CLOSED: Longing for Spring, February Chat

Can they be grown from seeds & If so about How many years will it take ☺ to flower ???

Carolynn,, Stunning plant!!

Susie

they can be grown from seed. Clematis seed can take up to a year or more to germinate.

Welcome hostaqueen. We had 6" of snow Sunday and hit 81 degrees today. Is that crazy of what? And it's going to be cold again this week-end. What a roller coaster.

Your Clematis is just beautiful, Carolyn. Yesterday before I pruned Elsa Spaeth I harvested enough seeds to share with 3 or 4 folks if any of you are interested in trying them. Here's one of her blooms on December 10th.

And if I didn't prune her too much, she'll bloom again around Mother's Day.

She sure is pretty, Froot.

This is what's in bloom here. There's a giant red camilla too, but that was here before I got here.

Have a nice weekend! I will be sowing all weekend long. :)

We had 8.5" of snow yesterday, yuchhhhhhh, I want spring. Hey Fruit... may I have some of that warm weather? Please!!!!!!
Carolyn...Wow that's such a beauty!!
Hi Hosta, welcome, sit back and relax, you'll be hooked soon enough.

Pix: Ajuga tri-color
Pix:Dianthus gratiopolitanus (bath's pinks) yumm so fragrant
Pix: One of my unknown wild feild flowers
Pix: Centaurea macrocephala and veronica spicata sight seeing blue
Pix: Papaver soniferum Lauren's Grape, named after the gal whose garden it was found in. A local author of many gardening books, such as " The Undaunted Garden". Lauren Springer (sorry can't remember her married name)

Such gorgeous photos!

Fruity - I am a clematis addict. Generally I find a plant that strikes me a certain way and the addiction to that plant lasts until there is a new plant that hits me. DH was very happy when I stopped with the clems (yes, I still absolutely love them) and then went with heuchera. Although all these types of plants remain near and dear to my heart, the addictions never seem to stop.

I have been growing dahlias for years, but somehow it is different - I think this could be a new addiction starting..... remind me of that when I have to lift them all in the fall! ^_^

HUMM ,, love you pictures, I have 2 or 3 dalhias so far. I did not know to pull them up in the fall. I have never done that!!

This message was edited Feb 25, 2012 1:20 PM

I had a very pretty Dahlia but I forgot to lift it in fall. Whoops.

I'm surprised that all but one Agastache has returned, even the Acapulco! I bought two plants last year, one for me and one for the condo pool area. The pool area died so I expected mine to go too.

You are both in zone 8 - you may be surprised and your dahlias may come back. I believe they are supposed to be hardy in zones 8 and warmer. Zone 5 is not as forgiving - it is flurrying right now.... ugh!

I hope they do. They were really cute.

I can't believe I lost you all. Don't know how I did it but I did. So glad to get back and see what's happening. I remember seeing the pics of Goober all dressed up, but must not of posted or checked to watch thread, so it deserted me. LOL

My D's have come back bigger each year!! The tubers are enormous!! I will be sure to take pictures when I go down next weekend to dig it all up!! I am going to pot up every plant I can and also dig up the lotus pond!! I will be growing the lotus here at the new place. I cannot wait to get started.

Welcome back Crit!

I was just out in the 'chill' (only 60 today) finishing up my bulb planting by the mailbox. So I ended up putting in white callas, freesias, and double daffodils. At least I know the deer will steer clear for a while!

All sorts of things coming up in front of the house - iris, daffodils, amaryllis, ruellia, a dwarf dianthus, and I just put in some purple allysum. Like I told my neighbor - I'm putting some stuff in the ground to see what sticks.

Kris, the dahlias do return here w/o digging them in the fall. I have several, but the best and one that flowers the most is an old clone from my mother. It gets about head high and has dark red flowers about 3 inches across. It flowers far more and longer than any of my others.

Crystal,, I would be glad to drop you off a bulb or two of mine. One is a dinner plate sized one sent to me from DeeJay/ Susie 2 years ago in a swap it is bright orange and red. Also have a pretty purple one too. I will have to try to find the name of that one. I traded hostas for it I believe.

I am thinking that dahlias in a zone where they do not have to be lifted, probably die back in the winter, but because they do not have to be lifted are probably bigger and bushier than ours. Is this correct thinking?

