Lovely year here for most everything.. I have this white blooming today.. and there must be 100 buds on my Cypress Gardens.. and even snowbank hads about a dozen buds for the third [ small ] flush ..more blooms on a Texas Pink.. and a well it looks like a triple white datura.. Gordon
Oh.. Cypress Gardens for it's fourth Major flush.. tons of buds while there are still a few leaves to support it.. I've got to be cutting this one back real soon in order to get it downstairs through the hatch... I'm looking for cuttings of any doubles or white or pink based flowers for trade first.. then just postage if there are any cuttings left.
Gordon.
I love your white blooming brug! Lovely! You are one of the first members that I have heard say that this was a good year for brugs. My mom lives on LI and said that this was an unusually cool summer. Did you find that too?
Margie
Margie..
Well I live in a world unto my own.. in more ways than one.. climatically included... here in Brooklyn.. I consider myself to be in zones 5 &14.. I grow in containers on my roof top.. one day at noon in the spring the air temp was 80* F.. my 16" long mercury cooking thermometer laid on the roof surface registered after a few minutes as 145* F .. so any wind blowing off theroof and onto the plants was hitting them at 145* F.. like the sarrocco blowing off north africa.. only hotter... so even though the general temps were such that it was kind of cool.. each and every day the plants were ttreated to 145 to 155*F temps blowing across them... it is an expoaed area and nothing really higher then me across the harbor and maybe 20 miles into NJ.. so the winters temps with the goood wind and all bring it down to a zone 5 in the winter..
at first I did alot of things to keep the plants cool and off the black roof membrane.. but now I use it to my advantage and place alot of the tropicals right on it.. and water all of the time.. so I get it wet and then real dry a few times a day.. so the plants think it's been threee days.. wet/dry wet/dry wet/dry all in one days time.. .. here's an overview of the back section of the garden there.. cypress gardens & her buds are visible in this one ..also.. plumerias in the foreground
Well hree's the front 1/2 .. since I've subjected you to the overview.. of the back 1/2.. well overview isn't quite accurate.. I'm standing on a chimney of a building two away from my garden.. oh the whiote blooming I started this with is visable bloomiing near the umbrella.. amaising.. it's been 4 days ago.. and it hasn't dropped a bloom yet..also visable is a section of the lawn I have on the roof.. this is before I descided I liked the heat from the deck..and was trying to minimise it... it does keep it alot cooler down below though...
Thanks Marge for the complement
Gordon..
Gordon, That is lovely...your own little paradise in the middle of a city! I love it. Margie
It looks great up there. Is that a Japanese Maple? Do you have to take that inside too? I can see that you must really love your plants to have to do so much work to have them up there. What a great place to go to feel like you are in the tropics. LOL!
oh your first photo is gorgeous!!! Thanks for sharing
Wow, Gordon, what pretty plants. You sure have been busy. It looks great.
I have really enjoying seeing more of your garden!
I can not imagine being able to fry an egg next to a potted plant,I bet that roof top does present a challenge!
Lookin Good!
Gordon, what a fabulous tropical garden you have created. it is amazing to see what you have in the middle of the city. Donna
AWW Shucks.. Ya'll are way too kind.. I'm just assembling the soil and water.. after that I have the best help going.. oh the lugging and constructing.. arrangeing and shopping.. and did I mention lugging.. but as the old southern tradition states .. never thank someone for the gift of a plant.. [ as it was scarcely theirs to provide.. except perhaps in the handing it over to you..] I feel much the same with my garden.. the blessing is being fit and able to help... Gordon
Gordon...Your photo says it all...heaven on earth!
"the blessing is being fit and able to help"...wise words. I will have to remember that, it is surely true. Did I tell you that I really like you?! Margie
Beautiful picture of the sunset, Gordon.
Brugie...
Yes.. there are two Japaneese maples there.. one in the front the other in the back 1/2 picture.. the front is a Oridio Nashiki.. a green w/ white and pink variagtion..
the one in the back 1/2 picture is a feathery cut leaf one with an underplanting of three blue rug junipers.. bot I got from a grafter the late Mr Wolf in Philladelphia.. after seeing an article on his grafting in Fine Gardening.. they have wintered / summered up there nicely for the last 8 years or so..
Donna & AHelms..
