Not exactly cheap but.......
http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/4-year-greenhouse-film/plastic-greenhouse-film
Tropical Garden #126
Right, you need the good, clear stuff for your plants. The stuff from Farmtek has 92% light transmission. It's $65 for a 10 x 50 piece plus shipping.
Here's a thought - go to your favorite nursery and see where they buy it. If they're buying some for this winter, see if they'd tack on what you need to their order. Bet you'll get it cheaper that way, and support your local people, too.
Thanks for the hint dzzy. I've been pricing the film as well and had about decided it would just have to be garage for my tropicals.
Elaine, that brom you sent so many of us, is it this one? http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1276348/
If it really is a billbergia, I am going to take mine out of the trees and plant them in the ground where they can spread out.
Individual flowers on the blue ginger are so neat.
Alice, I don't know for sure what it is, but it does look like that, doesn't it. I got a garbage bag full of starts of them from our Urban Hort agent at the Extension office. She says she could cover her yard with them if she wanted to.
I do grow mine on the ground under my oak trees, and they spread out and make a clump. Need thinning or separating to keep blooming, though.
1. Check out Sophie Cecile getting nearly 3ft tall!
2. Here's the clump by the pool cage with one bloom.
3 the other clump flanked by Sophie Cecile and Don Miller begonias
All are wet from some good rain showers this afternoon, keeping me indoors, sadly.
A couple of you wonderful friends have sent me blue ginger and I can't keep it alive - I have NO IDEA what I'm doing wrong!
Picture, we need pictures! I know it's a little humbling when something is failing, but if you post a picture, bet one of us would have an idea for you. We never see enough pictures of your wonderful garden, KayJones!
Did you have it in the ground or a pot? Sun or part shade? Mine's in a pot in the pool cage, so semi-shade. It gets light water every day from one of the orchid misters. Plus rain . . . sheesh! again today. Alice sent me this - a rooted division or cutting in June, and it has done great, putting on its first flowers this week. I sure wish they'd hurry up and open!!
This message was edited Sep 29, 2012 8:04 PM
The one that cutting came from was dormant for a year, I was sure I would never see it again, then it just popped up one day last spring. Over watering can be a problem with these plants. Remember they are in the tradescantia family and most of them are weeds.
I don't have a picture - I had them in pots and the plant just disappeared - it was hit eod with the inground sprinklers - bet it got too much water.
After gardening for more than 50 years, I still tend to overwater. It is hard to figure out the amount that is just right. Then there is that "right plant, right place" idea. I often say "right plant, I'll find a place" and that is not always the best plan. LOL
It is not a good time of year to start cuttings of that one, they take a long time to root in the fall, but remind me next spring.....
Alice, that is sweet of you, but you already sent me one cutting and I killed it - I wouldn't ask you again!
You know what Tony Avant says "if you haven't killed a plant 3 times you are not a gardener."
I must be a super (or hopeless) gardener because I have killed many plants far more than 3 times. LOL
Totally agree with Tony. My favorite opening joke when I give a Master Gardener talk is they give us that title when we've killed more plants than the whole audience combined.
My DH was away for our anniversary this year, but completed building a gift for me yesterday - my wonderful new potting bench! It's in a nice breezy spot in the shade, near the hose, now I just have to keep it organized so it will get used to its potential.
Very nice!
KayJones, I found corms under some of my Achimenes when I pulled up a few spent stems today. Can you advise me what to do with them? Separate them, and dry them?? There were a couple with the red ones you sent me, too.
Rita, are you lurking? You sent me a start of this pretty ginger last year, and I can't for the life of me remember the name of it. Pretty pleated, variegated leaves, and it has put up a red shoot that might be a flower stem.
Elaine, just put them on top of the soil and lightly cover them - they will pop up in Feb., if not before. If you want more corms, just let me know.
Elaine, love that ginger, never seen one like that.
Kay, don't forget you said you would send me some of the red ones, Thank you!
Paula, you will just have to remind me at the end of/beginning of Oct/Nov. Was I supposed to send you anything else?
I don't think so.
K
Martha, I know I am supposed to send you some goodies - get me a list - I'm too lazy to go back through all the posts. Hugs, Jo
well, brought in a few more plants from outside.. starting to look really good in the other garden room..
KayJOnes, I am sending out a box to you in the am, call me when u get it, I sure love what you have sent me!
going down to the 40's at nights a few days, I have caught two mice, but a cat keeps taking the traps and all if we don't empty them right away. Joanna has brought in Gamera( her old turtle I rescued) and Goji, ( a new box turtle young one I saved from being squished) she is afraid something will try to eat them. that is ok, fish are already down there and now for some reason, I went out ot bring in a plant, and a squirrel was curled up on the porch, i thought it was dead, one eye is all messed up, it is very thin, I think it is one I am used to talking too and it came to me for help, Joe had a fit and made me take it to the garbage, but I couldn't do that, so I wrapped it up in a towel and nestled it in the Ivy over there, and then while looking for my mouse trap, I found the cat undoing the towel, so I shooed it away and brought it in, it is very docile, and is now in a heatead terrarium , if it makes it thru the night that is a good sign, I said my goodbyes tho, just in case it doesn't make it. It is so sad how many squished andmangled animals I saw on the way home from AR, it is like people try to hit them on purpose .. today I passed a large badger still shaking from his recent hit by a car, it was on the roadside, broke my heart. A doe and fawn both still jerking yestrday on the road, I had to swerve to miss them, and several racoons, possums and armidillos, I counted about twelve squished turtles coming home, rescued a water turtle about a fot in diameter and brought it home to Derby to put in the pond we have over in the park.. now I know it will be safe.Joanna said Mom you can't keep rescuing wild animals to replace Duke, let's just get a real pet.. now just last night when I asked her to chek the mouse trap , she came in all pouty sad faced cuz there was a mouse in the trap I set out ten minutes earlier. I can't stand mice in the house, she said she thinks they are cute, and still creatures, so why do I kill them? * sigh* I am so confused.
