The bittersweet blooms of Fall...

The plant ID folks say the aligator plant is Acanthus montanus. I am still not sure but will go with that name. Think I will plant out in yard to give more room in the GH.

Now is the time for seeding some of those great plants like poppy, hollyhock and others. Sometimes I have problems with this as I have many leaves that fall in the beds. I usually let them lay as I am lazy and think they add good mulch and make the soil better. May just winter sow in pots and let them stay out side this year. Anyone else try this ?
DD

I love the hollyhock and seed in the fall.....just scatter like feeding the chicks then gently rake a light covering of soil. Haven't had success with poppy and am sure it is something I am doing wrong. Any help in that dept.?

The only thing I have left blooming is my Senna alata, although I do get a bloom once in a while from some sad looking morning glory vines. They all started looking icky at the same time, so there must be something in the air.

Hi Syrumani! Glad you joined us... The Senna is quite attactive. Now here is a "seed starting" expert... 8 )

I think the something Icky is called fall.... grrrr.

I never have the time to fall plant DD ~ wish I did. But what irritates me more is I see other folks fall blooms and wish I had started those seeds in the spring to enjoy the blooms now ~

LouC ~ have you ever grown the French hollyhock? It is a pretty biennual. I didn't grow it this year but still have a photo...

Malva sylvestris

Oh yes. Bought a plant from a vendor at Canton First Monday 3 years ago. It comes up everywhere and I have shared it far and wide. The moonsoons we had this spring and early summer just about did in my hollyhock.....they all got rust and the flowers were slimey so didn't get any seed. Just praying enough will come back to keep them going.
Had 4-5 different Hollyhock that I started from a packet of seed from Burpee that said Mixed Hollyhock. Best $1.29 I ever spent. Started blue platycodon from seed too and it is my second favorite flower. I'm hooked on planting seed.

What great fun to get soooo many delightful blooms for a bargain!

We were in Central Texas this weekend. I have never paid much attention to seed but I made a haul. Gathered seed from every plant we saw along the sidewalks. Some of them I didn't know what they were.....really don't care to id all that much....anyway just cleared a bed of nandina and am going to broadcast the seed. Spring should be glorious.
I figure, if the plants are developing and dropping seed right now naturally.....then this is the time to plant them. Nothing to loose and lots to gain. simply pulled them a dropped into the side pocket of my purse......couldn't separate now even if I wanted to....and I don't.

I carry baggies and grocery sacks and a spade and.... just for that purpose. Ready at a moments notice. You will have fun IDing them and enjoying the blooms.

I just remembered - I have some Cypress Vine mix going at my mothers new place, and it is still green and blooming.

I love the cypress vine. Forgot to start some of it this spring but it seemed to catch a second wind after the summer heat lessened.

Pod. Those dantiness little scarlet red blooms of cypress vines and its cousin the cardinal vines are lovely. They add color to the garden when we least expect them to be there. Pleasant surprises for us.
Dde Tx. Thanks for identifying my salva. Now it's recorded in my garden's blog, so hopefully I can refer back to it should my memory take a dive to 'sometimers' that I caught from Pod. lol.

One of my fav. trop. hibiscuses.

Absolutely ~ I record and link all... that way when "sometimers" strikes and IF I remember where I put the info... maybe just maybe... LOL I love the Hibiscus of all types. Very pretty Kim.

I have a very large tropical hibiscus that I put in the ground this year. I'm afraid I will loose it if I don't take it up. Can I hard prune to control the size for a pot or will that take my blooms for next year......it just blooms all the time.

Christi;
The best time to prune your hib. is in early spring when new growth just sprouted. But, the 2nd best would be around late Autumn, when the weather is mild and cool, but still is frost free. This is what I'd do;
1. Fertilize the plant with a balance fertilizer now.
2. Debud all the blooms for those branches that you want to take cuttings off, trimming them back to size.
3. Provide humidity for your cuttings (3-4" cuttings segment would be best).
4. Keep the potting soil moist, but not soggy. And out of direct sun light, but bright area.
5. Enjoy your cuttings as they will sprout in a few weeks.
6. Give the cuttings a weak half strenghth balance fertilizer once they take root.
I'd also dig the parent plant up and pot it up to keep it indoor. The indoor condition is not going be as optimum for this type of plant to flourish, but at least doing so, you protect it from frost damage.
Happy gardening
Kim

Got this pic over the weekend. The butterflies and hummingbirds love the duranta!

Thank you, Lily. Hadn't even thought about being able to root the cuttings....that would be great. Actually, just trying to make the mother plant more managable to pot and bring in.

Pretty Duranta ~ I have never managed to overwinter one here.

The poppy seeds are so tiny that I will just sprinkle on the ground. I have both red and pink but my seeds got mixed so will throw both on the ground. Then thin or plant where I want them. They do not like to be disturbed once very big. Will do a few in 4" pots so I can have them where I want them.
Have the Zebrina-French HH, "Almost Black" and a double pink. These look good together.
Got a var. duranta this year and really like it. May try cuttings and over winter it. Anyone had any luck with it ?
Lily Love- Do you have a rooted cutting of the hibiscus in photo above ? Trade you a var. red one-Snow Queen well rooted or a peach poodle bloom one.
DD

LOL ~ this I want to see. If you can find a plant Lily_Love doesn't have! She has it covered.

