I never could really meet success in a yard growing cannas in the city, but now in the country and I have fallen in love with these 'oldies but goodies'.
The 6 ft. plants near the tree on the other side better start growing fast..........these are just the first blooms ....DGers gave me many more to place in front of these.
They're beautiful, aren't they. I had to laugh at myself and my cannas. Lassst year I thinned them out quite a bit and just threw them out in the pasture next to me. Couple of weeks ago, I started to wander around the pasture and there are tons of cannas growing, along with 4 o'clocks, liatris, cosmos, just tons of stuff that managed to make it's way out there. It's an unintended garden but very beautiful.
I don't really know why I have started a love affair with cannas.....they just look like the country!!!!
They do remind me of country. I notice when I'm driving up in East Texas how I see them everywhere. Somehow, they just look prettier there than they do where I'm at.
I love them too. They'd be perfect if it weren't for the Canna Leaf Roller. We had pretty bad hail here last week and it beat everything up really bad. My cannas got chopped back to the ground, but they're already putting up new stalks. Gotta' love 'em! This one is Princess Di.
Oh, how pretty............some DGers sent me new cannas with names but there aren't blooming yet.........these in the pictures I moved from another location and they didn't bat an eye at growing in another place...........they probably have been out here for decades.
Pretty - I love cannas too - I had them in AZ - so easy too. It brought some (yellow) from my daughters and also planted some red ones. Along with some banana that was in the house for years.. all in a bed behind begonias. The begonia bed is shaded but I think the back end of that bed will get pm sun . When they bloom I'll post a picture if my plan is good and it looks like I Hope - LOL if I don't post a picture you'll know it was another bad plan. ..
Dutch, let me tell you who carries the most gorgeous cultivar of cannas in your area...The Plant Haus on Walnut in New Braunfels. When I was helping my daughter and her husband work in the yard, I went to the Plant Haus and bought 2 or 3 gallon containers of wonderful bloomers............I think they were 15.00 each but you ought to see 15 of them planted in mass at their home.....
post a pic anyway............I have made more bad decisions in my life than I have the good ones..............but hey, that is how we learn!!!
Hey Dutch, one thing you need to watch for is the size of the mature plant. You can't go by what the commercial tag says when you buy them. With our long growing season here in this region of Texas, things usually get a LOT bigger than stated. I have a Duranta that the tag said would get to 6 feet x 6 feet. It hit 12 feet tall the first year. I also have some salvias that were supposed to be about 18" that are easily 4 feet x 4 feet. I sure wish you could "drag and drop" in the garden like you can on the computer. My husband is to the point that whenever he digs a hole and plants something for me, he'll ask "Are you sure this is where you want it". Then he says "Oh well, this is only the first time it's going in the ground. It's got to be moved at least two more times before it finds a permanent home." I'm definitely not afraid to dig 'em up and move 'em around!
Most durantas in south Texas are trimmed to be trees.....Indigo Spires gets gets about 10 ft. tall and 10 ft. wide in south Texas......Houston is more like we are then you. I notice that my daughter's cannas don't get nearly as tall as mine plus she keeps hers on the north side of the house. Their durantas can be pruned to be bushes....we simply can't....they are prettier anyway as a tree.
Crowellli, I agree that a lot of Texas gets twice the height of the tag, but New Braunfels is in zone 8 a or b?????? They get nights down to 15 and 20 degrees....25degrees...that is almost unheard of in Houston or Taft. I lived in Houston for over 30 years as an adult.
You guys are mind readers - already wondering about the size be cause the cannas I brought from my daughters are already 3 -4 ft tall. The red ones are dwarfs and only about 2 ft tall and trying to bloom so maynot work out well together at all plus the banana in there too? However these are all where they don't get but 4-6 hrs of sun may be more as days get longer. Another thing I stewed about while "looking" at it, they're going to shade some stuff that they shouldn't - I planted a shasta there last winter and boy is it straggly this spring so----it will get moved. I too wish I could just drag them but husband is very patient - he thinks it's kinda like furniture - have to try 2-3 different spots? LOL
Gessigail - I may have purchased the red cannas at the plant haus I really don't remember - but have many things from there so could be.. My bougainvillas won't bloom and am getting tried of waiting on them. I guess it's been too wet? so was thinking I would stop there next week and buy small ones to put in the pots just for color while waiting. Nothing on the patio has any color yet. Mini dahlias in a pot are the only thing blooming and patio is best spot in yard for sun so should have lots of color. I brought these bougainvillas from az - had them in pots there and they were crazy with blooms but not true so far here. I fertilized them early this spring and they are growing well just not blooming. Don't they do best if they are a little stressed? Anyway I'm impatient.
My bougainvilla if getting its beautiful bracts again and it gets lots of water but it is in a pot and is fairly root bound. I put a little Epsom Salts on it and watered that in. It is getting lovely again. They love heat and full sun - lots of both - but don't let them get at all wilty has been what I have noticed or they will drop those bracts and have to recover.
Ann
I've had trouble with bougainvillas in the past and the only thing that worked for me is heat, lots of water and nitrogen fertilizer. Had some in hanging baskets and put them in the hottest place I could find. They like heat over 100F my plant guy said. Had to water them 2-3 times a day in the hottest parts of the summer. Gave lots of N rich fertilizer and good sprinkling of coffee grounds regularly.
I have several different cannas also. Yesterday, I picked fresh seed off of my Red Mexican canna. It is only about 3' tall & blooming as it grows. Last yr, it got higher than my roof!
Anyone wants some fresh seeds?
Right now in New Braunfels, my daughter has lots of cane begonias blooming.....(you have to protect in the garage or somewhere in the winter). The nursery in Marion called Schultz's has a good variety and so does the Garden Gate in Seguin.....they both have the dragon wings begonias.....
So many canes do better when it is cooler....mine down here always bloom better in the fall and spring than they do in the summer time...but Ash's begonias bloom on summer on a covered patio....
