.... so THAT's where peanut butter comes from!!...
End of summer blooms
does it sucker all over? invasive-like? I seem to be good at planting invasives lol...
My first castor bean! I believe the seeds are from Sally. I sowed around 10 seeds and this is the only one that made it through our wet spring. Are the seeds forming now? Or have the blooms not fully opened up yet?
Beautiful SSG, There will be rather large seed pods you can't miss them. They will dry out and when you split them open there are several seeds in each pod. I have 4 of them growing. My pods aren't ready for harvest till pretty late in the fall.
I have three nice baby PB shrubs I would like to give away. WInd- Mine suckered, but then it was in a very moist spot which seems to really encourage suckering of certain shrubs, another being Calycanthus.
speedie- LOL!!!
My red castors came from Holly originally. I got one self sown this year from the one I grew on purpose last.
My PB shrub hasn't suckered and it is looking very tree like rather than shrub like.
I would be potentially interested in one, Holly or Sally!
Pectranthus Brazilian Purple
Volunteer Rudbeckia in the shade
One of the last DLs blooming
Jen , I'm staring at lots of non blooming Plectranthus. Do you put it in sun?
ME ME Catmint-
I just found out that this Chelidonium majus wood poppy is an aggressive non native- Poo! This thing grew from a stray seed this spring into a two foot around mound in the end of the vegetable garden. This will cause me to rethink my use of the plant.
I do have the native wood poppy, which is the Stylophorum with fuzzy fat pods but only blooms in spring.
This message was edited Aug 11, 2013 8:09 AM
Almost full shade
we have a pectranthus still inside... should move it outside in the shade on the porch it may be happier. I moved another house plant outside that I don't know the name of, which gets purple blooms and has fuzzy leaves and I nearly killed it by overexposing it to the elements
loving the lisianthus; in pots w/coleus and salvia
can't take my eyes off this zinnia; amazing colors
Joe pye is really tall
Physostegia virginiana (obedient plant) just started blooming in our butterfly garden. blooms must be comfy for bugs!
glad we got a few zinnias started this year
Wind, I love that zinnia with yellow around the edges--just beautiful. And what a wonderful photo of the butterfly on Joe Pye and the bugs relaxing in your obedient plant! The lisianthus is also beautiful.
LOL, Sally--I'd *love* one of your PB cuttings! :-) What kind of light does it seem to like best?
thanks Jen.
Sure Catmint-. Um. Well I have one in mostly full sun and the babies are against a wall that gets afternoon sun but morning shade. Its grew vigorously it's first year in the PM sun and very moist spot. Need Holly's vote on sun/shade since hers is blooming well. My larger one is young enough that it may not be blooming well simply from immaturity.
I'm wondering how big the PB shrub/tree will get? Ours is growing so well, but now I'm wondering if I gave it enough room. Ours is in am sun, then a little afternoon sun, but mostly shade late afternoon. We have had a lot of rain as you know, so it is happy with all the moisture. And, I think I did see one sucker already!! Ours is sort of near a birdbath and it is getting water from me overflowing the birds water too.
bunnies everywhere lol
chiltepin pepper blooming
grasses blooming too
Ours is planted down behind the barn which is a bit of a messy area. I hadn't seen any suckers but Ric mows that area so I wasn't sure that I would have. But while I was down there taking pictures and noticed one that was off to one side where it may have escaped the mower as we have been working on the chickie pen in that area. Mine is about 6ft tall right now, a fast grower I think. As far as sun or shade, I'm really not too sure how much sun it really gets there. The back of the barn does get full afternoon sun. But there is a very large maple that could be giving it some shade and I think that the barn would probably block most of the morning sun but it could be getting some. Also there is a small structure that could also have given it some shade as well. I truly couldn't say how much sun it really does get. I will try to pay more attention the next sunny day I am home to get a better idea.
nice pics!! thanks for posting them Holly. Ours is right next to a row of the Regal hostas, which would be fine with some added shade. Yours looks quite happy in that spot. I'm looking forward to see if ours blooms next year
Gita, the MG seeds are starting to germinate already =)
wind---
Do you think there will be enough time for the MG to grow
and bloom before winter? Not sure.........