No luck with the Duranta thru winter but the variegated has to be unusual. Got a picture?

It has been so dry here and right now just started to rain. Thank the Lord.
Will photo later unless I get "sometimers" as I do often. Got it at King's in Tenaha. Neat place, they have lots of differnt things. Also got a lantana butter cream-kinda light yellow and white-pretty.
Do any of you grow oak leaf hydrangea. It has bloomed out but spent blooms and foliage is pretty almost year round. Got some potted up if someone needs one.
DD

My Dutchman's pipe is really putting on a show. Will try to get a photo of it too. Now that is a weird bloom and giant sized.
DD

Oak leaf, coleus, and "neckied lady". The oak leaf will turn red as it cools down.

Must have run the rain off, very short lived.
Here is the Dutchman's pipe.

Var. duranta

DDe I haven't been to Kings but read it is wonderful. They got a nice promo in Texas Gardener a while back. Would you care to leave a review of their place? I didn't see them in GoGardening.

In your oak leaf photo, what is that purple in the right background? Is your variegated Duranta in ground? Are you going to dig up for winter?

I have heard this one called Dutchmans pipe but I know better. It puts on spiderlike plantlets and curl up like a pipe bowl. Yours is the real one and has most unusual blooms.

Callisia fragrans

Dde Tex;
I've two pots of tropical hib. cuttings. Unfortunately I didn't label, and 'sometimer' set in. I can't tell which is which until they bloom. I'd be glad to send you those for postages. No trade is needed, as of now I'm running pretty scarce for spaces. If you'd would send me a bubble envelope with return postages affixed. I'll depot them off soil, wrap the root in greenmoss to keep moist and send them back to you. I'll mail them out on Monday. You should get them by Wed. or Thur. Just in case, the hibs. I send turn out to be wrong in colors. I'll send some fresh cuttings on the very pink that you want so you can root them yourself?

Christi; I understood Poppy seeds needs light to germinate. Mix them with sand and broad cast them thinny on prepared open ground. Alternatively, thin them out when they sprout in early spring. I've forgotten to sow mine last Fall. Thank to Dde Tx. I'm getting ready to sow mine asap. (also, poppy seedling looks very much like dandle lions (spelling?) when they're young. So mark them clearly so you won't pull them up thinking they may be dandle lions. :) I visited a friend earlier this spring. While brousing her lovely garden, she was about to pull up her poppies. Luckily, I was there to save the day. lol.
Kim

King's is a 2nd or more generation nurseryman. I love it but some areas get a bit jungle-y. I think they have great prices and good selections. Spring is best time to go. I am new here and do not know about gogardening.
Next to the oakleaf is the purple Obedience plant. ( you know me and names). Good for butterflies and bees. I like the late color it gives.
Duranta is in ground. It is leggy and may get cuttings and try it. May leave Mama in the ground.
Lily- I would like the hibiscus but may wait until spring as my space is a bit scarce too. Thanks and will get the rain check for it. Do you do any of the real exotic ones? Think they are mostly grafted.
DD

Obedience plant? Hmmmm... that won't do at my house. 8 ))
I think the proper name for it is Physostegia? It is tall ~ do you find you have to stake it? And, do you have to keep it watered?

Here is the GoGardening link ~ http://davesgarden.com/products/go/ if you have any favorites (or otherwise) to add. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on

DD,
I've the basic one, single hib. red, semi-double pink. Double orange and red tropical hibs. My collection of tropicals slowly becoming somewhat of a jungle itself. lol. So that's it for now.
Oh, forgot I'm having to make room for a Papaya. lol.

Pod- The physo. does grow tall and will fall over...but find it to also behave and stay where you put it, whence obedience. It grows well with very little watering from me.
Lily- I have most of those and several others. About 25 or so that will be in the GH. I have looked at the Hib. form and wow at some of them. Bet those must be grafted. We may have to venture off into that world next year.
Here they are on my trail to no where...

Definitely a beautiful trail!

Needed to ask ~ what does it take to get blooms from my variegated Hibiscus? I am growing impatient ~ lol

This message was edited Oct 9, 2007 7:32 AM

Pod
The var hib. I have, and they root easily so I have many, bloom sometimes. The bloom is single red and not that great. I find that if you fertilize then you get more green that the pretty foliage. I have 3 very large pots on the deck that bloom a bit but are real show stoppers with the leaves being green, white and a hint of pink.

OH! Would either of y'all be willing to trade a cutting of the var. hibiscus for something I have? I saw those for the first time last summer in San Antonio and just went wild for them. Couldn't find one here in the spring, though.

pbtexlady
I have several rooted cuttings of the var. hib. that I can send you. I like all of the coral bells you have listed. D-mail me with addy and we can work out the details. I may have other things you may want.
DD

DD, those coral bells are on her WANT list. You got me excited there for a second.

opps my bad

"sometimers"

LOL. Yes, I'm afraid that with all the rain, we lost most of the heuchs that we did have. I still have a Dolce Peach Melba and a Creme Brulee, but they're struggling. Maybe in the spring?

There's a more recent list of what I have on the Dallas-FW plant swap thread. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3869746

In a last ditch effort of blooms ~ the Lantana is putting on a burst of color

and the "fruit loops" lantana is busy producing blooms and seeds...