Roof photos today... or .......... Brugs Galore

Oh... I can't say I have seen a time lapse of the opening of a brug flower..Liz has alot of vidios on her site.. [Gordo] can't remember what they all were..
Oh Donna.. wwell some have to take the wind... the plus side of that spot is about the est sun also... the wind hit the exposes things hard..but the ones with a bit more of a wind breaak.. are just as pristine as ever... see photo... so do take it easy there... we'll get the postman to deliver all of the cuttings you can manage.. let me know how many you'd like..
the cold will come soon enough.. I'll be working on the new foam house this weekend... I've 1/2 of all the pannels made up.. there's 4 on each side 10in all... each 2' wide.. and comming together with the one on the other side.. to span 10' .... 8' x 10 ' with 9' head room at the top..
OH that rose is Alpine Sunset...guess alpine cause it loves the cold .... flowers galore on it now..

more doing OK.. although they will flower till they get bored in the dark cool room.. the ones that get to come inside will be blooming on and off...till spring.. mostly off..

I figured you were working on a cover for your Brugs.
If you want to toss some out, toss some my way ^_^
Hey what are you fastening the form togather with?
Do you have a metal or a wood frame?
Thanks , I'll as Elizabeth about the Time lapse.
Charleen

Charleen.. well ...you're welcome to some....likely it won't be till the 1st of November..before I or my helper will have time.. he's incharge of wrapping the ends inwet towels.. and streaching the press n seal over them..
last year I used a metal framework.... all straight walls.. and roof... the project this year was to cut $150 from last years cost...this year I'm going to just use a double layer of 3/4 " foam..foam... the pannels will go from the floor...
it will be attached to the floor on the bottom.. and the top will be attached to a ridge beam.. that's wood... other than these... it will be just adheasives... and perhaps a spray foam over the joints.. it's all real expermintal.. perhaps some synthetic stucco.. and mesh tape to reinforce the seams.. and to secure the gable end to the roof and the walls..
in this picture... everything is foam.. the structure... the fluted columns.. and the gray planters..

Gordon, are you going to have to heat the floors or will the foam help you in that direction.
Heated floor mats are sometimes used, aren't they?? I love it, I know you will take pic for us to see.
Will you be able to fold it up when the weather gets better??
Oh, thank you, there is no hurry. I'll send you postage if you wish. Just let me know. I knew when
we hadn't heard from you that you were busy building your Protection for the Brugs.
It is going to be nice when you finish.
Charleen

Gordon, I just moved eveything into the basement ,, now I have a green house .. I love going downstairs to smell the Brugs..
Axel Rose cross seed you sent is really going to town, no buds yet, but lots of branches.. will post picture as it goes.

Gordon, your frozen brug will most likely do fine for cuttings. If you remember the one I left out in the sleet several years ago.. it was a new green cutting that was growing, was coated in ice for a day and it survived! That brown wood will take a lot more than a single evening of 29 degrees to lose all life from the wood. That was my Texas Pink! It grew well after a day of recovery.. I only lost the green leaves from that ice bath.... Sadly, it did not survive last winter.

LOVE the pictures this year. I always enjoy your garden show.

Tammie...well.. I've some 8' length.. on my Texas pink on some extra limbs... We'll get you some more if you'd like to keep her going there...
She's the one of the three in the photo.. at about 10 o'clock.. right in front of the variegated caana Stuggart... just got them cramed in to that corner.. it's a fight for air space.. and a place in the sun..

Gordon,
All of your plants are beautiful. You have the right touch!!!
Janice

How much longer, Gordon, til you get the foam building up?
Are the winds still blowing? It is cooling down down after the rains
have passed through. Nice weather, no air, no heat. Just right.
Charleen

I would love another Texas Pink... Mom was so disappointed when I told her I was not going to be able to grow one for her. Your Stuttgart looks nice.. good varigation. My cat used the flower bed near mine for a litterbox and killed mine this year.. wish I could kill the cat! I am doing everything I can to get her out of that flowerbed!

Tammie

Set a mousetrap in there and let it snap on her butt, she will get out of there!!!

Charleen... no windsnow..it was warm.. then rained... with a cold front comming in behind... that's the pattern here for the winter... now it's cold... 41 was our low... and the light rain continues on and off... with any sun at all.. the roof surface heats them up...which is good for keeping things happy... with the falling temperatures during the night..
Thanks .. Tammie... yes...the Stuttgart came from Alice.. Abutilon here...
http://www.karcheskycanna.com/
well cat training is best done early... and often... like Charleen recomends... you have to get their attention first.. like the old joke about training a mule with a 2 x 4 ... the 2 x 4 ... is just to get their attention.. and you have to be present to thwart the bad behavior...my cat is trained to Psssst... when she hears that.. she knows to do something different.. as she's likely if she continues... to have sommmething thrown at her... or worse....be chased down and caught... they really want to be apart of the program.. they just have to know what it is...and her program is mostly marking territory.. mothballs.. although not good when it's wet... is good for eracing the territory marking she's done..

