until June in my area - I pulled it out, thinking it was dead and tossed it - I know - DUMB!

Rita, I was only really planning on using the Z. Mioga "Dancing Crane" as an ornamental as well... It would be a shame to wast its pretty flowers to flavor my soups....

BTW, is that pink flower a Zephyranthes or an Amyrillis? I've got the hardy more or less equivalent, the Lycoris squamerigia, aka "Surprise Lily"... They're dormant right now, (I have them listed on my trade list, so if anyone wants any, now is a good time to ask), but they'll be popping up flowers sometime around the end of August.

I can't wait to see damien and insignia and I had a post all sent in answer to your and Kayjones question, but have no clue where it went.
your brugs will bloom early if they came from the top part of a plant the Y.. Sometimes my brugs bloom when the mothers they came from bloom, up in eskridge kansas.
KayJones, in answer to you question, which I hope this post actually sticks, #1 is queen annes lace, #2 is a cross between Jaimie lyn and shibouri,
3 is black berry, 6 is yellow sweet smelling 4 o clock, 9 is a sweet spire shrub, 10 is salmon 4 o clock. do u want some?

my peruvian daffodil is blooming out front, the rain lillies are blooming, no pics since I have been re-arranging things so much tonight.

so far i have sunk pots of flowers and plants into the old potato patch, banana from KayJones is growing a new leaf, Joe just loves it, lost the saim from Rita, it makes me sad..sorry Rita, last year was a tough year for us here plant wise, I moved as much as I could back into the house in August, remember?

KayJones, that is dwarf poinciana, or Caesalpinia pulcherimma. I have one, too but as you say it is a pretty tender shrub. Mine kept its leaves last winter, but not the two before that. It's been blooming for a month.

Just tonight I finished whacking down the huge Mexican sunflower plant inside the fence that steals all the sun and nutrients from the little C.pulch so I have hopes it will be big and beautiful by the winter this year. The little white crepe myrtle in the first pic literally was run over by a truck while we were building our shop, so I'm always grateful for its pretty flowers, even though it is a pathetic little cripple.

got a new hoya, it was on clearance, poor thing..
my brugs aren't doing much right now.. i had pulled all the leaves off prior to bringing up and out..
things seem to be doing well out front..

I LOVE that C Pulch..
I planted a bunch of those seeds in the bean patch we got , KayJones, when we stopped and saw that plant?
Hope I get something LOL

Elaine, I love the crape mrytles. I hope mine do something that I planted last fall..

My brugs have all bloomed at least twice already, except the little babies. The big Monster and Charles Grimaldi were absolutely loaded with blooms when I left to go visit my kids in SLC. But they're taking a rest after a huge battle with - guess what?? - spider mites. I was away for 10 days in May and came back to all of them in terrible shape, so the soapy water with windex went in the big pump sprayer, and they're all recovering now.

they look great!

I need to come out to Texas to learn a whole lot of sumpin sumpin, from you Rita!!!

Did you say windex?

windex, yes that is what I use in all my spray bottles with soap. Can't use neem right now it is too hot.. I found out the hard way, I fried my poor gunnerra and it had some big leaves. Joe was so upset.. he told me to quit doing that. LOL Mites are everywhere this year..

going to have to wait for a cloudy day and power spray both back and front.. so far tropicals on the front porch are all clean.

I have used the 3 in 1, it seems to feed those mites. I am going to look for more Forbid, but will have to soil drench with it, so the birds and bees and what ever don't get hurt.

when I lived up north most of the shurbs folks had always starting dieing during the hotest part of summer, I was always told in hort school that if you keep the area moist, then no spider mites. Now with shurbs it is hard to keep the area next to the stem and ground just the right moisture to keep them away and not rot out the stem.....LOL this is why I NEVER had shurbs up against the house. I might have an ornamental shrub here or there, so that there was plenty of air and ease of watering.

beautiful pictures everyone. Elaine, I can just make out the bamboo behind the brug...LOL

Jan

i love seeing all the great pictures! inspiring.
rj it is nice that you could bring a little jungle heights to chicago.

my ficus hedge is being attacked by white fly. it is looking so bad, i am in the process of replacing it. i saw on miami beach a hedge of plumeria pudica, so i started to prune my neighbors plumeria that is in the power lines. (good excuse right). they take so easy from cuttings.

crinum lily, shooting star hoya, bromeliads, heliconia, and my favorite "flower" molly

Molly is so cute! Love seeing your Gardens, too.. very very nice.. love the shooting star hoya.

