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

I received some double peach last year and they all rooted fine, planted them recently and just checked and they are squishy!!! Aaaarrrrggghhhh!!!

Welll here it is ... just becomming planted... the lights and the pump are in.. I just haven't figured out what I wish to have the return stream of water ... look like it's comming from... maybe a little bit of statuary .. a maiden's water jug perhaps.. or a spitting dolphin..... and then the foger and some plants...

That is pretty quick! I like the sound of a maiden's water jug.
Looking real good!

looks really good, Gordon, I am glad you take care of family, also. you are a Gem.

well..thanks... this is where it sits... the iochroma in the forground comes out with some little rted trumpet flowers... it's such a continual performer...the duranta next to it has no nothing.. a minature snowbank in in front of the pond... it came out with a tiny leaf set which got broken off.. and a bunch of brugs.. some with leaves some not..

AH,, the coolroom.. with the pannels cut out between the jionts for recycling.. it's now all down.. what a relief to have it gone.. 1/2 the left over debris is gone.. which also means 1/2 of it is still in bags laying about..I didn't want to overwhelm the sanitation guys early this morning.. you learn alot about how you've built by taking it down..and taking it apart

I bet you always fnd ways to improve every year too.. I love the iochromas and durantas, mine are out now with the plumbagos and others/ an artist such as you prolly feels a little regret and sadness, no? yet, anticipation to the next "canvass" .. Am I wrong? You work so hard to create your beautiful havens, and then work so hard to house it safely and then tear it all down and start over? That is Love.

Well.. I'm always trying something ..There's always hope it is for the better...mostly it's having more resources [time,energy, health, available cash , expertiece ,and a hired helper] than good sense ...
It is a LOVE though... the devotion and energy required to bring it off,,, in such a rooftop environment is monumental... and requires constant and continual attention .. thought and LOVE...
aren't thoes the parameters of addiction...
Hello.. my name is GordonHawk... I have a growing problem...
I didn't see this photo on this thread...although I remember posting it somewhere lately when I came upon them again... Artist... this was me at 22years old... some 42 years ago .. no..that wasn't before color photography..it was just shot in black and white.. as it was one for printing.. note the silver female form in the center sitting on a granite block.. with a beaufaunt hair do of Hawaiian bridal veil.. the double legg prosthesis planted in vines.. the mango growing under the lights in the wooden barrel.... and on the right side.. the edge of a 8' vertical strawberry wall hanging.. which became an acrylic painting on moss... and the other plants.. of a young environmental artist.. [ I'll try and find pictures of the moss buttons .. coverrd with bits of litter I had for the first earth day ] glad to see the world catching up..
Happy Earth Day this Thursday
more time and resources way back then.. too..

Love it. What a fantastic photo! Very artsy. I especially love the black and white tile that looks like a chess piece and the egg prosthesis with vines in it! Very creative!

This message was edited Apr 17, 2010 12:51 PM

Hello.. my name is GordonHawk... I have a growing problem...

LOL!
Don't we all!

Love the new place you have created! It is very nice, as is the black and white photo! Looks like you have been into gardening for awhile?

hey gordon??? is that some spanish moss i see hanging on one of your brugs in this pic? if it is still alive it must like it there...http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7711884

HA HA Yes it is ..thank you .. I brought it in for the winter... the parts I remembered to spray look the best... the others are coming back some... it takes awhile I guess... as the spanish moss I'm under right now.. looks a bit brown also... and it's growing everywhere ... here on the shoores of Jackson Lake... the north side of the lake is in AL.. the south side is FL... here off the gulf coast.. .. awaiting the Brug gathering of the FL/AL/Southern brug folks tomorrow morning... I trucked a dozen plus brugs down to give about...and a bunch if other plants.. hopefully..I'll be able to leave here with only a few new introductions..they will have to grow out in new single containers... as everythig else is so heavily planted on the roof... it will be like a long brug hedge... running all around it

good deal...glad it made it for you...i'm interested ti see what you bring back from the fla get together...safe trip

Hi Gordon, I wanted to let you know I already have buds on the Blue Butterfly plant you sent, I have wanted one for so long, I am excited. If it ever gets warm again here then I will get my brugs back outside. You have done a great job this year with your gardens, looks wonderful.

I plan to wait until Gary gets back to NY and make a trip down to visit both of you. I am thinking early July.

I do have a new plant for you, but if there is anything you are looking for please let me know so I can make sure to have it ready for you.

