Wow, Drew, I hope all is well and no damage. Those afternoon storms can be bad! We've had so much rain lately our pond is at its max.
TROPICAL PLANTS AND GARDENS #131
A few more gingers showing up this week, after all the rain.
- Curcuma white
- the little divas, Kaemferia aka peacock ginger
- the Alpinias are nearly over, showing their little yellow faces
- I'd be more pleased with this heliconia if he would stay in the flower bed!
- never seen so many Lobster Claws, again giving credit to the rain!
We can't send flowers, but we can post them to keep Deb's spirits up here. C'mon folks, wander out to the garden with the cameras!!
Deb isn't doing so good right now - pray for her and the whole family, please.
Sorry to hear Deb is having a rough time, I am sure this weird weather they are having does not help. Keeping her in my T & P.
Pinstripe ginger is doing well for me this year.
Individual flowers, have I read somwhere that they are edible?????
Wouldn't this hydrangea have looked pretty if Bambi had not munched on the other 16 buds? Grrrrrrr
Orestachys boehmeri flower buds - oddly interesting.
What's up with this lotus? The flowers are browning off before they fully open. Big disappointment.
Shame about your lotus, Alice. I can't imagine why they would do that. Did you taste one of your ginger flowers?
I have some unwelcome visitors that have come back on my Begonia odorata alba. Spiralling white fly. They rub off easily, and are treated with soapy water quite successfully. The plant doesn't seem to be set back hardly at all, and this is the second go round for this pest.
Heliconias are happier now that we got some rain.
'Easy Does It' roses are blooming up a storm, too. I fertilized everything at the end of May, then we got 4in of rain, plants all took off!
Shooting Star hydrangea still looks good, but the powdery mildew will start soon.
Caladium 'Scarlet O'Hara' is finally putting on some more demure colors.
Some nice White Geiger flowers down low enough so I can get pictures today.
Paula's Begonia 'Chocolate Bonfire' is very thin and wispy, but it is blooming!
Caladium 'Gingerland' brightening up a shady corner.
Elaine, that Geiger tree's flowers are just beautiful!!!
Elaine,
Mine are the same way. I have pinched them repeatedly, but so far they are not getting bushy. Must be the type.
I'm going to try this again...posted these on the wrong forum earlier.
1 - colocasia gigantea - I think (found in a ditch in someones trash pile)
2 - calidora (I think)
3 forgot
4 - white lava
5 stingray
and last, but certainly not least
mayan mask
Elaine, the 'forgot' looks like A. teacup. Deb gave me one last year and it looks like mine.
Paula, I have a plan for that little begonia. I'm going to snip back the long stems to halfway, and 'stick' the cuttings in the same pot until the pot gets fuller. Maybe that's how they get those pretty hanging baskets to look as gorgeous as they do.
Mm, I'm not sure on the teacup, Kay. My teacups (from Alice) have dark stems, and thinner leaves that are more cupped.
That one was sold to us as Teacup, several friends bought them at the same time from a reputable grower, but you never know with labeling anymore. I was sent 3 grafted tomatoes to trial for the breeder and so far 2 of the 3 have been mislabeled. You would think if someone goes to the trouble to graft a tomato, that can't be easy, they would at least keep the labels straight.
Love that Mayan Mask. If I wasn't still on my plant fast I would have to have that one. :-)
1. Xanthosoma Something or other....
3. A. longiloba
4. C. Nancyana aka, 'Nancy's Revenge'.
Drew, that C. 'White Lava' is likely a sport of 'Nancy's Revenge' that is being widely sold at the big box stores, according to LariAnn.
(I been lured to the dark side, Aroids forum on ATP)
Oh.. I'm sorry Paula! Wish we could get some here at our box stores... Charlotte has nada for Tropicals. It's pathetic;...
Kinda like not having a Jazz Station!
Drew, have you tried Blackhawk Hardware on Woodlawn (I think) I've never been there myself but I have been told they have a 2 story atrium with a good selection of large tropicals. Of course, you are pretty sophisticated and have higher than normal aroid expectations. :-)
My 'wild' cannas have started blooming. They are randomly popping up all over the back garden this year.
Mangoes are ripe, and I have finally figured out how to beat the squirrels to them. Have to police under the tree first thing in the morning, before they get to the ones that have dropped. I am winning! That is, I've eaten more mangoes than they have so far.
Will check it out Alice! ....I HATE going into Charlotte, however, I will drag myself down there to see what they have and report back if I don't have it!
Storm damage from last Friday night!
How the heck is everyone getting rain but ME?!!!!
