Enjoying Spring

gary---

I believe that was a re-growing, cut back Begonia....
The blooms are pendulous and beautiful--except in that picture, they were just starting...

Let me find you a better one!

Here is a totally cut back AW begonia....

Different year---but here it is in full bloom.....

Here is a close-up of the blooms.....

My kids have found many four leaf clovers in our yard and I want to think its because I didn't use herbicides. I found the bees on them clover (ouch) more than they did!

Gita:

I may get brave and do some serious pruning on the begonias this spring.


Sally:

Our honeybee population has decreased dramatically recently. Several years ago NY State lost 90% of its honeybee population. It's beginning to recover, but at first I saw fewer than 10 honeybees the entire summer. I miss the humming apple and redbud trees.

It will take one sting to make me pay attention to footwear. Until then...

Thats so bad, about the bees.
Yes I typically go barefoot until I get stung once a summer, then get more diligent with footwear. But I have rarely been stung in the last decade.

Gary--et al---

Just took these pictures to show you what my semi-dormant AW begonia looks
like in the winter....All but the growing end leaved have long dropped off.
That's OK! All I need are the tips to start a new pot. Have done this for years!
I keep it in my spare BR. There is a window for some light.

You can see why this is also called "Cane Begonia"...The stems are like bamboo canes..

It is in a 10" pot.....and, yes! it does bloom a bit this time of year....

Here is a closer view of the stems.....look just like a bamboo stem--no?
I do not keep the bare stems...

Now--IF you really wanted to--I bet you could cut the stems up in small sections
and pot them up as well. I think they would grow new plants....
Just watch the "nodes" on the stem--that is where new growths would come from.
Hope this helps....

Garry--I "get" that you may have some smaller version of an AW begonia.
I have never had a smaller kind--I DO know that ALL begonias grow from cuttings.
Can do them in water first--or just stick them in the soil.
I usually prefer the directly into the soil...Less transitional stress.....

Gita

The honey bees must of been all my our place last year...saw a lot of them many more than I've seen in years....we get a ton of the big fat bumbles and carpenter bees

I went out and cleaned up the Hellebore a little bit. They are looking so beautiful. I'm going to start a thread with more pics of them a bit later.

Pretty color

Gita:

After reading your posts I thought I might plant my hanging baskets and porch boxes with begonia cuttings now, and plan to put them outside mid-May. I would be growing them under artificial light. It would save transplanting later when I hope to be busy with other stuff. Do you think this is wise? I have a concern with moving them from indoor lighting to natural lighting outdoors.

What are your thoughts?

HollyAnn:

Nice picture. My grandson noticed that ours are out of the ground and budded last weekend. I look forward to a new one I planted last year and haven't seen in bloom yet.


Grayson

Grayson

Gary---

My thoughts?????? My mind is NEVER without thoughts!!! Busier than the NY Subway!!!

You can start your Begonia cuttings in a small pot--like a 4" one--and keep them near a bright
window. Let them grow and then, when it is time for you to do your planters, just transplant
them in the mixed planter where you want them to be.....

Planting them NOW, indoors, in HB's and Porch Boxes is kind of extreme! NOT recommended!
Cuttings do much better in smaller pots. They would be too wet in big ones, because of all the
wet soil around them, and too "lost" in large containers inside--while rooting....Not a good idea!!!

Here is a REALLY good idea of how to transplant anything from a pot to any other, larger container
without damaging too many of the roots of the smaller plant you are transplanting....

1--Remove the small plant from it's pot--carefully and undisturbed--and set it aside.
2--After you have filled your larger container with fresh soil--tamped it down a bit--all ready?
use the smaller pot (that your cuttings were growing in) and use it as a "space saver" in
the bigger pot....Press the smaller pot into the fresh soil of the bigger one--firm all the soil
down as needed around the smaller pot, level with the top of the new soil, and then remove
the smaller pot.
Now-- simply place the removed, small plant into the space you saved. It will fit like a glove!
IF the small plant had become root-bound--you can loosen some of the roots a bit before
doing this. Hive the bigger pot a hard shake to settle things a bit--press down a bit--as needed--
and you are done transplanting.

This works especially good with fragile plants like African Violets when transplanting.
Absolutely--NO harm done--if you are careful with how you handle it.

I use this technique for all sizes of pots----when transplanting--even really big ones like transplanting
my 10" pots of Brugmansias into a 14" pot. Or adding new plants to a container pot.

I will have removed the Brug from the 10" pot--setting it aside--and then started preparing
the new pot, making sure the top of the soil will be level with the soil as it grew before....
Starts with adding 2" of extra soil at the bottom.
Then I insert the empty 10" pot into the 14: pot--fill it all around the sides with my fresh potting soil,
tamp it down with a dowel, or whatever, so it is level with the top of the inserted pot--and, simply
place the removed plant from the 10" pot into the saved space in the bigger pot. Done!!!
A couple of "whacks" to settle the soil--add as needed--and you are done.

Perhaps I should take photos of this process.....Would that help? Would you like to see it?
I can photo a "demo" of what i am talking about.....
I DO think I explained it pretty good.....

Wishing you all much success with your plantings....and re-plantings....