Gordon, 2 of the brugs you sent me are sprouting like crazy. The rest were lost cause.... :)

Well..Lili..
that's strange.. they should have all been as fresh/viable... but I do know stuff happens... or doesn't..but if you got two to go out of the bunch.. that's some for you..
Brenda...well,, it was nice talking with you the other day.. I'm amaized at your success.. not only in the numbers you have.. and the sprouting successes... but in your overwintering succcess for inground brugs... up near the Canadian border...absolutely amaizing... I bet you didn't mention it much here..perhaps as so many folks a thousand miles to the south lost piles/all of them..

you loose some you win some. 2 are good enough for me. They were good all winter in the water and when I planted them in a pot, some of them died.

well Lili... that's a difficult transition.. bacteria is kept somewhat at bay during the time submerged.. and having the soil wet like the underwater environment gives a good place for it to blossom.. the water formed roots are tender and a bit unsuited for soil living..and they are easily injuired in planting so the transition can be difficult.. but heavy feeding should give hundreds of flowers on those two by this fall

We had a tough winter this year and I don't think some of my brugs that were in the ground are coming back up. At least I'll have these to replace them.

well.. by saying it was a bad winter.. you're likely refering to the cold..How wet was it there this winter .. I'd like to pose another theory.. very untested by any real scientific trial...
It's my belief it's not so much cold but wet that does them in during the winter months... and a combination of the two is most dreadful for them...
Case 1
this year...Brenda.. who posted above as theraglady .. lives way way up in upstate NY... real near the border with Canada..she reported having 8 of 10 planted in the ground return...it's way cold there... all winter ... and last week or so it was down to 25*F there I believe.. being so unrelenting cold there... there's no water to speak of... that's not in the form of ice and snow... like freeze dried... wet but there's never a break in it to melt it to water ..and hers returned
Case 2
The brugs at mothers .. in North Alabama.. a few miles from TN has lots planted in the ground... I was down last week or two there... and in checking her brugs... all the ones in one bed were never comming back.. it was the one with the downspout dumping into the bed.. it was wet there during he winter/spring... the other beds ... where there's a dozen or so... had life in the ones planted away from the greenhousewhich would have been warmer... but wetter with the run off from the top... the ones way away from the runoff did much better .. and there were a few that made it through the winter ..
Case 3
Her in NYC I had a few planted in the ground to test... heavily mulched with leaves and a few alternating levels of bubble wrap these were planted near a few acres of a paved play field... warm ...under the wrap.. yes.. but the run off of acres into the bed... was too much for two of them... the aborea I believe was slightly drier..as it was near a walkway..
Case 4.. with thought edited to include this also..
SO .. on the roof of the Chelsea Hotel I had two in planters survive... where mine on my roof never have... it was warm in front of a vent... this kept them warm enough to survive I'd thought... but with this new theory... it was also drying out the soil as the warm air bathed them up there... where as the ones I tried to overwinter in years past were in insulated planters.. and wrapped... the soil was still much too moist for overwintering.. which is why bulbs overwintered there don't do real well... as it's real moist in the spring... with the ice melting and the early rains.. it never really dries out.. and the bullbs will rot... same goes for my tries with brugs in the planters over winter..
So todays theory is it's wet that does it... as lots of Texas brugs bit it this year... not nearly as cold as Brenda's.. was last week...but thawing and wet inbetween... this is just a theory ...wet is more determining than cold in overwintering...

This message was edited May 18, 2010 12:11 PM

This message was edited May 18, 2010 12:17 PM

yes, it was a pretty wet winter. My next door neighbor's brugs are fine.

what do you imagine happened to yours?
I'd bet hers got/retained less water..

This message was edited May 18, 2010 11:55 PM

My next door neighbor does have a more establish plant and it's different cultivar. Also, I think theirs had more pine straws on it than mine did.

Gordon, I forgot to tell you, one of the brug you gave me that survived is cross of I think something Rosa and Peanut. I'll have to find my tag and let you know.

Gordon..i've got the cross of Painted Lady and peanut from you..and it is still in it's red paper cup but it has made a little stem ..then y'd ... Do you suppose it came from a y?(the cutting) Anyway we are finally getting spring here so I'll pot it on today and hope it keeps on for me as i'm anxious to see what it looks like. anyway...thanks for it; If I get it to bloom stage i'll post a picture
Helen

Hi, I'm super new to the group. Love your rooftop garden! Spectacular! Awesome!! Can't wait to get more Brugs especially...Especially after seeing some of your photos. I have had a couple of nice white blooming Brugs that have been great pleasure, but some of these colors are knock outs. I was told about your rooftop garden. Fantastic! Looking forward to checking out more of your photos and soaking up any info you could pass on to help me learn to grow them like that would be appreciated. Have heard you pop in to the roundup plant swaps sometimes. Hope I can get to meet you sometime. If you ever have any extras to get me started, woiuld love to get some.I will be attending my first for the Oct plant swap. I'm Excited!! Mary Ann

This message was edited Sep 21, 2010 1:07 PM

MAry Ann, welcome to the insane world of the brug addiction! Once you get the hang of growing them, you will have many I am sure. Did you get your brugs as plants, or cuttings?