Gorgeous BeaHive....love the purple & pink, I bet it smells heavenly.
Breathe deep & tell us what smells wonderful in your garden
I can't believe you guys....roses are a piece of cake compared to gardenias!!! arrghhhhhhhhhh!!! I'm about to toss those darn gardenias, i just cannot make them happy!!!
This is my son with wonderfully fragrant Cecile Brunner in the background...
Oh Bea....very nice ~ lovin' those colors!!!
Roberta - now if that isn't a handsome boy I don't know who/what is!!! What's up with your gardenias?
Thanks Chatell, he is the love of my life! : ) AND he LOVES gardening with me!!!
Oh boy...those gardenias! They are in pots in the patio...I never know if they are thirsty or overwatered....the leaves green up, and then go back to yellow...the blooms show up and never open...they turn brown and drop before they even open! ARGH! This morning I felt like throwing those 2 pots away...seriously...
NOOOOOOOOOO - no throwing away Gardenias. If you don't mind my asking why do you have them in pots? I have a heck of a time with potted Gardenias -yet the ones in the ground seem to do well. Have you tried watering with fish emulsion and scraping a little Holly Tone into their soil?
Give me gardenias any ole day! LOL :-)
Hey y'all ... I have a jasmine of some sort I purchased at Lowes or HD a couple years ago and ... no tag now. It's not the vine type but is more of a bush. Has the cluster blooms that are sooo sweet. I think they're yellow? I was out watering last night and when the water hit that thing, I knew there were blooms on it for sure. Does anyone know the name without a picture?
Possibly 'Carolina Jasmine'??? http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1262/ And ummm, if you end up with any rooted "extras" I'd be thrilled to find the a home...in my ummm, back yard. ^_^
This message was edited Jun 20, 2008 1:52 PM
I have the gardeninas in pots b/c I heard they don't like to be cultivated around...you make me realize I should forget about those pots and just plant them in the ground...
Ahhh you've answered my question from the other thread...LOL. I've killed every single Gardenia, but one, that I've had in a pot. I currently have 5 varieties in the ground - 2 of which are from last year...all look healthy and thriving. Not gloating, mind you...just telling you what's worked (and not) for me.
Yes, Chantell, I believe you're probably right. I will be happy to try to root some or send you cuttings to try. It's in a pot right now, but I'll be putting it in the ground as soon as it finishes blooming. If you want to wait, I might could get a piece easy enough then. If not ... I'll just send cuttings for you to try. Do you have Jasminum polyanthum "Winter Jasmine"? I'd sure love to find a piece of that. I also have another type I need to ID but will have to get a pic of. I received it at the GA RU. I'm thinking it's a common jasmine but don't know them apart. LOL I'd be willing to trade you a piece of it, also.
As for the gardenias ... all of mine are in the ground. I did have one in a pot which is an unusual variety ... don't know the name ... but it stayed happy until I got it in the ground this year. It even bloomed while in the pot and bloomed again this year for me. I got the DH to take a pic. Will try to get it posted. I need to get it IDeed. I'll have to get a close-up so you can see the leaves. It doesn't look at all like the common ones .
I've successfully kept gardenias in pots, but they can dry out quickly that way. I dont' know what Holly Tone is, but fish emulsion is not the way to go. You must must must use an acid loving formulation- they sell the azalea camellia gardenia formulation practically everywhere, and one reason to keep them in those pots if I am not mistaken, Robcorreia is that your soil is clay and alkaline, correct? Your gardenia would not be very happy with that! They are pretty hungry plants, too, so make sure you are fertilizing (if it is a granular formulation I mentioned) at least 3-4 times a year. I will check into the black blooms- I am am guessing that is either bug or nurtrient related.
Ok, more on the blackening blooms- got a picture for me? How cool are your night time temps, and by any chance has it been damp lately?
Holly Tone is for acid loving plants. That's confusing re the fish emulsion b/c when they've looked under the weather and I've watered with that they've perked right up.....
Fish emulsion is primarily nitogen. It would promote more foliage than blooms and for long term feeding you would need something more balanced with other nutrients. Let me see if I can get some info. on Holly Tone.
f4f would you say the worm castings would be more balance or going with a bloom booster i.e. MG or Expert...one of those?
OK, looked at the Holly Tone- http://www.espoma.com/content.aspx?type=p&id=22&intCategoryID=4
Now that is a good product for gardenias. The only thing is, being that it is organic, it has a lower formulation than a granular, so you can use it even more- up to 6 times per year.
I'd have to check into the bloom booster- as long as it is an acid formulation it's probably good, too, but it depends on the manufacturer. The worm castings in this case I'd use as a supplement with the Holly Tone like you do with the fish emulsion since this plant has specific pH and nutrient requirements.
It's the weekend for me! Tah tah.
Oh, I still have another 3 hours to go over here till is 5pm for me!
Fauna, you are right, my soil is clay and totally alkaline, but I've been keeping my in ground azaleas and camelias happy with ironite...
I did fertilize the gardenia with acid miracle gro...didn't help much. As far as dampness, NOOOOO it would never get ever damp here in so Cal, I WISH! but....i do water overhead sometimes. Could that be it on the brown buds?
I don't have a pic but I will definitely take a pic this weekend and post!
Miracle Grow. My least favorite fertilizer in the whole world. No offense to anyone who uses it- I guess it works for some folks.
