July blooms

#1. Rattlesnake plaintain, goodyera pubescens. A relatively common native orchid perfering moderately acidic soil.
#2-4. Japanese maple seedling foliage, pot bound.

I'm disappointed the pictures aren't better. The foliage is really gorgeous.

This message was edited Jul 16, 2013 11:18 AM

Aaaah, the morning dew is sparkling very prettily on the Jap Maple's foliage. What variety is that, Paul? If those pics don't do it justice, then it must be Heavenly in person!
I do love those things; my fav is the Red Dragon. Ooooh so pretty... maybe one day I'll have one! =)

Thanks speedie!

It's a seedling of a seedling of a seedling (at least). A real NOID.

Stunning though. I love foliage plants. The Rattlesnake plantain is like that as well, chinsey flower spike but great foliage.

It looks like morning dew but it is smelly deer repellant. These days I just broadcast a quick spray and hit almost everything.

SS, thanks for that link--what incredible azaleas! I have never seen an orange one!

Speedie--yes, I totally agree that it was such a nice gift! :-) I didn't appreciate it at first--too busy settling in. The first spring and summer everything bloomed unaided by me--lots of annuals. Then this past spring it really looked neglected and overgrown with weeds so I began working in it--and what a treat to realize I have such nice soil and light to work with! It's really been a crash course in gardening for me--but I'm really loving it.

At this point, I have from the previous owner: a lovely pink dogwood and redbud in the front yard, oodles of azaleas, a beautiful lilac tree, a couple of large hydrangeas and rhodondendrons, two rose bushes, a couple of boxwood hedges (which I'm not crazy about), and some spiderwort and black eyed susans. And then there was the Gerbera daisy. ;-)

I like Gerberas okay, but they're not my favorite. I like that they produce such huge, long-lasting blossoms, but I only seem to get a couple at a time--not the profusion that I get on my coreopsis.

catmint---
Lucky you to inherit a garden with such rich soil! Just think of all the money that saved you...
Redbuds are so beautiful--those red blooms on bare stems! Such harbingers of spring!

Wanted to tell you that Gerbera daisies require regular bloom-type feeding to bloom profusely.
Also--cut off the old bloom stems at the base.

You are SO in the neck of our woods here--I know we will see you at almost every function.
Many of our MA people live reasonably close to you...

If you ever come my way-(5min. from White Marsh Mall and I-95) hope you can stop by.
SS is only 1 hour's drive from here....

thanks, Gita! :-) I hope to meet you all soon! I think I live pretty close to SS. Would love to see your gardens--your photos are so beautiful.

That's a good tip about the Gerbera! I'll give it some food and make sure I cut the old bloom stems properly. Maybe it will bloom for me again!

I've not grown Gerberas at home, but I've taken care of them at work, and I know that when I cut them back mid-season, we get another bloom time (or 2) out of them. Sometimes I'll even sneak into the greenhouse and give 'em a bit of a root pruning also, (sshhhh!!!), but of course they're still in their growers' pots, so they rather enjoy that. In the ground I'm sure they would never need it.

So Paul, your seedling is a Grandson? Ha ha. Do you have it in much sun? The colouring is very rich, not too overly-red... it sure looks happy!

Couple of garden phlox, echie, lily,

and a few more.
water Hyacinth, jasmine and EE's

OOOH Holly. Love your EEs. What kinds do you have? This year I have 5 kinds, 4 of which came from a generous trader from NC about 6 weeks ago I have the common green one (Photo 2), Black Runner, Diamond Head, Coffee Cups, and Illustris. Black Diamond (photo 1) is my favorite right now. Not a stellar photo, I know, but this way you can see how shiny the leaf is. Since this picture was taken, 2 more leaves have opened.

Also, I've been wanting to share a picture of one of my Hosta 'Guacamole''s flower spike (picture 3). I personally don't care much for hosta flowers and usually cut them off (maybe not anymore due to HVX). But this hosta has big, beautiful, pristine white trumpets with a pleasant scent that's not overwhelming. I believe 'Guacamole' is a sport of 'Fragrant Bouquet'.

This message was edited Jul 17, 2013 12:21 PM

Thanks for the tip about cutting the Gerbera back, Speedie! I'll have to spend some time with it today-- maybe I'll get some more blooms out of it this season.

Holly, that's a lovely phlox. Is that a Swizzle? And jasmine! I love jasmine--on my list for next summer! :-)

Oh yes Holly, gorgeous Phlox!! I'm not much for creeping phlox, but I love garden phlox, and yours look wonderful!

