Spring Flowers

There wasn't much happening here so I thought I'd try to get something going. The only thing I could think of was to share some more spring flowers. I know how much everyone likes seeing a little colour this time of year. I won't say anything about the fact that Victoria is doing their annual flower count this weekend....I think. Just caught part of that particular news story.

Anyhow...here are some more crocuses. Last year there were a lot more but I dug a bunch out. Now I kinda miss them.

This was last year in the same area.

Thanks for sharing we sure could use some
colour out here in Manitoba..
every where I look all I see is dirty snow..
Wilma

Very pretty, Sandy. I can'r wait to see some of the same. Thanks for sharing.

I love crocuses. Very pretty, Sandy! I only have the little tiny blooming ones.
:) Donna

A foreshadowing of a spring that keeps trying to show itself.......lovely, thanks for the glimpse Sandy!

before you know it you will have to dig some out again - 'tis the way of crocus. i love that about them

Sandy I was just going to take a picture of the daffodils but they are just not open all the way, another day or 2 and they'll be in their full glory. I'll take a picture then.

We've been having such lovely sunny days, and then frost every night, it's hard not to be out in the garden. I think of everyone on the street, there's just 2 of us that haven't mowed the lawns yet. Spring is certainly around the corner. The heather this year is really putting on a good show.

Linda

Well I can't boost of any blossoms yet. I have a few bulbs that are "living in fear" to come out of the ground any more, as we too, have had pretty frosty overnights this past week. The days are lovely and sunny and my seedlings are loving every ray, but the temps during the day have not been getting over 5 degree celsius. WE NEED SOME WARMER WEATHER!

I bought some bulbs today.

PINK CALLA LILY, Zandedeschia rehmanni

PINK PINEAPPLE LILY, Eucomis, LARGE CLUMP

Acidanthera murielae, Peacock Orchid, 5 BULBS

From a place in Oregon. Hopefully I won't have any problems with these bulbs from there as the seeds I ordered from Oregon where no problem. (Fingers Crossed!)

Anyway, two of these were on my wish list, and the Peacock Orchid, well... "just because..." Wanna see 'em?


This message was edited Feb 19, 2005 2:35 PM

Here's the Pink Cala...

and finally....So what do you think? Do you like 'em?

Great buys!
:) Donna

wow, the pineapple lily is nice, almost looks like a ginger.

I almost went out to plant my callas today, I have a white, yellow and dark purple that I hope will come back form last year, although none of them flowered last year. This year I just got 2, one called Flame, and the other called Neon Amour.

Here's 'Flame"

and here's Neon Amour

I sure hope they grow....

Donna, what a bouquet we could make with all these callas. I've never been able to get mine to flower, so I'm hoping this year is the year.

Oh, I like that Neon Amour. Love Callas. At one time I had yellow and white ones in Edmonton. The yellow bloomed the first summer, but not the white. Dug them up for the winter and the following year we moved to B.C. They never bloomed again. So I am going to give it a try again. I have always been partial to white callas too, 'cause the bridesmaids at my son's wedding all carried them instead of bouquests and they looked so gorgeous. They have been a favourite of mine ever since. I would like another yellow one too, but now that I have seen your "Flame"....

Thanks Donna, I thought so too. :D

Very nice bulbs Donna. I really like the Peacock Orchid. I hope you don't have any problems getting them.

I love Callas. Those are all gorgeous colours you both got. Where did you get yours from Linda? Mine never flowered last year either. The neighbour gave me some yellow, pink and white ones last spring. Hers bloomed beautifully in her yard. I put mine in pots. I'm hoping they just needed to get established and they'll bloom this year. I would love to know the secret of getting them to bloom.

I helped my dad do some more pruning today. We've been working on some of the clematis that need to be pruned this time of year. Today we did one of the wild apple trees. The darn thing has these spiny little twigs down the branches. Dad also pruned the Witch Hazel.

I just discovered a couple of my tall brugs have some kind of spider mite again so they are both outside on the patio. I sprayed them with malathion. I'll bring them in after supper when they've dried off a bit. I can't stand the smell of that stuff. I just sprayed them about a month ago and thought I had them beat because every time I checked I couldn't find any bugs. Sigh....what a pain. I hope it's not getting too cold outside for the plants. It was 14 degrees a little while ago so I figured they'd be all right. It's been freezing here every night as well except for last night.

The Witch Hazel flowers sure are strange looking. I'd never really noticed them before.

eeww, no wonder they call it "witch" hazel.. Kinda ugly, huh? Ah, the scourge of Brugs, eh? They seem to attract the worst of the pests! Expecially Spider Mites! I know that the tips I have received considering these little varmints is that keeping the leaves misted (moist) helps elimate the mites from setting up shop, "so to speak". Good luck with them. I haven't had problems to far. "Touch Wood!"

Sandy, I got last years callas at gardenworks, and these last 2 I got the other day when I went up to Dinter nurseries in Duncan. I also got Lilypon's pink plumie too, but don't tell her yet, I have to get a photo of it to post ;) They had a whole shwack of plumerias, and probably 30 jasmine bushes, all in bloom, it was wonderful in the GH. In their shop with the tropicals, was a Bird of Paradise, the was blooming! Well I immediately came home and moved mine to get the most amount of sun ut can get, just like theirs.