Actually, I am really lucky. Lucy is a really good cat. She is small.. about 9 pounds, stays in the yard, usually uses her litterbox in the house and comes in when called. She goes out with the dogs and usually come in with them too. She was actually raised by my Misty when she was about 6 days old so thinks she is a dog.. helped Misty raise her first litter of puppies.. now that was fun to see! It is only that one area of the flower bed she wants to use sometimes and I did not know she was using it. Guess I need to go buy some moth balls! She keeps the other cats in the neighborhood out of the yard! Or maybe that is the three dogs doing that!

Cats are territorial, she probably does chase the other cats off. I don't mean any
harm to your pretty kitty, I love animals, I remember my Mom doing that to keep cats
out of flower pots.
Our rain has moved thru now it is getting colder, 46degrees now, but it will warm up.
Want to plant those two young Brugs and cut the tops off to bring them in. Have all the others taken care of
sitting here in front of my desk. They are just Stubs yet with leaves.
The brugs do seem to enjoy this cool weather, don't they/
Charleen

Gordon, it has been some time since I saw your wonderful roof top garden. I do so enjoy seeing all the plants you grow. Haven't been using the computer a whole lot this summer and missed a lot. Your brugs are so beautiful. I used to have a lot of them but now am not able healthwise to lift more than 5 lbs. So have only Ecuador Pink left. We have had winter already. For three days last week the morning temps were17, 18 and 15 degrees and freezing all day also. Luckily had a little warning and so most tender plants were moved into my small gh, small plant storage room or into the house. But lost plants that were in large containers. Now it is rainy and windy.

Here is a picture of my Ecuador Pink sitting in its pot on the bench in gh. at least it is happy enough to bloom.

Donna S.

That is a beautiful plant, Donna.

Wow, what a site! Love all the blooms you have shown, and the stories to go with!
When are you going to have another contest?
Are the brugs easy to start from seed. I have about 35 brugs, and all are from cuttings from the great people I have met here on DG. Most have been free, and I have paid a small amount for a few.
Guess I need to find some seeds, and try to grow them that way.
Thanks again for all the beauties!
This is my new raised brug garden my hubby made for me this year.
Linda Kay

Linda , do you leave them out or take them in for the winter?
Very nice raised bed, you got there.
Charleen

Linda, I was going to ask the same question. I lost two I left in the ground last year and one survived. It just got around to blooming for the first time this year. Going by the last 7 winters, I'm now in zone 9a. LOL

Last year I only had them in pots, and I left them outside. All of them survived, so this year is my first for the raised bed, and I am going to place a heavy amount of mulch on them. I will take cuttings, just to make sure I have a few for next year.

MMMMMMM 9a.... now that's sweet... bet it's not down to 41 *F in zone 9 yet..

i'm going to try to keep four brugs in the ground.. one of Kells arboreas.. my star dancer cross.. and two others.. they will be 5' from a couple of acres of black asphalt .. and covered.. with bubblewrap... hopefully the asphalt will heat my nearby soil warmer .. I'll give them a 20% chance..
Linda Kay.. well.. lovely beds.. he put togethr a Cadallac for you.... they will dry out fast.. but are deep enough.. at what looks like almost 3 ft deep.. not to heat up too much.. and the brugs looking great there.. plenty of room for the roots to reach out..
Wata good idea there Linda.. another contest.. to kick off the cutting season... MMM Like how many bugs fit into a pile of foam 12' x 2' x 1' .. or maybe what's the total of the height of the brugs fitting in that block of foam figuring a single stalk height.. from soil level.. to the height.. for each pot included... but there will be lots of other plants there also.. should it be heights for all plants inside.. or just brugs..
see photo.. they will be all fitting in under this foam.. for the durtion of the winter..
please pardon the mess... I'm stageing it inside.. and painting the inside of the house at the same time.. but the panels are now ready to be brought outside...and erected..

All right,getting supplies to put up foam house, how exciting.
temp here this AM is 37 degrees.
You are a busy man.
Charleen

Yes, a contest sounds like fun!

I sure wish my DH would tun the large dog run out back into a green house.. should be easy to do with Gordons' plan.

Sound like a wonderful idea to me.
How does it work?
Charleen

Gordon, you are so full of new ideas every year. I loved your pink brug house last year!