Gita

Your instructions were very clear. I always like pictures, though.

Thanks

Gary--

You gonna make me set up this demo and photograph every step?????
HUH???? HUH???? Really????? NO mercy from YOUR side!!!

Begging for punishment--on my side!!!.......BUT---Because I love all DG people--I will do my best..
As soon as I get a chance.......Time is of essence right now----Have company coming in 2 weeks...
They will stay here for almost a week.....

Gotta use all my energies playing Hostess Extraordinaire......

Gita

No need to do photographic essay. Your written material is complete and adequate. I missed the joke in your earlier post, thinking you were serious about looking forward to an opportunity to prepare supplementary visual material.

I will continue to grow cuttings in small pots and then transplant them into larger containers later. I really like your repotting technique. I might repot some violets that way this weekend.

Good luck with your entertaining.

Grayson

garry--

Whew! I am off the hook!

You will see how easily AV's can be transplanted using this technique!

I bet you will be using it on everything......

My Company will be: My two Sisters--one from NJ--the other from Alaska
and a couple from NC. Other than my Sister from NJ--the other two went through
Nursing School together--and Sunday April 10th is their 50yr, reunion.
Monday--we are all going out to gave crabs--Gotta do that!!!!

Mostly--I need to get my whole house cleaned. Plugging away whenever i can.
Like--today! car is in the garage--and I am housebound....

Gita

Here us proof we are in the right season. April Showers.

That's pretty Doc. Really appropriate thread to revive today, I sure did enjoy spring last night, with my crabapple in full bloom and the warm breeze. And this morning have had coffee on the deck. The bird songs are drowning out the distant highway noise that is usually a somewhat-ignored but low level distraction in the background.

First time poster here. I think this week is Virginia Garden Week. Has anyone visited any of the garden tours? I know there was supposed to be one in Leesburg, and also Alexandria. I will go to the Arlington/McLean on on the 19th.

Welcome Gardenmama, There is a very nice group here on the Mid-Atlantic Forum. Did you notice that there is going to be a plant swap in Lucketts, VA. on Saturday, May 21st?
Here is a link that will take you to the plant swap info.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1163605/

Well Spring has come to my garden. I have daffs, tulips and a few other flowers showing beautifully in my gardens.
Daffs and Hellebore.

This bleeding heart is growing right next to those in the previous pic.

Lamppost Bed is really putting on a show.

A little closer look.

Holly--

You prompted me to go out and take some pictures....
So I did--quite A FEW--BUT, hey! no one else is posting a lot.....

Here are pictures of my different Daffodils----

These are out front--both in my front lawn bed around the dead stems (not up yet!)
of my KK Hibiscus.

edited to correct location

This message was edited Apr 18, 2011 1:09 PM

And here aree the others--same ones as above---
In front of my small, raised bed I built for the Koromo Shikibu Azalea.

Here are some pure white ones.
Not even sure where I got these from???

These are another bunch in my side bed---"Salome"????

Slightly double ones--in my East side bed....
Don't recall I had any "double" ones???----Hmmm...

AND--of course---my "Tahiti" ones---these grow in the round bed where my
Wintersweet Shrub resides...

I am so grad to see these filling out a bit more every year! So pretty!

Then--Here is the "Old Faithful' clump---Right in the front of my YUK bed! Bless it's heart!
It is the most amazingly sweet-fragrant one!

I really don't know IF it is a Daff at all???

Here is a close-up of it's blooms....clustered, small, roundish, double blooms...

Anyone know this one's name? The blooms last a long time--and the plant also seems to
multiply slowly....

Moving on to a few other things.....
This is my pinky/mauve double Hellebore I got in a trade....

The blooms are just exquisite! hard to get a picture--as they droop downward....

Name anyone?????

This is, kind of, bizarre!
ALL this big clump of foliage--and ONE bloom!

I believe I got this from someone at one of our Plant Swaps.....

This is an older clump--in my Yuk bed by the birdbath.
I believe this kind is fairly common.....

Here is a tray-full of transplanted Tiger Lily sprouts....

I get this many every year--and take a bunch to the Plant swap.

Does anyone know how many years it is to bloom when grown from Seed (bulbils)?
These would be less than ONE year old.....

My Rosemary plant in bloom! The blue is a bit deeper. Just my stupid camera!

I am SOOO happy to see all these Liatris divisions (from my neighbor's bed) growing so well!

Anyone know if these would bloom the first year from root divisions?

And--Judy--Here is the Bleeding Heart you gave me at last year's swap--at Sally's
House. You had it in a 5gal. bucket.

It grew in thew bucket all summer and fall--then I thought--"I better give it a permanent spot"...
I planted it in my bed that is in front of my front steps.....It will get some AM sun till 1 or 2PM.
Can you see??? It has a flower stem on it!!!!!

Almost forgot......as if you all may not be tired of this "one woman show'.....

Here is the SW corner of where my long W-exposure bed meats up with my
S exposure---right below my climbing "Autumn Sunset Rose....

Here are 3 things----a Foxglove being "re-born" from the long winter--some growing
Peony stems (double pink)--and some Grape Hyacinths--they are everywhere!