Today with my little eye I spy>
JUNE 6TH, 2007 Photo of the day
Rain lilies galore.
And more.
and more
for you to adore.
Hybrid rain lily, the first year in my garden.
Hybrid rain lily, the first year in my garden.
This is the third time I have tried to send this photo. Is there a ghost in the machine tonight?
Zinnia, this is the only one that grows well here (for me).
Freeway daisy is still blooming, usually they are done by this time of summer.
I love scented pelargonium (geraniums). Their leaves have a nice texture, no bugs, they will tolerate some shade, no extra water or fertilizer, oh yeah, the smell - great.
My Bauhinia is blooming again, blooms off and on all summer.
The African Foxgloves that I started from seed in Feb are starting...
This is a sunflower.
Native moring glory, not in my yard, but, it is a nice shot.
I have three different species of this bulb, Griffinia, it has the smallest flowers of any Hippeastrum (Amaryllis).
My best bulb, Alocasia, got a start from the SanAntonio Bot Garden and have been keeping it going for 6 years. It is very touchy compared to the other EE's.
Last one for 6 June 07. I grow orchids, ground orchids. I have started to collect this genus, known as Epidendrum, there are many hybrids, I would like one of each.
Dale, I love the alocasia! Beautiful!
The rest are great too, but the alocasia is just the best!
Just gorgeous, dale! I need to get some pics while my flowers are blooming as well -- it's beginning to get tooooo hot already and I'm afraid a lot of them won't last long. I put in Benary's Giant Zinnia in a little raised bed and they're just amazing. I was surprised at how well the pelargoniums are doing; I figured they wouldn't do well in Texas but one of them is taking over! I trimmed it and it's taking over more! I LOVE IT! Love the foxglove, too!
Dale, wow! And you're even a poet (and we didn't know it). I really love those Rain Lilies and I'm not familiar with them - I'll have to see if they are around this neck of the woods, but I'm having my doubts.
Murmur,
Stick to crocus (lol), rainlily are semi-tropical/warm growing bulbs. I suspect you lack the summer heat they need. But, you never know? Ask the folks at a botanical garden, extension division or University. We do have one that grows in the winter months/summer dormant, they might have a chance in the Pacific NW.
Here is a plant that struggles in the near tropics>
If that is struggling, Dale, I'd probably faint from the shock!
I LOVE the rain lily. Are those hardy here, Murmur?
Gwen
On the rainlilies, you can grow them in a pot and put it in the closet for the winter. I grew them for years and years, and somehow I am remembering they prefer garden soil, not potting soil, but I don't remember why or who told me that. That was my first and last attempt to pasteurize soil in the oven -- STINK CITY!
I grew them in a clay pot so they'd dry out, and then literally, 2-3 days before I wanted them to bloom, I'd water the pot and up they'd bloom.
But they are absolutely fine in the closet for the winter...the Latin name sounds like Zepheranthes and I had the pink ones.
Suzy
This is from another recent thread http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=3590038
It gives rain lily sources.
I grow them because they are easy in ground plants. I have enough stuff in pots.
Gwen, shall we try the pot/closet method? I sincerely doubt they would make it here - especially if we have more winters like last one!
They are winter dormant and all you have to do is keep them from freezing.
Liriope>
I haven't checked the link yet, Dale - thanks for that! I betcha both Gwen and I (we live just a few miles apart) will be trying them!
Easytogrowbulbs.com sells the rain lilies - I really love that company, really nice folks.
Dale, next to your *fabulous* elephant ears (I can guess why you trouble yourself with their persnickityness) were some pink/ purple/ white flowers - are those Angelonias?
Thanks for posting the lovelies for us to see.....
Cat, Yep, Angelonia. Best short lived perennial for hot climates.
Beautiful photos. That angelonia is so pretty, looks like orchids blooms to me. Are these all yards you tend? Since you said not in my yard I am assuming you may be a pro gardener?
Hmmm - I had it in Phx, but not here - yet! I'll have to check it's hardiness. Thanks!
C-Patch, I would have made my screen name D-a-G for hire, but that is too many letters.
We call Angelonia, summer snapdragron. They have hybrids for about 5-6 different colors, but, the locals only grow 3.
P-Cat, I am pretty sure that you can have great success with with rainlily up to Z8. Marginal in Z7 (the old south facing wall story) and very iffy in Z6. Keep in mind that most sellers of plants have the ethics of used car salesmen-they are in the business of moving plants off the plot. I have seen many 'recommendations' that were just wishful thinking. A good plant person can grow species outside that species normal range, but, we are not those people (usually). Give me a plant that takes care of itself, I got enough things to take care in an average day.
I see many people, even here, try to grow Z11 plants. Wake up folks, this is Zone 10.
If you go 3-4 miles inland it is Z9 and I don't know how many times I have heard people from inland say 'It grows in Tampa, why not here?', the answer 'Frost' and they buy the plant anyway. My favorite retort is 'I will cover it on cold nights' - yeah right, once or twice, but 10-15 times a winter, not likely. Inland gets a lot of radiation frost-clear sky, calm winds and the temps drop fast in the short days of winter. I am a block from the bay and on those kinds of nights I can feel a slight breeze off the water. It can be 33* at the Airport weather station and I am 39*. That is a huge difference to some plants.
Enough already-where's the photos>
Oooo, those angelonias are so pretty.
Gwen
I hear ya, Dale... that's something else I saw a lot of in Phoenix. I hear there were many groans of great pain this last winter when the freezing temps really hit hard and just devastated some people's [very expensive] landscapes. Glad I wasn't there to witness it all.
Ever been to Butchart Gardens?
P-Cat, never been to Victoria.
Amazing place, should you ever get the chance.
Chocolate, anyone?
Dale, you're making me realize that I never take pics of combos, just individual plants.... gonna have to remedy that.
I take photos of anything garden related. It is a good idea to show your fellow gardeners all the places that attract your eye.
The odd is no exception>
Dale - that is marvelous . . . what a contrast of old and new. Great photo!
I *love* topiaries. You don't see them so much anymore. I was thinking about learning how to make them but unfortunately any I ever had, I killed, so probably not the thing for me!
We went to Butchart a couple years ago and it was wonderful. There are so many fun gardens to visit. I want to go on one of those garden tours in England. That's my big dream. There was one put on my Country Living that looked nice but I need to investigate and see what else is out there.
There's a garden at Belknap Hot Springs on the McKenzie Highway in Oregon that has beefed up their gardens into something quite impressive. On my last visit, it was still free to get in and wander around. I highly recommend it if you are even close to that vicinity. It's about an hour east of Eugene.
