Isn't it in your back yard? I know that in Southern Cal in the summer time it's not there! Why do you think they call it the Golden State! It isn't here either, so it really must be in your back yard! Tell me about your summers and if you must, tell me how bad it gets in the winter, although I must warn you that I lived outside of Toronto for 4 years and in Mass & Conn & even New Jersey for many years. We could swap stories about how cold it was once...
O/T Please show us your favorite non-gesnariads!
I ripped most of the grass out of my back yard! There is but a 6' diameter spot for the dogs.
I think you would have me beat on cold stories, seeing as how I live in subtropical Colorado. Our coldest temp this winter was 5.5 F and last night was 15. It rarely does not rise above 32 in the day. We do not get much snow, and poeple are going nuts over a record 2.4 inches yesterday. But drive an hour or two east and find yourself in literally zone 3b! Summers in my valley are windless, cloudless, dry (virtually no percent humidity) and hot. The sun is dangerous here. Last summer was 106. The good thing is that plants can transpire to cool off when they could not otherwise in humidity. Similarly, I find that if I can drink between one and two gallons of water per day, I can work outside safely. Otherwise, snap on those floodlights at night, baby! (See post: Jan 12, 2006
12:08 AM)
But you know, we have not lost our water rights yet, so the grass is still green here. I love this climate, odd as it is somedays.
Kenton
The Main Garden in November after its first summer(05).
I pray those palms and bananas live.
oops, catching up.
April, you mean the ping? The first pic is the leaves! They are pink to red and have sticky droplets on them that catch insects. Yes, it's carnivorous!
Here's a close up of the leaves.
some faves from the balcony next.....
first is my all time favorite outdoor plant. It's wierd.... This is Arisaema kiushiunum, a jack-in-the-pulpit from southern japan.
The purplish thing is the flower, and you can see the palm-like leaves above.
And my other favorite shade perennial are toad lilies - Tricyrtis. This is a Tricyrtis hirta 'Miyazaki' hybrid.
this is a small delicate flower but I love the understated charm. Tricyrtis latifolia.
and lastly, I think everyone agrees that this one is a stunner. Tricyrtis Shirohototogisu .
What an Arisaema! It makes sikkokianum look boring.
Amazing beautiful plants ! Thank you for sharing them !
Allison
Key...gorgeous...guess i should post some more of my little jungle (only 50 x 75ft..with the mobil home)..some folks call this the "brown" alamanda..but i call it "purple alamanda"...quite a large growing bush....
wow. I'm totally envious of the tropicals and subtropicals. Here in the DC area, we are hardiness zone 7 to 8, and yet we are also in heat zone 7. Only a few would call this the best of both worlds....
Ethylene update:
I was reading through my Master Gardener Text, and Ethylene gas is produced by fruits and those areas of the plant. I imagine it helps to ripen all the fuit at one time consistently. It is used to slow down growth by the plant.
It causes the developement of leaf, flower, and fruit abscission joints. (the part that snaps off) (These joints are very active in the fall, when trees drop their leaves.)
It does not mention anything about promoting flowers.
I don't think I would use an apple on my violets!
Another thing I read is that plants need two color spectrums the most: blue and red. Using cool "blue" light-tubes will promote more leaves, while a combo of "warm" and "cool" lights will promote flowers. Interesting, eh?
I'm sure there will me more interesting Master Gardening info I can share as classes progress.
Kenton
Yes Keyring, I had to look back but it was the ping I was referring to. Beautiful and interesting leaves, cute little flower AND it would eat my fungus gnat? What's not to love. I will be looking into that.
Thanks for the additional picture.
i always experiment...and sometimes..get lucky...."cuturing" is at the top of my interest lists....wish the eqptment was so expensive..but i'm "playing" around with the "kitchen" gismos..
Here'a a collage of a few of the "other" plants I grow.
Spring's are really nice but the summer heat is a killer on me...that actually is one of the things I love about AV's,we like the same temps .
Angel Tumpets and Bromeliads are two of my favorites...
MsC
Here's one more you all might like...
Angel Trumpet 'Charles Grimaldi'
MsC
Your pictures are beautiful MsC :)) We have some
Bromeliads ! A couple have flowers now still :)) I just love them !
Thanks for sharing yours. Allison
Thank Allsion,
I used to realy enjoy gardening outdoors but the past few summers heat has really become an issue for me.
I love Bromeliads and my old type Angel's Trumpets They are also easy for begginers to grow.
MsC
Beauties! Here's one of my new fav begonias. it's a noid rhizo freckled face little thing, just love it!
(posted some of my bloomers over in the Begonia corner for those of you who also appreciate them)
Of course you know I love begonias, too.They were one of my first loves. You would love Maas Nursery in the spring time they have HUGE baskets of Angel Wing type for $15-$20 and are incredible well grown.
Lemme go check out your pics....
MsC
ms critter..those brugmania (trumpet) and bromeliads are so neat...here..not too expensive..and the "brugs" cuttings root easily in water...a bit worried about the pic...the drug czars are after folks doing that to their brugs....some folks make drugs from them..and a lot of teenagers have died from them...not to scare you..but thought i'd mention it....
this is costus barbatus with musa red ruby in background
Hiya junglebob,
Yes, bromeliads are beautiful and grow easy here, too.
The Angel's Trumpets are surely a controversial plant these days.
I have not had any trouble with the ones I grow. Of course I don't use them for any of the purposes you mention above and we are fortunate to have a fenced in yard w/ dogs, so not much trouble with teens here. Unfortunately anyone can get all the drugs they want right on the street anywhere in the USA without resorting to beautiful garden plants.
Humans do the silliest things.:)
One other thought to add to that Angels Trumpet contoversy is that many other beloved gardening plants are just as toxic & deadly as Angel Trumpets when used improperly as well. Foxglove & Oleanders are just 2 I can think of but then again the topic of the thread is about other plants we grow & enjoy so I will just let you enjoy the pics from my garden.
Enjoy the pics
MsC
msc...certainly do enjoy the pics of everyone and brugs are one of my favorite and i love the pics....here in Florida...always something happening like i mentioned...you are certainly correct about many other toxic plants..many we don't even realize...thanks for sharing...Bob
Ya know junglebob, I just can't imagine my garden without Angel's Trumpet, Bromeliads, Night Blooming Jasmine, Butterfly Gingers, etc...the summer evening smells are amazing!
Glad you enjoy my pics and always glad to share my pics...
MsC
msc...sounds like we have the same thing growing....the evening scents are wonderful...along with the plumeria....great zone we live in. bob
MsC, I love that picture of you up to your ears in that huge angel trumpet! What is the plant in the lower left corner of your 9-patch photo? I have one like it that I got at the MidAtlantic RU, from somebody who didn't know anything about it other than it had been rescued from the "nearly dead tropicals" clearance shelf at HD.
I'm with ya about scents in the garden.... Lilies, lavender, jasmine, stock, phlox, clematis.... mmmmmm. In the winter, my scented geraniums keep my spirits up, and right now my lemon tree is blooming again. Yum!
junglebob I love your ginger...gotta save me a lil piece of it for tradin. I'm sure I can tempt you with something...:)
CritterO,
That lovely thing is & was the reason I found DG's!
Stromanthe 'Tricolor' (Stromanthe sanguinea)
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/59470/index.html
Glad you love the pic of my face buried in the bloom of the Angel Trumpet it is one of my all time favorite photos ...lol
This message was edited Jan 19, 2006 10:37 PM
msc...sure..would be glad to share/trade.....bob
I started a new thread for us, thinking that this one might be getting a little slow for anyone on dial-up.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/569756/
:-)