Any of you know that feeling of seeing a plant growing in July that you thought was a goner? I've noticed this plant a couple weeks ago in my Honeylocust Garden and had no clue what it was but it looked like it was starting to form buds. Last night the light bulb just turned on and it is my Mimulus alatus! That rush of joy in the realization that a plant you thought was dead is actually alive is quite wonderful. It looks like it will begin its bloom any day now.
PLANT ADDICTS CHAT #6
Hooray!
A "dead" fig put out a leaf last week... :-)
I had that happen with a shredded umbrella plant (Syneilesis aconitifolia ) that I purchased at the Baltimore County Master Gardener sale in 2013. There was no re-emergence last year, and I was pretty disappointed - it is a woodland shade plant that I had never seen for sale locally before or since. Imagine my surprise when it showed up this year! That rush of joy you described is exactly the way I felt when I saw it.
Wow, so it took a whole year off and then came back this year? That's incredible!
I am still waiting to see if my Acalypha might come up. So far--there is nothing...
It came up last summer--quite late--even after the nasty winter we had--but now
it seems hopeless.
The old stem is solid and does not give at all when i tug on it.
However--it is now mid-July....my hopes are fading...
On the other hand--my Hibiscus is starting to show some shiny, crinkly leaves.
Just a little bit crinkly--but definitely different from the odd, smooth ones.
Not sure you can tell--but look for the more shiny leaves...like upper right corner..
Walked around a bit--camera in hand... Ignore the picture above--
this was in the June pictures. Here are the shots from now.
1--Here is the better shot of the Hibiscus leaves...do you see some crinkling?
2---This Lily popped up from under the "the skirts" of "Lady Betty Balfour" Clematis.
3--These DL's just opened in the shed bed. The dry stuff around them are the
spent blooms of one of the Astilbes.
4--Sally'd purple (yes, they are!) DL's
5--The tpop of my Milkweed clump. I guess this is what the flowers look like--
just little tight buds. I haven't seen any butterflies or cats. yet. Just some bees.
Nice lily Gita, very pretty.
Some more....
1--Here is the whole Hibiscus as it looks today. Growing well...can't wait to see
if it will produces any blooms??? Can you p/u some slight crinkling?
2--Here is a mix of 3 different PHlox. The big clump is not fully open yet,
but it will be a soft white/oink. The single fromt clump is a hot pink--
and, to the right, is Phlox David--not open yet.
3--My back-yard neighbor's Crepe Myrtle--growing against the back of my shed.
4--ONE bud to bloom on my Rpi #2, The spectacular one....
5--What is this plant??? It is in my YUK bed--and this "should be" a B&B Salvia.
Sure does not look like it....
The 5th plant looks like Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue' to me - but I'm a woodies guy.
What I really want to see a closeup of the open bloom on the bicolor phlox - the one with the oink...
**snort!!** Hahahahaaa, I was wondering about the white/oink, bet it's cute! =)
About that "Salvia"... maybe a "Blue Bouquet" Veronica?
(oink oink)
OK, You two--Oink,,,Oink,,,,
John--I already figured out that the blue thing is a lost, forlorn Veronica stem.
I think I planted one there long ago--but the soil and environs there are not the best.
Everything has to struggle to make it. When they do--they get a trophy!
The tricolor Phlox is three different plants.
The pale white/pink is the oldest resident in this spot. Not sure, exactly, how
the deep pink one settled in here? Phlox DO make seeds--maybe a birdie
planted it.
The white Phlox "David" is spectacular! Stem as thick as your thumb.
Strong, white blooms. I moved it last year just a couple feet to the side of the pink clump.
It was smack in the front--just out of place. It is doing well as you can/will see.
If you can't wait--I took close-up shots of every one of my Phlox. WHICH pink
are you talking about? I have, like, 3 pink Phlox--different shades--but pink.
This is the best I can do as a closer shot. This is from last year....How close do you want it????
I can go outside and snap a photo--as they are all in semi-bloom.
Geez! The things I do for you all!!!! Hold on!
1--Took about 20 shots--only caught one where the Hummingbird Moth was in focus.
Enjoy! This is the phlox on the E. side of my house--where the back porch steps are.
2--This is a single stem and is underneath the red Phlox by the shed. I have NO idea
where this came from. Very pretty! Hpope it multiplies....
3--This is the pale pink & white Phlox --the big clump--in the mixed clump picture
Is this what you wanted?
