Beautiful Drew!
Tropical Plants and Gardens #128
Thank you Paula!
Spring one week, Winter the next around here. Forsythias bloomed last week. Normally a Mid Feb. occurrence.
A chilly 45 here this morning and it was 75 just yesterday. We saw our first yellow pollen on the cars this week - way early.
Debra, I am excited for you too, your indoor garden will really rally now.
Good growin on that AeAe Drew.
Salvia involcrulata loves winter.
Finally I can smell the scent of the Alba.
Was cutting back brush and I found this pretty camellia.
Ti.
HEy Deb, congratulations on your new lights. I haven't forgotten about your Monster, it has buds on it so I may root you a cutting or two. They'll be ready to rock and roll by spring!
We have a cold, windy morning today, too. Had to drag out the sweatshirt and long pants, and retrain myself to put on socks, arg.
Lovely flowers, Alice. My giant Alba greets me in the morning wafting that fragrance all the way down the pathway.
is Alba a begonia? and Don Miller hasn't grown much, should I put him in a bigger pot? No snow, No rain, next job will be having my HVAC guy make me a portable fitting for the washer drain to go outside....
T%'s will only be used in winter, have no clue what electric bill will be after these are in, can't wait to see.
lovwe your AEAE's too, Drew.
I went outside to check on stuff and saw the silly daffodils coming up, it gets down in the low 30's and 20's at night, but warms up to mid to high 50's in day.. *sigh* is it winter, fall or spring? None of us knows here..
Yup, Begonia Alba Odorata, a huge, sprawling one with plain green leaves the size of salad plates, and big umbels of white fragrant flowers.
Mine is in a huge hanging basket, and the canes get so long and heavy that they break off. I saw it growing in Gr. Cayman, supported by a hedge. I may have to try that. They really like the winters, here. Cool and moist just suits all the begonias, but that one goes through our summers very well, too. Lots of water and shade is key.
As far as re-potting Don Miller, if it's not growing, maybe try a different potting mix? I had a couple in some cheap potting soil that DH got somewhere . . . (no comment) and they just sat there looking at me until I changed the mix.
Thanks all, Kay, Elaine and Deb for the info on the brugs in the pots...that will be my best bet, at least this next year. BRRRR cold and windy today, I haven't seen any critters or insects in the garden today...and I don't blame them.
First I've seen a flower in a few seasons on my Ty plant.
Elaine, your granddaughter is the best bloom in your garden, what a sweet, sweet face.... I know it has to pull at the heart strings when she has to be transplanted back to the west.
Wonderful pics everyone. Just beautiful.
Jan
Here's what's blooming inside...
1- Nematanthus corticola
2 - Jewel orchid
3- Medinilla
4- Alocasia rugosa
5 -Espicias
In the Greehouse.....
Hoya Macqullivaryi - was loaded with blooms before I left town but didn't get a picture
2 - bouganvilla
3 - begonia with dainty blooms
4- Nematanthus tropicana
5 Nematanthus flumensis
and some orchids
Flower sensory overload!
All are beautiful, Paula. You could send that jewel Orchid to me!!!!!
LOL Drew....but we need it don't we....in all this 'bareness' around? Hate to say it but the tulip trees (japanese magnola) are blooming here...about 2 months too early and of course we are supposed to have a freeze tomorrow or Tuesday! Even the grass is starting to green up. Geez! But what can you do when its been in the 70 and 80s for 3 weeks.
Beautiful poseys and it is sonice to see at this chilly time of year.
Our tulip trees bloomed in early December - weird - and the pollen is already falling here, making a mess of cars and decks. Yuck.
This hibiscus is in a sheltered corner of the back deck, the colors are very pale but there are 6 flowers blooming at once today.
Last few flowers on the butterfly clero.
Alice, that's a beautiful Hib.!
Wow, amazingly early for the pollen woes! Even our oaks aren't quite in bloom yet, I guess we've had cooler evenings through the spell of warm weather.
Lovely plants, Paula. I love those Jewel Orchids too, but haven't got one yet. I'm still "learning" my other orchids.
Brug. Charles Grimaldi hardly ever blooms in January, but here it is full of flowers!
Two little Spathoglottis plicata changing color daily.
I went for a bunch of these 'Mona Lavender' plectranthus for some winter color and they are really taking off!
In the same bed, peachy Kalanchoe aren't doing so well. We'll see!
Lovely pictures everyone.
Alice I did a trade with another DG friend and received one of those butterfly looking flowered plants. Nice to see what the flowers will look like. Very pretty Hibiscus.
Wow Paula, lots to admire there. Nice to have a green house.
Elaine I've never had luck with Mona Lavender, don' know why, and I usually put it in a pot. I see you have them in the ground, maybe I should try that. I think they're so pretty.
I'm getting a flower on my poinsettia, a bit late for Christmas. I really need to cut the bleeding heart back, I can't even see the purple jasmine under it anymore. In fact the last photo is the first time in I don't know how long I've had this much flowering at once, usually when the azaleas are blooming everything else is brown from the freezes...just tickles me pink. ☺
Sherri
Uhh, Sherri I kind of cheated with those Mona Lavender plants - they are still in pots, just sunk in the ground. That bed is in full shade on the north side of the house, but as the sun gets higher, it will be in full sun, so I wanted to be able to easily move the plants when it gets too sunny for them. I have my kids visiting and wanted to make the bed look nice, but can't stand to spend money on plants that will die off in a couple of months! I'll keep you posted how this works . . .
