I saw the Brugmansia 101 posting over in the FAQ forum and I think I may be catching the bug. I see these growing all over town but hardly gave them a second glance until recently, when I realized that they really were something special. I guess it's like agapantha and bottlebrush, which probably look really bizarre if you haven't grown up around them.
Anyhow, I've seen a big tree in part shade (it's on the southwest corner of a building and tucked under a bigger tree) with long white blooms, and there's a house with several different trees in cream, yellow, and gold in considerable shade (under large, well established trees -- that street is always shady) so I'm thinking I may be able to grow some in my shady garden. Looking around it seems like they're fonder of sun, but I can see all these trees that do all right in at least some shade... so I can hope and start looking around.
How finicky are these? The shady side of my garden isn't well drained because there is a birch tree there -- I can't dig amendments into the rather thick unfortunately sort of slimy soil because of those shallow roots. I haven't tested it for pH or anything, either. It also gets rather dry in the summer so definitely isn't a plant's dream place. The soil on the other side is in much better shape because it's easier to add things to it, though I've been getting some results by just spreading compost like mulch on the shady side -- the soil's gotten a lot easier to work with.
I'm kind of cheating on my garden restriction to consider these... I knew I'd want to get everything in the world when I moved in, so I said that plants I actually put in have to be either edible, herbal, or California natives (though sometimes I'll use ornamentals in the same genus as an edible species or herb.) I guess, um... well, it looks like they have some shamanistic uses in some countries! So even though I won't be doing that, they can slide in that way. That's sort of how the flowering nicotiana got in....
Catching the bug
Welcome Flit!! All I can say is try it! I have very similar weather to you I believe, though you may get a little colder and a little hotter than I do in the bay area. I grow most of mine in full sun but a few are under trees just because of where they fit and they do great also.
Bruggers in hot climates grow them in shade and they still bloom well! I would not say they are finicky at all. It seems they tolerate a variety of climates and kinds of care quite well!
Have you tried gypsum? I understand if you just sprinkle it out on top of your soil in the winter it will get worked in during the rains and make the soil very workable. I have no personal knowledge though! I do hear it works quite well!
hello Flit, and welcome the brug addiciton support group,--- we arent much on a cure, in fact we more or less encourage our disorder..... lol cheryl
Hey Flit ! See you found us here...have fun, but try to get some sleep.lol
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Hi Flit. Another welcome from me here in Iowa. I knew that bug would finally get you and you would come on over. Glad you are here.
Peeking through it looks like there are a *huge* amount of colors and shapes and sizes to choose from. I'm very excited! Though I'm mostly just looking/learning right now because I have so much else on my plate... But there's no harm in looking at brugs at the same time, mmm?
Thank you everyone for the warm welcomes...!
Kell, I've lived in the South Bay, and near as I can tell Santa Cruz is usually 10-20 degrees cooler in summer but rarely gets below freezing in winter, because the ocean seems to keep the temperature pretty stable. We do get a lot of morning fog here but I don't think that's much different from a lot of the Bay Area. Our prettiest season is usually fall, when we stop having foggy days and have some beautiful sunny ones with chill evenings to keep them from getting too hot.
I've lived in the Aptos "fog belt" and it's even cooler there -- too chilly for my wimpy California-raised blood. I think Santa Cruz's microclimate is like SF's but more temperate.
So in general it's pretty easy to get things to grow as long as they can handle dry summers and don't need freezing to set blooms or whatever, like lilacs, or a lot of heat like some kinds of citrus. It looks like these guys are annuals in some other places which means I'm covered on that end... and they don't like a lot of heat so I ought to be good there, too. How are they in dry? I can plant them right next to the soaker hoses, too.
I'll try the gypsum, too, or something like it. I've been really lazy about soil amendments other than compost and some sea kelp/worm castings used as fertilizer, and I should get off my duff and check out pH and minerals too.
And scooterbug, heehee, I fell asleep looking at brugs last night.
Flit, even if your soil conditions aren't the best for brugs, many folks choose to growth them in large pots. By growing one in a pot, you also have the option to move it around until you find the spot that it grows the best in. Being in zone 9, your brug has the potential to get really large - - so it can be planted in the ground at the point that it becomes too large for a container. However, there are some brugs that are slow growers or that typically never get really large - - those you might choose to keep in pots.
If wind is an issue in your area, the pots can be partially or fully sunk in the ground to keep you from having to constantly pick your brug up.