FIRST FLOWERS SUMMER!!! Mid Summer Edition

Gita, That edging looks really nice just love it.
Tropical corner
Hardy Banana
Glad lined path to the GH
Yellow Glad

Very pretty daylily, Speedie! Love that color! :-)

Your glads are beautiful, Holly! Mine were just way too floppy.














This message was edited Jul 22, 2014 5:36 AM

Speedie. I love that you have a "Susan" Day lily! Wonder if there is a "Judith" or "Judy" out there...

Sally, your 'Black Stem' Colocasia looks mighty happy. Is it sending our runners yet? Did you say it had a bloom?

Even 'damage' to my Eupatorium 'Chocolate' is quite lovely!

Holly Hardy banana is looking good and starting to become a grove! Can't wait to see her descendants!

How long of a bloom season do glads have? I planted mine very recently but they are up a foot now. Have cut and trimmed some long bamboo canes to make a support structure for them as the ground was much too hard to do Jill's suggestion of planting them 10 -12 inches deep so they won't flop.

Judy--

My neighbor, Olga's, Glads have been blooming now for almost 3 weeks.
AND--her's all came back from last year. AND...she planted them quite shallow--
as her soil is hard too and she has no clue about gardening....

Mine are not in bloom yet--but the leaves are all really tall. I don't like that....
In my mind--I was thinking they would be, sort of, border height..

I had 30 total--the "bargain package" from Jill--@ $5. They are planted here and there...
Will have to mark the spots--as I also plan to leave them in for the winter....

G.

They definitely need support, Coleup! I had mine in the tulip bed, so 10-12" deep wasn't an option for me, either.

Catmint that is our bamboo rails system that keeps ours so nice and upright. Same system we use on the asparagus.
Coleup you are right I do have a grove of them now. Last year there were eight of them haven't counted them yet this year. I don't know how long individual glads bloom ours I tend to look at the whole bed which blooms over a very long period rather an individual plants.

I look forward to seeing and learning more about the bamboo rails system, Holly!

I'm not digging mine up anymore. Last fall I didn't get all of them dug up and they all came back. After that terrible cold winter we had if they survived that they don't need dug up any more. I do think that maybe some of the varieties may be more hardy than others but these are apparently hardy enough for our yard.

Catmint, You can see them in the Path pic (3rd pic) There are stakes in the ground at about knee high that support a long bamboo rail. There is one rail along the path and another on the Veggie garden side about the same height. They don't support each plant individually but kind of corral them and keep them from flopping over on the walk.

Wow, nice Glads Holly, very beautiful!

Judy, I too just recently planted some Glads and they are about a foot. They're growing quite rapidly. I was only going to put up a support after I saw a bud stalk. We'll see, I've never had them in my garden before.

Sally, it might be best to take a cutting and try to root that. Either that or send me some seeds when they're ready late fall and I can grow them in the spring.

Very cool idea Holly! The glads are gorgeous.

Holly, it is your bamboo rail system that inspired me to cut some of my own bamboo to rig one for my glads ans State Fair Zinnias all growing in one 30 foot row! How far apart are your rails? I was thinking 6 inches would work. I'll use bamboo for the stakes, too. Jeff, Hopefully I will get my
support system in place before they bloom.!!!
I didn't pay enough attention to the Glad bulb bonanza so ended up with all tall varieties but would like to have tried some of the shorties in containers.
Again, I have no sun in my yard so all my sun lovers are across the street in my neighbors veggie garden where they have lent me space! (My hose just reaches, too) We aren't sure we want permanent cottage garden there so subject to being moved anyway, I plant.
This year for me is a huge foray into sun lovers and nectar rich plants for pollinators. I tell you, shade gardening is sooooooo much easier!

PS Sequoia, Rose of Sharon seeds do not come true from parent plant so if you start with seeds it could take several years to see what color any you raise will turn out to be.

JUdy--REALLY??????

ROS seeds do not come true? How about all the self-seeders then?

I have lots of seeds to the "Lavender Chiffon" ROS. Picked pockets-full
about 2 years ago at Lowes. They were already clearanced and
full of seed pods....I really picked a lot...

Can you find out for me if the "Lavender Ciffon" would come true from seed?

Thanks....Gita

Hmm...interesting Judy. I guess a cutting it will be Sally! I don't know how to root a hardwood cutting though.

Coleup Ric says 16-18 inches he thinks.

