By reading Shirleys warm praise of Daves garden it brought back the idea to ask, how did you all meet your first Brugmansias and which did you grow?
My own story strats here:
I have grown my first when I was seventeen. There were three of them in my windowsil from a garden center close to Korsør, where I was born. I had read stuff about Carlos Castaneda, that wrote about a plant called Datura. I had never before heard of it but wanted badly to see and grow it for the fun and curiousity. I put an ad in the local newspaper called "Korsør Posten" ("Korsør Post" *lol*) and was contacted first by a lady in Vemmelev. I went home with this plant and was very proud of it, but it turned out to be some kind of livingroom lilly. Later same week I got a call from a gardener, that advised me to come have a look on some of his plants at his small garden center. I borrowed moms "Chiao" (bycycle with helping motor *lol*). I arrived and here I saw the first pink suaveolens, sanguinea and the last was a yellow one *lol* It was real overwhealming. He had them both as tree-bushes and in 5 litres pots and I bought the small potted.
How goes your stories?
Your first meeting with Brugmansia?
Calla got me going with my first single white (about 10 plants sent all at once!) which did very well for me, even though the only thing I knew about them was that they were beautiful. Soon thereafter, Shirley sent me some cuttings, then Arlene and Pat and Patricia. I lost all of them three years ago when dh turned the heat vents off in the garage where I over-wintered them. Patricia got me one from Calla's store, plus the bonus plant from Susie, and here I go again! Thanks to all who helped me fall in love with this exciting plant. As time goes on, I will re-build my brugs, but until I do, I will enjoy the two I have now, and drool over everyone elses!!!!!
A local nursery had a brugmansia labeled "not for sale". For years, I watched this brug bloom, and it was the only one I had ever seen in person. Finally, the store owner started some cuttings and I happened to be in the store at the right time. I took my 8 inch cutting home in February, 2002. It bloomed for the first time in May, and I was hooked. By late Sept., my brug was 6 ft X 6 ft and was covered in blooms. My brug was only labeled as "orange angel trumpet" and so I am not exactly sure what she is (yes, she is a she). Her blooms are pale yellow that sometimes turn almost a pumpkin orange.
My love of my brug lead me to this forum as I searched for more information on brug care.
This spring, I purchased a Frosty Pink, Isabella, and Versicold Peach. My neighbors watch me and smile, as I roll my brugs out in the morning and roll them back in at night. Of course, soon they will take their spring and summer position on my front pouch for all to enjoy.
Thanks for that story, Tonny...Lene? I never know which one of you is writing!
My story is this...just after I'd gotten contracts on both Mama's and my homes, I realized that I didn't dig up any of our beautiful plants for the new home, and that I would have to begin from scratch, just as Mama did in 1970...only I'd never grown anything other than irises before (well, that lived, anyway!).
The new house was going to be just awful...grass just laid in the front yard, and nothing but dirt in the back yard, and no money left to buy anything else since we used all of our combined assets to build the it!
One day, we went out in downtown San Antonio to some festival...not sure what it was, maybe the Taste of the Town, and we had to park a ways away. While we were walking back to the car, we walked past this cute little cottage home with a lovely garden in the front yard, with these little trees covered with white and yellow flowers...it was sunset, and the scent was unbelievable!!!!
I fell in love with this plant, and begged my mother to pull the name of this plant out of her lost memory bank, but she did not know what it was called. About a block later, Mama suddenly says, "But if you pinch a piece, it will grow...Yuchan-Obachan (my aunt, Meiyu) used to have one in Sendai." I got very excited, looked around for any witnesses, saw none, ran back to the house and quickly picked two small pieces off...one from each tree, then ran to catch up with the rest of the family...fortunately with no shooting incident or police arrest!
I guess the white one was too green or something, and it died, but the yellow one grew roots and more roots. I was finally able to plant it in my first raised flowerbed, built exactly one year ago this month...it was my very first plant at the house, but it would be months before I know what it was.
Ironically, it was my macho home builder guy, Jim, who told me what it was. As soon as I found out what it was called, I went online to find out more about them and what other kinds I could get...that's how I became a member of Dave's Garden!!!
Pretty cool, eh? I now carry scissors and wet papertowels in ziplock bags wherever I go, and someday I'll be coming to your house...hahahaha!!!!
Meiyu
Meiyo, Tonny :)
Hmmm..let me see if I can remember! LOL
I was once a complete Tropi-holic! I wanted to create my own Jurrasic Park without the Dinosaurs..LOL. I collected and grew anything with big leaves like Tetrapanax, Gunnera, Treeferns, Vines, palms, Cannas, Aroids, Bananas. I also collected plants like Yuccas, Cordylines, Agaves, Cactai, Succulents, Puyas etc. I mostly grew the hardier species!
I was a regular at the UK OASIS, a forum for Hardy Exotic Plant fanatics and one of the beautiful hardy plants people talked about was Brugmansia Sanguinea and so this became a plant on my wish list!
At the same time I was also a regular trader at GardenWeb! Often, other members would e-mail me to initiate a trade but there would not be anything on their haves list that I wanted. I'd really want to send them the plants they wanted and so i would accept anything in return!