4--This is the whole big clump of the deep pink Phlox on my Kitchen-side bed.
From a distance--it is an eye-catcher.
5--Had to borrow this picture from last year. It is not in bloom yet right now--but
starting to be. This Phlox is amazing! It is close to 6' tqll right now and the only way
I can describe the color is as "Neon light purple". It blooms till almost frost.
This Phlox is from Jill (critter) and is named after her "Aunt Felicia".
When I look out my BR window it just "pops" in my eyes.
OK, John! Are you happy? Did I miss anything?
Gita ♥
LOL VV - I skipped right over that. Between you and speedie's pic of the blooms bigger than her face, I've had a few laughs this evening.
OK - glad to have stimulated some mirth and merriment, all while enjoying the gardening.
Gita: I like the 3rd pic phlox the best. The bugs in pic 2 come in, well, second...
VV--it is not just any bug! it is pretty rare to see one. It is called
the "Hummingbird Moth"--as it's wings move just as fast as a hummingbird's
and it is almost the size of a small hummer.
How wold one divide off a small section from a Phlox? Don't know what their root
system looks like. Then i could mail one to you.....I don't think their roots
run too deep.
If you are patient--I will try to collect seed for you.
I may even have some seed from last year.... Don't know how long from seed it
would take for a Phlox to grow and bloom.?????????
This is the Phlox "David"--pure white, strong and robust. From last year.
Mine had one bloom open today. It is on one, very sturdy stem.
This is the one I moved last year. Glad it came back...
And--one more shot of uour favorite--also from last year.
Good night....G.
My favorite oink.. err... Pink is in pic #4, the large clump in your kitchen-side bed. That is a very "wow" plant I love it!
I saw a hummingbird moth at work just yesterday... or the day before, I don't remember. I love those things, and we usually have several at work. (what with all those plants, we get loads of different visitors; flying, hopping, slithering, you name it!) That is a great shot of the hummingbird moth Gita! Thank you for going through all the trouble for those beautiful pics. ♥
Phun Pholx photos, Gita!
The "Felicia's Phlox" came from my MIL, named Felicia, who got it from her mother, also named Felicia. Strong, elegant Southern ladies, both of them. :-)
Phlox are easiest to divide in spring when they're just popping up, but you can take them probably any time, as they're tough. In fall, you could cut the stems back to make them easier to handle - just leave enough to get a good grip!
At the base of each stem, there are roots that fan out and down, tangling into the other roots in the clump. I usually choose a group of stems that's a little separated if I can, and that's where I put my shovel to divide it from the rest. As Gita supposed, the roots are fairly shallow. Once you have it loosened and cut away from the main mass, a little wriggling and tugging gets the division free.
Thanks, Jill.
Didn't know that each stem has its own set of roots!
Just like a DL then?
that's a good analogy, although I wouldn't separate out single stems like you can single DL fans... a little clump does better.
My big disappointment this year was Garden Phlox Nora Leigh. A variegated Phlox that didn't have much of an interesting bloom. I always thought that the problem was that the bloom didn't show well against the variegated leaves. This year it reverted to a solid green plant no variegation of the leaves at all. I was thinking that maybe the blooms would look better now but they really don't look like much at all yet. Maybe when more of them open I will have a different perspective about it but right now I am pretty disappointed in general.
I have a little mystery Phlox as well.....Don't know where it came from.
May be that it was in the pot of the red Phlox when I bought it a few years ago.
it IS a beauty, though. Have to investigate to see if it is a separate stem or what.
Lookie here....Anyone seen this one before? G.
Gita, maybe it's Phlox Pan. "Laura"?
Darn it! I think that it is!!!!! Thanks, Speedy.
Like--do you think I know any names of any of my other Phlox? Except "David"--
it is pure white.
http://www.plantdelights.com/Phlox-paniculata-Little-Laura-for-sale/Buy-Little-Laura-Garden-Phlox/
'Laura' is one of my favorites! I have one that I thought was 'Laura', but this year it is very pale... still very pretty, but a very pastel lavender color with a white eye.
I had a good time spending other plant addicts' money this afternoon... our ADR orders for fall bulbs and for amaryllises have been placed! After July 16, they'll have about 70% of their catalog available (basically, that's the bulbs that will fill their stateside warehouse).
