Plant Propagation -Part 2 -The Basics

Evelyn,

Please blow some of that rain down to Dawn and I!! -:)

You are right about the wildflowers...it will be interesting to hear what grows after the rain. My california poppies didn't do much this year at all... although my painters didn't help by walking all over them....Even before that ... they were a little punky this year.
I had a really pretty pink one that I was waiting for and unfortunately they tromped it before it could set it's flowers.

My former manager went to Australia about 7 years ago with his parents for a 50 year anniversary. He said that the lupines grew all over the sides of the roads and the environmentalists there wanted to erradicate them...they felt they were invasive. He thought they were beautiful. He said the colors were amazing.

Have a good day everyone...headed back to work. Nancy

Yes they are beautiful. The area where my new house is, is like that. Someone naturalized a meadow there or it did it by itself and has spread all over the area. Poppies and Lupines mostly but other things pop up all the time, so I go for walks weekly and as I see some new thing gone to seed, I rub off some seeds. If I don't do it, the next time you can't tell weed from plant. There is some pretty florescent purple flowers growing just now, can't wait to get some seeds of that. It is real low growing. I also had some Agapanthas type purple flowers all over my hill out back and some out front, which I mainly killed last year trying to make sure all the foxtail grass did not come back. That did not work but it did manage to kill most of my poppies and whatever else. Some other thing is starting to bloom too, that looks like Joe Pye weed.

Gosh Dawn... we need pictures!! Sounds so pretty. What a nice place to walk.... by the way... I should have said 'thanks' on my last post.

Yesterday was really hot... I had planted a small 'Bella' Nicotania that I purchased from Select Seeds during their end of season sale... I was afraid it would be sun-burned... but thankfully it did really well. I put a small plant umbrella over it last night so hopefully it has time to put down some roots before it has to face the heat. I also ordered some Ammi 'graceland' from Swallowtail Seeds. I have grown it this year from a start and really fallen in love with it. I hope it's easy to grow from seed. I want to put some in my front planter. Between the fireman and the painters... everything except a sweet bell pepper has died out there. I had some sweet little delphiniums in that planter that I found at a great price...I was so bummed when I lost them.

I'm growing some of the small Joe Pye in pot in my backyard for the butterflies. It hasn't gotten big enough to flower yet...but it's getting close. I am looking forward to the blooms.

Better get busy ...lot's to do here at work... have a great day everyone! Nancy

Long time ago and way back , and some of you have already read , A couple more of those rue seeds sprouted yesterday ,, how long ago were they planted. lets see first sprout was June 2nd So planted back in May they were . They sprouted July 8 About a month and a couple of weeks ..

I tried lupines in north Texas years ago, from seed and I think from Michigan Bulb or something, and none made it or did well. Actually our clay soil kills some things. My windflower bulbs this year were free, and good thing cuz I never even saw a sprout.

Texas blue bonnet seeds must be acid-bathed or nicked with scissors before planting to get them to germinate.

I am going to let my membership lapse this year, I think. If any of you wants to contact me that does not have my email I will give it to you if you send me a dmail. or look me up of FB Dawn Gunner Taillon or Pinterest comment on my pictures to communicate.

I love all of you. This won't be the last of me, but for right now, I think it will be.

You can send me your address Nancy for the seeds, because I can't find my seed envelope you sent me. I need to check maybe you did already.

You girls are great. I pray Dave will be fine and return to the thread.

Dawn, so sorry you are leaving for the time being. I hope you make it back soon. I have your e-mail and you have mine. Keep in touch.

Dave did post on Facebook this morning but did not say much. Just responding to someone's statement. Hugs, Sharon

Thanks Sharon. Too many expenses crept up on us the last 2 months or so. I am probably going to rejoin in Sept. I will miss you all.

Dawn

This plant showed up in one of my pots abut a week ago. It is growing like a week. This is what it was identified as this morning.

I ave two families that live about 10 houses down toward the golf course that are from India. Probably from the back garden. They have a family enclave. Two very large houses and Dr and wife Dr. live in one house with their children and the extended family lives in the other home. They have an extensive vegetable garden and many different trees. I bet they have one of these.

I have posted my photos and then the photo identifying it is the second photo. .

Sharon I recognized it right away. I grow it as a host plant for a variety of butterfly caterpillars.

The foliage is great...it closes up at night like a prayer plant.

