Tropical Plants and Gardens #128

You go, Kay Jones!!!

Drew, I'm a regular pest/customer - in there at least every other day - it's about a mile and a half from my house and I'm personal friends with the 2 assistant managers - they treat me very well! It may have a tad to do with the fact that , about once a month, I bake cakes and make fudge to share with all of them.

LOL, so that's it. Bribery works!

she makes good goodies, this I know...

UMMM UMMM Ummmm!

I think Kay and I must be sisters....I don't know the manager, but the two regular worker know me by name also...at first I was the candy lady (we make candy and sell it)....then they learned my name and one of them even knows my phone number by heart, thanks to the 'my Lowes' thing. She called me one day to tell me they had marked down a lot of things on the clearance rack. Bad thing is....its about 24 miles from my house, so I can't just jump in the car and get there quick like I used to. Hadn't thought about the baking thing...hmm. but I do take them candy. Just being friendly...you know.

I'll try to get pictures today of the gh...my husband kinda got mad with me because I changed the design. It was going to be all plastic, but I decided to go with polycarbonate for the walls and put plastic on the roof. I thought it would be more permanent and last longer. He'll get over it...he doesn't do well with spending money if its not something he wants...but isn't that the way with most men?? Sorry Drew, I'm sure you're the exception since you like plants.

Off to get my babies up for school..

Paula, you more than pay your way, so let him fume.

It has been reported that a married woman is worth her weight in gold!

She's a wife, mother, nurse, financial advisor, chef, landscaper, domestic diva, psychologist, event planner, hair stylist, computer operator, chauffer, janitor, facilities manager, gofer (go for this-go for that), coach, spiritual adviser, pet care giver, tutor, teller of bedtime stories, judge and jury, doctor, lawyer - and you do all these things every day!

Add up all the salaries of these jobs and present the bill to your husband - then tell him to 'hush his mouf'!!!!

Amen!! He's a good husband...pretty much gets me what I want, he just bought me a bright red Ford Raptor for Christmas. Some of you know how I like my red vehicles. That was a total surprise!! For those of you that don;t know, its kind of a suped-up truck. I have had the most fun lately...men see it and say.." Husband got him a new truck huh?" and I say, "Nope, he has one too, this one is mine". You should see the look on their face. Of course my daughter loves driving it, because all the guys stare at her. It has actually supplied a lot of laughs. But now that we live in the country, it has come in handy for all the plants, potting soil, hay, straw and horse feed I have to transport and pulling trailers.

LOL, Gotta love it!

I love red vehicles too (and candy.)

Yep - red is the color for strong females! I have a red Ford Ranger pickup - LOVE IT!

Great minds think alike. Alice what kind of candy do you like? Ours is a family business started in 1921 by my husbands father. I think the story is on our website. Long story short. Grandfather Stewart started making peppermint and peanut brittle and sold it everyday around town. From there it grew to a large distribution business that carries everything in a convenience store (our customers) covering all of Georgia and most of Florida. Most of this in the last 10 years. They quit making the candy years ago when sugar really went high, but about 8 years ago, started making it again. Its soft peppermint and also 8 other flavors.


Here we are: http://www.stewartdist.com/joomla/

What?!!!! I see you don't work there - are you NUTS?! I'd be the first to arrive there every day - I'd be the official candy taster!!!

Could all you tropicals-growing folks please take a look at this plant and see if you can i.d. it? If you know what it is, please post the i.d. on the thread. Thanks!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1296414/

LOL Kay...I have more than enough to do around my house, although sometimes I wish I had a paying job. Plus they have a rule ...no wives can work there. The three brothers and their dad run it. We have 252 empolyees, so I would rather not. Believe me, you get tired of candy.

I know that story, no wives can "officially" work there but there is more than enough to do for the business in the background.

I love soft peppermints. Many years ago we lived in Maryland and they had a tradition of selling these lemon sticks at their famous Baltimore Flowermarts each spring.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Baltimore+lemon+sticks&hl=en&tbo=u&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ei=8w4MUeCNIpGi8ASuq4CoAQ&ved=0CFYQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=675

You get very sticky hands but they are delish. You sort of suck the lemon juice through the peppermint stick. Yum, one would taste good right now maybe with a meyer lemon. Hmmmmmm

Well here you go...first pic is of the portable GH that the wind ripped the plastic off and second is the beginnings of the new one.

Bless your heart! The new one won't blow apart, hopefully! You can't predict what our winds will do, though.

Paula it looks like it will be very sturdy! Please continue to post pictures of the assembly as your time allows.

How are they anchoring it?

Good Morning Kay...seems we are the only early birds. Heavy frost here...how about you? I didn't get to cover some of the things I wanted to. I hate this 'back and forth' weather. I am not a cold weather person.

All the post you see are in the ground about 2 ft or so. I was going to put polycarbonate on the sides and plastic on the roof, but now we've changed it and are going to put poly on the roof so it will be permanent and plastic on the sides so it can be removed during the summer.

We're too close to the ocean to get frost very often - none last night. I think the poly and being permanent and removable is a marvelous plan.

