CLOSED: 2013 Fall Round Robin - On the Wing (Round 1)

Merry Christmas!

and here's hoping Santa brings Susie some electricity!

Sue G

Yup...got package 1 yesterday. Will look for package 2 in a few days. Lol, I forgive you, besides it's the holidays....

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays all!!!! Kathy

merry christmas everyone! hope everyone had a great day!

merry Christmas to all

Hey everybody. I can hardly believe I haven't been online since Tuesday, but I got roped into making cat/dog/housecalls at four houses beginning on Christmas eve. One house with two big dogs I went to four times a day...just that one house! I'm beat! I keep feeling like I am supposed to be somewhere and forgetting something. I only "lost"one key once and one of my cell phone chargers. :D

Kept me from being bored or lonely. Court visits his granny at VA beach at Christmas and we can't usually travel together because of the critters. The iguana mainly. Although she's very low maintenance personally (?!!??) She has pretty high maintenance environmental controls like $50 light bulb that simulates actual sunlight, heat lamp, ceramic heat element, electric heater, humidifier, heating pad, oh and the food and water. Then there the bath tub where she poos. Thankfully we have more than on bath tub. :D

We may go to court's mom's in Va for New Years. I have a crazy nosey neighbor lady who is as neurotic as I am when it comes to electrical appliances and fire hazards, etc. She's a fine candidate for someone who comes to tuck the lizard in at night. Everything is on a timer, but still...

So. I have yet to begin cold stratifying my perennial seed. This week, I swore!!!

My nose is cold.

That's all the news. Well, some of it. Santa was good to me, I have my health and happy home and enjoyed uninterrupted quiet birdfeeding. Hope you all enjoyed some special time too.
Yes hear about that bird, Kathy. So sorry Evelyn that you had to ship two packages. My "helper"is sometimes too efficient. And other times, well I'm never quite sure what happens when I ask if he can "put these envelopes in the mailbox." My seeds for Heidi' s seed purge never arrived to their destination (?!) And they never came back to me either. He swears he mailed th package, and I believe him. ;)

Hey, it's Friday! See you later.

GM All still no power sure hope it is today for they are working in the area . this is day 7 for us & news up-date says saturday so mean time just thankful for the heat & melting allot of snow . ya all be well .

susie

Gee Susie, we make such a fuss when our power goes out for a few hours. It would be life changing to have it go out for a week! Just think how clean my house would get, LOL.

Am looking for the secomd package to arrive today, fingers are crossed.

Have questions for several people:
Amanda: Soldago Fireworks ht?, Solidago rigida ht?, Echinops ritro ht?, Asclepias incarnata color?, Asclepias syriaca ht? color?, C. mistflower ht? color?, Callistemon citrious ht?, color?, zone?, Cassia alata ht?, color? zone?

Domehome Dee: Bronze Fennel ht (read somewhere the other day can get to 10 ft?????), Farfugium japonica can it be grown as an annual?, Helianthus Mongolian ht? (sounds like it will get tall ...yeah), Amaranthus c ht?, color? Asclepias phy. ht?, color?, Leonuris c. ht?, color?

Lazlo:Ipomea c. ht?, Calycanthus f. do they ever reseed outdoors? Thankyou soo much have wanted these for years..., Clitorea t. ht?

Poisondartfrog: Acrolinum r.ht? zone?, Salvia c. ht? zone? or A?, Vitex..am close on zone any ideas or how hardy?

Dipsacus laciniatus?
Cephalathus occidentalis color?

Would love to find out about these goodies, and thanks to those who set things aside for me!!!

I just wanted to let you know the second box arrived in this afternoons mail. Will add these back to the box after I get a few goodies..

Will see if I get any responses to ??? above..box will go out on Monday.


Oh...almost forgot also got a pkg frm Pfg......thankyou!!! Kathy

KATHY THIS MIGHT HELP
Soldago Fireworks ht
http://www.northcreeknurseries.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantdetail/plant_id/291/index.htm
Solidago rigida ht
http://prairienursery.com/store/product_plant_info_solidago-rigida_stiff-goldenrod-p-268.html

IF YOU COPY & PASTE the name you can find most of the info : sorry for the caps
hope this helps if the others don;t know ,

still no power but they are working their way up our road so hope it s back by tomorrow.
gn all

Kathy ~ The Solidago 'Fireworks is about 3' tall and about 2' wide. I will see if it reseeds as I have not yet cut it back. Blomma says that the seeds are sterile. If I get any babies, I will start to save seeds from this plant. I got it from Bluestone Perennials.

