Tropical Plants and Gardens #130

Can't wait to see a picture of that flower, Lily. Get the flash ready on your camera.

Thanks Kay, Homer and dyzzypyxxy. With your wishes; my dream realized! The flower did open as the sun sets yesterday evening, and remains as of 5'ish this morning. Homer, Roll Tide to my DH. As for me it's War Eagle lol

The first 3 pics. were taken yesterday at sunset. The last two were taken this morning.

Lovely Lily !! Good job !

Thanks mj, it's a beautiful morning. The flower remains at this hour. Such glorious bloom.

Beautiful - congratulations!

Yay, thanks for sharing, Lily. It's gorgeous. Any fragrance? Most night-bloomers are perfumed, to help the pollenators find them in the dark.

Wow lily, I don't think I've ever seen a bloom on a ric rac before...how beautiful! Actually the bud is just as pretty. How's the new camera coming along?

mj, Everything you gave me is looking really good, just the purple majesty salvia still very wilted but I think it will come around. Right after I planted everything we got a nice downpour again, which was nice. Thanks again for allowing me to spend time in your lovely garden and giving me pieces of it.
-Sherri

Hi Sherri, and all. Wouldn't you believe it; the bloom is still shining its glory at this hour. Perhaps because it's partially shaded from the morning sun from the Eastern side of the garden. dz, to my suprise there isn't a fragrant that I can tell. Not like my Oxyphylatum epi blooms. But to be so dazzling as this beauty is, I hope the pollinators will find it somehow.

sherri, I have been so very busy and the new camera got put away for the duration. I wished I knew more about it-- I would have captured some fantastic shots with this ric rac bloom. Oh, have you seen any monarch there yet? Love that profile pic. on your screen.

Here is a pic. I just took a few minutes ago, I did notice that the petals begun to curl inward though.

Yes I have, but just a few here and there. I did have some cats back in the beginning of April and they devoured the milkweed, there were only three of them. Don't see anything laying eggs now, but milkweed is coming back nicely and will be ready for them. We actually caught the end of a Monarch emerging From chrysalis one day and that is just so amazing to see in real life. It was attached to our Schefflera tree by our fire pit all along and we never knew it was there.

All you have to do is practice with the camera, and get one of those "Dummies" books for your camera, it helped me a lot. But mostly just lots of practice and patience. But I think these cameras will be a lifelong learning session.☺

Hydrangeas are beginning to bloom
vargigated
Tahitian waterfall - or something like that
endless summer
didn't think I had a white one...so keeping my eye on this one
Lady in Red has a lot of blooms

Paula, that variegated one is stunning! Thanks for reminding me to go check on my hydrangeas. Every year I think they're dead, and they come back nicely every spring, then suffer from fungus and powdery mildew all summer . . . I should give up, but . . they are so pretty when they bloom. Then they're so ugly all summer I hide the pots.

Shooting star hydrangea
Caladium 'Scarlet O'Hara' is a new one for me. (I'm thinking it looks like a cartoon plant)
Brug. 'Charles Grimaldi' just started from a cutting last fall, already blooming!
Caladium 'Gingerland' is putting up delicate pink flowers.
Begonia 'Odorata alba' smells lovely in the mornings, and is getting way out of control.

You guys show stuff all year...(beautiful stuff I might add). it is just beginning for me. It will be awesome by August though.

Everyone have a nice Memorial Holiday!


Drew

Look at my cute planter I found...I'm putting it down by the barn. I've got to decide what to put in it.

cannas are really growing
daylilies are putting on a show also.

Hey guys!

The weather here has been highly schizophrenic, what with being in the 40's one day and in the 80's the next...

I got the hardy bananas and gingers I ordered from Plant Delights last Friday and planted them, and have almost finished moving plants from my parents' house (still have 3 dwarf palmettos and several hostas, including a Blue Angel to get yet). I'll see about at least posting some kind of pic tonight after work.

Oh, and the "mystery arum" I mentioned about last fall has shown up again, bu the leaves haven't unfurled yet.... I'll post pics when they do, because I could swear it is a Calla of some kind, but there is no way callas could survive the winters here.

Where is everybody?? I know you have pictures.

Not to be a downer, but yesterday was not good. A good friend of ours pulled over in front of a semi and is in critical condition with two cracked vertebrae and possibly a severed spine. He's in his 80s. One of our employees house caught on fire and burned 3 of her rooms and another employee collapsed at work and started having seizures and last I heard on her, she had brain hemorraging and they ran tests on her and there was no brain activity. This is a woman in her late thirties with two young boys. It breaks my heart! So those of you who believe in miracles and prayer, Please pray for all these families. On on top of that, my husband dad isn't doing well, he's having all kind of pain and they don't know what is causing it. They have taken him to a specialist this morning.