I hope you saved some of the seeds for next spring.
Then they would get the full season to dazzle you.
Gita
This volunteer is blooming nicely. It this portulaca?
Looks like it to me.
pretty portulaca!
nice find- I have no clue on your other one.
Diana that Zinnia is fabulous!
Rebloom on DLs
The scent on this Stained Glass hosta is amazing!
My Velvet Queen sunflowers are peaking now. I love the color and the fact that it's a branching variety. Also not super tall so a shorter person (me) can see the blooms.
The purple ruffles basil is pretty i guess, but i will not waste energy growing it from seed again.
A swallowtail on the scabiosa at The Perennial Farm in Long Green. Beautiful place!
Karen--
That Sunflower is very pretty! Did you grow it from seed?
How tall DOES it grow????
Gita
Love that sunflower.
Typ, I have never seen a red sunflower before--very pretty! I had some African blue basil this year in my herb garden--very pretty, but wanted to take over the whole space! Beautiful butterfly.
Jen, the 'Stained Glass' hosta looks great--and I love the idea of a *fragrant* hosta!
Gita, I've grown Velvet Queen 2 years in a row (yes from seed). It's my favorite! I'm pretty sure that the seeds are available at garden retailers, it's not an obscure variety. I think I got these seeds at the end of the season last year at discount. Probably still have some left over if you want some for next year. My plants top out at about 6'. Perfect height for me to look up at their droopy heads :) I am planning to collect seeds (if I can beat the birds) but I have other SFs in the yard and I don't know if the seeds will come true.
Cat, the color may be a bit distorted but yes, it's a beautiful auburn color. Some of the flowers are more orange, or more red.
Jen, I just noticed that my 'Guacamole' smells like Honeysuckle and it's delightful. Had the plant for years and just noticed the smell this year!
Hm, my Guacamole doesn't have any scent at all! But I'm noticing for the first time this year that the Hydrangea Limelight has a delightful scent.
Typ, I can't grow sunflowers at all. The seeds get devoured by birds and squirrels even when I try to protect them.
You can protect the seeds on a Sunflower by putting pantyhose over the seed-head.
Karen--Six feet tall???? I won't have a spot for that--but I can always plant some
in my neighbor's beds...they ARE pretty..
Jen's fragrant Hosta looks like the August Lily Hosta. I have some of those...
Mine are just starting to bloom as well, and YES! they are fragrant...
Here's mine last year...
SSG, I never noticed the smell on my Guac before, but this plant is in a place where the hot humid air sort of hangs on hot days. The smells get sort of "stuck" there, maybe that's why I noticed it? If you ever take cuttings of that Limelight and have extras, or if it ever layers on the ground, I'd really love to have one of those one day.
The first year I tried growing SFs, I lost 2 seed packets worth to slugs before I realized it was slugs.... The second year, as soon as I started to see the dirt getting pushed up by the dear little cotyledons, I put canning jars over them to protect them till they got a few true leaves and were no longer tasty to slugs. I still lost some but not many. Year 3 I bought slug-bait and I have never looked back. I don't use many chemicals in my yard but I will use slug-bait forever as long as I am direct sowing seeds or growing hostas, and as long as I don't have a dog.
Here's one from last year. I don't know what variety, it was part of a mix.
Gita, I think 6' is pretty petite for a sunflower?! I planted some at my work and they are (NO JOKE) 10-12' tall. Velvet Queen is very well behaved. The leaves are not so wide so it would go nicely in the back of a flower bed. I don't mind if I don't beat the birds to the seeds. For me, that's half of the fun of growing SFs.