Jeff, I find a lot of "how to" info on ehow - always pretty short and simple step-by-step directions. Here is a link for propagating ROS:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5782344_grow-rose-sharon-bush-cuttings.html

Judy - my mission in life now is to find this for you: http://www.daylilies.org/DaylilyDB/detail.php?id=149803&name=Judy%20Farquhar. Will that be ok for you?

Holly, I totally love your rail system, it's very attractive!! Not just how it keeps all your tall beauties upright, but the railing itself is really pretty; what a great job you did on it! Hmmm... now I think I can find a new job for DH's new vice!! =)

LOL {{{{Speedie}}}} !!!! That's a fancy one eh? That would be quite an upgrade from my ditch lilies.
My newest daylily is a red dwarf rebloomer called 'Little Business'

I love that color, Coleup! Yeah, Speedie's a sweetie, isn't she?? :-)

Oh that 'Judy Farquhar' is really beautiful.

Thanks Terri, that sounds pretty straight forward. That is a pretty one and I'd like to get my hands on it for sure.

Gita,
ROS 'Lavendar Chiffon' according to Daves Garden plant files is a patented hybrid that does not come true from seed.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/58343/

I started with one mauve pink ROS and now have a lighter pink, a darker pink, a lilac, a darker purple, several whites, one with a red eye all self seedling from original plant. I also rescued a bluish flowered one from a nursery where I worked that has never self seeded. It's blooming right now.

Jeff, ROS are 'easy' to grow from stem cuttings. Sallyg knows how and you will get an exact replica of her parent plant

Sweet, good to know, thanks Judy :)

With the ROS, I would do a 12 -15 inch stem cutting not the shorter one ehow suggests. Also, choose a stem to cut that does not have a bloom bud. When the cutting has taken (called the 'tug test') pinch out the terminal growing tip to encourage side branching. It can take 2+ years to reach blooming size. Remember that ROS is late to leaf out ( one of mine didn't leaf out til July this year!) so don't toss it as dead!
That clear pink is nice.

Donner how is the white ROS I swapped you doing? It is supposed to be a more dwarf form. I just can't remember its name.

duly noted aspenhill and coleup. I agree Judy about a longer cutting, and probably a more mature section not the greenest wood of the tip. I do have rooting hormone. MY mission in life is now to root 'Jeff's Pink', for Jeff. .

I would be skeptical about any rose of sharon seeds, after all, this pink one was from a cluster of purple and white ones. Gita, just take Rose of Sharon seeds off your TO DO list, now isn't that a relief?

Wow, it was from a cluster of white and purple ones? None of my seedlings have reached blooming size yet so but I'm anxious to see if they'll be blue like the parent 'Blue Satin'. I have TONS of seedlings. There is fencing around my ROS so the seedlings won't be getting eaten by rabbits. I never took it down this spring and figured I'll just leave it up since it's also protecting to KO Roses and a shrubbier Crape Myrtle.

That's why so many plants today are 'tissue cultured' , exact clones of the original tissue sample. It is easier for the large commercial growers with their automated computer controlled operations: they get real uniform product

"THE ART AND SCIENCE OF MICROPROPAGATION
Of all the terms which have been applied to the process, "micropropagation" is the term which best conveys the message of the tissue culture technique most widely in use today. The prefix "micro" generally refers to the small size of the tissue taken for propagation, but could equally refer to the size of the plants which are produced as a result.

Micropropagation allows the production of large numbers of plants from small pieces of the stock plant in relatively short periods of time. Depending on the species in question, the original tissue piece may be taken from shoot tip, leaf, lateral bud, stem or root tissue (Fig. 1). In most cases, the original plant is not destroyed in the process -- a factor of considerable importance to the owner of a rare or unusual plant. Once the plant is placed in tissue culture, proliferation of lateral buds and adventitious shoots (Fig. 2) or the differentiation of shoots directly from callus (Fig. 3), results in tremendous increases in the number of shoots available for rooting. Rooted "microcuttings" or "plantlets" of many species have been established in production situations and have been successfully grown on either in containers or in field plantings. The two most important lessons learned from these trials are that this methodology is a means of accelerated asexual propagation and that plants produced by these techniques respond similarly to any own-rooted vegetatively propagated plant. Micropropagation offers several distinct advantages not possible with conventional propagation techniques. A single explant can be multiplied into several thousand plants in less than one year. With most species, the taking of the original tissue explant does not destroy the parent plant. Once established, actively dividing cultures are a continuous source of microcuttings which can result in plant production under greenhouse conditions without seasonal interruption. Using methods of micropropagation, the nurseryman can rapidly introduce selected superior clones of ornamental plants in sufficient quantities to have an impact on the landscape plant market."

