Phughes, RJ, I am so looking forward to going plant shopping with you guys, it is always on my mind. I have a list made, so that I will not forget some of the plants that I really want to replace. I tend to lose control when having spring fever.
Tropical Garden #29
It's so long ago, plac., that I don't remember. Of course, some plants I bought yesterday I don't remember.....LOL
Hap
hmm...don't we all...Have you ever been on an airplane, and all the seats are full and there's that one guy spinning around looking for an empty seat...that's me with newly purchased plant in hand looking for an empty place...spiiiin.
That's disturbing about the breaker switching. I wonder if you can get a propane outdoor heater for emergencies...I did get one at Target for 169.00..works very good, although it isn't in the green house...can you get gas connections?
As you know, I have the patio heater but it is too large for either place. Mike just mentioned that the electrician said the electric heaters are always hard on breakers. Here we are wishing our lives away. Wish it were 2 months from now and it was spring. But then, that would be two more months gone. sigh
New Blog for tomorrow- sneak preview
Garden Gloves $1.99, Perlite $13.00, Online Garden Communities....Priceless!
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This message was edited Jan 30, 2009 4:35 AM
Propane is great. There is no natural gas here and my DH put the propane in for my stove. (He likes to eat and I am a retired chef.)
How great is this?
Here the propane is very cheap. Just had to put in a tank and a line to the stove. (Stove???) Think now it's called a RANGE. Whatever!!!
Hap
I know Wayne at zone9 uses some sort of propane heater when the other heater is having a hard time keeping up...might check into that Rita...
the brug bloom is really great.. you guys crack me up.. I do the same as RJ new plant and running around trying to find a place to put it.. I get into a hurry to get things outside.. I end up dragging all my sheets and blankets out to cover up for the unexpected last freeze warning... I swear every year no plants out side ntil april 15th.. but come march 15th I am outside planning and planting.. I have seeds I will prolly never get planted this year and plants I have never heard of before sitting around waiting.. and plants on my want list galore.. I admit.. I am helpless over my love of plants and gardening I am an addict * sigh* oh well.. at least its' not drugs! all Iochroma plants are now in full flushes down here.. waiting for one of these dang JMGS to bud out..:P~forced bulbs in pic..
Maya in bubble tub is very happy waiting for her to do something , tho
and I have to show you the other Iochroma .. okay I am done for now.. keep the eye candy coming.. yesterday was frozen, today was balmy..( I still had to defrost the car tho this am)
I finally resigned myself to the fact that I won't be able to resist, and while not funny to me at the time, it must be pretty comical watching me put the frost blankets on stuff when a cold front is blowing and the blankets blowing all over except where I want it to go.
Those Iochromas are cool. Wish I knew that they got bigger than a knee high shrub. I have one that has topped the eve of the house.
Well, when you are ready to shorten it... send the sticks to me! LOL .. Houston has the most wonderful hotel there with a flower garden out front with my most favorite little flower called a penta.. and my favorite place to eat a filet mignon to die for .. I think it was called the del rio or something like that.. was there a year ago for a week and couldn't get over how many buildings there were that were very very tall.. this is my avacado tree with new growth..
Rj, I enjoyed reading your last Blog. and I would like to be in this years group pictures. I only wish that we had access to plant files when shopping at the nurseries. I would not bring home so many wrong plants
.
I will utilize the propane heaters for extremely cold nights. thanks
Colocasia Thai Giant
Joeswife, from one plant addict to another, your Maya is looking good, maybe she is ready to get potted up. I think that they are the perfect Brug. Beautiful foliage, very fragrant, and will always reward you with lots of blooms. If I had to pick only one Brug., Maya would be it.
Today was a beautiful day, I opened the doors and windows to the GH to give them a breath of fresh air.
variegated flowering maple
Oh That maple is gorgeous.. this is crazy.. I have been up all night cleaning and sorting and re-arranging just because I could not find some particular seeds I knew I had SOMeWHERE.. sheese! Anyway, it's a good time to pot up a bunch of stuff.. I agree.. I recieved three brugs today in the mail.. Heloise, Dola, and Kaitlyn.. eveyone will like each other I am sure.. I just love to read RJ's articles.. no pics of mine but one of Tropicmans' to share he has some almost black hibiscus I am going to get cuttings from.. they were all closed up when we were there;(
Joeswife, I have never seen a black hibiscus, but love the one in your picture. (Thanks Tropicman) A DG sent me a few Black Death Castor bean seeds that I am anxious to get growing
You can tell that I do not know very much about Brugs. and will have to look up the Heloise, Dora and Kaitlyn.
This message was edited Feb 1, 2009 3:44 PM
thx joeswife...
Rita, we'll make sure we have camera on hand your next trip down. You'll need to come before Wayne's sale in April so you can have first picks.
