Jeri, when you are ready to trade, just let me know! Thanks!!!
Tropical Garden #122
Jeri11 - Thank you for the information. Mine is pruned like a tree as well, I will have to try this with some of the underbranches. I learn so much from these forums!!
I'd like to trade with someone who has rooted cuttings of the black Elderberry - it looks so much like a Japanese Maple - does anyone have some to trade?
I have a nice plant, KayJones. I can ship it in Fall.
Kay, the sambucas do not do well around here, too much heat and humidity, I hope you would have better luck where you are. On the other hand, many Japanese Maples do just fine, I have even seen them growing in full sun. I have several dwarf varieties in large pots that I have had for a number of years. They have not liked the drought this summer and it has been hard for me to keep enough water on them, the edges of the leaves look parched, but they will survive.
Kay, my Incense is in the ground...it pretty much as to fend for itself...didn't do much earlier this year but once we started getting rain it took off.
Thanks floridabunnie...Hoya's are a favorite.
here's another one...Hoya sp. Palawan.super fragrant....
In my experience, Passionvines are pretty short-lived in general. Three or four years is the most I've ever had out of one of mine, then they develop trunk rot and die. I think it's just because they grow so fast when they take off.
My fruiting one, Purple Possum, out on the back fence is on its third year, and is just about done. See how corky the bottom of the trunk is?It still bore a lot of fruit this spring, and is lovely and lush along about 60ft. of the fence. But I'm fully expecting it to die off this winter.
Second pic, Brazilian flame from Rita putting on a lovely show!
Oh, wow, Elaine - that Brazilian flame is so pretty - I have one, I believe came from Rita, but it hasn't bloomed yet.
This was just a rooted cutting last summer, and took a long time to bloom, then the one flower scape lasted for months! Be patient with it, it will come along. It's now a nice sized little shrub about 4ft. tall.
Sorry, I think I may have got the name wrong, it is Brazilian Red Cloak. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54077/
Here it is last year in December just putting out its first bloom.
This message was edited Jul 20, 2012 9:53 AM
Elaine is that Brazillian flame the same as Brazillian Cloak Flower?
LOL!! Elaine we cross posted.
Pretty!
Brazilian Red Cloak is botanically known as Megaskepasma erythrochlamys.
Hi All -
I have a Brazilian Red Cloak as well. It does bloom for a long time and is so unique. I receive lots of compliments on it. I think the more you prune it the better it does. Can I ask how you propogated your cutting?
Mjsponies - I am drooling over your hoyas! I have a plant that I thought was a hoya but I have not been able to locate a pic of the bloom to identify. It doesn't have a waxy like bloom it is more of a small red trumpet with a vibrant purple staymen sticking far out.
Are these hard to grow or do they need a lot of babying?
My cutting of the Red Cloak was already rooted when I got it. It was a twig with a few leaves, about a foot long. I potted it up in regular potting mix and it took off. We'll have to ask Rita next time she pops in to the forum, how she rooted it.
But with a lot of these vigorous tropical shrubs and perennials, you can often just stick a cutting in the ground or in seed starting medium, keep it watered daily for a while, and it will root. Especially in summer with our high humidity, it's like a greenhouse here!
I have "stuck" several cuttings of my 'Hot Lips' salvia, and also the porterweeds and had them jump right up. Of course, with coleus you can just drop cuttings on the ground and they'll root.
Dyzzy - yes, I have almost found that it is hard NOT to grow things here. With the rain that we have had this year I think I have spent more than half my time in the yard pruning and trimming. My plants are loving this weather and growing like crazy!!
Floridabunny, your plant sounds like a lipstick vine aka Aeschynanthus.
Good for you guys in Florida, floridabunnie! Glad to see someone is actually happy with their weather! (Now I have Florida envy......) After all, over 60% of the country is in moderate drought.
Latest of AeAe.
Hi Kay - That is it! Thanks for the help. I am now on the hunt for a hoya. . .Mjsponies has prompted me to add these to my "must have" list.