So...to brighten my day...I went on a 'treasure' hunt. This brightened my day. This thing is about 8 inches across and such a vivid red/pink. I hope the colors show true.

Paula, goodness what a terrible day! Here are a few flowers for you.

- Agapanthus
- a late Tolumnia (little tiny orchid)
- pink Brugmansia, don't know the name for sure, a start from Deb
- the pink and yellow brugs are shading the shelf unit with the orchids right now.
- yellow Brug 'Charles Grimaldi' is going to town despite an attack by the accursed spider mites!

- Spathoglottis plicata, I nicknamed this one 'Opal' because it goes from pale yellow and red, through purple and cream and ends up pink and white.
- same, only all yellow.
- lovely Colocasia 'Teacups' from Alice, recovering nicely and putting up new growth

Paula, thinking of you and keeping you in my T & P's.

This is one of those "what the hays?" I have never had any gladiolas here but this is what popped up in an old pot of amaryllis. It is not the sort of thing a bird would plant. LOL

I wish I could capture the intensity of this Erythrina bidwillii, the red just glows in person.

My first tomatoes of the season, The variety is Tomatoberry and they are like little hearts.

I wanted to add that I found one of those scrunchy hoses they advertise on TV at my local CVS and I like it! It has cheap plastic fittings so it likely will not last too long but it is as light weight as they say and so easy to move around my deck, no dragging a heavy rubber hose anymore. However, it does not scrunch back like it does on TV, you do have to empty the water out but it is easy. It would be great in a GH, much easier than those spiral ones. Two thumbs up.

Paula your epi is gorgeous and Elaine, you always have the neatest variety of plants blooming. Just beautiful!

This message was edited May 30, 2013 11:56 AM

Paula, of course I will pray for your friends!

All the flowers are beautiful.

I had to put my best fur friend, (Harley) a 15-year old Border Collie, to sleep Tuesday morning, after he suffered a total stroke on Memorial day, so this hasn't been a great week for me, either. I am just sick and my heart has a hole in it the size of Texas - I miss his 'smile' so much!

Oh, Jo that is such a shame. I know how devastated we will be when we lose our cat, although she is only 12.

Here's something to cheer you up, too. First pic is one of four cuttings of P.quadrangularis that has been in water for nearly 2 weeks and has not wilted or lost any leaves. I think we may have a success here! Will send it along to you as soon as I'm sure it's rooting.

Always fun, the lobster claw Heliconias are starting to bloom their bizarre flowers. I must get after the ratty looking foliage, but I know my friends won't look at that, right?

Last one is a native orchid, Encyclia tampensis, with very tiny golden flowers, white lip with a little purple and a lovely fragrance!

Oh, that Orchid is just adorable! Yes, all the beautiful flowers help me feel close to all of you, my Friends - thank you for caring and sharing!

Elaine, Alice, and Kay....thank you so much! The gentleman actually came home today, my husband told me.

Our employee...nothing has changed. They did confirm and aneurysm and they think when she leaned over it triggered it and then she had seizures and a stroke. She has two little boys, one in 1st grade and the other in 3rd grade. Just breaks your heart. Information is limited since her husband doesn't leave her side and he's the only one getting the information. Please continue to pray for them.

Beautiful flowers!! I get the greatest thrill walking around outside seeing everything bloom. Seems like there is something different everyday. I went to Lowes today and found a EE named "Coral Ruffles' I think. Something like that...its one of the black/dark purple ones. I'm planting them in containers and lining them up down the driveway. I'll take a pic tomorrow.

Going to the coast tomorrow to rest and relax....hahaha...got to work on the yard and flower beds down there.

beautiful flowers. prayers for all the pain and suffering. I have never seen such beautiful plants as I have in this lil room, the tropical thread., You are all so special.
Elaine it looks like an isabella, but if it isn't tagged it is a pink NOID, sorry!

we got 2 and a half inches of rain in about 6 hours. I got some water in the basement, YAY! LOL

I am wanting to replace my Dischidia pectinoides aka kangaroo vine or balloon vine - does anyone have one to trade?

My baby is graduating next year, so we have been taking pictures. Forgive me for being a proud parent, but I think she's beautiful! And smart too!!

She is truly lovely Paula, you should be proud

Kay, I am so sorry for your loss. Our furbaby is going to be 8 in September, young for sure, but he has had so many health problems we never know if the next will be the last. They are part of our families, I know you are devastated, as we surely would be.