I think we picked up some new members after the last blog!
Sneak peak at tuesdays blog..
Zoning the Zone 9 Garden
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Dear Lord, you are better everytime!!!
PK
blush
Hi guys, well I guess I'll chime in and show a few that are doing their thing at the momemt.
The first one is my Cybister 'Ruby Meyer' and the second will be the buds showing on my
show medinilla.
And here's my medinilla. Just budding out all over.
wowzers Planter that is way cool!
Rita is that sanseveria?
RJ .. I signed up for the chronicle but can't seem to get to the blog pages? ( a couple weeks ago)
Bignonia finally bloomed.. ( my first one ever! ) Am I supposed to like touch it inside with a brush or something for that pollinating thing?
Love that red flower up there..
My MIL lives in Buffalo,ny.. we go there for a week every september
Rj, As usual very interesting Blog. I am still on that road of trial and error.
I am very camera shy, no need to take pictures lol. I would truly like to attend the next plant swap at Jungle Heights, and hit the Zone 9 plant sale in April.
Planter 56, we are so glad that you chimed in, what a" Blah-Buster" love the colors on
Ruby Meyer. Do you have two scapes on the one bulb?
Lucky you on the Medinilla bud, I have had one now for several years without any blooms. What is your secret?
Thanks for sharing
joeswife, that is a noid bromeliad.
Is your Bignonia tangerine beauty? I bet you had a big smile on your face when you saw it.
Rita what is the blue bloom? a morning glory??? It's pretty
phughes, it is a blue sky vine.
I just bought a thunbergia erecta on ebay. Won't it be similar? I am thinking mine is a darker purple color, but I sure like you're pretty blue. I just have no more room for vines.
I do! I better get me some of that blue sky vine! where should I look for it? Thanks, I did have a big smile on my face when I saw my tangerine beauty bloom! (back to work home on lunch)
Just hacked down my Sky Vine. All leaves and no flowers. Too much work!
It's a date Rita! I'll keep you posted on things and come on down when you can for a trip to zone9.
Joes wife...if you click the home page..you will see a bar under the main headlines that says
new topics: Pets, Moms, Beliefs, Gardening - just click on gardening and you will be taken to the Houstongrows page...then scroll down and there is a section that says Readers blogs and it list about 7 bloggers. That bar appears throughout the mainpage..and whenever you see Gardening..you can get there from that word.
Hi Placencarita, I actually got two bulbs of the Cybister. The one is doing very well with the blooms that you see. The second one is having a problem with fire blight I think it is called. The stalk itself is rather red on one side and slightly mushy. I'll have to wait to see if it produces leaves or if the center has been killed and it produces a bunch of offsets. If it does nothing I'll have to see if the place I got it from will replace it.
The Medinilla has about 6 branches on it and all of them are going to bloom. All I did was plant it in some Miracle Grow potting soil for cacti and Palms since it has good water drainage with some retention without it getting soggy. It also has time released fertilizer in it. I water it until it runs thru and then wait until it gets dry again. Right now it's in my kitchen window for the winter where it gets the sun, when it's out, and at least very bright light when not. Other than that I can't tell you want I did right :)
Does anyone know anything about Thunbergia mysorensis? I have a vine and it grows very well. I'm hoping that it will bloom come spring. Any suggestions? And joeswife I hope your MIL has a a good shoveler. We've been blessed with a very cold winter up here. Luckily we didn't get as much snow as the ski area's did down south of us.
evening all... yes she has two daughters and a son up there and numerous grandchildren to help her shovel..
RJ: thanks for that tip..
I ordered some StarDancer Brug seeds from the market place here.. can't wait to get those and see how they turn out.. the mother is awsome!
Sure wish I could meet you all down in that texas gathering..
latest downstairs pic of inside garden patio
aah..clever..a mirror!
I think the mysorensis might be a winter bloomer..I'll have to double check on that one though.
Here is the first sign that spring is on it's way...get ready Texas!
Pink Magnolia
phughes, I looked up your thunbergia erecta and it seems to be more shrub -like. The blue sky vine will take over in no time. The blooms are much darker out in the sun, those in the picture are much lighter, taken in the GH.
I cannot remember the name of this one, but it also blooms all summer long.
Planter 56, six branches on your Medinilla, you are in for quite a show.
Re-potting will be my next move with the cacti and Palm potting mix, to help mine bloom.
I have seen a picture of the Thumbergia mysorensis growing on an arbor. It's very beautiful, but I do not know anything about growing it. If it is growing very well, maybe you are doing all the right things already. Keep us updated on their progress
Joeswife, those plants are so pampered they will not want to go outside in the Spring.
Time for a new Thread (anyone have a nice tropical plant picture)
Good Morning RJ
how about this one "tropical rain"