One day a package arrived! In it where three Brugmansia cuttings: Charles Grimaldi, Insignis Pink and Suaveolens White... It's now several years later and Brugmansia are the only plants that occupy my X Jungle House LOL
Who sent me those original cuttings? I know it may have been about 4 or 5 years ago but maybe someone remembers! Calla, was it you? I'll blame you anyway..LOL
Plain and simple....my friend Renee brought me a cutting from hers. We had just met online and live about 300 miles apart. I just about killed it the first year because I didn't know about the spider mites in time.
I saw and bought my first Brug in Key West Fl and the rest is history.
I got my first brug from a master gardeners plant sale at a craft show in Pensacola,FL about 3 or 4 years ago. I think it is a Dr. Seuss, they only called it angel trumpet. The next year I bought another one, this time a peach color. Unfortunately it did not come back out the next spring ( I planted both in the ground). But since joining DG, I have many more (lots of seedlings and some big ones, seven in the ground now). A definite addiction!
Bruno, how come I get blamed for so many brug adictions??? I sent you a brug, but I think you were already adicted.
I saw my first brugmansia about 11 years ago at my friend Cindy's house. I fell in love but couldn't get the cuttings to root. She took me to her mom's house in MS and we went to Petal and bought one. It was a Charles Grimaldi. My second brug was Frosty Pink and the third was Suaveolens White. I'd had them for a long time when I found them online. I was amazed, I thought they only came in pink, yellow and white. I already knew that they were different from daturas(Ms Ruby had told me, she's a true gardener, has to know EVERYTHING about every plant she grows). I couldn't believe how many different varieties there were! I couldn't understand why they wouldn't make seed pods though. Eric is the one who explained to me how to cross pollinate and now it's an obsession! Thanks to Ms Jen, Brugie and Glory for fueling my obsession.
edited to fix a sentence.
This message was edited Wednesday, Apr 16th 9:37 PM
Tonny...what a good idea you had! I'm so enjoying these stories!
MrPlantaholic..As I was reading your story, I was thinking to myself, "I'll bet it was Calalily who sent you those first brugs!!!"...hahaha!!
Cala? You couldn't get your cuttings to WHAT? Hahaha... no, not you, Cala...I thought you were born with a brug rooting in each palm!!
Meiyu? your a gardener after my own heart----my husband keeps tellin me that he is going to make a fake badge that says PLANT RELOCATION OFFICER with an I.D. pic. so I wont end up going to jail for ummm "relocating' bulbs---cuttings--entire plants--*but only from old falling down homesteads*--well ok mostly lolol Stumbled across this forum,----surfed thru the photo contest and was WOWED!!!!!This alien looking plant blew my mind (and no--I didnt eat it) anyway---after alot of hesitancy I finally got up the courage to ask for seed---and I was bombed my CUTTINGS:)----this will be my first year to bloom, but Im not sure which is more amazing---the thought that complete strangers would shower me with cuttings, or the idea of someday very soon having blooms of my own. Thank you all once again. cheryl
Ok I guess I got my addiction from Cala too. She gave me my first brugs then I got seeds from Larry and then cuttings from Cala again , and Catlady and Mavie Rose and Tig and more great crosses seeds from Calla I know there will be some beauties in there . So I say they are all to blame. lol
Playsndirt...let me guess...cala, right? the stranger who bombarded you with cuttings???
Hahahaha...Cala, looks like I wasn't so special afterall!!! And I thought it was cuz you like my sweet sassy humor (and felt sorry for me)...hahahaha!!
I blame all the people that were here in this forum 2 years ago. Got three small cuttings, they died right away. Eric sent me a baggie full of seeds and then boxes and boxes of cuttings. I think I've gotten brugs from almost everyone here. I begged, whined and here I am with more than any sane person needs.
Great idea Tonny! I was trying to remember which is a difficult feat to do these days. I have a huge frosty that is too big to cut down and replace with a darker one. But I have no clue where I got it or when. I also got a cutting of a double white from a neighbor but I do not think that was my first. I think my orange sang might have been first for I remember I had never seen such a thing before and was in awe. I know I was at a fancy hotel perched on a cliff over the Pacific Ocean in Mendocino. This place had their own nursery............oddly! But their grounds were huge and they grew their own plants for them. They had a huge sanguinea growing inside the nursery in the ground. I was fascinated. They had none for sale but after me being there for over an hour looking at it, I finally wore them down and they let me take cuttings. I took them home and thru sheer beginners luck it rooted.
It has grown!
hmm, first real contact was maybe that when maketgarden owner showed me one Brugmansia which was in dormancy...she kept it in warehouse...
and second time was that when I got Brug seeds from Shirley...and one sprouted..
Cala,
Don't you just love the way all these folks blame you for their addiction..... LOL...and you know what they are right. LOL
tiG,
I can really relate to that...one just can't get enough Brugs. LOL
really Glory........... I wonder how many brugs she has given away in her life! Even when she sells them from her store she tries to put in bonus brugs........ I wish I had a dollar for every one of those brugs, I could retire!
