I'm tired from working outside all day yesterday and earlier--early spring work can be grueling, esp in the spring after a hurricane when some things need to be rebuilt and/or its the best time to make some changes.
Also a good photo day down here--cloudy.
This is Salvia 'Ultra Violet' from High Country Gardens. It's done really well down here--stayed green all winter.
That is a very attractive salvia.
Saw these today, not my work>
Sweet Peas, Russelia equisitiformis (I'm sure I have spelled that wrong), and copper canyon. And my trusty gardian gargoyle.
Hey Dale, how ya been?
Here's a bulb you won't see down your way and I'm surprised it persists for me. The original 'Butter and Eggs' (Narcissus x incomparibilis aurantiu plenus) fromm 1777. I have a lot of daff's and most of them are much more spectacular but I like this one best because its so darn challenging down here in bayou country. Always the last to open and just starting--the real deal always has a lot of green in it prior to opening.
My newest lemon tree--I've been increasing my dwarf fruit varieties this year. Got it abhout 3 weeks ago but just got it potted up today.
and we'll finish up with a Nierembergia 'Starry eyes'--this one I'm surprised has made it in our humidity. Second spring on it and it sulked all last year.
What's cooking at your places?
edited to add__Dale I'm amazed at your pansies! Mine have already bit the dust, but they were nice all winter.
This message was edited Mar 7, 2009 5:22 PM
Life is good here. A little toasty today - 81*, I don't want summer to come too soon.
That is an interesting daff and you are right they don't grow here. They are tough to grow in this warm climate, even as an annual. Even Paperwhites don't come back - and I have tried them in pots. Something attacks the bulbs, never figured out what, but, who cares? If they ain't easy they ain't in my garden scheme.
I prefer the indestructible>
I have some 3 year old starry eyes, I will have to get a photo.
By the way, they aren't my pansies. I didn't put in much this year>
I collect photos of commerical, public and private garden schemes. I have hundreds of photos>
Dale we beat you yesterday--sunny and 83. All the Tazetta's do really well down here (in the ground anyway--never tried them in a pot). You haven't missed anything on those paperwhites, I personally don't like them. Yes, there are a few bulbs I don't like. Erlicheer is the only one I'll tolerate and it gets to be a bit much, smell wise.
Still waiting on the Freesia's to bloom here--they good knocked back a couple of time by frosts. I bet your were gorgeous!
Debbie
I want to publish a coffee table book someday. I will probably have to pay to have it printed - A friend of mine from Jr. High is in the publishing business. He calls people who pay to publish 'The Vanity Press'. I want to join them!!
I always do a token pot of pansies--did orange ones this year. In that pot with the verbena--those yellow ganzia's (I know I've mangled that name but I'm close enough), they hate me.
gorgeous double begonia's on the right side of that pot--you know the variety name on that one? It even convinces me to grow a begonia.
my token pot of pansies dec 17th--lol
The above arrangements was a gift to a client from a florist shop. Those tuberous types are winter plants here, although I have seen B. bolivensis growing here in the summer, it look stressed, but, it was alive.
My verbena, gazanias, lobelia and alyssum will all be gone in a couple months. I am enjoying them now.
Here is a border that I can actually take credit for - I made this>
great job Dale! B. bolivensis was always stressed for me no matter when I grew it in the multitude of times I have tried. My alyssum is basically toast now.
Dale--know anything about True blue propagation co in Hudson, Florida? Since you are commercial over there, can you find out anything about them?
Debbie,
I will check on them.
Do you grow Bellis perennis in your garden? I had great luck with it when I lived in Austin. It loves clay soil.>
I found True Blue in my Blueberry Files, I must have been to their booth at one of the trade shows in Orlando. I don't know anything about them, however.
http://www.floridablueberrygrowers.com/
http://www.trueblueplants.com/
Too bad you don't live closer - there is a blueberry grower that is retiring and the are selling off all their plants. They grew their fruit in 15 gal containers - takes less water than in ground plants - and they are selling them off.
Blueberries are widely grown around here. I talked with one farmer who made his living off of 3 acres of containerized plants. He also had a small nursery on the side.
eye candy>
I have no idea why I am up this early--too much to do, I guess.
I knew they were southern blueberry propagator's and distributor's. I don't think I could run a blueberry farm, but I do want to add a few varieties and they have excellent prices.
Salvia mystic spires is starting to wake up here.
83 and muggy here today
glow in the dark snapdragons, native allium coming up, native crinum american coming up (for someone in the RU--too close to those native alliums for my comfort zone) and tacky yeard art. I'm the queen of tacky yard art out back.
blooming bowling ball someone put out to the curb after their garage ceiling collapsed after Ike.