I hear 'ya Drew, I would avoid Charlotte too. I am heading to Asheville tomorrow for the weekend and at this time of year the traffic there is bad too. I am spoiled, down here 3 cars at a stop light would be a traffic jam. LOL
Love that wild canna Elaine, are they tall? I have some C. indica that stay under 2' which is nice.
Vera Purple bougy is blooming again.
I have some of those short cannas too, Alice. They are wonderful. But that orange one is 4 to 5ft. tall and kind of lanky. It was supposed to be 'Stuttgart' which is the canna with the beautiful white/green variegated foliage. But I bought them twice, from different vendors and never got a single swipe of variegation on them. They have nice smooth green leaves with a sheen of blue, and the delicate soft orange flowers, so I tolerate them wandering where they will in the garden all summer.
I'm with you on the rain thing, Kay. Since TS Andrea went by we've had hardly a spritz of rain. Hearing thunder all the time, but the storms all roll away from us.
- Achimenes are blooming away hiding under the variegated spiral ginger
- which is blooming away like crazy
- anybody know if 'Hilo Beauty' is an Alocasia, Colocasia, or a Caladium? I've heard it called all three by different people and catalogs.
Elaine, the University of Oklahoma botany department has gone with Caladium praetermissum 'Hilo Beauty', but it's not etched in stone.
Good to know, Kay. Thanks. I really think it acts like a Caladium, and the leaf shape, texture and plant shape look more like Caladium to me, too.
- Thunbergia just keeps on blooming
- another spiral ginger with funny little striped flowers
- Begonia Sophie Cecile has the most amazing jagged leaves.
That is a neat-looking Ginger!
No rain here either!! Getting tired of watering!
Elaine do you have your Costus in full sun? When I got mine from the East Coast, they said full sun was okay--growing but some brown leaves. Trying to water lots--in this heat though everything looks wilty.
My lobster claws-like yours-seem to be on steroids! Even the ones that didn't look so good at the beginning of spring look wonderful and are blooming!
Hi Debi, nice to 'see' you back. No, my costus are all in shifting shade under the oak trees. Pretty bright shade, with peeks of sun, but no full sun except that one above gets a bit very late, like 6-ish. They do love water, for sure. That being said, they don't bloom if the shade gets too deep, either.
I think the Lobster Claws got a big boost last year from all the rain from TS Debbie, and now a big flush from TS Andrea, too. We try to take credit, but Ma Nature provides . .
We have some encouraging clouds out there now, and at least the storms are moving towards our side, instead of away today. Need a good soaking rain, for sure!
I just received a call from Deb - her dear Sister, Sherry, passed away about 45 minutes ago - she wants you to know how much she appreciates all your prayers and good thoughts during this very difficult time. She sends her love to each of you.
Here is a picture of Sherry and Deb, taken while on vacation to the beach, 2012:
Aww, Kay, believe it or not, that's the first thing I thought of was her when I sat down at the computer just now and I was going to dmail you to see if you had heard from her. I'm so sorry....I know her heart is breaking. Sending prayers her way.
Me too, Paula. Have been both dreading and hoping to hear.
(((HUGS))) for Debra, and thank goodness the suffering is over for Sherry. Hope Deb gets out into her garden, nothing better to help the healing begin.
Amen!
When things have settled a bit for Deb, I've invited her to come and visit me again - for as long as she wants - the ocean is very calming and Sherry LOVED it!
Elaine-- Thanks! I checked back to my purchase of the costus barbadoes and Jesse did say full sun! The roots are shaded from the worst of the afternoon sun so maybe that will help.
If we would just get some rain!!!!! Everywhere on Marco but here!!!! Blowing a bit now and very dark--we shall keep our fingers crossed.
Hmm, is this the one you have? http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2147/ It does say 'full sun' so I am amazed.
Yup, we got lucky yesterday, and got in the way of a couple of good downpours. Not only does the water help the plant, the clouds in the afternoon cool it down and give them a break, too. People as well . . Oh for the 'summer pattern' to get set up again.
This message was edited Jun 24, 2013 4:07 PM
Yes!!! It is sending up new shoots like mad!! It does get a sprinkle from the irrigation, but I water it a lot. Ridiculous to have an irrigation system and still have sprinklers! Am going to rearrange some tomorrow.
I took a walk around today and there is lots blooming.
All my dinnerplate hibs are blooming
and the echinecia....this is my first time with them
There's Hot papaya, gone crazy, purple prarieflower,white swan, several others
and more
rudbeckia and rose of sharon
agapanthus
first is "Queen Mum"
hit the wrong button
dark purple are my favorite
#3 red crinum
#4 &5 daylilies