And now she is sharing seeds like crazy!! Which reminds me .......thank you!
I really think y'all needed someone to blame your adiction on and my name was short and easy to spell, lol.
Kell, you're welcome for the seeds. I'm just glad to have folks that want to grow them and see what they grow up to be.
Welp, I just got my first one from tiG last weekend. I went after one and came home with 4! First time I ever saw them was at Biltmore. They were amazing. And then a neighbor down the road this past year who has a huge tree in her front yard.
August of 2002 I got my 1st brug. Ordered it from Earl. Has not bloomed yet. tiG loaded my car with fully grown brugs a little later. Glory, Roz & Frannie gave me another car load of plants & cuttings. Cala & JT has added to my problem. I now have over 40 named varieties, but have only had 4 different blooms so far. I might get addicted to brugs if and when I get all of the ones I have to bloom. The only brug I have with buds forming is Amirillo Paja. Surely, the rest has got to bud reallllllly soon or I'm going into a state of depression.lol
oh Larry, don't worry. Your late summer/fall will be filled with deep sighs of dreaminess!!
Whoa, Kell...is that the trunk of your first brug???
Uh-oh, Eco...it's starting...hahaha!!
Cala...it looks like you were definitely a major carrier in the spreading of the brug bug here at dgs!!!
Great stories, everyone!
LOL Meiyu......yes you are so right......Cala is a brug carrier and antibiotics won't help you against her!
Yes, that is its trunk and it is as ugly as it looks! Thankfully it usually is totally covered by leaves!
My Daddy gave my first two cuttings which I left in a gallon jar of water for over a year. I had no idea what it was and when I finally saw a picture of one, I ran out and planted my two cuttings. By the end of that summer they were both big and beautiful. During the dreary months of winter, I decided to find out more information and found DG's and signed up the first day I saw it. I was overwhelmed with the cuttings that I received from Gloria, Arlene, and Shirley and then followed cuttings from Susie, Pete, and Dee. I felt like the most fortunate person in the whole world . . not just because of the brugs but because of the generosity and thoughtfulness of so many people. The brugs are alot of fun but the friendships that I have made are what is really special to me. I don't know exactly the number of different brugs that I have but there are approximately 60 seedlings growing in gallon pots now and I just planted around 118 seeds late last night. The seeds and seedlings are of many crosses and it is going to be so exciting to see how these turn out. Addicted ....of course not . . I just lost my sanity somewhere along the way!! The ones to blame know who they are!
Sorry, I do not have a special story. My father was and my mother is a gardennut....as long as I can remember I have been together with brugs.
Crazy with cooking ( hybridizing ) I am since I do know Monika and Davers.
Wow, Kell, it looks like the trunk of an old oak tree or something!! It must not freeze at your house??
BrugNanny, I know what you mean about everyone here...it's pretty cool....
Wow! Thanks for sharing your stories. I have enjoyed so very much to read them :D
Ludger, that is a special story, too :) You have been very lucky having both your parents being gardennuts and growing Brugs, too. Thay must be as Brugcrazy as every one of us :)
Lucky you Ludger, I wish my parents liked gardening! What hybrids did they have back then?
A white suavolenshybrid ( unknown) and this one,I still keep it and give a blooming plant to my mother on Motherday.
She is too old for caring a brug in winter.Doing so shew can enjoy the flowers all summer.
That's lovely! I hope your mother is well!
That is sweet of you, Ludger.
Thank you!
Sunday Evening we will have a Easterfire with great Dinner( C by Ludger,lol)I am very shure my Mom will enjoy it to have her gang here,I don´t now why but she likes to celebrate all parties here...
sometimes we are searching her......always found in the Greenhouse,lol.
Ludger, that brug is gorgeous...you must make your mother very happy. My mother was garden-crazy also, but she just doesn't remember. She still likes to sit my the garden and look at the couple of pretty flowers I haven't killed...yet!
Meiyo,lost my words.....
we have had a great party with my mom.Thank you for your understandind.Same here.
Moms are the best.
Yes, moms are the best. After we got the old house she love to come to visit and hang a lot more around, than she used to when I lived in Sorø. She is garden crazy too. She worked many years as a gardener assistant on a churchyard, but now shes pensioned and have finaly got more time to keep her own garden.
I am so happy for your Mom.
Having gone through some deaths and illnesses with family members I came across Dave's. Dave's became a therapy place for me to keep my sanity. I watched and read every post on the brug forum and everyone here was like one great big family. They were so beautiful and I was scared to death to try one. Finally after about 4 months my very first ones came from MsJen and Glory. Took a drive to Tennessee to see my sister and took the long way home and met Cala and her family. That was the first real live brug I had ever seen. Her Jungle House was full of blooms and smelled so good. A site I will never forget. Of course, Susie just had to send some home with me. Then along came Arlene, Brugie, Snow, Kell.... now I like everyone else want at least one of each. Thanks to everyone on the forum for your support, friendship and the addiction!!
And now you have some great ones yourself! I will never forget your beautiful Pink Favorite not pictures and your beautiful pond across from your beautiful home in Waterloo. You are a sweetheart Deb!