Debbie, that's a very pretty blooming ball you've got there! Think you can propagate it? LOL
yep--its on the East Tx trade list
tacky, no?--lol
it'll look better when the daylillies bloom. You should see what I'm building for my pole beans.....
I'd like to see your pole bean contraption!
let me get it finished (and I better hurry or it'll be past pole bean season--lol)--its what you do when Ike mangles a 15 year old special made wrought iron (and a heavy one too--not like the ones at HD--lol) encrusted with 2 15 year old evergreen wisteria's. I can eaily live with out the 'Aggie" vine as I call it but I'm rather upset with the arch.
Actually have quite a few blooms, surprisingly... but I'm looking forward to lot more ;-)
I don't think the Shrimp Plant ever died back this past winter--aren't they supposed to?
They should make it now cajun--I think this will be the last really cold snap we have.
I'm really not crazy about 'Hot Lips' Salvia; about the only time it looks good is during the winter and very early spring. Otherwise, its just red (with no white) and sprawls all over everything--never have been crazy about the red salvia's...
Yes, the foliage on my Hot Lips is doing GREAT! I'm very pleased. LOL I really LOVE my red Salvias, but I guess because the hummers love them. And I like the bright red in my garden. They are also very hardy and self-seeding, if not perennial. My Hot Lips did do a color change thing, but then came back and gave me red/white blooms again.
I have a blue Salvia that did die back SOME over the winter but is back strong again now.
Another bloomer though... can anyone tell me what this is? I got it at Hope Farms last May but can't find a tag anywhere and can't recall the name. Will label my picture when I get an ID:
I have a hot lips that does that also...red, white and red/white blooms!
Mine does that too. During the summer it's mostly white, with a few red. Then in the fall they are bicolor again.
Cajun, if that shrimp plant is a current pic I'm impressed that it's not even "bitten" at all by the cold weather. I guess the trees gave it enough protection from the frost. Does it ever get any direct sunlight?
Well yes, that's what I was saying.. I just took that last week and I was shocked too! It's also kind of 'hugged' by a big blue Salvia so I wonder if that maybe insulated it somehow. It gets some dappled sunlight, but again sort of protected by the Salvia... so I dunno.
Question though... does anyone here have Redbud trees? I bought two last year from a grower on 105 (Ann, you might know who I'm talking about). They were small last year but healthy and had several good sized (normal) leaves on them. They are about 20" tall. They SEEM to be fine but there is NOTHING happening with them. They don't get much sun--should they?
Should they doing anything yet? Are they too young? Or is it too early?
Are those still in pots? Or planted? I have one large Redbud and one 3-foot one in the ground leafing out fairly good. Another one, about a foot tall and planted on the property, I had to dig up a month ago because we wanted to put a shed there. So it is in a pot and it is just now showing tiny leaves barely starting to show right now. Dappled shade to sun is okay.
I have an established redbud that finished blooming last week and is now putting on leaves.
Cajun--that's a bulbine, probably:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/453/
they come in solid yellow too, I have one but I transplanted in early Feb so its just starting to send up bloom spikes--it was just on the outer edge and getting swallowed by a 7' hamelia patens shrub
Debbie
=)
It was 87* yesterday, the only thing cooking in the garden was me. Actually I was at the greenhouse....
I saw this on Friday, across the street from my Friday morning job, I will have to try Linaria next fall>
I found this plant last fall, in a pot at the greenhouse. At that time I noticed it had 3 tiny leaves which makes me think it was a chance seedling. It was very small so I am sure it started from seed. I have had volunteer seedling from O. Triangulais many times. It has grown very fast over the last 3 months from a tiny seedling to the plant in the photo below.
I have never seen this Oxalis before and it looks like a cross between O. triangularis subsp. papilionaceae 'Atropurpurea' and Oxalis brasiliensis (or purpurea). I have hundreds of those in pots.
Next year I am going to have to try more Oxalis purpurea, they are vigorous and they have many different forms. Telos Rare Bulbs has many different forms available. They are pricey, but, the multiply rapidly. http://www.telosrarebulbs.com/
Linda, yes they are in the ground. They seemed to have been doing just fine last fall. I made sure I mulched them well before winter set in. The only watering they got after first frost was natural. Do you think I maybe should have pampered them more since they were so young? I'm getting worried now, after BoByrd's comment. Yikes.
Debbie, thanks so much for the ID! Love knowing what it is I actually have growing!
Dale, I forgot to mention the Oxalis I had in bloom - mine's the green but I love it! I used to have the purple and loved them!
Also have blooming my red Verbena. So pretty!