Homer - yes, we have been one of the lucky ones this year. My family lives in Indiana and my parents can barely keep anything alive. They built a new house and had not put in a new yard yet, and now have to wait because they know that everything will die. The farmer that works their land had to wait until very late to plant his crops. My father said that many of the crops have been planted twice and have died - I fear that food prices will be going up because of this. You just can't count on steady weather anymore. . . will try to send some raindrops your way :)
Drew, those leaves are just works of art! Looks like they let you loose with that paintbrush again, huh?
We are feeling very lucky with our weather this summer, I'll admit. So far we haven't had hardly a day above 90deg. and down here at least too much rain is better than not enough. It drains away pretty fast in most areas.
I have brugs busting out all over, and some other interesting things too. First, Stardancer cross, second Monster White, third a pretty lantana with yellow centers, fourth Thunbergia battiscombeii, last, red canna with dark leaves just coming out.
Elaine, Lowes had that 'new' Lantana, so of course I had to buy one - they are beautiful - remind me of and egg!
Drew that is a beautiful sight!!! Is your AeAe in the ground? Mine is getting brown areas on the white part and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong? It's in the shade.
But of course, Kay! Thanks Elaine, I appreciate it! It is definitely not an easy plant to grow!
Mine is in the ground jeri! You gotta picture (thousand words)? Sounds normal (brown splotches on white). May need to water a little more though.
We have a stationary front on top of us here in Charlotte. We have been getting pretty good rains last 7-10 days.
This message was edited Jul 20, 2012 9:43 PM
And that is a most stunning array of foliage, too Drew. I don't see my favorite, Mr. Mcdowell, though? The rain must bring a welcome relief for you for some of the watering chores.
Must admit I almost missed having a nice afternoon rain shower today - it was pretty hot all afternoon with no cloud relief. There's never going to be just the "right" amount of rain.
Drew, you are such a good AeAe parent, they are so hard to keep alive and you are doing very well. You must have good soil to be able to dig that monster up each year so you can bring it inside.
Elaine, everything looks so good, my B. Alba is finally starting to look good again after the deer snacked on it.
You are all making me so jealous, still no rain here, I am ready to move! I dream of a place with soil that drains and one that has adequate precipitation. (LOL, sounds like S. FL to me.) It hurts to watch the rain across the river while I am standing here with my hose in hand. The Beaufort Water Festival, a really big deal around here, has had serious rain every day since it started. Aggghhhhh, I sound like an old farmer, always complaining about the weather.
In spite of the unpleasant weather I still broke down and bought a couple of Sombrero Salsa Exhinaceas, I have heard they do well here so I am going to try even if I will be watering them twice a day for a while. I had to work in a lot of compost, the soil was like dust.
The other pic is of a small area that originally had grass but the trees got too large and shaded it so I added compost and bagged soil and planted it with what felt like at least a million dwarf mondo grass plugs. Talk about an achy back. LOL
Thanks Elaine. It truly is a beautiful banana (camera does no justice), I hope for a variegated pup (so far notta). Will throw a couple of pictures of the Philly and offspring later on this evening.
Last fall, I hired a guy to help me double dig that area Alice. We placed mushroom c., cow m. and compost from my bin in there. That area is around 20' x 8'. This clay we have in the piedmont is really compact as you know. I would like to have 60% / 40%, your soil to mine (after the composts). You could grow anything in that.
I would like to see some of everyones gardens one day! I see so many beautiful plants and I am envious of your zonal temperatures.
I know Florida is pulling me like a magnet because there is so much I want to grow and nearly all of it is tropical in nature! Being born on the Gulf Coast, well..., It's kinda hard to explain to the average person (not saying you guys are average mind you!).
Love it, and what a great variegated plant... What's that name again Alice?
Got this on E-bay with 2 leaves and three aerial roots a little over an inch long
This message was edited Jul 21, 2012 5:55 PM
Drew there is plenty of room down here, should you decided to move south... besides just think you wouldn't have to limit your plants because you wouldn't have to worry about taking them in during the winter.... if that isn't a reason to move south I sure don't know what is....LOL
Great shots everyone, Gosh Elaine, I need to stop over your display is really incredible this summer. We had some northern neighbors come down last month and they didn't stay long said it was too hot, and DH and I were talking about how great this summer has been, especially compaired to last summer. The rain really does make it wonderful to grow in.