About those wretched spider mites, yetch! I hate those little so & so's. Keeping the new growth srayed works so I'm told. There's also the 'infamous water bath' where you dunk the whole plant in the tub for about 10-15 min, in water no hotter than 110*F. I spray, and I squish, (dealing with aphids now) and I've dunked. When it's so out of control, I strip off the leaves and let the poor thing start putting out leaves all over again.

Donna, if you've not had brug bug trouble yet, keep doing what ever you're doing! and let us know the secret!

Linda

I grew eucomis last year, it was kind of cool. got it from botanus

Did I hear somebody picked up a plumie???? :D

Pam, it was a lovely day, the sun was shinning, and the air not that cool. So I tooka friend of mine, and we made most of day it. I took put 2 of my brugs to trade with Della, she's the brug/tropical person to get to know. She was stilll amazed that this plumie was going to MOOSE JAW ?!. I've told her about the Ru, and DG's, she's never heard of it! She's hoping of making the Friday evening. I did mention that most were doing trades, and she'd find more on DG's, so I hope she shows up.

Pam, when I get the camera back, I'll get a pic of your pink, with a young Y.

Linda, I haven't had any problems with my Brugs other than the odd whitefly, which I have finally licked with the yellow sticky strips. I have so many other plants wintering over in the basement with my big Isabella and that is where the whitefly comes from I think. The basement is where I have all my seedlings that I started a couple weeks ago, and they say whitefly eggs/larva can even come from the potting soil. I didn't "cook" my potting soil 'cause I bought, what I considered, good quality seeding soil, and so far I haven't had any problems. Otherwise, I mist everyday and every few days I give them a spray of Safers Insecticide Soap, whether they need it or not. so far...so good.

Lynn, what color Eucomis did you grow last year? Did you dig it up for the winter, or leave it in the ground there? They say they are hardy to zone 7, so I think I am gonna try and leave mine in the ground and mulch really well.

This message was edited Feb 20, 2005 7:25 PM

Good idea Donna, to mist the brugs frequently. I started out doing that but got lazy I guess. I'm going to have to start misting regularly or else those little beasts are going to take over.

I thought I'd better look up these Eucomis so I'd know what everybody's talking about. They're really cool. You guys sure come up with some neat stuff. Oh dear, another thing for my list.

This nursery in Duncan sounds really good. I think I'm going to have to check it out the next time I'm down that way. Where in Duncan is it exactly Linda? Is it on the main drag?

Going south of Duncan, its about 5 min along the HWY. It night be at a cross light, and it's on the right side of the road going south. If you hit the payless gas station , then yuo've gone too far. I went up north into duncan beause I missed the turn. First you'll see some GH's,. then you'll see the signs, and the the front edge by the turn off, the have the Dinter sign and a wartefall.

Go inside, all the way back and then to the right, they have a blooming BoP. Della Walters is the woman I've been dealing with, she loves brugs!

I think I got all the tyops, I'm too tired to fix the rest of them tonight,

Hope find it Sandy. If you are doming down, I could meet you at Wndy's or some other place easily meet at for both of usl Just let kow know a dat or 2 ahead of time.

Linda

I dug the bulb which had nearly doubled in size in one season and then let it stay in the garage too long so its toast. will try again
good news is the plants in the bed of the truck at the farm seem to be ok the zebra grass broke dormancy last week and three of the four patio roses show growth

That's encouraging about the patio roses, Lynn. I'm more inclined to buy one or two now.

Linda, I supplied Della with brugs a couple of years back. She bought quite a few off of me.

Old FlowerGirl,
I bought some Acidanthera murielae, Peacock Orchid's last year and they were lovely. I pulled the spent buds off daily, and they kept blooming and lasted what seemed like a long long time. I dug them up for the winter, they're in peat in the GH, hope there're ok out there. Does anyone else put them out every year? I simply LOVE the witch Hazel, maybe one day. It's on one of my lists. LOL

Good to know, JoSnoop. I will likely dig mine up too, next fall. I wish us both good luck this Spring and Summer with our Peacock Orchids.

so here are the first of my spring flowers

and here are my adoptees from the GH still alive!!

lovely coloured tulips

They are lovely looking Lynn!! Your garden will be *the tropics* this summer! Ü

Yikes...you jinxed me Sandy! Checked my Brugs today and after boosting that I haven't had any problems...bam...there on Isabella, tiny little white eggs...tons of 'em. :-C Doused them with Insecticde Soap. Thankfully the little varmints haven't touched my young plants that I keep upstairs. Whew! I noticed in the Brug and friends forum they were discussing Avid, and Isotox as being the best remedy. I understand Avid is terribly expensive. Anyone else have some sure-fire mite killers?

Avid is the best. It is expensive but it lasts a long time. 1/4 t. per gallon. I only have to spray with Avid every couple of months. I've tried lots of other stuff. Avid works the best.

Where do you buy Avid, Jeanne?

Gee whiz, I think I'm jinxing everybody Donna. I've been looking into getting some Avid too.

Look what I found when I walked the dog on Sunday. A true harbinger of spring.

Very cool, Sandy. But my ignorance is hanging out here...what is it? Another gorgeous day in store for us I hear. My bulbs are popping up all over now. Woo Hoo! Spring has finally Sprung...maybe...

Donna, it 's called a skunk cabbage. They grow in wet, swampy areas, and here on the Island are sure signs of spring.
Here's a link about them:

http://www.naturepark.com/skcabbag.htm

Glenda