That thread is just too long. We came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1256426/#post_9243717
show me your best coleus design or container II
I cant believe I havnt posted deck garden progress for 10 days.
http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a49354d546b314d44413d0d0a&blogview=true
Thanks, ladies for your input. Think I'll replace Lord Voldemort with Lancelot Mocha Velvet. Much prettier IRL than the RD photo.
Sidney, glad to hear you're still healing. A 9 ft. header off a porch could have broken more than your back!
Jo Ann, lovely pictures as always & thanks for sharing. That trailing red really pops, doesn't it?
I landed on my feet and crushed my T-12.
I would ask every one to send me cuttings but last year on another site I ask a coleus queen to send me some cuttings. She was known for packing great. I ask she send me as long a stem as she could because I had great place to over winter and and would send new plants in the Spring. I would also be happy to pay postage.
I guess she really doesn't like me as she sent a handful of 4" cuttings not wrapped well at all. She put them in medium size flat rate box. They were dead beyond recovery.
She ask how they were and I replied " beautiful, and wrapped so well, I couldn't be happier!"
I am going on a dash here and there and will be back to Jax on the 9th.
So if any have long stem coleus you are going to toss and would be so kind as to not use a Flat Rate Box, I would love to hear from you. If you send them on Sept 8th they would be here on Sept 10th and I could snuggle them right into little spots I grow them in.
Same thing I pay postage and send new plants in the Spring.
I will probably get several from Brinda before I leave her gorgeous new home on the 9th.
Just roll it around and send me a d-mail.
Thanks,
Sidney
Sidney, I've been meaning to ask, as Kathy & I did our 1st swap and it went pretty well. When you send long stemmed cuttings in ziplocks blown up with CO2, is it better to mail them with only 2-4 leaves - or -more leaves and strip them off when received? Have you noticed any difference?
I'm going to get some of my Golda's to you hell or high water. I love that plant, pictures don't do it justice.
Sidney, I have already rooted a number of cuttings, however, the shorter (4") are probably too delicate to ship and I'm holding off for their root systems to strengthen up, and I'm only sending them to Long Island (NY). It has been an interesting summer. I hope your T-12 heals quickly.
Marcia
I took a few photos today. These are planted in the raised bed in the front landscape. Thy are protected from direct sunlight by street scape trees. I lost quite a few early in the spring because of our crazy weather. I ordered them all from RD.
Sidney, I could send you some cuttings but September would be to early here. We will still be above 100 degrees.
I am sure you know the names. Th stupid gardeners removed the tags when they were fixing an irrigation line. Next year I am going to make up a plot plan with names.
When you get cuttings from NC Farms they come in sacks with 100 cuttings about 2" long with 2 leaves.
I would like to have two dozen off of each stem. I have maybe 20 'fifty cell' sheets that are about 2" wide and deep. That would make 1,000 plants to fill my planters and share.
This last spring I was going to send several leggy stems to a gal who has many children and raises a thousand or so plants every year to pay for gas mostly I think. They all play sports and that's a lot of gas.
As it happened this year, I had to just let things go. I begged the lady who was watering at the last to just get the largest priority box and ship all she could cut above the ground. She said no, but thought they were cheap plants you could get anywhere.
I was lucky to see D'Ann aka weloveouryard lived in Jupiter. She was an Coleus Angel for me. She rescued all my orphaned coleus in Okeechobee.
If it's not too warm you can just put big bouquet in the middle of 3 stacked open newspapers and wrap them like a hoagie. I stand stalks in a pan with barely warm water as I cut. After I get all together on a Saturday morning. Wrap as I just said and go straight to the PO. Mail Priority with confirmation. They almost always arrive on Monday morning. Learned that trick from Rosy Dawn.
When I receive a box of the full stem cuttings like that I run a pan of water and put a drop of Super Thrive in it. Then take each stem, cut a dab off of the bottom and stand in that ST water. I then I put new Miracle Grow Moisture Control potting soil in a cell sheet. I start making little ones out of big ones.
I need long leggy stems. I will be driving around and looking for commercial coleus plantings that need to be judicially pruned also. I can get many cuttings from long leggy stems and have almost 100% success with them.
I moved to Florida to grow pretty plants year around. I have finally got a place far enough South to do that.
I have always been very generous with sharing my plants. I had 50 or more varieties for several years and would often mail out 10 to 20 boxes at one time.
I also am hoping to get Dale over to help with an automatic mist system installation.
I am extremely blessed, I am walking where I could have been, oh well you know what I mean.
Sharon, that would be wonderful. I just wanted the folks from the north know when I could be responsible for taking really good care of them.