Acroclinium http://www.gardenerhelp.org/index.php/content/view/1283/33/

Salvia coccinea? Not sure which you have. http://www.fbts.com/salvia-coccinea-summer-jewel-red.html

Vitex agnus-castus http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1188/

Dipsacus laciniatus http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/86012/

Kathy/Susie - S. 'Fireworks' spreads by rhizome slowly at first. I started with one small plant. The third (?)season I had to start pulling It out as the bed was not large enough.

The S. rigida was a shocker. About 6', a prairie plant.

E. ritro 3'. Blue/blue-gray. Will not bloom first year from seed.

Asclepias incarnata color - pink.

Asclepias syriaca 3' - 5' pink, smells like spring hyaicnths. Neither perennial asclepias will bloom first year from seed.

C. greggii mistflower ? - is this my west TX mistflower? It grows for me as a slow spreading long blooming 12" - 18". Cornflower/cerulean blue just like the C. colestinum. Amazing nectar plant for butterflies all season.

http://www.westongardens.com/page%20content/plant%20library/greggs%20blue%20mistflower.htm

Callistemon citrious ht?, color?, zone?, did I include those?

Cassia alata -butterfly larval host plant for numerous sulfur species. Interesting foliage prayer plant-like open and close at night. Yellow. USDA 10, 11. To 30'. I grow as an annual. Late blooming.

http://www.floridata.com/ref/s/senn_ala.cfm

This message was edited Dec 27, 2013 9:45 PM

Sorry but I don't have alot of air time to look all these things up, that's why I asked...

And yes you did include Callistemon.

Kathy I go to the local library when I want to do research as we have limited internet amount, this is where I'm at right now. I take the lap top and sit for a day each week to do research on plants.

Jan

Jan that's dedication!

Kathy let me check to see which species I sent. Don't have a memory of it, but I was probably out of my head.

Including a picture of one of the viola planters I gave to neighbor friends. From our local Southern States ag supply store, 'Penny Red Blotch.' I was struck by the deep red color offset against the green foliage. Cost $3 for the 6" terra cotta and 4" and/or 5" pots of violas on clearance for less than $2. Still have packages to ship to brothers and their families. Hope everyone is enjoying their holidays.

Yes Jan, you're dedicated...silly girl!

Amanda, that's a nice inexpensive gift, one I would have surely loved to receive.

Kathy, so I did include the callistemon. It grows on the boundary line on my neighbor's yard. :)

Height 3'-5'

Native to Australia

Zone 9, 10

But. We are in zone 7b and the plant is hardy. Have read it can be containerized an treated as a houseplant. Blooms are enjoyed by hummingbirds ... really a lovely specimen.

Color: red

This message was edited Dec 28, 2013 10:37 PM

Picture of the callistemon.

And a very informative web page.

http://www.anbg.gov.au/callistemon/

This message was edited Dec 28, 2013 10:40 PM

Robin I have to try and keep up with you. LOL

I just saw this bottle brush shrub at a small nursery that I pasted on the way home yesterday. The nursery was just the size I would love to have of my own... large amount of shrubs, trees, and perennials and some annuals.



This message was edited Dec 28, 2013 10:38 PM

Kathy - The bronze fennel does get to about 7 feet and that's even with cutting it to the ground in fall.
I haven't grown the farfugium from seed and I doubt it would do well as an annual, it just doesn't grow that fast. The Sunflowers are tall, like 7' and heavy so I usually keep them near something I can tie them to if they start to go over. Amaranthus - red 30", Asclepias phy. - sm. white 6',
Leonurus - orange 7'.
I spent an hour going through Dave's garden making decisions on where each of the plants you sent me in October are going. Some already have roots sticking out of the bottom of the gallon pots I put them in when they arrived. Thanks again, I'm having such fun with them.