Cat, you're welcome,... though I think the idea originally came from Gita. I was just echoing her statement.

Catmint, my garden is just a couple of years old, so almost everything I have is baby sized. My instinct is to cram more plants in the empty spots, mainly so that I don't have to weed! But I need to remind myself that those shrubs and trees are going to get pretty big. UMD_Terp, Happy_Macomb and I all live pretty close by and we usually do a mini Mont Co swap before we go to the main one. You're invited to come by for a pre swap as soon as it cools off a bit!

Holly, your phlox pictures are so pretty! I got a tiny David phlox from Santa Rosa this year. It has really nice white flowers, but the color get all whited out on my camera phone.

I'm with Karen awesome EEs. I have an African mask, a black stem taro, and one more I can't recall.

Oh I just love EE's and I have a lot of caladiums as well. I am terrible about keeping track of my plants, so I don't always have the names. Here is a close up of the ones in the old pig trough. I "think" these three are Blue Hawaii, Illustris and Black Ruffles. Then I have a mini Colocasia affinis "jenningsii" such a cute little thing and the huge Portadora's that will get leafs that are 4-5ft long before the end of summer.

I also recently got quite a few of them from Coleup. I still have them in the pots in the driveway waiting for the arbor to go up so I can display them properly. My home is only a temp home for some of them. I will keep a few that I don't have and the rest will be given to other DG members in the MidAt area. I need to get Coleup to ID them for me. First three pictures are the ones from Coleup.
Paul my African Mask is still inside. I have heard that they are a bit hard to keep going and mine looks good and growing well but it is slow. For all the years I have had it, it is a small plant.

Holly--

I have tried to grow an African mask a couple times without much luck.
They always lose all their leaves and seem to go dormant. WHAT is it that they need????

The one Coleup gave did that--and, even though I had it outside in bright shade/am sun--
it had not grown the leaf back. Did I give it to you when you were here?
I know I gave it to someone....

I LOVE their leaves--so elegant! G.

Oooooohhh..... someone hand me a towel so I can wipe up my drool.....

Not sure what they need Gita, maybe the Benign neglect that most of my plants receive. I am quite often surprised how well most of my plants do with that policy.

I follow that same policy, Holly...to the NTH degree....
When it comes to plants--ignorance is bliss....
Other than watering--I do not do much of anything to any of my plants.

Now and then i DO mix up some fertilizer and water the bigger plants--like my Brugs
and potted containers. Annuals and perennials are on their own....

Just went outside to see what I could entertain you all with this morning....

1--My BIG pot is getting bigger,,,love the combo..
2--My KK Hibiscus--once it starts blooming--there is no stopping...easy way to ID my house
3--A section of my small bed by the front door
4--Mandevilla starting her climb up the 8' trellis..
5--The Acalypha doing very well in the front-door bed--gets strong AM sun for hours...
It will be interesting to follow this one's development...as we don't know what it is all about...

Catmint, Here is my mini campanula, It's Campanula garganica 'Dickson's Gold'
('Aurea')
SSG and Speedie, I have several different Garden Phlox they are such a fav of mine. That white one is David, the one with the pink center has a green and white variegated leaf. I will post more pictures later.
Gita, That container with the Persian Shield and caladiums is just gorgeous.

Holly, that splotchy EE in the 3rd pic looks like 'Mojito' to me, and the other one may be 'Maui Gold' (love the little purple belly button!!!). Your Blue Hawaii is gorgeous too. I just want to hug and squeeze that little jenningsii!

Gita, your KK hibiscus is even more beautiful in person! Glad the acalypha is doing well. Thinking of using it next year in my super-sunny front bed.


This message was edited Jul 17, 2013 9:55 AM

Karen--
I have NEVER seen an Acalypha before in my life--until I went to this GH and saw it.
I know nothing much about it....PF said it can grow 5' tall??
I need to read up on it a bit more...

I can take you there just so you know where it is...by now, I know all their annuals are in the compost pile,
Next spring--lets go shopping there? They are wholesale growesr--but open to the public.
very reasonable prices..
I could run up there tomorrow and see what they have left...it is only about 3 mi. from my house..
Right now--their focus is Mums--they are all potted and now fill the floor of the Greenhouse--and later--
they will all be out on the ground in their perennial area.
Usually, their 8" pots of Mums are (??) 3/$10, May have gone a bit higher--as everything is.
They grow their own from starts--very good product..