Getting the timing right is big for getting coleus "Not too hot, not too cold, and just right".
I'll be tickled to get them when it's about to get chilly in Vegas.
You have some really pretty ones.
Sidney
Hey Sidney, glad to see you posting and so glad your back is doing better! That was a big drop for sure!
Can you tell me where you got those pots, that sit on top of the railing on the fence? Love your blooms!
Not my work, this is at Selby in Sarasota>
Dale, I've never seen to much tradescantia.
Sidney, I'm not capable of sending that kind of volume. Or that kind of speed in shipping. Our outdoor coleus season is May to September. If it goes below 45 degrees at night, they often die. Without a greenhouse, overwintering is limited. We've had a very hot summer, and I root cuttings indoors. As soon as they have a root system, I plant them outdoors in potting soil to strengthen up. These young plants need lots of attention and watering in our high heat days. Some of our days have surpassed Florida's temps.
Sharon, I see RedRuffles in your first photo. The green looks like Electric Lime or Wizard Golden. They are all beautiful. I'm glad you only lost the labels and not the plants!
Marcia
I love the idea of starting some now before it gets cold. My holding garden would be a great place to do that. I am going to take some cutting this next eek and see if I can get some rooted. I killed most of my cutting two years ago from over watering. I learns something all the time from you great people.
Sidney, when I send the cuttings, I will make them long. I am so glad your fall was not any worse. I would love to know how you walked off the patio and plunged 9'. And what were you thinking as you were falling. Every time I fall I immediately think, "Oh no, I am falling". Knock on wood, I have not fallen for many months. But that is because I have learned to take my time and not get in areas very hilly without my gardening cane. It is a ski pole you use for cross country skiing.
I just turned 70 but my mind does not know I am 70. And I can still garden in this heat but the garden seems to be getting larger every year. I manage gardening in the heat by following the shade and getting up and out into the garden early.
Have a great Sunday, Sharon
Sharon: I am 76 and have lived here 5 years.I had alteady made mental notes about realizing my stamina was waneing befor that.
I gave myself 5 years to make gardens here so that all I would need to do was putter after five years.
Now I am turning down plant offers and not buying anything but hostas for areas where a younger person would have planted something else.
I truely believe the mind stays young but the body just sputters out
I do as you do,up and out early ( photos mostly while the light is good )but not too many strenuous jobs.I am spent by 11:00 so I rest.The rest of the day is spent just looking from the deck
Getting older is far better than the alternative!
Now that I'm 71, Jack and I made the decision to eliminate one garden in total. My daughter and her husband cleared a huge area and they can have all the hydrangeas, Japanese and Siberian irises, daylilies galore, and hundreds of astilbe that are there. We never go to that garden except to work and (to quote a friend) "when it's not fun anymore" it's time to end it. We'll always have beautiful memories of the porch garden (photo #1) and we still have another 20+ gardens to enjoy.
The best thing we ever did was to use pine needle mulch. It cuts back so much on the weeding.
As for falling, I guess we've all had our tumbles. When I fell backwards I remember thinking as I fell, "This shouldn't be happening!". Thank God, no injuries, but it taught me to go a bit slower and watch where I'm going. Sounds so easy but with a huge bucket of branches to be chipped I can't always see exactly where my feet are heading.
Coleus are a blessing for us. We can take cuttings or not. We can save what we have or order again. We can save some and not others. The choice is ours.
In 1961 my brother, 6' tall, took a 6' fall from a ladder and only one nerve in his spine held on but it gave way on the tenth day and he died.
I am not sad about pulling back on the gardening.I started out to create a beautiful space and I believe it was accomplished.
The plant moving is just enough to keep me energized, and I dont feel guilty when its time to quit for the day at mid morning.
Its not like the 30 plus plants per day I did in '07 when changing this property from cookie cutter suburb to something the neighbors enjoy and have begun to tend to their own properties.
It will be sweet relief for me.
I guess now is the time we have to be thankful for having a small parcel of land. This season we cut back on a number of seasonal plantings. When we moved here seven years ago, my prince and I were both in better physical shape. He only gardens because of me although he does a great job with the tomatoes and cucumbers. And we were aided by the fact that the former owner was a bit of a gardener. Except for the horrible houttuynia plants, she did a nice job of landscaping. That bed is going this year. I'm pulling everything up, washing the peonies and giving them to my nephew, getting rid of the roses and pulling irises. This week I'm pulling the lilies and putting them in containers with spinosad. Next summer I expect it will be filled with containers of caladium and coleus.
