LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MJS,
I guess it is the heat that is driving them from the forests around here to the houses as they KNOW there are PEOPLE like us with wonderfully TASTY tropicals.
Ok everybody! How about some pictures; PLEASE!
X. Robustum flower
Opposite site of plant...same flower.
Drew, I can feel your pain, that is def deer damage on the hosta, they are notorious for leaving the stems. Around here some people plant the ornamental sweet potatoes for ground cover and some mornings you will come out and find thousands of tiny stems standing straight up but the deer have cleaned off every leaf.
Now that they have found your buffet, they will be back, I would get some deer spray out there ASAP and leave your irrigation system off for a day so it can dry well, then spray every 10 days or so. I also alternate the brands of repellent I use. Liquid Fence works best but nothing smells worse that that. Deer Off and Repels All are also good. Another DG'r suggests leaving an old transistor radio playing talk radio all night. Your neighbors might think it odd but I would try anything. Good luck, having battled this issue for years now, I know how upsetting it can be.
This is hibiscus 'Susan's Sunset', almost impossible to get a decent picture because the hummers are tearing up the petals.
Those Darn Hummers!
You could use those motion activated sprinklers that work like a water cannon to scare off the deer. It might work.
Both are great ideas you two!
Hi all - greetings from the desert!
Sorry about your deer damage Drew! I don't have deer, but have had some success keeping raccoons at bay by supplying water (in buckets, old pots, etc.) out near the perimeter of my property. Then I used a peppery product called 'Critter Ridder' on the things they like to eat. That seemed to really help keep the critters away from my mangoes.
I also have one of those Scarecrow sprinklers, and it works wonderfully, as long as you can put it somewhere the leaves moving in the wind won't activate it. They're available online.
Regret I can't post pictures from here - my daughter's computer in Salt Lake. Later . . .... ! Elaine
I see you are toughing it out in the great state of Utah!!! Have a great time.
Poor Drew!
that is a very pretty hibiscus, my cajuns keep aborting their blooms, and I don't blame them, who wants to open up in this heat and get cooked?
well, this one opened up, but was melted by ten am.
Poor Debra, but keep the faith, Cajuns always have the best color in the cooler fall weather anyway. Beautiful mg BTW.
Poor everyone in this friggin heat!!!
Well, right now, I'm in Northern Sweden and the hottest is gets is about 80 degrees F. It cools way down in the night. No real darkness yet.
My pal is at home trying to keep the garden watered. Poor guy.
I love visiting my grandkids, but my fingers are itching to get back to gardening.
My yard has turned into a tropical looking place all the perennial hibiscus has come into their own and are just beautiful, I even did cutting off the ones that were happiest and plan to make more. I have ot had trouble with the humming birds on my hibiscus but they feed on my blue salvias and knock the flowers off the stems...Glad your getting a snack but I like to enjoy my hard work too...LOL...Never thought I'd find complaint with the hummers...Amazing. My white singl confederate rose has been a great backdrop for the elephant ears making a good show right now, the foilage contrast make it looks like I am somewhere other than where I actually am. Maybe next year I can throw some tropical colored morning glories and finish the look...LOL I have 10 tropical hibiscus that have not weather the heat as well, they are being rehabed in a cooler place right now, I am also looking for any suggestion to something I can use in a bathroom that get light from daylight energy saver bulbs, and the lights are on about 12 hours a day. Its goto not be toxic as I have a 3 yr old that I am sure will be curious with it being new, and can't get large as I only have alimited amount of space.
Feeling so lucky to have escaped the heat. Usually it's over 100 but here it's only been in the 90's with no humidity so gardening is very comfortable if I stay in the shade. Last two days we've had thunderstorms in the afternoons, too. Nice and cool after that! Fact is, they're having a record cool, wet summer here so far (in Utah). Weird, huh?
But . . . wait for it . .. even in Florida it's been not too bad - low 90's! Hope my garden is surviving ok. I have pretty pictures from here to post and hope my new brugs will still be blooming when I get home.
Makes perfect sense to me Elaine. I think that is why we are baking in most of the eastern half of the country.
I am going to Boston for a week and I think I will loose a few plants if this heat persists(upper ninties all week). The only person that can water for me, has limited tropical knowledge! AARGGH...
i am having the attack of the grasshoppers they have devoured the crinums, lime zingers and even bromeliads!
the starfruit are getting big. i am going to try and make starfruit wine again this year. it didn't turn out so well last year.
this is some kind of clerodendren from logee's.
old dude i love the floss silk i had one at my old house we called it monkey no climb tree.
this orchid is one that my husband got at an orchid auction. looks like a spider.
new bromeliad
these are some sort of palm seeds. i love the orange.
vanda
one of your babies larianne.
love those orchids.. so pretty.
111 here today. All the EE's are now yellow. time to dig them up and bring them in, I guess.
morning glorys are just now starting to bloom here.
great pic as always,
hay, there is a rose bush that has come back to life and putting out roses like you wouldn't believe, except for this strange looking bug on it. and the bug is eating it. I usually see them in the am when I'm not awake enough to be taking a pic, but I will try tomorrow morning provided it isn't raining, and then post the pic, this is an ugly bug....LOL
night all.
Jan
Candela, very nice pictures! I would love to have a couple more zones to work with!
Debra, maybe 2012 will be our year!
Jan, I have had excellent success with Bayer products for insects and disease control; if, you use chemicals!
Xanthosoma Robustum flower opened this AM.
thanks homer but no chemicals here, especially with my dogs around.
thanks though.
really neat bloom
Jan
Took another picture tonight of the newest leaf of Mr. Borneo. He is topping out at 8'-6''.
If the weather stays hot, I may have 7-8 more good weeks of growing for this bad boy. I think I can get a 5.5'x3.5' leaf.
that is awsome, Homer.
108 today, moving EE's and brugs from South Fence to Pear Tree area Sunday, I guess.
Cardinalis Ruby Slippers is doing okay on the patio in a tub of water at its feet all day. I have been putting containers that hold water under as much as I can,and filling them up at night . Still waiting on Great Blue.
Debra, Excellent color in the Ruby Slippers; looks very happy!
Hey all, I'm finally home. Cherub still growing & blooming, 7ft. tall and one more bud to go before it rests.
So lucky we got lots of rain while I was away. Hope TS Don gets some rain into Texas!
Jan, could this be the bug that's eating your rose bush? It is a Sri Lanka weevil and it likes my roses as well as plumbago and hibiscus leaves.
I've had some success with the soapy water treatment - I use soap with lavender in it, and while it doesn't kill the bugs, they seem to not like the taste of it. I've also had a lot less weevils this year than last, and I think it might be because I put in the bird feeder, so the birdies are eating the weevils when they get tired of the tasty seeds.
Down side to soapy water is it rinses off the leaves every time it rains . . . the cost of being non-toxic, right? You have to re-apply it often.
dyzz
it doesn't really look like mine, the ones I'm seeing are longer and darker. I've got to get new batteries for the camera and then wake up enough to remember in the am to take a picture.
I can't get over this rose bush, as I was about to yank it up during the dry spell. Now it is covered in tons of blooms, the bloom only last a day though with this heat and those bugs.
Jan
Jan, that is the way with roses in Florida - but the up side is you can keep them blooming through the fall, and sometimes winter with some TLC and the blooms last a lot longer in the cooler weather.
Looking forward to seeing a picture - of the bush as well as the bugs!
Here are some gorgeous Canna "Durban" leaves in my daughter's garden in Salt Lake. It's not jumping up like it should because of not enough heat and sunshine! But her leaves are a lot prettier than mine - I think I need to transplant mine out to the garden.