Paula, she is lovely! Alice, thanks for the encouraging words - yes, I am sick at heart, but he was in pain and had no quality of life, which he enjoyed for 15 years - sadly, it was his time to go.

Congrats Paula, It is ok to be proud. She is lovely. KayJones, I have never heard of that plant, and when I googled it, I thought well, that is just like her to want something so unusual! :)

You all have such unusual and interesting plants.
I know you will miss Harley, but he will be in your heart forever. I still have not been able to get past Duke enough to get another dog,.

here is what I found, Kay.. http://www.epiphytica.com/Dischidias.html

Debra,
I saw that also and thought these are great plants. Think I'll order some. But they are in Thialand, so I'm not going there. I would love to take a trip to there and see all their flowers.

As to the pink brug, lol, please do not apologize. I really don't care what her name is, she's lovely. The flowers open pure white, then the pink rushes in very quickly. They were very pale pink in the cooler weather but are getting much darker now that it's warmed up. The plant is 8ft tall in the pot, and a blooming machine! I am battling a bad case of broad mites on Damien, though. Any new remedies?

Paula, your daughter is adorable. Nicest 'flower' you've shown so far! Fabulous red hat.

A little window box planter on one of the pool cage supports, planted with 3 colors of Epidendrum in it. I think it's going to look nice once they fill in.
The dark pink brug - it is the one that came tagged 'Insignia' but probably not.
Broke a long cane off one of my Begonia 'Don Miller' plants a while back. Here it is blooming, standing in a jug of water.

This message was edited May 31, 2013 12:27 PM

Elaine I have some stuff for your brugs, I will get it in a small vial and send it to you.. I won't be able to send until monday, I am on my way to work now..

Monster White brugmansia is putting on a big show. This is one of three big plants I've grown from one little cutting Debra sent me 2 years ago. She also sent me pale pink 'Cherub' at the same time and it is now so tall I can't get any good pictures of the blooms without using a ladder or a zoom lens. It is blooming now, as well.

Thanks, Deb. Any help with the mites is much appreciated at this point!

KayJones, the P.quadrangularis cutting is showing roots! Let me know anything else you'd like starts of and I'll put together a package for you.

I'm sorry to hear that you've been having such a bad week, Paula... Mine wasn't so hot either... I got pulled over and fined on Tuesday, and just last night I found out that my grandmother was in the hospital with a back fracture (she'd been having problems with a couple of her lower vertebrae and was scheduled to recieve treatment to prevent just this)....

On a more positive note, I've managed to finally get the last of the "critical" plants moved from my parents' house to mine (not planted yet, it was too dark when I got back to the house). Included in this bunch were my last 4 types of Hostas, 3 "Mc Curtain" dwarf palmettos, one lenten rose (hellebore), the last remaining survivors of my formerly huge clump of giant reeds (the clearing they were planted in got grown over, and they went into rapid decline the past 3 years), a small Pawpaw tree, and a real prize: my one surviving clump of Arundinaria gigantea that I brought back from Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2005.

Since it was struggling (again, due to where it was planted becoming more and more shady and overgrown), I was afraid it might not have any rhizomes with viable buds on them (which almost always results in the eventual death of running bamboos), but I decided to dig it up anyways since I didn't have any way of easily obtaining more A. gigantea, and was pleasently surprised to find a small rhizome heading away from the main plant with viable buds on it.

My wife and I also bought 3 blueberry bushes at the local nursery yesterday and I planted them earlier today. They already have a ton of berries on them and they're starting to get ripe.

Also, all my hardy gingers and "Mekong Giant" hardy bananas that I planted last week are doing well. I'll DEFINITELY try and get some pics up tomorrow.

Hikaro
Sorry to hear about your grandmother. I know all about the moving of plants....that's what I have been doing the last couple of weeks also. Finally sold our house so I am digging up the ones I want at my new house. It is back breaking work. But I am almost done. I dug up and moved a 5ft. Fatsia and it seems to be doing good. I water it every day,so hopefully it will make it...it's been over a week.

sadly our employee passed away...she had the aneurysm and the doctors could not find any signs of brain activity. Sad, sad,sad!!!

I hope in the next week or so to list a lot of plants that need new homes. I have got to get rid of some. I may list them here first for all you guys to see if you would like them. I ll probably do a few at a time so I don't get overwhelmed and confused with who wants what.

Oh, me, me, me! I'll pay postage or trade when you get settled in your new home and see what you need. Just let us know.