I just bought some Hydroton pellets - can anyone tell me how to use it for re-potting Orchids?

Hm, I've never seen one potted just with pellets. Most of mine are all in a mix that has chunky bark pieces, coarse Perlite, charcoal and pellets all mixed together. Because I am cheap, I chop up our wine corks and mix the pieces in with my orchid mix.

You might try posting this as a question on the Orchids forum and see what the experts say.

Elaine, I am the queen of cheap - if I can save a dime, I'll do it - thanks for that suggestion!

Oh Yay! (NOT REALLY!!) My husband just informed me that he doesn't think the 'guys' will be able to finish my GH. The one in 'charge' has fallen down on his duties and they almost fired him today...so.......I guess I will be hiring someone. oh joy!! Oh well at least the biggest part is done. I was really hoping I would be able to plant some seed in the next few days. Now it will be a few weeks. arrgh!!

Had a lot to catch up on...today finally a morning not in the low 40's with frost. So far the garden seems fine, I did keep the makeshift green house up and keep the tomatoes, peppers and orchids in it.

Sorry to see the wind damage to the green house. Winds come in with those fronts pretty fierce at times. I agree on seeing the progress of the new one.

My live oaks decided to lose all the leaves and my neighbor giving me dirty looks, so I'm gonna have to get out and rake today. The problem with one is all sand underneath and I have to sift out the sand before putting in the trash or way too heavy. It can be quite an exhausting job. But thank goodness only this time of year to deal with it. DH's back hurts so I must take this one on by myself.

By the way, I have a RED Jeep. The only new car I've ever had in my life and probably the only new one I'll ever have. Love my Jeep. :)

My Aunt's orchid now has flowers. I need to download the pic's for you all. They are very pretty flowers.

Sherri, you are too good a neighbor. I never, ever rake up the leaves from my live oaks. My excuse is that they need the leaf cover on the ground to mulch (keep weeds down, moisture in the ground, and the soil cool in summer) and provide nutrients for the trees. Luckily I live on a corner, so my four massive oaks really only drop leaves on my property and the street. Leaf blower works great getting them off the street, and off my gravel pathways. They all go in the grass or in the flower beds.

Can't wait to see your orchid flowers - don't forget to post them over on the Orchids forum, too! I have two big pots of Nun's orchids still teasing and taking forever to open! Every one of my 'rescued' phals from Lowe's death rack has a flower spike coming along now, too! Even if they only survive one bloom cycle, they were all bargains!

Clero's think it is spring already! Blue one is a start I got from KayJones last fall - doing great! They start out pretty vivid blue/purple, and end up almost white.

The other is Shooting Star clerodendron, and the plants are at least 12ft tall now! As soon as they're done blooming, they're getting cut down to size!

Lovely! I just noticed the shooting star Clero. you sent me is putting out green leaf nodes - YIPEE!

Also, I am getting ambitions to roust this nice EE - Colocasia 'Blue Hawaii' out of its pot and divide it up. It has pups jumping out of the pot with bulbs attached, and many, many stems as you can see. Anybody done this before?

I will have starts to give away or trade, so speak up if anyone wants a piece of this guy. It's not a huge type, largest leaf was a little over 2ft. long, whole plant got 4ft. high and wide last summer. Very pretty purple or burgundy stems and leaf veins, once the weather got cooler the colors really popped.

Drew . .. are you lurking?? Help!

I pot up all my babies, Elaine.. it is easy to do.

at sisters right now, anyone know what this is? I thought I gave her a datura, but this is not a datura I am familiar with..

Deb, it looks like Solanum wendlandii aka giant potato vine.

hhmmmm now how da heck that happened? LOL

it has datura shaped leaves and a Y'ng habbit, tho..

Maybe it is an Ichroma.

Here's some information:

Purple Queen' Ichroma - An Athens Select plant which means that this beauty will tolerate high heat and humidity and bloom profusely all summer long. This striking plant has green velvety leaves and whorls of purple tubular flowers that hummingbirds love. Growing 24" tall, this drought tolerant plant will bloom across the country from early summer until frost.

Elaine,
I would love one....maybe we could trade. I still have your 'Elaine' begonia...whenever you are ready for it.

I am happy to report they are back to working on my GH. One guy came Friday and my son helped him and they got the rafters on and I went to Tifton to pick up the polycarbonate. He said if all went well they should be able to put it on Monday. Soooo, by the end of the week (fingers crossed) it should be done. I am so excited!

Picts. tomorrow

Just in time for hot weather!!!

Hi from Australia. I've just joined this thread, and really enjoyed looking at so many familiar plants.

Here's a few tropicals blooming in my garden at the moment.

Photo 1 - Mussaenda philippica 'Calcutta Sunset'
Photo 2 - Costus productus or Orange Spiral Ginger
Photo 3 - Hibiscus schizopetalus

Welcome, bernieh! Your flowers are lovely - I really must get that first one - it's stunning!

Edited to add that a google.com search shows it only available in Australia - drat!!!

This message was edited Feb 9, 2013 9:09 PM