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/tisscult/pltissue/pltissue.html

Aw, shucks!!! I can sneak a cutting from one at work....

Actually--I have NO desire to grow one--NO space...just one of my
"junkie" habits when i collected all those seeds.....

Now I am wondering what WOULD HAVE grown out from those seeds????

G.

Well Gita, if you like, (and if you've not tossed those seeds out yet), I'll be glad to be your ROS seed guinea pig! =) I've never grown them, but I have ooooodles of patience to wait 'til it blooms. Could ya bring 'em to the swap please? I don't honestly care what color it/they turn(s) out to be, I just love trying something new.

Judy, that Judy Farquhar is a beauty, huh? I will keep an eye out for it from now on, until I find it for you. I did a short run to one of our growers a week or so back, picked up some random this-and-that stuff, and found this gorgeous DL "Mini Pearl". Ooooh that thing has been calling to me every darned day!!! They only had one, and MAN is she pretty!! Someone is going to HAVE to glue my hands to my head to keep me from bringing her home!

Oh, speaking of pretties... this was fun! Strolled the "big bed" this morning before heading out to the MVA and found a surprise! When I'd rescued the cutting (ya know, GOTTA rescue those cuttings.. y'all know how it is), I didn't pay attention to exactly what it was.. I guess it was a Portulaca! =) The lighting in the pic makes it look very white, but really it's a creamy pink with a very deep pink center. Whee!! =)
Also, had forgotten the past couple days to share this volunteer red verbena that's come to visit. :)

Very pretty, Speedie! :-)

Speedie--
I started an early requests page. Got you down for the seeds....

Everyone (?) wanted Holly to start haves and wants Thread. She did--
Not much activity...yet....as I thought.

Speedie, I can give you a couple seedlings if you want. LMK.

Yes please, and thank you Jeff. =) Just 1 or 2 though, please. If they make it, not sure I'd have space for more than that. Bless your fuzzy heart! ♥

Gita, I haven't seen that thread yet, but I'll go look for it now, thank you!! =)

Went outside this afternoon and found my hibiscus 'Fireball' has bloomed!

1) Gaillardia rebloom with Lantana buds opening and a little Catmint reblooming in the corner :-)
2) Bloom on my Hosta 'Guacamole' (from Typ)
3) Zinnias with purple Celosia plant (seeds from Critter) and Agastache 'Golden Jubilee' (from Donner) in the background
4) Lobelia 'Queen Victoria' (from Coleup) in bloom!
5) Hibiscus 'Fireball'. Looks red in person but for some reason magenta when I try to photograph it!

JB's are already crawling over my 1st open white Hibiscus bloom.
I already see holes here and there....

My red one also opened today--and the KK Hibiscus is starting to bloom.
All 3 within the same week....

Yummmm..the JB's will have a feast.. G,

I feel super lucky that the JBs haven't bothered my hibiscus at all this season.

Well, I seem to have a surprise flower--I think I must have mixed up plugs somewhere along the line from our NC buy or the plugs died and this seeded here somehow instead.

So, it's 'name the mystery plant' time. What do you think? It's a brand new bouncing baby------?????? :-D

Cat, lovely blooms! esp love the lobelia. your purple blooms look like golden jubilee anise hyssop

we have a few new blooms too the past few days

maybe I can get some pics tomorrow

Slow time in the gardens.....finally a few new blooms.

Sunflower - volunteer from feeder, just opened and still small.
Nodding Onion - Allium cernuum, a native.
Culver's Root - Veronicastrum virginium
Coneflower, missing ID
Tiger Lily

Thanks, Wind! Yes, that is 'Golden Jubilee' from Donner! I'm really loving it--it is a total pollinator magnet. :-)

Greenthumb, what lovely blooms! I'm really hoping to successfully sow some nodding onion seed over winter this year. Your Culver's Root blossoms are huge! Mine are still fairly small. I love the color and texture of that Coneflower.

I also have had lots of volunteer sunflowers growing from the birdseed! It's nice--I'm enjoying it! :-)