On the same group buy thread, I'll be doing a crocus buy from van Engelen... I could wait for the sales, but if we order early I'm hoping we'll get them in time for the fall swap so we can split some easily (they come 100 to a bag).
Also in the group buy forum -- I'll be taking a closer look at lilies next week. My personal top "must haves" are from The Lily Garden (Judith bred 'Scheherizade' and 'Silk Road'), so I'm thinking let's order from them this time and from B&D another time.
Critter, that is a really pretty Phlox, even in her pastel lavender state! I have been eyeing up Garden Phlox for a handful of years now, but I'm really not sure I have the space for any, especially reading about how so many of y'all's are 6' tall!
Jill--
1--That pale Phlox is similar to mine--except mine has a gentle pink eye.
2--Speedie--most Phlox grow about 3' tall and develop in nice "bushes'...
Speedie, I think Garden Phlox is one of the best plants for a sunny garden.
I agree! I have 6 different Phlox, of various sizes, in my garden.
Love the color they provide when not much else is blooming.
G.
My Felicia's Phlox is only about 3' tall. They're growing under an overhang that keeps most of the rain away from their part of the patio bed, which probably helps keep them on the shorter side. I'm glad because they're the perfect height for that bed!
Ace Outback trees and shubs still at 50% off. Some of what's left from short visit yesterday:
Golden leaf Ninebark
Lindera benzoin one very nice
Jane Magnolia
nice Butterfly Magnolia
Deciduous azalea yellow Lollipop
4 kinds of Hazelnut. reg, dark leaved. dark leaved standard and goldleaved
Fringe tree
Calycanthus
Variegated ROS with light pink blooms sweet
Perennials are Buy 3 get one free. Nice Joe Pye 'Baby Joe'
There was a fern I'd never heard of before: Log Fern dryopteris celsa. native to southeastern woodlands, More substantial fronds than 'Autumn' and darker green.
Is the Lindera benzoin sexed? How much for the dark leaved standard or the gold leaved filbert?
Where is Ace Outback? I have interest in dryopteris celsa.
Edgewater MD
whether or not it makes flowers/berries, Lindera will be nice food for spicebush swallowtail butterflies! I have a little grove of sassafrass (their secondary host), with saplings popping up here and there from the roots, and we see lots of those beauties, some more years than others. I'm going to try to dig and pot a few sassafrass babies that are either in the way or too crowded, but I'm not sure how much luck I'll have, probably depends on whether they have developed their own roots yet.
No more shrubs or trees for me though until I get mine all planted, including getting winter critter protection around the newly planted ones!
I knew there was a Little Joe but haven't met Baby Joe yet -- sweet! I'd snag one at a 25% discount, if you see others you want or if 3 other people want him. :-)
Speedie, yes, you must have phlox! It's so pretty with the other summer flowers... I especially love it with echinacea (coneflower). I tend to cram it in between other plants, partly because it has a tendency to get unsightly mildewed foliage -- of course, crowding it will only increase that problem, so that's a toss-up.
You're right Jill but I already bought 5 unsexed ones this spring. They are too young to flower so I still don't 100% know I have a female or not.
Edgewater? Wow, too much of a hike from here! :-(
Greenthumb, would you be interested in the Log Fern if it got to you this weekend? Seems I will be up your way on Sat. There were two at $12- 14 full price. LMK or I might just bring them anyway along with some 'Baby Joes" if you can can get it to Critter pre fall swap!
Heff, I think the standard dark leaved Filbert was most expensive I looked at...maybe $92? or $41 half price. The Spice bushes not sexed as far as I know. Will ask. Full price $42. Standard and Spice are in at least 5 gal pots and 4-6 feet tall. LMK and I can drop them off near you, too.
Judy
Judy do they have smaller potted Filberts? That 5 gallon pot size sounds pretty big. But a dark leaved one would be so cool. Do you have or could you find out the botanical name so I can look it up easier?
Judy, I would love to add a couple of Dryopteris celsa to my fern collection, but Pat and I will be elsewhere this Saturday. When is Jill's pre-swap? I can probably make it up the road to Frederick barring personal or natural disaster. Would be interested in Baby Joe too, lets see what we can work out.
Well heck, 3' Phlox is totally doable in my yarden, thank you guys!! Muddy, I have an over-hang on my house as well; it's at the front. I think I'll see how things grow and spread next year (and find somewhere else to plant the tomatoes, heh heh), and I can probably fit one or two (or 5) in there. :)