Typwc -- slug bait is really really toxic - you might consider switching to Sluggo which works great and decomposes into fertilizer. See, for example, http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html -- "Baits containing the active ingredient metaldehyde are most common; however, metaldehyde baits are particularly poisonous to dogs and cats, and the pelleted form is especially attractive to dogs. Don’t use metaldehyde snail baits where children and pets could encounter them. Metaldehyde baits containing 4% active ingredient are more effective than those containing only 2%; however, they also are more toxic to dogs and wildlife. Avoid getting metaldehyde bait on plants, especially vegetables. Some metaldehyde products are formulated with carbaryl, partly to increase the spectrum of pests controlled such as soil- and debris-dwelling insects, spiders, and sowbugs. However, carbaryl is toxic to earthworms and soil-inhabiting beneficial insects such as ground beetles, so it is better to avoid using snail baits containing carbaryl." See also http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/haloxyfop-methylparathion/metaldehyde-ext.html
About Sluggo, the same UC Davis site says: "Iron phosphate baits—available under many trade names including Sluggo and Escar-Go—have the advantage of being safe for use around children, domestic animals, birds, fish, and other wildlife, making them a good choice for an integrated pest management program in your garden. Ingesting even small amounts of the bait will cause snails and slugs to stop feeding, although it can take several days for the snails to die. You can scatter the bait on lawns or on the soil around any vegetable, ornamental, or fruit tree that needs protection. Iron phosphate baits can be more effective against snails than slugs overall and more effective than metaldehyde during periods of higher humidity. Snails and slugs tend to hide before they die, so you won’t see scattered empty shells or dead snails and slugs as you would if treating them with metaldehyde."
Thanks for the info, Happy! I'll definitely look for it next Spring.
typwc, A friend that runs the local Hosta Club does an ammonia drench every year for slugs. Kills the eggs as well as the slugs. I haven't really looked at the pros and cons of this practice. I had thought I might try it this year depending on what I could find out about it, but never did get a chance to.
Typ, I haven't tried to propagate Limelight. It's been pretty upright for me and doesn't sucker at all, so it would probably take some planning.
Pinky Winky, on the other hand, looks like would be pretty easy to propagate. I just need to fight the mosquitos to get back there and check if the lower branches have rooted. :)
Thanks, Holly! I'm intrigued by the idea. Let me know if you ever try it.
SSG, don't worry about it, I just thought I'd ask in case you were already planning it.
1: the velvet queen sunflowers again so you can see the whole plant.
2: I believe this is "Mickey Mouse" Colocasia. Rec'd in trade this year. Affected by mites but I haven't treated it yet.
3. I love this seedling coneflower. It has short round bracts which make it looks so sweet. I will have to destroy it though, as I believe it has Asters Yellow. :(
4: Indian Summer is still going! My 'dynamite' CM is still young, and doesn't bloom true, it has a bit too much pink in it. I think it gets too much shade. I've come to terms with the alternate color now. Please disregard the wilting coleus. I did rectify that after the picture was taken.
5: caladium from Gita. It's beautiful!
This message was edited Aug 14, 2013 9:19 PM
hi, Typ. How can you tell that the plant has mites? Is it because of the slightly mottled green appearance in the leaves, or something else?
Cat, in this case, I know it's mites b/c the stippling on the tops of the leaves. Is that what you meant by "mottled"? If I were to turn the leaf over, I would see lots of tiny pinpoint-sized black dots. Those little jerks are mites, probably spider mites. Sometimes the bugs are red or brown. When the infestation is severe, they start making webs. Spider mites hate humidity and love dry, unhappy plants. If I were more diligent, I would keep the plant well-watered and mist it daily. But I'm kind of too lazy to fuss with this plant right now. And so it has mites. It's not my favorite plant in the garden, but I'm warming up to it.
Thanks, Typ. I think I need to check my plants soon and make sure they are all healthy!
Ammonia is very effective for slugs, as Holly said, our local hosta master does it every year. Here is a brief article on hostas and slugs.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/hosta/msg071238361302.html
There is also the tried and true: a saucer of beer with a lid set on bricks or something to keep out the rain and prevent the dogs from getting tippsey. LOL
This message was edited Aug 16, 2013 1:52 AM
Typ, I am *so glad* we had this conversation! I had brought my coneflower inside because it just wan't doing well and I wasn't sure why, and so after reading your post I went and looked at it, and it has the stippling on the top of the leaves--and the tiny little black spots on the backs!! I googled spider mites, and it looks exactly like the pics. :-( So, I sprayed it with Neem oil. Now I need to go check all my plants and see if anything else needs to be sprayed!