I started doing containers for a different reason, but now it permits a certain amount of work sitting on the steps, moving to the shade, etc. It is even more work over-wintering, but it certainly is a breath of fresh air and encouragement in the depths of winter. And when that reticulated iris pops up late winter, its starts all over again with the oohs and aahs.
In my mid 30s I got started doing yoga and now that I pushing 50 it has really helped with making me more flexible than I ever was Nd more importantly improved my balance. It is a very gentle exercise that you can do at any level and at any age. Try it!
Ya'll can't fool me. Your gardens/containers/yards are gorgeous and the work involved would intimidate many "youngsters". Heck, I'm 59 and switched to containers because of the heat (and lousy sandy soil) down here. I knew my double-digging days were over. ;) I bow down to you ladies. :)
Judy - I went to a chiropractor two weeks ago. First visit with him though long ago I did get help from other chiropractors. Anyhow he was testing my legs and how far back they could go. He stopped and asked, "Were you a gymnast?". I'm exceedingly flexible due to gardening and my balance is great, also due to gardening. When I fell I was moving backward and hit a major pine root so that's why I fell. I believe in exercising to improve mobility and for balance.
Denise - I went to containers many years ago to showcase plants that could otherwise be missed in a garden setting. It works! I like the ability to change things as I please without having to dig up shrubs to do it.
This lophospermum (photo 1) would be lost if it were hung on any of the pines at the back of the property (photo 2).
P.S. I never got around to double digging!
Cathy, no problem. I realize most folks here have the same coleus growing season you do. That's the reason I suggested the Sept 8th shipping date. I also know that even when I overwinter inside here in Jacksonville, I still had bushels I had to throw away.
I am only starting these here in Sept. I will take them south with me in early Nov. and fill my boxes and most likely more new cuttings.
Here's my first thread about coleus, http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/465531/#top
I am fairly adept at raising them though. I will start looking for a new living space to buy down at Okeechobee before too long.
I am visualizing a good size house, a protected area to keep my pretties going, a studio and a shop. And on the Kissimee River if possible.
Linda I got the planters here http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nancy-Janes-Deck-N-Rail-Planter-Stone-Case-of-Six-Planters-/251112784924?pt=Planters_Pots&hash=item3a777d041c
Getting 6 for$130.00. Buy single @ $35 or $40 delivered. Here's the whole list http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p3984.m570.l1313&_nkw=Nancy+Jane%27s+Deck+%27N+Rail+Planter&_sacat=0
As they come, they fit 6"rail. They all also come with adapters to fit 4" rails too. They are supposed to self water but if you ask me that's very iffy.
I got up in the middle of the night on the first night of a 2 night visit at 3AM. I thought I was in my motor home and went to the end of the bed, to the middle opened the door walked out found the only unprotected space on the porch and it was the size of the bathroom door in my motor home and stepped. I was partially sleep walking and woke up as I fell. I thought several things I can't say here. As I laid on my side I said God help me not to move. He did. I screamed for my friend and he called 911.
I landed on my feet and fell left on the dirt. So glad it wasn't cement.
I crushed t-12, had blood in my brain, a blood clot in my spinal cord, and they could not do surgery.
I was put in a turtle shell and got what I call "suck-it-up" agenda and did 23 days at Brooks rehab.
I decided to be Pollyanna. When I left my therapist and several nurses teared up. One said they only got such an upbeat patient as me about once a year.
I never shed a tear. I knew God was holding me the whole time. He had taken care of me on the road for 33 years. I have faith.
Sidney
This message was edited Aug 20, 2012 5:15 PM
That had to be so scary. I bet next time you go to sleep in an unfamiliar place you make sure you block your way out to a 9' drop. Need to take some small wind chimes so when you open a door the chimes will wake you up.
I have spent three days enjoying my garden. Longest continuous relaxation enjoying the garden I have ever done. I have been working all year to minimize all the work required in my garden.
I do have individuals I hire to help with the heavy digging. And I am the liaison between the HOA Board and the landscape crew so if I need something moved, I just call them. They are always in the neighborhood. And I take care of them at Christmas time and they remember that. And I am nice to them. And they know that is not normal operating procedure with most HOA's. But I am sure we are all nicer that the majority of individuals. That is what makes gardeners so special.
I have a nail appointment tomorrow so I will also run my errands at the same time. Thursday I am going to take some coleus cuttings and see if I can get them rooted before winter. I know Pirl is rolling her eyes.
My DH has Parkinson and his man cave is upstairs. Beautiful light in that area. I will over winter my coleus in that area because he does not go there anymore.
