Trying to resist the urge ...

maybe I should let them be, I just hate to see the trunks get frozen cause I know we have to have another cold spell.

I think it's illegal to say this in the south, but azaleas aren't my favorite ...rhodos I love. I did see lots of azaleas blooming though, and everyone's spring bulbs were really nice

on the black magic I put the bulb just below the surface letting the tip of where the trunk will emerge peek out at the top. Out of all colocasias those don't get too big for me, it's everything to do with the lack of drainage in the soil, although they love water (I guess they like to breathe, too). I know you won't have that problem but I did lots of amending around mine last year to hopefully help...and psst...please let me know if you want any other eears, they're finally waking up in the GH

I like rhododendrons better too as far as owning them myself--but the azalea's make a statement every spring; a very short statement here, maybe a week, then gone. I did plant 2 rhododendrons here this year--the Florida native R austrinum and R prunifolium. I don't own any azalea's.

Got them from out your way--Niche Gardens. Everything I have ever gotten from them does really well for me--unlike that other large company out that way....
;)

I guess I will have to keep these 3 little 'Black Magic's' in pots for the summer--but I hope they are big enough to pot into the ground in October--I simply cannot baby landscape plants.

Another thing ya'll might can relate to--I planted some zinna's in starter pots. They have cotyledons and have just been sulking there at that stage for a couple of weeks. Guess its not quite warm enough outside for them yet. Some in the ground are doing slightly better; 4 leaves as opposed to 2. I was not going to use the indoor grow lights for zinnia's--I figured that a waste of electricity.
Debbie

I do appreciate flame azaleas in their native habitat, rhodos just about everywhere. I have a few rhodos I just planted this fall, I like them so much better than the hydrangeas I replaced them with already, the green was nice over winter

with the Black Magic, they'll probably grow much faster and bigger for you, the TX folks on aroids seem to have such huge ones....plenty of water and fert and they're happy. It's the clay they don't like here, the ones I've had in pots and in the water tubs grew much quicker

I've put out a few annuals in just cups and quite a few are up, a few zinnias. everything grows slow for me it seems, but I'm also really impatient. I figure the zinnias and the rest will start to grow faster in about 3 weeks or so (@ our last frost date)

Hi Debbie!: My black magics are in ground and are just now peaking out. Mine got to about 5 ft tall last summer. They are in lousy clay soil in only part sun. I give them a little fish emulsion once they get going. Just FYI.

Tropicana: I think more of us would have Rhodo's here but they just don't do well. I've heard they grow well in the western Carolinas,but I planted a beautiful one here and it only bloomed once. Now it's just a green shrub in summer and a brown one in winter. Forotunately, I do love azaleas. :)

Deb

Thanks Deb--and you actually answered the question I was going to ask next; what kind of feed for them! I am going to send you that Dixie Deb LA Iris this summer, they are definitely in need of thinning out this year, I can hardly weed around them. I sure hope the 2 rhododendrons I got will do OK here--they are going in almost complete shade. The only sun they will get is in the winter.

Debbie: Ooh! Dixie Deb! very cool. My LA's are sporting some record-breaking foliage. No blooms quite yet tho. You?
I'm going to be having a "Black Gamecock" giveaway, if you'd like some.
Deb

Oh yes--about 1/3 of them are blooming. I don't have Black Gamecock either--you are on for a trade. I think everyone named Debbie in the south should have a 'Dixie Deb'. Here is about 1/3 of my LA Iris bed--that attractive wood holding up the back fence is another story........lol

Ooh. Jealous.
Mine are LATE! The started blooming the last week of March last year. I see a few beginnings of buds, though.
I bet you've got photos posted over on the Iris forum. Going to go look!

Mine are early this year---we had a mild winter. Also rainfall has been slim this winter compared to last. None on Iris forum this year.

those are pretty deb

I feed all my taros (well, and everything else) with a willy-nilly mix of plant-tone, bone meal, bloodmeal, and woodash mixed with a little peat, perlite and plenty of composted cow manure. I make teas of the ingredients, too. They're heavy feeders and I don't think you can overdo it organically with them (I know I haven't). I know a lot of growers use more complete chem ferts and they do very well, also

Found the Herbertia lahue--some of it in pots I forgot to label

and some hiding amongst the Crinum hildebrandtii (who knows how they got there)

Debbie can you add that one to my lisd too please :o)

Sigh. :)
I hope my Iris start blooming soon.

They will--you are a zone colder. Here's a 'Metarie Ridge' just for you--kinda blurry--wind hasn't stopped blowing down here in days. Makes it hard for the fence guys to work.

those herbertia are the ones I'm coveting seeds for...lol

pretty iris, I've just now started to appreciate the different species

oh and Debbie, I'm not sure how I've managed to misplace a giant healthy sprekelia bulb with offsets in my basement (that I got from you)..but I've sure done it

maybe it will turn up in the crinums as my Herbertia lahue did--lol

The Herbertia lahue is a good seed producer, Herbertia pulchella is a bit trickier to obtain seed from.

