Hey, I think I heard that Mighty Mouse theme too! I thought it was just in my head... but it was in yours, LOL! I think it's so cool that not only did you have nasturtiums, you had *three different kinds* for the three pockets in my planter. :-)
Torenia in bloom are just hard to resisit, aren't they? And when you knew I was out of shady spots for them.... well... somebody had to rescue them! (Do you hear that Mighty Mouse theme again?) I found room in a pot for my few that remained, so I think it worked out about right.
I'd been thinking about putting together a nice container of shade plants for my MIL, but DH said that she'd just worry about who would water it when they went to the beach, and that with all those lovely hostas we were already bringing her plenty of plants, LOL. So that's part of the reason I was trying to find places for extra shade plants.
BTW, does anybody have Woodland Phlox? I had some lovely blue P. diverticulata from Levilyla (planted with her yellow Corydalis), and there's just no sign of it this year. I don't have a pressing need for it, LOL, but if I find out somebody has a big clump I'll make a note for a future swap/trade.
Haves, wants for spring swap II
To those of you that got my "Pregnant Onion" (Sally, Ruby and ????), here are a couple of pictures you may find of interest.
They multiply fairly quickly and grow in masses--almost on top of each other--plus all those babies everywhere, like someone threw a handful of Chickpeas in there. That's about the size they are.
This picture shows what a crowded family they are. I took this before I ripped the whole root bound mass apart in 2006 and repotted them in the pots you now have. Just wait! In a couple of years yours will look like this too. When they get this rootbound, just physically tear apart the "onions" (NOT easy!) and start them in a new pot.
Remember--they need to be half out of the soil and in a very well-draining soil mix. You might want to add sand or some small stones. Clay pots work great for this.
When they are not hopelessly rootbound, they will send up bloom stalks. Mine has only done it once before, but I have one "blooming" now since I transplanted them all.
This is what the "bloom" looks like. I was told by someone that it attracts Hummers. It does have a sweet scent.
I haven't been following the conversation for a couple days...
but what's wrong with "Gardening-with-a-glass-o-wine"???
Karen
It's only wrong if the glass is empty.
Nope... still gotta 'bout a third of a glass....
;-)
For those of you that received a "mystery plant" from me, methinks that it will be a Cleome 'colour fountains'. Please let me know if it turns out that I'm wrong about that. :~)
http://selectseeds.com/products/s502.html
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/120220/
Gita, pregnant onion, how much sun? and over winter inside right? Thanks for giving it to me already in clay pot. I think everything you brought was really nicely potted up.
Ideally, one would garden with a glass of wine and a friend to hold the glass occasionally for the two-fisted digging!!!!
Next week, I'll catch up with my recent planted items- hostas, columbine babies,.....still a few items waiting..
Sally,
I keep mine on the East side of the house, but it still gets intense, unobstructed sun until about 3PM. It can go dry for periods of time, but I sprinkle it when I water the 2 clay window boxes of annuals next t it.
The "onion" is also in an 18", very heavy clay planter box. This plant came to me in an exchange from California many years ago now, and I remember how the sender stressed that it needs to have VERY good drainage. I guess it is like any other bulb--stores water in the bulb and can go long times w/o watering.
In the winter, I put the planter on my Laundry Room windowsill and--basically--forget it. Once in a blue moon I pour a cup of water on it. The only thing that happens to it is that the tips of the "leaves" dry out .
I think if you could keep it in a sunny room and water it regularly (like a Houseplant), it would grow and procreate much faster.
I also have a "Climbing Onion", but I only have ONE, so I cannot share. I have done so, selflessly, and now am down to one. The "onion" is huge, and I believe when all the fronds on it die back (late summer) it will split off and I will have two.
The "Climbing Onion" grows these long, trailing fronds that look somewhat like an Asparagus fern, but they are soft and supple. I got this one also from someone in a trade. Unfortunately, it puts out all this amazing frond-growth in the middle of winter on my windowsill. If you could keep it in your house and provide it a trellis, it would twind up and around it.
The first year I had it, I simply let it hang down from the top of this plant stand that I have. Have to go hunt for this picture. Hold on.....
Hope I am not monopolizing you all, but this "onion" is just as interesting.
Here is the plant hanging down way back when I first got it.
I suppose it does NOT have to 'climb"--it can hang also and look pretty.
Gita
Here's what the fronds look like--close up.
And here is what the "onions" look like looking down on the pot.
Sorry that the pictures are so small. This was before I learned all about uploading and sizing, etc....
Pretty much the same as the "Pregnant Onion", just that they do not multiply and split as quickly. Takes a couple of years!
See how they only have ONE stem growing out of the tip of the "onion"?
I read somewhere that if they grow TWO--that means the Mama onion is gonna split that year. I am waiting--as mine definitely had two frond-stems this year.
Just one more!
This was last year when I had already separated the 2 onions and sent one off to someone who was pleading to have one. She said she had been looking for this plant for 2 years and now she read my old Post somewhere that I have one--or two.
What can I say? My BIG heart just turned to putty and I sent her my only other one I had.
By the way, they do "bloom" with itsy-bitsy pale green flowers among the fronds. You would have to look for them to notice them.
OK! Last picture! I promise!
OOPs! I lied!
Here's a close up of the BIG ONE I kept. Isn't it just something else????
I received a Geranium Biokovo at the swap. I could have sworn it was from Critter, but she now disavows it. Could the donor please reveal her/himself? Thanks.
It could've hitchhiked with the Chocolate Mint... but I thought I remembered somebody else bringing some.
I do have it doing well along the side patio, so that's one I can add to my "available" list for the fall swap. I'll get some plants propagated/divided ahead of time, but I don't know how much potting in advance I'll end up doing... LOL, I might just end up giving people scissors and telling them to help themselves to cuttings of whatever they'd like!