Yeah, we really can't complain about the weather this winter, so far no nights below 40, knocking on wood. Now, if we could just get one cold night while the oak trees are in bud to keep the flowers from making all that pollen!
love all the beautiful plants and flowers everyone.
Good morning, everyone! It's supposed to get into the mid-30's tonight here in PC and down to freezing Sat. night.
Geez...weather man was wrong again. I watched and believed and once again a good five degrees lower than they said. 41 this morning when I arose.
Does anyone grow Brazilian Plume flower? I've tried to find the pink for a few years now, even sent mail to some DG friends for trade but never responded. They have orange at Lukas Gardens, couldn't find orange on Google, white and yellow but not orange. I have lots of yellow and oranges in the garden, would love some pink.
Hi Sunkissed,
I have the pink one...I assume you are talking about Justicia carnea? I was actually trying to root some cuttings. I still have a couple that the frost hasn't got, they are in the ground. Would you like to trade cuttings of either the white or yellow colors?
I attached the photo because they are planted beneath the brug, but not sure you can see them
I have the red and also a small white one I got at Lowe's in the summer, Sherri.
It's a very nice plant, with one exception - it does not seem to like my high pH well water one bit. When I am irrigating often, it gets pale and chlorotic very easily. Once it rains or I augment with rainwater from the watering can, it goes back to dark green glossy leaves.
My red one is blooming right now, and does not like the cold weather one bit. Edges of the flowers get burnt even in the 40's. Although it's not that brisk out there now, I'm thinking we didn't go much below 50 last night. One more cold night to go, though. Pic of the white one was taken in Sept.
Paula may take you up on a trade, let me see if I can score local and if not I'll D- mail you about it. Thanks for the offer.
Elaine that is interesting about the water, I have a well to water the plants, most the plants like it, high in iron though. Love the white Justicia and you found that at Lowe's. But...not good if not liking the cold when we're not even as cold as we normally are. Are they in pots?
Yes, the red one is in a big pot, the white still in a 1gal. I think the cold sensitivity is just because it's blooming and it really shouldn't be at this time of year. The white one is doing fine, in a more protected spot, but more shade, so it's not trying to bloom.
I got the red one as a cutting from Rita in Texas (Where IS Rita, anybody heard??) and it has been through some cold weather with no severe damage, just this flower thing.
My mango tree is in full flower, so I sure hope the colder weather they predicted for the weekend doesn't get here. That would zap all its flowers, too! It does this every year, a flush of bloom in December to January, and another in March. Usually it only manages to set fruit in March, but this year we have teensy fruits showing on it already.
Here's Brug. Monster White getting ready to open - It's January, somebody please tell him?
But don't tell my tomato plants, ok? Momotaro tomato with "Sandwich for dinner" written all over it!
Yum, I'll bring the bread, what time are you serving?
Whenever you get here, Alice. DH left town this afternoon so I am at my desk with my feet up, eating tomato and cheese on toast.
good grief, save me some seeds just 5 or so, I am going to grow tomatoes in the basement.. LOL
cold warms up to 50 drops down to 19 and back up to 40 up down up down still no precipatation of any kind here..
been wondering about Rita as well.. i know life goes on and we wander away from time to time, i am sure she will be on soon to let us know she is still kicking out the tropicals like crazy.. ;)
Debra, FYI: you still have an open invitation to come to Paradise! It's 45 this morning and will be 71 today, with no wind and lots of sun. Come on down!!!!!
Elaine, the sitting area window upstairs has Bananas growing next to it. I see your tomatoes have reached Critical Mass. Good for you is what I say. It looks like a quite delicious specimen.
Oh boy does that tomato ever look good. I have such a time with squirrels and my tomatoes, I think the Jays too.
My cherry tomatoes only three on the plant and still green, cooler temps seem to have halted more blossoms. But my pimento and jalapenos don't seem to mind the cooler weather and are busting out blossoms. Funny I have 3 peppers on each of them as well...good things come in threes.
44 here this morning, they say up to 73 next two days and only down in the 50's, my perfect weather temps. ☺
KayJOnes, FYI I will be back... lookie here..
BEAUTIFUL, Deb!!!! Mine are all in spike, but none bloomed out yet - they are all outside.
Hm, let's see Drew. One tomato plant in a deep pot, prop it up against the stem of the banana and make use of that sunny window, kiddo! I know you have grow-lights to augment the short days. I have seedlings of Early Girl already up . .. for the school garden.
Gorgeous nunnies, Deb. Mine are teasing me, but they'll be a week or so now if it stays warm. We got down below 50 last night so everything slows down when that happens.
Sherri, my toms stopped setting fruit when we had a couple of cold nights, and are just ripening off all the tomatoes that set before it got cold. Although the grape tomatoes are still setting, and bearing handfuls! They're backed up to a south-facing wall and stay very warm there. They'll start again when the nights are warmer.
No problems with the squirrels or raccoons going after the tomatoes, oddly. I do get the odd bird peck, but the bird feeders are close to the tomato plants, so I think that occupies the birdies. I also have a cat who is largely uninterested in hunting anything, but sits and watches with interest, so she is a good deterrent, I guess.
Elaine, what are the seedlings?
Four different kinds of tomatoes.
I'll only keep a few of the plants, but started a bunch for the school garden I've been working on.
I wish I could leave my stuff in the ground, they look so much happier when in their natural surroundings. Zone Envy
We all have it Deb. " ZONE SICKNESS" "ENVY" what ever we call it, we all have it!
AMEN, Drew! If we didn't have zone envy disease, I wouldn't have a stuffed greenhouse and two stuffed temporary structures to house my tropicals over the winter!!!