Thanks so much.. it is a great labor of love there... it is a challenge... but it's easier on the roof in this weather .. it was 64* F yesterafternoon about 3PM.. at that time the roof temps were 94*F.. cozey warmth.. a tropical microclime all over the roof.. the tropical corner pictured in this post... it's located just to the right of the blooming plumeria in the back 1/2 picture.. kind of hidden behind the chimney....
Margie..
Well... I feal so honored... that really makes my day here.. you are indeed quite a dear yourself... a warm heart felt thanks to you... Gordon
Gordonn- I just checked into this thread. I LOVE what you've done to your roof garden. It's so creative and beautiful!!! You are very talented! Your Cypress Gardens looks fantastic. That is one of my favorite brugs.
Thanks...Dat Dog...thank you.. thank you...
is your cypress gardens still blooming ?
Yes.. I love Cypress Gardens also.. it's so cooperative a plant...but I'd like to be able to lengthen the trunk of mine and have it more as a tree than a bush...[ I love Monicas tree ally..] guess I'm always trying to have them be as full as possible with as much fragrence and as many blooms as I can ..so form takes a back seat.. although without more of a wind break it might be silly to try that here.. I did start refitting my bouganvilla as a standard .. doing it that way had never occoured to be before.. makes the long vine more able to move up and down in the spring and fall.. although it has curtailed alot of it's flowering..perhaps that will pick again as it understands it is a tree now
Picture: What City
Gordon
Gordon...I was just looking through other posts that you wrote and came up with this one. More lovely photos, too. Also it answered my question about the fog over the pond! I hope you don't mind me linking it here, but I think others might like to see it also.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/449893/
Is there a book out about roof top gardens? I really think others would like to see yours!
BTW...I was born and brought up in N.Y.....mostly L.I., so it is heart-warming to see your photos of my birth city! Thank you so much, Margie
Sure margie.. my pleasure ... and Cypress gardens is now blooming also..
right..well here's that picture
Gordon you rooftop garden is fabulas, and I was always told by my Mother years ago, that if you say thank for a plant it will die, so how do you show your appresiasion (sp) jI cannot resist saying "thank you" for something as nice as a plant
Gordon...that is surely some flush of blossoms! My biggest flush so far has been three blossoms! My plants are all since this spring, so I am just thrilled with my three!
My first and only flush in two years. Will probably lose them tonight as it is going into the 40's. 48 Blooms and about that many more coming on. The most I have had before was around 8. Names on the tags faded, so do not know what it is .
I'm betting they will stay pretty until they get frosted or just fall off. The cold weather here didn't seem to bother my versi's until they got nipped. I was surprised. She sure is a pretty one. Great shape.
Kareoke... I guess you can mention the great care you'll give it.. or pull out a gift yourself.. it is after all Gods gift to us all.. I guess the reasoning is.. if you don't know who too thank for your bounty you might br getting ready to loose it..
Margie.. are you feeding them alot.. they do like that.. and perhaps some Spray-N-Grow.. have you heard of that being mentioned.. or perhaps the new enhancer and desease fighter .. Messenger.. they all do help alot.. I had over 200 blossoms starting on cypress gardens before the huricane of last year... I laid it down for the wind day.. and when I stood it up and it started to flower I had lost maybe 50 of them.. so it was still a big bunch.. this years I posted had only about 100 of them.. oh thatt was on it's last of three flushes..and a few stray early ones.. on that plant..the others bloom with not as many but as often.... well I might be moveing
TA..lovely looking plant.. I'm going to try and cut the busheyness out of mine this fall.. and try to develop a more standard form as yours is.. beautiful.. and my favorite of colors.. a white with a blush of pink
I'm with Brugie.. they won't mind the cold.. they are thinking of nothing but attracting a hardy moth right now...I heard they had two large Brug trees growing on either side if the entrance to the gardens at Machu Piechu.. bet most every evening is cool way up there..
Gee I'm running out of fall shots.. we'll be down to common individual plants soon.... SnowBank........
Gordon
Gordon, what will you do with all the plants in winter? I love the Cypress Gardens, did you get it that large and blooming that much in one year?