It can grow to be huge. Doesn't bloom here until October! Are you going to keep it and let my butterfly bugs eat it?

Amanda...

I love your hat! -:)

That looked like a pollinator plant to me... I bet one of the local birds planted it for you Sharon. It's pretty....

Nancy

You can't do that Dawn. Our group seems to be shrinking. Pretty soon I will be talking to myself. Then everyone would KNOW I am crazy. We will miss you, please make it back asap. Jen

I found Dawn easily on FB. She is not gone, just taking the summer off. ;)

I am going to try and grow it. I wonder if it will freeze. It says it a tropical plant. I will let the caterpillars eat it. I will have to Google it.

My helper spread around some of my compost through out the garden and pots. I now have the smaller seedless watermelons and a small cantaloupe. The watermelons, butternut squash, tomatoes and cucumbers are all growing in the front landscape. The tomatoes are those medium sized tomatoes you get at Costco. Those are the only tomatoes I buy.

Photos attached. #1 is watermelon, #2 is butternut squash, #3 is cantaloupe and #4 is tomatoes by the driveway.

Photos changed on posting. You can tell what is what.

This message was edited Jul 14, 2013 9:39 PM

Sharon ~ That plant is beautiful. Will you save me some seeds of it? I would love to try to see if it will grow to flower in one season. Did it do that for you?

Don't mean to speak for Sharon, but I have a ton of seed from a friend in TX. This is my third season growing the Cassia alata a/k/a Senna alata. I haven't seen it bloom yet.

Last season it had huge buds, but the frost took it. I think the flowers would have opened in another week or so. I even consulted folks here on DG and fretted over digging it up. But it was so large.

I've been told I could put it in a pot and bring it in over winter. I'm not sure I have that much space.

It absolutely must have full Sun. I think I have it in a better spot this year. I'd love to see it bloom.

Evelyn, I'm thinking I have some things to send you and can get seed to you shortly.

If anyone else wants end a dmail. My friend thinks he's funny when he sends giant bags of seed when he knows I can't even get one bloom. It's prolific.

Evelyn, I just discovered it in a pot the other day. It must have been there for a few weeks. I can move it into the garage for the winter. It is in a pot, right by the pool in full Las Vegas sun. That is a hot area of the garden and it is thriving. I doubt it will bloom this year but if it does I will save you a seed pod if I get any. We stay warm and sunny through October. It has a very pretty leaf and the stem is bronze colored. Growing in India and the Philippines, it likes heat. They say in the Philippines, it is a invasive weed.

Vern just got up so I need to make him some coffee and get the puppies fed. I will check in later. Hugs, Sharon

Sharon there are a few native varieties I'm still trying to get my hands on.

One is Cassia marilandica. Off the top of my head, names of others escape me.

Try looking at a few here ..

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/search.php?q=cassia&Search=Search+PlantFiles

I guess I need to down the greenbelt and see if I can find the tree. I know which landscape it would most likely be in. Two large homes built on golf course lots with no fencing between homes and a very large vegetable/fruit garden. Families, a couple of generation from India. It is just to coincidental not to be in that garden. They know me and stop if they have questions for a board member but that is the only acquaintance I have had with them and they have lived here over 10 years.
So I cannot just go up and ring their door bell.

I will walk down there tomorrow. Sharon

Happy hunting! Let us know what you find.

I'd try to catch them out watering and stop for a visit, I've found that works pretty well.

Gypsi, are you kidding. They have housekeepers, gardeners, probably a butler. They will not be outside watering. Their garage is underneath their home so you cannot even catch them in the garage.

I was canning today so I did not get to walk down there. I will try early Thursday morning because I am doing more canning tomorrow morning.

Ask the gardener .... maybe ,,

Feverfew all died , bought some seeds today .. try again ..

oops. Obviously I live in a blue collar neighborhood. But I work in neighborhood's like theirs - I'm the pond lady.

I live in the same neighborhood but I think different than some of the people here. I talk to the help, mailman and such. I have great neighbors and they all now understand I am the owner and not the gardener. I have been here13 years and the first couple of years were probably frightening for them until they figured out I really did not care what car they drive or what they thought of me digging in my garden. I think they finally determined you do not want to mess with the little ol lady. (Smiling).