GM Power on took my 1st shower in over a week Last night Sleep like a rock :)
Kathy ? Dee I Have 2-3 plants of the Bronze Fennel & Mine get about about 4-5 ft tall I Mother Nature takes care of my plants i have never cut it back in the fall mine just dye back & Comes back in the spring . Z5

DEE I Just Looked up Asclepias phy. sm. white 6', & I Came up with the info saying
2 feet tall 2 feet wide, is this what you have but in white ??? never seen the white

http://www.garden-en.com/a/en/1871-asclepias-tuberosa-butterfly-weed/
weather turning allot colder today you all stay well looks as the robin is getting much closer :)

Pic 1 apples tree's in back yard
pic 2 is my peach tree & behind it was my 15 ft ELEPHANT Grass
pic 3 is the neighbors willow tree
pic 4 is of the 3-4 day of the ice storm looking at the woods out back

Amanda

how long did it take for the callistemon on your boundry line to get that big? Is it a fast grower? I love the color.

Susie -

you were posting as I was posting. I am so glad you finally got your power back on. The devastation in your yard is incredible. So glad you are all ok.

Susie so glad to hear you are with power again. Such a terrible lost that the winter weather brings sometimes.

Carolyn: I pulled that image off the Missouri Botanical garden website. They shrubs are fairly slow growing. I hadn't read anything about propagation till last night. Looks like each of the woody capsules contains hundreds of tiny seeds (!). The Australian website also said that it is a species that could be fire dependent to open those capsules, so you May have a challenge with those seeds. :D

On the other hand, I read some articles a couple of years ago about fire dependent species and gleaned from some fellow citizen scientists that LIQUID SMOKE is used in restoration projects at a very diluted concentration to aid in germination of some otherwise hard to germinate/ fire dependent species.

I understand that liquid smoke is something you can buy in the grocery store for cooking.

Susie...glad you have your power back. About dee' s A. physocarpa. ThE link you posted is for A. tuberosa/butterfly weed. Here's a couple of links to the A. physocarpa:

First link where I purchased most of my seed when I started butterfly gardening:
http://www.butterflyencounters.com/milkweed/goose-plant.html

M. Botanical garden:
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e373

I have Gomphocarpus physocarpus, the flowers aren't much to see but the seed pods get a lot of attention (6'tall). They are like little green balloons with a milkweed pod hanging inside. Then I also have the tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica in orange/yellow and just yellow (18"tall).

The pics make me want to find some snow, it is beautiful. I'm already slaving in the garden cleaning up for Spring planting. I'll probably start sowing annuals in February 1, we rarely get a freeze past January. I think I'll take some before and after pictures. I'd love to see some from all of your gardens.

Haha! Here's another with zone envy. :p

Wanted to let you all know...the bird is back in flight..it wll arrive in Iowa by Thurs. Iowhen is next in line......

Just wanted her to know she can probably save some on shipping by going to a regular large priority box, this one is an oversized and cost almost $2 more. If I hadn't already paid the clerk I would have.

Okay. The bird's in the air.

I haven't heard from Iowhen/Gypsy since she last posted on December 11. She has not responded to dmail.

Kathy - I'm afraid I must blow the whistle on you for violation of RULZ no. 9: shipping the Robin without having prior confirmation from me and/or the next member on the TENTATIVE flight path.

I hope she's there to receive. I'll try her by telephone this evening.

Thanks.

A.

p.s. Pls. remember the rulz about being a good sport. :D

Okay - got thru to Iowhen . . . she is ready to receive!

Got the confirmation no. on your shipment, thanks Kathy. All is well.

Did you get anything magical from the box? We'll get an update from Iowhen on size, weight, etc., to decide what to do about shipping.

Thanks.

A.

I'm here! And I'm excited to receive the robin. Our mail usually comes in the morning while I'm at home, so I will check in right away when it arrives.

I can check on the next-sized Priority box. I plan on lightening it a lot though. :D

I was down for a bit with an ear infection. Pesky microbes! I am whooping them with mighty expensive drops of death.

Gypsy

I couldn't fit the robin in any size priority box when it was here, flat rate or otherwise. Your right it certainly would be cheaper.

Sue G

looking forward to the robin

oh my, ear infections are so painful! hope you feel better soon! maybe the robin helps!:)

Get better, soon, iowhen! ^_^ (((BIG HUG)))

Mighty expensive drops of death and an overstuffed robin should cure what ails you Iowhen...hope you feel better soon!

The robin just arrived! I can't wait to dig in. I should have it ready to send out on Monday.

Gypsy

Gypsy ~ You are feeling better! Yeah! Enjoy the robin.... ^_^