You know, I've heard that before and I try to avoid it too, but just because the more experienced folks usually say that! But why is it that you don't like about it, I would love to learn that..
This year I augmented one of my empty pots full of potting soil with potash, leftover ashes from a fire. I mixed the ashes with water, made a slurry, dredged out the charcoal, and poured it over the empty pot. A few weeks later I planted a Kleim's Hardy gardenia in that pot.
Kleim's is now *very* green, has grown four inches in a month, and has two new flower buds.
Try some leftover wood ash (make sure it's regular fire wood, not charcoal or treated lumber ash), and don't pour it on the leaves, just around the base of the plant.
-Joe
Have to breathe real deep to smell their sweet scent but I'm glad they smell pretty.
Baby snapdragon.
My nose "found" this new one at Walmart...had no idea there was such a thing as an Amazon Dianthus....
Dianthus do smell amazing. Have a few scattered about in my yard.
When I walk by them and get a wiff.. I always stop for a second wiff.. Great plant!
It has been warm and humid today. My climbing rose Mortimer Sackler has it's scent throughout my back yard... Sneezing a lot today also..but worth it!
Ebb Tide also making sweet perfume today!
Joe, I will try that...it's just going to be a loooong while until it's cold enought for a fire, ehehhe...I could swear it was about 100F this weekend over here.
Very nice pictures, all!
Robcorreia, the reason that I do not reccommend Miracle Grow is that there is more to a fertilizer than the basic NPK formulation that is listed on a label. There are 14 essential elements, some of which are minor and some of which are macro, macro being the ones needed in larger quantities. Some plants sometimes have specific requirements, for example palm fertilizers should have higher quantities of minor elements than a turf formulation. Miracle Grow does not contain all 14 essential elements, let alone some of the macro nutrients. It contains no Sulfur whatsoever and very little calcium and magnesium. In simpler terms, fertilizers that are advertised as being "complete" are preferable. Of course, I get a lot of other inside knowledge as well when the lab does an experiment on a fertilizer so that a company can see how it's product matches up to other fertilizers- mainly just for fertilizers manufactured here locally that are inorganic.
So which of the main line fertilizers (if there are any) that can be purchased at the big box stores would be sufficient (not perfect but "do-able") in your opinion?
The Dynamite time release products are good, and the company has a great environmental reputation as well. That is the same company that was giving free samples to the DG members who requested it.
*sniffle* I requested mine but never got it....guess I'll have to suck it up and just buy it eh? ^_^
chantell, you were supposed to whine. isn't that what we do?you just didn't whine .lol sally
Hey, I also requested a sample but never got it ! : (
Fauna, is it sold in big box stores? I will look it up...thanks for the great explanation on the miracle gro. I am so glad I learned this, I don't feel like buying it ever again. Since I started gardening I've been learning fast on the plants, but on the fertilizers, soil compositions, etc, I've been slooooooooooow to grasp the concepts!
I did get mine but it took awhile.
Sweetpeas are up ..out.. all over the place. Must be summer!
These yellow roses.. looked great this morning enjoying a few rays..
Love the sweetpeas Beahive, I miss them and their wonderful scent. Sadly they don't do well here. I'll just have to enjoy yours.
fauna, i appreciate you also.there is so much i've learned from so many of you,and that's why i feel i've made some good friends. so helpful! sally
I picked up THREE different pack of Sweet Pea seeds...do you think I planted them? UGH!!! Read some where that they're a nice fall pick me up since they enjoy the cooler temps....just might do it then.
Ok...I promised ya'll I'd tell you about this new vendor I found...still waiting to hear from her if she's got an online store outside of her ebay one - but here's the ebay link: http://myworld.ebay.com/emeraldgoddessgardens/ Let me say I get no "kick backs" (LOL) but would appreciate it if you contact her and/or buy from her that you pass on my name (and encourage her to get her info in our watchdog). I want her to know I stand behind my word. And I told her that I was incredibly pleased with how good her communications were - as soon as I rec'd my order I would post about it. This gal (Shirley) is amazing!! As you'll see by the link she has 100% feedback - for selling on ebay for 7 years that speaks volumes in itself!! The root ball on these plants (which is what she refers to in her descriptions i.e. 2" or 3" plant) are extremely healthy and full ~ most plants had buds on them as well...ahhhh life doesn't get any better then that. Her packing is not only fantastic but cute w/a female's touch. ^_^ She answers all questions quickly and thoroughly...includes care sheets with some in the box as well. Everything marked clearly as a final touch. I started out simply wanting to get Ixora Odoratas for Becky and I....but...well...you know how that goes...
Here's the "extra" gift plant she included - Orange Jasmine 'Lakeview' - I've got to tell you....I REALLY like this scent!!
Here is the Variegated Jasmine Stephanotis - absolutely covered in buds and blooms...very nice scent not as heavy as some of the other jasmines.
I'll post pics of the Chalice Vine, Ixora Odoratas, and Lady of the Night when I take them...just take my word for it though I was very pleased w/every single one of them!!!
astcgirl..I will keep posting the sweetpeas as they come up. I planted a ton of seed last year and had zip... this year they seem to be doing great so far.(new seed) Can't explain it..but maybe you should keep on trying... they smell so wonderful.
Here is a real sweet looking one I posted yesterday on the macro photo forum. Love this one!