Gypsi, nothing wrong with Blue Collar. Too bad you think so. You might be surprised if you tried to join in some conversations. Oh well, I am not the one to try to change anyone. Too old and don't care. As you may be able to tell, I am tired tonight too. :0)

Jnette, I would NOT want to live in a white collar gardener and maid neighborhood like the ones I work in, too much stress from HOA's and code enforcement. I am happy where I am, but if I did, I'd be like Sharon, still digging in the garden.

Ha. I lived in a Condo development for ten years and pissed them off every day of it without even knowing. :P

They didn't like my plants, they didn't like the color of the lightbulb in my lantern, and on and freakin' on.

Love the neighborhood we're in now - older hood, beautiful homes, wide streets and all lined with old oak trees, nut and fruit trees in every yard, a dog or two almost at every house with no one to get mad if you happen to walk them off the leash once in a while because they're getting old, or if they bark at night once in a while.

Still, we have a landlord, rent don't own, and he/they are a pain in the _______. They have been so since almost day one, and caused me to experience great rage. So we've traded one devil for another. When we move to a mountain in Montana maybe there'll be peace.

Propagation . . . patchouli roots easily in water.

Passion flower vine - rooted fairly easily in water but took pretty long, lesser success rate.

Working mostly on transplanting things up to bigger pots now, what few there are from my seed starting this year. Mostly milkweeds that I persisted with given my penchant for letting bugs eat my plants.

And rabbits. Ack.

Anyone else doing anything with plants these days? Almost too hot to bother.

A.

I threw some zinnia seed out in an area about 3 weeks ago and they are just about ready to bloom. I did not expect them to come up until early summer.

I have two more vines growing in the flower bed. I have no idea what they are. I will just wait and see.

I have a trip to the airport to drop off a visitor and then shopping in a mall close to the airport for under garments and then back to my normal life.

My front landscape is like an English garden. I am on the HOA Board, called the mayor or mother. I am also the liaison with the HOA landscape crew They have finally gotten used to me and know it would do them any good if they did not. There are actually real people living in here. Very few have butlers and maids but the ones that do, do not return my waves. I think that is their loss.

I purchased some of those small yellow, red, orange salad pepper seeds. I planted them and only had one come up. I have put many seeds in the compost from the hundreds I have purchased. The puppies favorite treat. Sharon

Well, I went out and checked the tomatoes and have a few small ones on. If we don't get a thunderstorm to knock them off, they might grow some, but probably not enough to ripen before a freeze.

Guess I am pessimistic tonight.

Went to the dr. today and he was really pleased with his surgery. And the scab. He actually cut some loose parts off.

He gave me a prescription for PT so, will call one tomorrow. Have suggestions for 2 good ones. But 2 to 3 times a week is a lot when you have to drive 50 miles each way. 300 miles a week just for that??

Well, The politicers are having a potluck in the park tonight so guess I better get busy. ttyl, jen

I've got veggie and Hopi red amaranth seed starts almost ready to go in the ground. will start with flower seeds for overwinters after that. Where would you get patchouli?

Gypsi, don't know what it is, but did you google it?

M boyfriend's boss lady gave a plant to him that she had had for a while. It looked terrible, and I tried to turn it around. Loomed so bad I thought it might do something if I pruned the top off. Is then i had two plants. Both looked lame over winter. Don't recAll what I did to the cutting, but the top o the plant that I cut off actually grew better than the originAl plant.

Somehow recently a stem cam off TH plant. MAybe when I moved them outside to transplant. Any who, I looked yesterDay and that shoot had very nice roots after being in water for a Couple of weeks. After researching TH plant I decided it needed to be outside, an they have really responded to the sun an heat.

Cross post.. I fell asleep while I was writing that response. oops.

Amanda...

I have a patchouli plant in my garden and it's very pretty....I purchased it from an herb grower. The wood is what has the scent and it's very theraputic to smell in the garden. Mine has little white flowers and actually prefers a somewhat filtered sun. It grows about 2 feet tall and wide... although I suspect it may get larger with some fertilizing. I grow it in my fragrance garden.

I will try propagating it to see how it grows... -:)

Nancy

I don't know anything about it, but read what one of the people said on plantfiles about it, and it sounds pretty dangerous. Might read it. Jen

Patchouli has been used for centuries particularly for its distinctive fragrance.

Other dangerous plants in my garden include datura inoxia, ricinus communis, and toxicodendron.

Danger Will Robinson!! -:)

Nancy - I found the Chinese houses seed! Just enough to share. I had more but put it in the round robin this spring.

Have your name on it and a stamp in no time. ;)