All I can say is mine are huge!! I looked for pic and cannot find them,,drat!! Anyway I will be digging up that whole bed next weekend,, so we shall see then!! I have lots in that long narrow bed. It should be interesting to see what comes up out of it. ;)

Oh, Kris, that would be great! I have some tubers in a pot of the red one I will trade you. let me know when (approximately) when you will be here so I can be home. I am going to my sister's several afternoon/week. Sometimes I wonder why I do it. It upsets me. Somedays I think she is getting along fine, and others, not so much.
You can also see the Bouginvillas you gave me. They are both blooming now.

My red dahlia

looks pink but is dark red

Crystal,, will did you up a few!! it will be on a Sunday, as I will be renting a car to do all this. Mike managed to crack the head on the station wagon, so now it is rent a car or wait for Ralph to have time off to take me places. It is a real pain in the but!!

Nice dahlia! I love the reds as well.

Kris - what color are yours?

This is Mystery Day - one of the older ones I have.

Ok , Kris. Not today I guess?

I have a solid purple, a bright orange and red mix, and supposed to have a pink one. Not sure what happened to it though.

Hey Chris, this summer if you think about it would you take pictures of the containers downtown that you were talking about? I am always looking for ideas for our planters in our little city. I am not too creative so all help is appreciated. Our containers are about as round as a 55 gal drum, maybe a tad smaller but not alot. Last year I put an oleander in tree form in the center of one pot, and 5 small bright yellow hibiscus around the tree, then an underplanting of cascading petunias. It turned out better than I had even hoped. The other pot I planted a very very dark elephant ear with cascading white pentuias. I liked it also once everything got to growing. This year I have at least 3 pots, one in the shade, think I am filling it up with different kinds of hostas. Not sure on the two sun planters what I am going to do yet. I am trying to put things in them I like so I can keep the plants...rofl, our master gardener group gives us 35.00 per barrel, but I usually end up spending more than that. Which I don't mind since I keep the plants. You would think all the master gardeners would get their plants out but I think so far I am the only ones doing it.

I love dahlias, and those are some beautiful pictures.

I am at the laundry may and just met the nicest lady named Ann,, she was so impressed with the stuff I showed her here on Dave's she said she is going to join!!!


So maybe you will all get to meet her to. and I will have a fellow gardener close by!!

Hey Kris ..... if you have any extra dahlia tubers, I would gladly pay you postage for a few of them. I am sooooo anxious to get the ones I got in my swap planted I can hardly stand it! LOL

Sure thing Crit. I can let everyone know how may I have next week!!

I have blooms! I have blooms! My earliest crocus are blooming! Woo Hoo! Doin' the Happy Dance here!

(Edited for spelling correction!)

This message was edited Feb 27, 2012 2:02 PM

lol

I'll be able to post some daff blooms soon to share! They're just leftover paperwhite bulbs, but they're already sending up stalks - and I just put them in the ground last week!!

I see the new growth of crocus and crocosmia peaking out of the frozen ground. I also see the annual 'stomped on daffodil' growth as well.

Went for a stroll this morning, camera in hand, and took these pics of a few Spring blooming bulbs. One of the pink Grape Hyacinths started opening very early and is ugly from being frost bitten. Others have fat buds as some of the Tulips.

Should I take pictures of my roses that have been blooming for a month? :)

I also have a small dianthus bloom that smells soooo good!

One of my paperwhites is blooming. It's only about three inches tall. I've also planted some of my WSing and they are doing great. The last two days have been wet and cold. It's suppossed to be warm by the weekend.

You have to ask? lol

Gotta take a pic tomorrow of an Amaryllis that's blooming upstairs. I never used to be a fan of Orange but how I am now.

Ang, how's the little girl doing? A day or so after the shooting, The Today Show showed a pic of her smiling face and sadly another that followed with her headed to an ambulance on a stretcher. You know, those kids including your son will probably never get over the trauma of that day.

I hope the school gets a good support system going for the kids and their parents. Ang, please feel my support and hugs for all of you.

The news is reporting she's improving and has been upgraded to serious condition.

I'm not sure my son fully grasped what had happened. When he was brought to the gym he was excited about the police. I tried explaining it to him but he's a bit delayed due to speech aphasia.

Speaking of my boy, he is actually away for a few days. He went with his class to a camp until Thursday. I'm really hoping it doesn't snow alot and they are able to get him back to school. I can walk to the school but we can't drive when it snows.