Have a great day and thanks for all the input and thoughts.
We are going down to double digits in our temperatures. 95 degrees for the next couple days and then back up. But we have thin blood in this area so we do not feel the heat as much as you thick blooded individuals from the East. But I can get very cold if it is below 70 degrees and humid. It has been humid here the last three days (50%) and my poor moisture deprived skin has just been soaking up the moisture. Sharon
Oh my goodness, woke up to cloudy, rainy, rolling thunder and 76 degrees. I could just sit here all day and watch it rain slowly like this. Our trees probably think they have died and moved. Washing all of the dust off the leaves. The smells are fantastic. Have a great day....Sharon
This is full of coleus but not a container.I just love these together with heuchera Citronelle.
Just had to try the new image loading.What a big difference.hooooray
Beautiful photos, Jo Ann. I love the Citronelle, too. What is the dark one with the green edge in photo #4?
Hi pirl
Thats Apocalipse (sp) Its an large upright.
Does well for winter cuttings.
Thanks, JAG! I'm a sucker for dark ones with good edges.
It reminds me of formal dress,tuxedo.The edge is so crisp and graphic.
JoAnn, that Apocalypse is gorgeous. It's going on my list.
Arlene, I'm trying to box up a few things to get to off to you today.
Marcia
I can think of a few spots for Apocalypse and it's going on my list as well.
Thanks, Marcia. Just let me know if you want any special colors as my names are lost along with my mind.
I had one last year I loved. Forgot to order this year. Something like dipped in wine. Deep red/purple with green edgi
I am taking cutting today and putting them in pots in my holding garden. I have a load of 5" pots. I am going to try those. Nothing to lose. If it does not work, just more potting mix for compost pile.
We had 2 inches of rain yesterday. Rained all day. I just sat on the back patio and enjoyed every minute I could. Very unusual for the desert. More in one day than the previous 8 months. And we had a high of 93. My coleus probably think thy have been moved.
Have a wonderful day. I will post photos later on my cuttings. Sharon
Apocalypse has replaced Lord Voldemort on my RD wish list - thanks for the pictures, Jo Ann.
Wish I could send you some of our rain, Sharon - haven't had a day without rain in weeks (I shouldn't complain, we've had a few drought years). Looks like Tropical Storm Isaac may send some more our way next week...
Sharon, your dessert with pop with blooms in a few months. I loved El Paso's dessert after a few hard rains.
I then would harvest dry seed pods and other interesting fauna. I brought them home dry and dyed them with hot Ritz dye in 3# Folgers coffee cans. I sold them 300 mi north of EP and paid for gas to see the family.
JoAnn what beautiful coleus beds. I love the look with shades of lime.
Denise how are the cuttings?
Kathy
Kathy,
I'm happy to report your babies are doing fine. I have about 1/2 potted up and was waiting for a shipment of pots/flats from Greenhouse Megastore to do the rest of yours and mine - just can't break the habit of taking cuttings. These forums have created a monster! ;) Even the Inky Fingers is throwing out roots, unlike any of my White Fingers. Hope your cuttings are doing as well. Thanks again!
Denise
Denise, I took a quick look, and I know where I'm getting a lot of supplies....
Denise that's because Inky Fingers has been around a lot longer than white so it knows how to throw roots better.
*grin*
I only hold coleus in water, but root in soil. Water roots are not as strong as soil roots. I have about a 97% success rate on the whole.
Sidney
Marcia, watch out for that website. I had quite the wish list until I pared it down. ;) I bought the 2.5" (for seedlings) and 4" hobby pack pots for cuttings. Hope to get a heat mat for this winter's veggie seedlings.
Sidney, I often don't have luck with soil rooting, even using hormone powder. They kind of rot away, does this mean too much moisture, you think? I've had better luck this time keeping them on the dry side (so far so good). Kathy sent me Electric Lime, Henna, Inky Fingers and several NOIDS. One is very unusual (to me) and attractive - pale green, yellows & pink. Will post a picture once it gets going to see if anyone can I.D. it.
Sometimes I do hold over cuttings in water until I have the time to pot them up but not often. They always look a bit sad for the first few days (in shade only) until they adjust to the pots. Denise - I give them very little water and they do much better that way. Too much water is the main cause of losing cuttings and plants.
Always keep aware of mealy bug and/or scale as well as fungus gnats. Watering from the saucer works SO much better for me. I don't even try to save any plant that has a deadly problem.
Denise, I'll be careful with that website. When I root in soil, I always put a plastic bag over its head for the first week or so and put it into a light soil. I like rooting in water so I can see the progress.