Well...thanks Tammie... it indeed will be somewhat different this year... first it will be blue to begin with.. last year it was a standard box shape.. about 6' x 8 ' x 8 ' tall.. w/ flat straight sides and roof with each panel attached to the next with a metal " H " channel .. this year we;re doing away with the metal.. attachments.. and are doing a 8' x 10 ' x 9' tall building.. w/ curved wall roof section... I believe... we'll post a construction plan when I settle on one that will seem to work.. it only becomes a greenhouse...when I cut out some pannels in the spring to let in some light .. to awaken everyone..
SO...kimarj .. [Kim ] from Philadelphia... came to visit Sunday.. with a friend of hers...
After a cup of Dutch hot chocholate 1/2 milk .. 1/2 cream.. we were able to go up into the cold for a bit..enough time to see that not all of my pictures were done up in photoshop... maybe she'll have something to say here about the experience..
although seeing it tattered it is this year... at this time..
I could only unload about 6 cuttings... with them...w/ some durantia seeds.. with a promise of some seeds from the madagascar jasmine and red iochroma when they become ripe.. and a couple of little cactus babies.. But it was alot of fun to hear other Brug grower stories...
There were about 100+ or so blooms..still hanging on by a thread.. like one plant... with 10 blooms on it... with maybe 8 leaves left.. after the winds/rain .. the poor thing..... but we saw some buds [ perhaps 100's] for the first time... starting all over on the 10' tall Axel Rose X... seedling planted March '09... don't know if there will be enough time for this one.. now that it's finally starting to bud out... might have to light the cool room for a month or so to see what these are looking like
looking back to last years photos of this time of year.. it was looking so good back then.. I already miss it's splendor so..
well more pictures as I get back up there this morning...if the rains don't come again.. to further stall the construction..
Debra... well the dogs might like life in a greenhouse with a small ourside run.. as far as easy goes.. lets say it's all easy.. just add material and plenty of work.. Luckily I come from a family with plenty of Mule in the gene pool.. so 1/2 is easy.. carrots anyone....
RED trumpets... w/ plenty of seeds pictured...

How wonderful to be able to meet with another DGr, I know I have enjoyed my friendship with AuntB and Tropicman immensely this past year. Visiting them is always a highlight in my day. I love those red Brugs. I have never seen anyones posts of a picture like that. Awsome!
Duke Dog will be 15 this Christmas, he hasn't been in the dog run for years. He is my house sitter now. LOL

Gordon,

That red iochroma is gorgeous; I did have a purple one this year but it never looked like that. It’s wonderful that Kim got to visit and see the roof, I’m sure even in its tattered state it still looked beautiful. I’ll be watching as you put up the structure, I love seeing the things you come up with. Lucky for you there is still some mule left.

Yes, the red iochroma is beatiful and those of us who noticed the seed pods are probably drooling. LOL! I had a little frost last night. Hope everthing are OK. Have a beautiful day!

Yes Lili, we had frost too. I'm farther south of Atlanta.
anyone say Mule. I got one of those and I know about mules.
Gordon that is a beautiful bloom. We always enjoy
your pic and watch you built up your projects.

oh wow those are Iochroma? LOL well they are awsome..

Wow what a wonderful time I had at Gordon's! His gardens are spectacular! Things that are tiny for me are giants there. Blooms and seeds everywhere.I even fell in love with his talking cat : ) His hospitality is to die for! And that Killer hot chocolate..oh my ; P. He has these awesome lights on tracks that I sooo need.But alas my DH would not go for it : ( Mmmmm I wonder if I could build them myself...not! My camera died darn it! I wanted one of everything...but it was to cold and windy to do much damage ; } But I will be back Gordon!!! The only thing that could have made the tour better would have been warm sunshine and a pitcher of Sangria ^_^ Gordon you rock!!!

Gordon, love the red Iochroma. If you have any extra seeds, I am in the address exchange! Asking with sheepish grin. I can send you postage.
Kim, you are the lucky one, being able to see his rooftop view, and all the lovely plants!

Aren't we all wishing we could go see Gordon's Rooftop
Hideaway. It would be so nice. but he lets us visit with
his wonderful pic.
Thank you, Gordon.

Uhmm Kim, I missed you girl and Gordon too, HEY I want to feel better soon and climb his roof top, lol!


Hey Sangria, next time you come, promise, grrrrrrrrrrrr, Gordon is going to say I promised too! No really next time around, this was not my week at all or month..Gordon, one day.....

HA HA HA Clem.. what a hoot.. I'll believe it when you're here..
today I could scarcely move.. it was all could to to walk about... bending was very difficult.. but through heavy work all day.. including moving all the plumeria downstairs one weighing alot.. let me weigh it...mmmm it looks to be about 100 pounds.. they all go through the hatch...and down the ladder in the hall.. thankfully I have an assistant who did most of it.. but seeing it's hard to climb a ladder with one hand and that weight.. requires some help.. from me.. this evening.. after climbing and builing.. the cool room.. it's just light discomfort .. yes.. the lovely iochroma..
a fine buy fromm EddieDewayne.. and the world of brugmansia site.. I had the purple one last year with a light white edging on the trumpets edge.. the red one has grown up to a stately 7' now..
Oh.. Kim.. you're most gracious.. and are surely welcome.. anytime.. others get the pictures.. but attending the place it happens.. you get the big picture.. the ambiance. and more of the old stories.. glad it was fun for you too.. I enjoyed the visit.. today it was 83* UP THERE TODAY the evenungs are smelling sweet.. 3 kinds of jasmine.. and 100's of brug blooms...and then there's the magic of the city

This message was edited Oct 20, 2009 9:54 AM

and we got 1/2 the cool room done.. the difficult part of starting and getting the program going.. it's.. just completing it ..now.. I changed the design.. to play to the materials strengths.. and we're off and running...

WOw Gordon 83 degrees, my roof garden only got to 55 today! Hey can't walk, lol, well glad you got help..

I am feeling a little better..one day one day, lol....Great pic of the city there my friend!