Better get away from this computer--i DO have to work today 12-5.

Gita

Holly, EEs from me pictured #1 Alocasia portadora but with a patterned leaf and a huge corm!
#2 Colocasia 'Black Stem' fontainesii and #3 'Mohito' (spotted) and 'Elena' lime green. Also have given you Alocasia 'wentii' and a C 'Black Coral'

Speedie I still have pots of C 'fontanesii, "Black Coral' and "elena' looking for homes as well as one lonely Encete Banana. I'll reserve them for you and you can pick them up anytime or at Fall Swap or from whoever I can convince to babysit them like Holly is doing. I'm leaving my 'tropicals collection to the MidAtlantic Forum as well as other plants I won't be taking on a move to Vermont Phase 1
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1319224/

Judy

This message was edited Jul 17, 2013 9:45 AM

Gita, when you come back -- is that a Setcretia in your BIG pot? (pic 1) Goodness that combo is gorgeous!!

Judy, that is really sweet of you, but I will respectfully decline only because I'm, honestly, not "into" growing tropicals... I just don't have the memory for it. Those gorgeous babies would be much better served living with someone who will take proper care of them. I am forgetful and neglectful. (why else would I grow so much Verbena and Sedum, right?) ;) But I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

lol but they would go so well with your new 'tropical' sun hat!

OK then its sedums for you with a side of Japanese Maple!

Seriously, will we be having a Fall Swap? Any hosters out there?

Anyone want a few more EEs? Karen?

yes, please! I sent you a Dmail :)

just curious, not volunteering, but what exactly does it take to be a swap host?

speedie--

I went out to water a couple things--so i am back here sitting in front of my little fan to dry off
the drippies....
Which one is a Setcretia ?? You mean the caladium? I don't know its name--as it came
from the box Holly was walking around with--with FREE huge bulbs of asst. caladiums
Bill had sent her as a Thank You gift (???). It IS beautiful! Jill wrote that it could be
a variety of Aaron--I disagree...It has its own patterning--which is lively.

OK! I may have time to check in from HD--as i sit right by my Computer there.
Just do not have access to my pictures of Documents....

OK! see ya! Gita

Gita, not trying to horn in here, but to answer Speedie's question. the purple leaved plant in your huge caladium pot is not setcretea, it is one of your favories. Persian Shield, right?

Judy I'd take more as well.

Holly my African mask is real small but it has been in the ground since the end of may. It disappeared but than reemerged. The same with the other I have that's need an ID. I'll post pictures Thursday.

Holly, your EEs are fantastic. Love how you have some in the hog trough. Ours from Coleup are doing very well.

Coleup, if you need to rehome some, we're more than willing!

Enjoyed seeing so many other shared blooms, too. Saw a hummer this morning checking out one of the lilies, and it took a short rest on the fencing. Very cool.

Yes that one is Mojito.

Duly noted Karen, Paul and Pat and thanks for your support. Hope it's as easy to find a home for myself!

Holly, the non speckled ones in the pic with Mojito are Elena.

Coleup I knew you told me what everything was when I got them but I never remember. So a sad bit of news the Haight Ashbury Hibiscus I think it came from you to Sally and then me. Didn't make it over the winter in the GH. The begonia that was in the pot with it is just huge and beautiful.

RIP Haight Asbury hibiscus We kept that going for almost 4 years! I loved the leaves and bloom color.
I guess taking cuttings i better method than carrying over matyre plant of the tropical hibiscus.

I was very sorry to see it go, such a pretty plant. We cut it back it was so big thinking it would put out new growth but it never did.

Coleup, I was just lamenting over the fact that I wouldn't have room for the 4 Cajun Hibiscus that I now own, and all the other tropicals to come indoors. I suppose that taking cuttings would solve my problem.....duh!

Just saying...if nobody else is interested in doing fall Swap, I would be happy to do it again. I'd have to work around library Saturdays, or do it on a Sunday or Friday. I am off on Sept 14 and Sept 28.
If someone else does it when I'm working, we have also started sneaking in small 'pre-swap' events. I really like that cuz it lessens the confusion on the big swap.

Karen, or others...all you really need is someplace for say 20 -30 people to hang out and 100s of plants LOL. We can never seem to do 'just a few plants' Everybody helps with potluck food, tables, drinks, etc

My Freydek aka African Mask has refused to sprout despite what I thought was fine conditions. Just now the tiny nub on top is getting minutely pointy.