Jan
Amen!
I would like to suggest a get-together - I propose we have several and we will invite everyone EXCEPT one from our group each time - we will go and raid that person's garden. We can then have another and so on, until we have all these plants we drool over - who's in?!!!
Deb, how's your little sis today?
Homer & Dyzzy - your foilage is awesome. Makes me wish I had more shade!
Ardesia - I hope you have good luck with your Somberro Salsas, I love the color. You will have to share pics of your patch of mondo when it grows together. Sometimes something as simple as grass looks so nice.
I can honestly say that we loving living in FL, there are so many interesting things to do and people. And the plants and flowers are amazing.
KayJones was that kid who was always in trouble in school, right?
I am jealous of your beautiful Echinaceas, too Alice. I've tried and tried to grow them here, with no luck. They sit and bloom a bit then just dwindle away. I imagine I should start them in the fall and let them get a really good root system before summer sets in.
The mondo 'lawn' will look really beautiful and be easy care, too. I'm sure with your good soil, you will do better than I have. I tenderly planted it, watered, fertilized. It sat and sat, did nothing, and 4 years later is dwindling away. However, I'm going to try again as it's the only thing I can think of for the particular spot in question. Think I'll have to replace all the soil. Here's a pic of the pitiful tufts that are left of my plantings.
Also, a flower coming on the Rainbow Costus!
Well - yes, Elaine, I was that kid! FYI - you were the first person I wasn't going to invite to our get-together, THEN - we would hit Rita's house, then Martha's. If we could find Alice's house, out in the boonies, we'll visit her yard, too! As for Deb, we don't have to raid her gardens - if she knows you want it, she'll just send it to you!
Where's Cassie?
You are right, that dwarf mondo takes forever and a day to fill in, I have it in other places and in some cases it looks spotty, other areas look great. I planted these on 6" centers and I will baby them and hope they take off in the next year or so. I may raid some of the older beds and fill in between the new ones when I have the time and energy. The regular mondo is another story, it is hard to keep that in check but at 6" to 8" tall it is a snake haven around here. They love hiding in there.
The only echinaceas that reliably live here are the old fashioned pink ones. All those pretty sundown colored ones fizzle out quickly. This new red one however has been grown successfully at a friend's home for several summers and they just get bigger and better each year. I am hoping for similar results.
Way to go with that rainbow costus, I can't wait to see the flower.
Kay, I like you idea for the sneaky get together. LOL
Cassie's down in Miami. We should raid her garden when the weather's cold everywhere else. I'd be glad of a raid right now. The jungle is closing in!! Plus it would be fun to meet everyone, of course.
Those costus flowers open in the mornings and fizzle before 2pm. Hope to post a picture tomorrow morning.
You can't believe my yard - I now have 'patches' to mow! If I didn't throw down big pieces of carpet, I wouldn't even have paths. Everything has gotten so overgrown I almost can't see my neighbor's house.
I hear ya, we just had another gully washer, too. I can hear the weeds growing!! The "DG Raiders" could make off with half the plants in my garden and I wouldn't even miss them.
Heavy rain and big wind for an hour. DH was out sailing, they capsized but are ok. Glad I couldn't go today!
This noid Caladium keeps making bigger and bigger leaves. This last one is at least 15in. long.
Dyzzy & Kay - I'm in the same boat (no pun intended), my plants are growing faster than I can prune and I think the weeds are sneeking in the yard at night and bringing all of their friends. I am thankful for the rain though.
Dyzzy - glad your hubby is ok, I'm sure that was scary.
Elaine here is a link to see if you think your caladium looks like this?
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.onlineplantguide.com/Image%2520Library/C/1912.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.onlineplantguide.com/Plant-Details/340/&h=1536&w=2048&sz=674&tbnid=jOf09HDBH6kWeM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=130&prev=/search%3Fq%3Df%2Bm%2Bjoyner%2Bcaladium%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=f+m+joyner+caladium&usg=__tg1rC2PNSh2qBWF0TTIhfnWZrfU=&docid=tWjFJsKSaKTbeM&sa=X&ei=uVYLULWTKMfe2AW0yOj2Dw&ved=0CFoQ9QEwBQ&dur=464