Deb I want some of your zinnizs and sunflower seed
Nectar Plants for Butterflies&HummersSeed Exchange
DonnaB - You've got dmail! :-)
Donna, I'm still going to send you zinnia seeds. I've had 2 sick kids and have gotten even more behind. I'll sit down and sort some out and send them out tomorrow.
Debnes, I didn't look at that link but I've rooted things in Pearlite before and it has worked. Have you not had luck in water?
no rush Paige. Not planting until spring. Do you want any of the Trilobata and Gigantea Pipevine seeds??
Yes, if you have enough. Just send them back in the envelope I use. No rush here either.
will save some for you Paige
this is the A. Trilobata leaf
the bloom
the A. Gigantea
Those are so cool! I'm going to need a chain link fence on the inside of my wooden one to hold all my vines!
...aren't we on the wrong thread? lol
Paige just run some Chicken Wire along you wooden fence for them to cling to. It won't be that noticable as the vines should cover most of it
I actually did that this year when my passionvine showed up on the wrong end with no trellis. I used real wire too, not the cheap plastic stuff I used the year before because it crumbles apart after a while. I think I'll go ahead and just get a bunch of it and nail it up this fall and be ready. Oh, what a good idea!
Can someone help me identify Aster seeds?
I need a photo or a really good website link or description. My aster blooms are dried up, but I can not really id the seeds amongst the dried petals.
These are Stokes Aster Seed Becky :-)
Okay. Deb, where are the seeds located on the Aster? Behind the dried petals? I'm just not seeing anything like the seeds you photographed.
Yes maam, they would be right under the petals inside the septal area. Are they dried out?
Why not take a little pic and let's see what you have there..
:-)
Deb - Here's a photo of the seeds! (Or whatever it is that is dried up on the head of the flower.)
I was reading info from this forum website:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/wtrsow/msg112104088704.html?2
Sounds like the little fluffy stuff has some very teeny tiny seeds attached to it. But I sure don't see any!
This message was edited Nov 22, 2006 9:34 PM
Here I tried to spot the seeds best I could and circle them. What I am looking for are dark rigid pieces about 1/2 inch long. Most of them could still be in the pods. I would put them in an open paper bag in a dry place, and check again in a couple days how the pods break apart. See if you can find more like I circled after that.
o/
Becky~
I missed a bunch, I know..lol. If they are for sending to other people it is nice to know just how much your sending, however some of us don't mind the chaff at all. It will only make a fluffier package is all.. Just tell them there is chaff in with the seeds and to plant more liberally than seed only. Some say it helps them see where they dropped the seeds better.
Deb - I am IMPRESSED! You've got a great editor there! I just didn't want to waste my own time or someone else's trying to grow plants if there doesn't appear to be any seeds in there. But according to the website, the fluffy stuff does have some seed attached to it, much like other floating airborne seeds. Thanks for helping me out on this! :-) Much appreciated!
......OOOOOH, I will sell my soul for some Green Shrimp Plant (blechum browneii) - haven't been able to obtain that locally!!!
I have a few things like yellow morning glories (ipomoea ochrace and ipomoea obscura) which aren't butterfly larval hosts but the sulphurs do like to roost in them...and also perch on the leaves on a sunny day...they are the same color as the blooms. There is a pink spotted hawkmoth (I think that's the name) that uses it as a larval host.
Have bookoos of Mexican Flame vine seeds :o) haven't tried to grow it from seed and one of my vines is so heavy it is pulling down the trellis. If anyone is interested in fresh cuttings I plan to prune to back to size real soon and trade off the fresh cuttings.
~ Cat
Does anyone know anything about Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)? I recently picked up a few of the bulbs and read that they are good nectar plants. I need to know where is the best place in your garden to plant them and how tall they get. I believe that "spicata" is the shorter variety of this plant species.
Latris is one of DHs favorite flowers and the bfs in my yard slurped it up too. It can also be grown from seed. http://www.theletteroflove.com/wallpaper/wp-content/photos/bfonliatrisxl.jpg
http://www.theletteroflove.com/wallpaper/wp-content/photos/bfonliatrisxl2.jpg
Propagation is best done by division in fall; plants set seed, but cultivars won't come true from seed.
Some cultivars
'Kobold.' Grows to 2 1/2 feet tall; early blooming, stiff spikes of rosy-purple flowers.
'Floristan White.' Also seen in the industry as 'Floristan Weiss.' Reaches 3 feet tall; white flowers.
'Floristan Violett.' A violet-colored seed strain grown for its long purplish spikes.
'August Glory.' Reaches 3-4 feet tall; purple-blue flowers.
'Alba.' Outstanding in semi-shade with a dark background. L. spicata is the most widely grown of the genus, but you may occasionally find others on seed lists. These should be more widely grown as they are very attractive and, like spicata, not at all fussy.
I have a few bulbs in the ground and they come back every year. Don't ask me which kind it is, DH bought them for me, I don't know..lol.
Deb - Thanks for all the info on Blazing Star. I picked up some bulbs and planted them each in pots to start. I will transplant in Spring. Or maybe sooner depending on how the weather and our winter goes.