Here you see most of the 80' La Iris bed--and part of the new fence--and obviously part still being held up with 2 x 4's--they really make the picture--lol

that is a beautiful bed

Thanks diehard--you beat me to the PlantFiles by a few days on your Bletilla ochracea...mine's budded up and ready to burst. It bloomed once in January but got nipped back by frost.

Oh I forgot the "scenic" 2 x 4's holding up the other fence--lol

edited to add--my spelling could use some improvement tonight, or maybe I should just slow down the typing....

This message was edited Mar 30, 2008 9:40 PM

I really like those LA Iris, we won't get blooms for awhile on any iris I'm trying to grow so it is refreshing

Is that new fence? It looks good

Part is new--part is old

Your LA Iris bed is awesome. There is a tall salmon colored one in the middle of your photo; which variety is that?

and Deb, sorry to ask, but tin the front of the last pic there's a pink one with a deeper pink center...lovely :) that one popped out at me

The salmon one is definitely 'Metarie Ridge'. The other salmon-oranges are further back in the bed.

Trop--the really tall pink all the way to the right in the 1st picture is 'Beausoleil':
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/146518/

But I think the one that's getting your attention is a pass along Iris that is obviously one of the parents of 'Irish Bayou' and a few other LA Iris:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/147747/

Below is a pic of the passalong which I think is what you are seeing. I have enough of these to passalong some your way--lol

well pass away..lol, I really love these pretty pink ones. LA Iris isn't common around here for some reason, everyone's got TB's, though, which I like, too.

found the sprekelia I got from solas finally, like anyone but me could lose such a big bulb..lol

I did see a few TB's blooming at the coast, this is some passalong that my mom has...she swears it was purple then turned yellow..lol...I told her I wasn't sure about that but you know how they listen

ipheion is naturalized well there, not sure which one it is. I was standing in front of my boyfriend while he was mowing telling him not to mow the flowers....he said, "I got it!"...and mowed right over them

Oh me, oh my, oh! Gotta find Metarie Ridge and that passalong is way too cool too. Over the years mine reverted to the plain old yellow. I think I need to freshen up the iris bed.

p.s. Are there really any ridges in Metarie?????

I picked a pretty camellia flower just for you ;)

leucojum and daffs are naturalized everywhere, there too....wasn't sure which leucojum this was

Man-made levee's in Metarie to keep the river out of town--lol

I am going to have to add some camellia's this fall--can you root some of that for me? my two rhododendron's are still doing good--despite the fact its been 80F for the last 5 days--I hate it when you have to start using the AC this early in the season!

That's Ipheion uniflorum or else 'Wisley Blue'--I can tell by the dark stripes on the underside of the petals

We can "passalong' those two to you ardesia--I say I'm going to start digging in mid-June this year.....

I have been going back and forth on those two (ipheion) for the ID. I did manage to rescue a few things there...lol

I borrowed that camellia flower from some million dollar house for sale (wish it was mine, the house, yard, waterfront view, plants, dock). I've read a lot about rooting them (I hear it's tricky)..but I have read a few tricks I want to try. I plan to go back in a few weeks and I'll bring my shears...lol

it's so cold here, deb....not even fair

It looks like they are saying high in the 80's for the next 6 days--way too early for that here. I can just imagine what the electric bills will look like in June-Oct with oil like it is.

There is a product called Dip 'n Grow--a liquid--that works pretty well for me on hard to root things. It lasts forever too--I only have a 2 oz bottle and it has lasted years:
http://www.dipngrow.com/

not sure where I ordered it from but it was online--maybe Novosel--that's where I get most of my supplies from:
http://www.novoselenterprises.com/default.asp

In fact, it has lasted so long I can't find an invoice for it--which must mean its at least 4 years old.

Debbie: With our without the 2X4s, that's a wonderful iris bed!! (Envy.)
Trop: That's a gorgeous camellia!!

Deb

Thanks Deb!

I alway say I'm going to get rid of these butterfly weeds, but then I go out this morning and the monarch larvae are having a feast. I guess the plants can stay, although they are taking up prime real-estate--lol

I feel the same way about the butterfly weeds. I always say I will get rid of them but they are still here; all I have to do is see one larvae and that is it, they have to stay. LOL

I have a really neat varigated camellia, similar to the one Tropicanna posted. I'll try and root a cutting for you. I even have dip and grow - somewhere in the mess.

I would love the LA iris. You'll have to tell me what else tempts you; I may even have another rooted camellia somewhere (it's probably with the dip and grow, LOL.)

doesn't that stuff (dip 'n grow) just last forever? I will gladly swap camellia's for LA Iris! =)