Thanks to so many of the brug lovers here....

(and elsewhere) my cuttings from last year are now mostly fairly good sized plants. I decided this spring to plant some in the yard and they have grown ALOT and most are full of buds. Those in the pots aren't nearly as big and haven't had any buds yet but I think I've about figured out that they aren't getting enough sun - so that'll change here shortly.

This pic is of frosty pink (thank you Ada!) and I'm wondering if I need to maybe strip some of the leaves off the bottom to make more of a canopy so the blooms will show better. All the ones I have planted in the yard (at least the ones I set out early) are very bushy like this. Would it hurt them to do that? Thanks! Sandy

Looking very nice, Sandy. I like to strip some leaves. I don't think it hurts them once they get some good size to them. I wouldn't do it to very small ones though. Yours looks nice the way it is. I love brug leaves so I have to think about what my plants will look like if I do strip them. Sometimes I just leave well enough alone. LOL! Nice tall trunks look good with the leaves stripped. Experiment and see what you like best. You won't kill them by playing around to get the best look.

and here's versi-peach. (cutting from who-else but Ada)

Thanks Brugie, maybe I will experiment some. Here's some I put in a daylily bed and I DO love the full look of the leaves on the brugs..it just seems like the blooms don't stand out that well.

I like suaveolens types left as bushes. The versi's, I like to strip up to the Y. Many that have aurea in them look great stripped up to the Y also. I guess a lot depends on whether your cuttings came from the flowering region or below. Cuttings from the flowering region tend to be more bushy and I don't think I've ever tried to strip one of them. Be sure to show us what you do with them. Your pictures are great and that bed with the daylilies is going to be very pretty when it gets to bloom stage.

Hi Sister City Brug Lover !!
You're just a couple hours South of me. My Sis lives in N. Chas.
Very nice pants....Looks like you'll have a great Summer full of Blooms !!
Let me know if you ever come up this way.
Margo

Hi Margo, nice to meet ya! you probably come real close to my house when you come to N. Chas. Let me know when you're coming this way.

Brugie, I'll keep you posted on what I do. I failed the class on the different type brugs (sauv..etc). Actually, I probably CUT that class so I could pot all the cuttings that folks sent me to root! hehehe

I'll have you know that you have really made me jealous!!! But that's OK cause it's not the vicious kind of jealous. ... I'm proud for you they are just beautiful.

Judy

Looking good. You will enjoy every flower.

The brugs are looking great, Sandra. Like Brugie said, you'll have to experiment to see which you like better.

Your plants look nice and healthy and your blooms are beautiful.

Isn't Ada just great? Your leaves are so big and green. I find it much easier to pick off leaves that are ratty, those are too pretty to pluck!

Great job Sandy.
I'm torn between stripping and keeping the leaves as well.

It may not be a problem where you live but in MS we lack air flow in the summer. I find my brugs have less problems with disease and pests if I strip the leaves below the Y to allow for air flow. Also, the plants naturally lose their lower leaves, which turn yellow and look untidy.

I wish the leaves on mine looked so green and healthy. Every leaf on every brug I have is full of leaves and chewed on the edges. I knew we had slugs at times, but had never seen snails. I went out early this morning and discovered little snails chewing away on a lot of the leaves. I have so many that putting out beer cups or something like that isn't feasible. Is there something I can just sprinkle on the ground around them that might keep the snails away?

Thanks everyone! Bward, surprisingly, I haven't had many leaves turn yellow and fall off - just every now and then. Now the ones in pots are a different story. I think what's helped mine that are planted is our beds are very heavily composted....I mean like the raised beds are 75% pure compost. When we put in a new bed, we get compost from the landfill and just dump it wherever the new bed will go. I've heard others say you get all kinds of weeds from it but so far we've done well with it. (Of course, my neighbors only recognize me from the back side cause that's the way they always see me..with my behind up in the air as I'm weeding) lol! We used to have horses and all the shavings went straight into flowerbeds (as well as the stench).

Sandy, the pictures you sent me of your yard is beautiful. You've been a busy woman and it shows.

Thanks Ada! we added about 50 feet to the back yard last year which has caused me to have to re-do almost everything back there (and to think it really WAS pretty before we did the addition.....makes me tired thinking about it!)

Can I post the link on DG? wasn't sure.

It would be worth a try. Post it and see.

Gee Sylvia, I just know of the usual. Snail pellets you can buy anywhere. I find them very effective. I also wet everything late and then go out after dark. I get lots that way. I then try to stay up for another couple of hours and go out and then I find even more snails/slugs have moved to where they are visable.

I also understand egg shells work by cutting them as they ooze over them. Plus there was another kind, DE that I have read on here that works.