Donna, the weather down South does fluctuate wildly. It's said that "If you don't like our climate, give it a couple of days, it'll change". And that hold true. Many a time we really don't know how to dress appropriately. For the day started out "chilly" then the noon time ... well it all changes, you can't peel out your garments enough to keep cool or comfortable. Today, though, was a beautiful, almost perfect day. Sunny and mild. Clear sky.
'Tis season for the chrysanthemums!
How funny. That's what they've always said about Chicago. Except that the conditions it changes to can be quite gross (looking at North Carolina. Sadly, it was a great city in the 70's, but no more.
Well...Kim... always a pleasure to vew your plantings.. and arrangments... keep up the plumeria fight.. you've found your stride wth them.... to have them flowering so... had mine dormant last winter.. and they have been so slow to forget it.. usually I have them in the house growng.. and they do much better.. and flower earlier.. this year we're still awaitng them...
all the best...
Thank you, Gordon. How's thing going up State NY otherwise? Jim and I visited Huntsville Botanical Garden couple of weekends past. We talked about you....it was all good. When you come home to visit mother, be sure to give us a holler. Love to meet up and have lunch or coffee together or something.
Oh Donna, things are changing rapidly in our world. Let's keep the faith. Hope for a better days ahead. Keep working on our own gardens....
Wise words, my dear. Thank you.
Lily love your dock scape...very nice!
Thank all, sunkissed, welcome to the thread. :)
A birding viewing nook I thought I'd share at a nature center that I visited today. I'm hoping that everyone is having a good weekend? Will return this evening sometime to share more pix of the garden after dinner.
Back home, I've more brugmansias in blooms. Currently there are pink, orange, and white brugs that are making their debut. Brugs in my neighbors' gardens too are showing their peak at present (those that are planted in the ground).
Remember 'Amy' brug.? This is one of my own seedlings that I crossed myself in years past. A very delicately looking pink blossom. Here she goes again. The trumpet will soon open. After the first few first blooms. This next one is looking really promising.
Gordon, If I remembered it right. You've sent me a cutting for a white double brugs. In which I didn't do well with it. I cannot find it in my jungle of brugs. any longer. Thanks for thinking about me. My pink and coral double blooming ones didn't bloom this year, either.
Another angle of the dock scape as sunkissed has called it. ^_^
More of the white brugs blooming this morning.
More of the attractive blooms of these small lilac tear-drops like flowers. I've forgotten its name.
Oh..Kim... they should all be flowering... I get upset with mine when they aren't blooming all the time ...
that's just a personal problem though... I know they aren't all as good at bloomng as say Georgia Peach.. or Emerald Frost
I think you're right Gordon. Some's performance is better than others, for instance 'Miss Emily Mckenzie' too has bloomed an extended long time--like your Georgia Peach or Emerald Frost. While 'Charles Gimaldi' and others didn't do too well this year. That said, environmental influences has alot to do with their ability to shine in the garden...
yes... everyone has their druthers.. [ preferences ] .. some tweeking of the local microclime can sometimes help alot... with overbearng weather.. there's not alot of options available... with containers you can juggle a bunch of the factors around.. in the ground there's fewer optons..
Tornados trump most options... glad you escaped them.. I've a few more... different double whtes you can try if you wish..
Well stated, my friend. I can fully appreciate the meaning of mother nature's wrath. Gordon, thanks for your offer. I'd love to see some double blooming, but if I acquire any more exotic plants. It would be spilling over to the brims -- so to speak. Many thanks.
This brug looks very much like Charles G. But I could be wrong. Took the pix this early morning.
Simple but I love them. Mahogany Whirlybird nasturtiums that I stuck in my tomato pots. I started them very late this year - I thought too late for bloom. I harvest the seeds as they dry, so these seeds were probably first planted 10 years ago.
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Those are very pretty, Donna. Thanks for the idea. I've tried some seeds but failed then when I first started gardening. With your idea. I may try them again in the near future. The above flowers I posted and have forgotten what it was. It's known by the common name as 'Chinese Rain Bell'. ( Assam Indigo).
Actually I just changed the above because they are Whirlybirds, not gleams. I could never grow gleams - I tried for years, and maybe you are having the same problems. I bought tons of gleams from select Seeds (a wonderful company) and they didn't work. I wonder why. Whirlybirds are recommended (certainly by me) much shorter, compact, and they have the advantage of flowers that rise above the leaves, rather than getting lost in them. And there was little maintenance. So I used to put them in the ground in highly visible spots that I didn't want to tend to. Here is an in ground shot from a few years back. They start like this.
And turn into this.
Those turned out so very nice. Shade, shade and I've more shade because I so love our trees. So growing some of the colorful annuals only feasible when I grow them in containers anymore. One of the reason why I created my 'portable tropical garden' to the backyard.
I've posted my own seedling brugmansia on the Perennials thread. But it deserves a spot here for the plant is a container- grown beauty. A brug. called 'Amy'.
Oh, how wonderful to grow such a beauty from a seedling!
Thank you Donna, it all started way back when.... remember these threads? http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/754182/
I started scanning them. How time flies - 2007!!!
By the way, Lily, how do you control spider mites. The beautiful brug you gave me was incredibly resistant, but I acquired a smaller one that I could not rid of an infestation - not with water, acephate or insecticidal soap. Was it because yours was much bigger? What's your secret?
Spider mites are one of the toughest pests to rid off. I've no secret but what I've experienced simply = the pests are more of an indoor nuisant. Once they're outdoor. Mother nature seems to have taken cared of their existence or eliminated them one. I only have had problem with spider mites when they are indoor in the greenhouse where the warm environment, top off with stagnant air, and limited circulation. That is when the mites multiply at a rapid pace and became out of control. I hope that helps Donna?
I overwintered yours in my library - a cool room. It got a few of the little guys but they were easy to handle. But the other one was in my living room next to the patio. I was actually spraying it daily with water. I guess that once they gat a real foothold it's just difficult.
Many beauties have a problem. Roses and japanese beetles - yech!
Yes, Roses and jb. Amy Lou this morning. ^_^ The plant is rather small. I'll try to find a spot in the garden to plant one of these and find out whether she'll tough it through some tough winter down here.
I so enjoy these 'Kona Hybrid #26' Plumeria.
Then there is this little jewel 'Dwarf Pink Singapore' the plant is but 2' high and 3-4' wide. A candidate for an indoor ornamental plant over the winter.
It seems the pink brug named 'Amy' is getting bigger, and better with age. (pun intended). lol
A close up of 'Amy Lou'.
And the dock scape's Chresanthemums unfurled;
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Amy's beauty just intensified as she became matured.
Love your mums! Love your doggie! Love Amy! Are you sure you don't live in heaven? Are you sending pics from there?
Hah, Donna, thanks for the compliments. But you should have seen the hard work that wasn't pictured here. DH and I are working on expanding the shade garden in the back, everything is really earthy. lol.