Gordon what you have done with this roof top is pure genious. the phrase you do with what you got no matter how much you got pays off in the end. Beautiful plants i was complaning how small a back yard of have though i have utilize to the best of my ability that,s what counts. Great job bob
Wood Spirit... As I mentioned further up I bring alot done into the house.. the bulbs I dig and store.. alot of it I treat as annuals.. and much of it just weathers up there in fine form in the spring.. everything freezes soild.. but in the ground here I guess it's frozen if it is in the first 2' of the ground soil anyway.. The most difficult part is the late winter.. as the sun heats up the planters and it starts thawing only to freeze again in the evening shattering the cellular structure in the bark.. for this reason I sometimes mulch .. I use heavy wood planters.. sometimes with an inch or so of a foam on the inside of the planter.. That Cypress gardens is about 5 yrars old.. but after the first year it has performed that way.. 5 years and it has never been dormant..
Drum.. well I do .. and as a result of trying I do succeed some times.. Thanks
Gordon
surely you take Cypress Gardens in, then. It's a white I think I'd love to have, but I'm running out of space, lol
Gordon, what a charming and delightful person you are, as well as a talented gardner - individuals such as yourself are the ones that make this forum so interesting and popular. I love your creative garden and your lovely photos!!!!
Perfect example of "NO EXCUSES" if we don't have a yard....a lot of money.....perfect weather..... if the passion is there we can go for it..... I have wondered what I will do when I leave my parents house and move on....without a nice yard.....and I remember..wherever I live d I had a garden... size doesn't matter...it's about focus..priorities....look at the"soul " you have right there....amidst all that concrete....You have been my inspiration for this day in drizzly , missouri...thank you dee Ps.. all you young gardners out there ...start a pictorial journal.... I have been gathering what I can of my creations (& Gods) from times past for my children and grandchildren....My mom said people use d to drive for miles to come see my grandmother's dinner plate dahlia's..I would love to have a picture of her in the gardens....well I just gave myself an idea....I'm an artist...I'll have to paint her ...gota go so much to do and so little hours in this day.....
delphininum..
well thanks.. the big dahalias are a favorite of mine also.. below is a picture of my neice with walter hardardy I think the white is called... maybe you can turn her into your grandmother in the picture..
Sherry .. thank you thank you.. nothing like it .. and I do grow it for thoes that do.. I'm glad to have been able to show it off.. Gordon
MAN!!! That dahlia is way past beautiful, it's unbelievable!!! Cute niece too...
Gordon
your roof top tropical garden is absolutely wonderful
do you have a snowbank that has bloomed for you ?
& did you go to So. America ? if so ...
did you get any picts of wild Brugs ?
Dick
Anybody have any cuttings of Cypress Gardens to spare?
Gordon that is one awesome garden. I'm sure your other rooftop neighbors really enjoy the view.
Good to see Gordon's roof garden again. Where is Gordon?
Stever .. Yes I've had a snowbank for this will be three years..comming.. I love it.. although as reported she gets a bit ragged .. from winds and insects love her... but I'd have her without a bloom for the varagation... but she blooms wonderfully here.. the tree it's self is a bit weaker than many of them... but I still love her...
Yes..I was in Panama and Nicaragua, The most brugs were in Boquette Panama.... A hightgs... mostly white and a short pinkish one line the roadway for miles moutain town and as the hedge rows aroung the fields.. A high mountain so it's allways cool... Boquette is in like a box canyon.. where you drive in and drive out the same way.. and the coffee fields line the slopes around the town.. rainning like a fine mist in the day has a rainbow overhead most days all afternoon.. more pictures in a moment... Godon
Donna.. Well thanks...I'm about one of the tallest about this area at 5 floors... so no one looks down on it... I'd love more to see it.. and am pleasured to post pictures of it.. and would like to have them all in a front yard as an inspiration.. but just friends and thoes that are here get to see it.. OH.. and a rooftop a few over has some roof things going on... they get to see it evolve..
IHughes.. Thanks... I'm about.. trying to kick it in gear after being off for some three weeks.... Plenty to do on the return.. lots Gordon of brugs rooting.. so this will be a new formaat this year..featureing the Brius and the plumerias.. with some underplantings.
I didn't see any I could be sure were wild.. in that they weren't planted.. although on a walk along a stream I saw a large flowering white 1/2 on the bank and 1/ in the water... and there was a pink behind it... it was in the back of this ecco lodge.. and I could imagine someone walking along and planting them... I think they might have been introduced back into the wild.. Ok one of their pinks..
Very lovely photos, Gordon.
I enjoyed them all.