Tonight it is supposed to dipped into the high 40's. And the 10 day forecast has the highs being in the high 60's and low 70's during the day. I am watching the weather closely because of my water lilies. If it gets close to freezing, I will have to figure out something to bring them in or heat the pond so they don't die. They are the only plants in my entire yard that I am really worried about if the temps drop too low.
Becky, hope it doesn't get too cold there!
I took a pic at the bf conservatory of this beautiful bf magnet tree. It looks like it is very tropical but I would love to have one. It's called a Macaw's Tail, Warszewiczia coccinea.
Is't it cool? Have you heard of it?
Beautiful plant that Macaw's Tail ..Roxanne!! I love that!
Now, I'm gonna want one of those when you find out where, LOL!
Just when I thought I was all set with what I want this year......... r-i-i-i g h t, lol!
Roxanne and Deb - Love that Macaw's Tail tree! How gorgeous! Thanks for posting info and a pic, Roxanne!
It's definitely getting colder here. I think winter is finally starting to hit my zone. Bummer! I was hoping that we'd skip a cold winter this year.
I came home after work and immediately starting digging the water lilies out of the pond. I am attempting to bring them into my warmer garage and put them into a plastic bin filled with water to grow them over the cold winter months. Well ..... I will either kill them or save them. Time will tell. It was rather daunting once I started. After I managed to empty the pond and began digging around, I found only one plant. (Actually two ... somehow my Josephine had split off into 2 identical waterlilies that were still attached to each other in a mass of roots. Ugh!!!) This is only my first year doing a water garden. These 2 plants are still BLOOMING even in this cold weather! So after making a mess, I began feeling like I should have just left them alone. The roots had spread over the entire bottom of the pond. In removing them, I had to cut away a LOT of roots. So ........ I have an uneasy feeling about what I had to do to remove them from the pond. Tomorrow I hope to re-pot them in fresh sand and slow release fertilizer. Add an aquarium heater. And a couple grow lights. And then pray, pray, pray! (sigh) I would've waited until I had everything, but the weather is getting in the 30's tonight and it might have killed them for sure. I had stopped by 4 different pet stores after work to get an aquarium heater ..... ALL of them are closed on Sundays and Mondays! I couldn't believe it! So I am now telling myself that I can always purchase another Josephine water lily, if the two I have die. (I separated them tonight as if removing them from the pond didn't put them into enough shock....... sigh) Out of all the plants in my yard, the water lilies are THE plants I wanted to save.
I just had to vent. I'm so exasperated. I don't know why I have such an attachment to those water lilies. But I do! Out of ALL my plants, they are my favorite. Thank goodness they are not some rare plant that I can't replace. LOL
My water lily pads (leaves) are already going limp. The plants have definitely gone into shock from being dug up and losing so many roots. Oh well. These two large plants were just one small baby plant when I got it in July last year. Looks like I will be picking up another one come spring! I've been trying to propagate some off-shoots from this plant and have not had much luck so far. Eventually I will figure it out. They grow so easy once they are established. And this particular variety "Josephine" blooms non-stop! No wonder ..... as it was 2 plants blooming, not one! LOL
Here's the sad photo of how they look now. :-( They are quite large for water lily plants.
I'm so sorry Becky. Can you go to a hydroponics store and ask them for a potion with B vitamins in it? My DFIL swears by the B-vit but I know there are also commercial preparations that are also designed to nurture and reduce transplant shock.
Maggie
are you butterfly and hummingbird lovers going to exchange seeds this year....I have a lot of good ones, too.
gail
Becky, hugs to you!! We are supposed to get into the high 20's tonight. I have not covered anything but have watered everything.
The Monarchs are inside and one of them looks ready to eclose. Are you guys sure I have 24 hours after eclosing to get the gatorade?
Yes! Karen - They rarely eat for me during those first 24 hours after eclosing. You have time. I get the fruity flavor of Gatorade. Be sure to stick with the same kind of Gatorade. The butterflies won't change flavors once they get used to a certain flavor. Wow! And I thought it was getting cold here! Brrrrrrr .......
Gail, this is a good thread to list your bf & hummer nectar seeds. Some of the folks have already listed theirs if you scroll up. Are you looking for any particular seeds?
Deborah♥
Didn't mean to ignore you Gail. I have seeds if you need some.
Great Gail!
Is your address on the DG exchange?
I have to admit my list needs some updating.. I have added, traded and planted, and need to see what I have.
In the archives you will also find the discussion on Nectar plants for BFs & Hummies. http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/667130/
Funny how this thread became the discussion thread, LOL! We should probably start a whole new thread in a couple weeks. I am still in the middle of winter sowing now, and I want to mail out what I don't need.
Deb o/~
Gail - Yes! Of course. I think Spring is when many of us will have more seeds. I harvested a lot of seeds in the Fall, but traded and gave a lot of them away. (Though I still have some seeds if anyone is looking for something I have. I don't have all of them listed on my Trade List, so if you or anyone is looking for something specific, let us know here on this thread.)