Cassie, What a shame on your hedge, but great idea on the plumeria pudica - mine is nearly 5ft. tall from a cutting Rita sent me last spring.

and blooming . .

btw, from the mature ones I've seen, they seem to grow tall and narrow, so you'll want them fairly close together, too.

As soon as they start to grow I will cut down the hedge and plant a row of coco plum or fakahatchee grass. Not sure. In my opinion ficus should never be used as a hedge anyway but it was here when I bought the property and looked nice.

Hello Everyone!!

It is such a delight to view all that beauty, including Molly!

Kay, I happened to spy lots of seed pods on dyzzy's gorgeous dwarf poinciana. They are fast growers.

Ben, the pink flowers are Crinum ellen Bosanquet, they are hardy to 6b.

Joeswife, don't feel bad about the Siam Ruby dying, I too, lost all mine. If I ever run across them again I will be sure to get you a plant. I am so pleased to see that you kept the Philo verrucosum alive, and the Queen Emma is awesome!!
I hope it blooms for you this year.

homer, we haven't seen your AeAe in a while, did she keep her pup over the winter? If I ever get another, you will be my go-to person for help.

candela, good choice with Plumeria Pudica, mine gets a good pruning in the fall. Pruning helps to keep them at a managable height, they will develop new branches to help make a nice full appearance.

noid Begonias.

noid Hoyas, perennial garden

Here ya go Rita;

'he only comes out at night' The giants are looking great, Drew! AeAe is beautiful.

Did you send all that rain back down here to us? We're forecast to get up to 12in. of rain in the next week.

Maybe all my plants will be giants after that, too. Weeds included.

C. Blue Hawaii - it's ear is at least as big as a baby elephant's.

love that c. blue hawaii! gee my EE's are having a hard time outside. Mine do better inside these days.
love the begonia collection Rita.
Drew, your plants are awsome as usual!
Well, I cut down the overgrown mite infested wisteria along with the goldflame honey suckle and cleared off the fence between the peach tree and the corner where my sweet peas and red trumpet vine seem to fight it out. put snowqueen hibiscus under there, hope she likes it. Maybe wisteria and gold flame will come back really good with lots of blooms next year, until then, morning glorys are going to climb that area.

took cuttings of the wisteria if anyone wants some can mail out in a pouch. still dividing and thinning out the monardas, beardstoungue and obedient plants. sheese!

just in case someone did not know, the third picture is of a Musa lasiocarpa. It has begun to flower. It will be gorgeous, and last through till the fall.


Elaine; He wears his sunglasses at night.

Hello Everyone!!
Drew, you are off to a great start on the growing season. A++++++++

dyzzy, I wish that we would get just a little of that rainfall, its been raining all around us and not a drop here.

joeswife, the picture of your begonia inspired me to post pictures of mine even without any blooms, they are beautiful.
I hope your honeysuckle comes back but I am scared to say the same for the Wisteria. I am tired of fighting with mine, it's taking over my pine trees. lol

Today is ardesia birthday!! Please join me on the new thread and wish her a Happy Birthday!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1266336/

Hello everyone!! Greetings from South Louisiana. Everyone's blooms are sooo pretty. I haven't had help this year but manage to get most everything cut back. Our crepe myrtles are starting to bloom.

Jeri, lovely picture! We abandoned this thread yesterday - too long - so see the link to the new thread in the post right above yours.

Didn't want you to think we'd leave you hanging . .

Elaine

Thanks Elaine! I reposted on the new thread.

Good job Elaine!

Hey everyone..
Wow I'll never catch up with all the beautiful pictures.
Have had terrible computer problems and right about the time I think they are fixed another issue has popped up...
so will be biting the bullet and getting a new one.
Hoya just getting ready to open...

hopefully I'll have some pics to post soon !

What an amazing flower! Glad to hear you are OK and glad you are back.

Martha, we have MISSED YOU!

Hey mjsponies, glad to see you back!! Hopefully Rachel will be next, I have missed you guys. Please join us on the new thread.