I have to have this shrub, but first I have to find out what it is..
Debra, that looks like two or three different shrubs - which one are you wanting?
Deb, if you nail the traps down to a piece of 2 x 4 or something, the cat won't be able to steal the mouse & trap. We recently had an incident of rats in our attic, a very common occurrence here. The guy at HD that sold me the traps told me to do this because if the rat is not immediately killed by the trap they can drag the traps off into a corner of the attic where you can't get to them. Then they die, and smell up the whole house for a week . . .
Also, be VERY careful of the squirrel, they can be rabies carriers. And they definitely will bite you.
Is the plant in your middle shot above Mina Lobata? Very pretty, I've tried and tried to get seeds of that to start!
Elaine, I can't grow them from seed either - Deb, hint, hint!!!!
Monstera Deliciosa variegata Rita gave me last year (grown a little Rita) ;-)
Alocasia x 'Blue Portora
Alocasia 'Borneo Giant' @ 10.5'
Musa AeAe in flower (Looks like it will be the Christmas Tree again this year)!
Philodendron evansii
Monstera Deliciosa
Philodendron bipinnatifidum
Cyrtosperma Merkusii
Alocasia 'Robudora Supermax'. This is a Cross of Alocasia odora x Alocasia Robustum. A.robustum has the largest undivided leaf in the world at 12' x 8' with a petiole (stem) at 12' in length. Those leaves are tiny @ 20'', compared to what they could be.
Philodendron maximum
Thanks for looking and here is to a pretty good year of growing. SAAAALUTE! ... NOSTROVIA!
This message was edited Oct 3, 2012 6:31 AM
squirrel died. so sad. Drew your plants are truly a show of your green spirit. Congrats !
okay, If I start the plants of lobatas and other special vine seeds this spring, I will just mail out in cups to you that they are growing in, and then you cut the bottom out and plant cup and all into the ground or pot whatever. Okay?
You all down south have lots of growing time for stuff yet..
KayJnes your box went out today.
Carol, ( floridabunnie) I am working on your box next.
This is what I love about leisrely driving thru the countryside.. you can stop and whistle to a group of horses and the come over to you..
I found out the shrub is a special mulberry from china, not a kansas native.. was told not to plant it as it is introduced and invasive, but I like it.
thought I would see if you guys know what these red berries are.. ( I know)
Frost plant.. you gotta google it and see what it does.. I am glad I got one from the country now..
pink smart weed..
Deb, they look like Viburnum or choke berries to me - what are they?
And Nostrrrrrovia to you to, Drew! You been holding out on us, kiddo. What a show! Love the color on your Blue Portora. My Blue Hawaii has been disappointingly , how can I say this . . . ah, green? It does have nice purple stems and petioles though.
Deb, the red berries look like huckleberries we used to find up in BC when I was little. But that eye . . are they the new "pink" blueberries?
wild rose hips! I didn't get any cuz they take too long to make a rose bush, and they are tangled up in the three leaved poison ivy.. oh i was so very careful out there while getting my raspberry bushes dug up..
Cool!!! Why don't you get the rose identified botanically, then submit your picture to the Plantfiles - it is so pretty!
Sorry about your squirrel Deb! He's in the big nut in the sky.
I guess the petiole color is the reason for the name.... Like my A. Blue Portora,. eautiful huge purplish/blue petioles Elaine.
I need an opinion, please.....I have a bat flower..had one long time ago and killed it...so I bought this one and thought I would give it another try. I have water it and seems the next day it is wilted again. So finalyy, I was looking at it today and think I have found the problem. Do I need to repot and add more soil? The roots are showing and maybe that is why it wilts so bad. I know I shouldn't bury the whole thing,but I would think it needs to be deeper in the soil. Thoughts???
In the 3rd picture...can I take the invidivual plant off and have a separate one? Is that how you divide them?
Pictures...
Paula, YES - you can separate that pup - and send it to me!
Sorry I can't offer any guidance on the culture - I've never owned one, although always wanted to!!!
Paula,
Yes you need to repot it. Put it in a pot that's deep enough that you can get all those roots in the soil. Make sure you a well draining mix.
Also is that the White Bat ? or the Black...reason I ask is the leaf looks more like the White, it tends to "flop" more than the Black and it pups more than the black does.
My White one is budding up now, they tend to bloom a little later than the black, if it's budding up I'd wait to divide.
Hope that helps...
mj
Back later with pics ...Thunder bumper rolling in, gotta get off the computer.
Paula, More than likely when you are watering the water goes around the root ball and out of the container. It looks rootbound? Might be a good idea to score the rootball on 4 sides and tease those roots out a little. I agree with Martha. A little late to be dividing?
How is your Giganteum? Getting huge I imagine!
Thank you everyone.
Martha, it is a black...it was blooming when I bought it. Its flopped over because it was dry. OK, I am going to repot it it a little bigger pot and cover those roots. I'm going to pull off that one, because its only hanging on by one or two roots.
Drew, the giganteum is doing great. I think it may be getting too much sun (its on my covered porch), I'm going to scoot it closer to the house(wall). How often did you feed it?
I got a couple Col. I would like for you to ID if you can. I'll go take pics now...back in a sec.
I'll send them to you in a dmail...
Meanwhile..this is one of my all time favorites. Almost lost it last year, but it is making a comeback
Philodendron
All my cutting are doing good for this weekend...
Good Luck! Hope you have huge crowds and lots of sales.