Plant Propagation: The Basics Summer 2016

Yes beautiful Debra...look at all those bloomin' Lilies too! Keith are you questioning the first pic? It looks like a really nice purple Foxglove.

Debra I do not remember either right at the moment .. Could also be a type of Hyacinth , a Penstemon or one of the Beardstongue Digitalis , A lot of could be there .
A very uncommon bulb Hyacinth is what I am thinking ,

Playing in the sun is definitely hot outside ,
as the garden grows I am still trying , Annuals filling in , Milkweeds , Artemesia and Daylily blooming ,

Couple green critters here
1 I do not know
Artemesia ,, (probably Artemisia Glaucus
A white swan coneflower trying to bloom , as over run by the artemisia

Keith- i think they are searching for more heat. I would be searching for squishers. The birds wont eat these.

Beautiful Debra. And thank you for the plants you sent, 3 out of 4 are making it. I think this is the right photo. Not sure.

Today's pics
#1. Lupins self seeded in non maintained area of the yard adjacent to Japanese garden
#2. All Hostas in this picture are new divisions from other beds just planted thus year. Bed was prepared last fall.
#3. Shot of the entire new rock garden that the moose antler shot was a part of. I have been slowly filling it with hens and chicks and sedums robbed from here and there around the yard. When I take apart all my succulent containers this fall it should be looking pretty full

Lupines look great naturalized and I'm really looking forward to your rock garden pics a little later in the season. I've never seen a black rock garden before.

That all looks really nice , Love the Lupines ,, Hosta looking Healthy .. Rock Garden beginning ,, How delightful all !

We have hauled a LOT of rock and it HAS TO BE black. Last summer Wendy and I were on an ATV excursion WAY out in the boonies (another passion of ours) and we came across an area with blasted rock that was jet black and had a lot of glitter in it . We were on the quads at the time and a long ways away from the truck so didn't bring any home. God knows, if I ever do another rock garden we may be going back there. Thought about it last fall when I did this one but had little Reece with me and she probably would have been really bored by the time we got there. I can just hear it. "Grandpa, are we there yet?"

Yes it all depends on the child and the age. Not all kids would like a rock excursion, although I don't know why not, it sounds like a blast to me. You just need a little trailer for that ATV.

Yes Debra. very pretty and real vivid. Good pictures. Are the lilies all day lilies? I have some blooming, and some big white with pink centers peonies. They are huge. A helebore blooming in the middle of one of the peonies. Right in the middle.

End of rhe movie. Sam Elliot got shot. darn, I like him.

Debra is your yard healing from all the work they did there? You didn't get a new patio did you? Where did you put all the plants etc that you had to bring out from the basement? Where did you put Gemel? Did you get the basement all put back together? Sure has been a job for you hasn't it? My ROS is growing good. And all other things too. The variegated monstera has a new leaf, the basket plant is about 8 inches tall, the plain leaf monstera has a new leaf coming out of that stem, all kinds of new stuff.

Yes Debra. very pretty and real vivid. Good pictures. Are the lilies all day lilies? I have some blooming, and some big white with pink centers peonies. They are huge. A helebore blooming in the middle of one of the peonies. Right in the middle.

End of rhe movie. Sam Elliot got shot. darn, I like him.

Debra is your yard healing from all the work they did there? You didn't get a new patio did you? Where did you put all the plants etc that you had to bring out from the basement? Where did you put Gemel? Did you get the basement all put back together? Sure has been a job for you hasn't it? My ROS is growing good. And all other things too. The variegated monstera has a new leaf, the basket plant is about 8 inches tall, the plain leaf monstera has a new leaf coming out of that stem, all kinds of new stuff.

Beautiful plants that won't grow for me in Texas. the only Lupine that I've gotten to live is the occasional blue bonnet. Beautiful gardens oxdrift!

Rockhounds carry geiger counters these years, they find so many are radioactive...I am always searching for the odd wild lupine when I get farther north.
Picture is a tree I found in Florida, named a Weeping Wattle tree. It does stand out.

Kitt That tree has a Fern look about it The cooling effect ,,

LOL, don't think it is cooling to Kitt at that kind of temps. Too bad we can't kind of share our heat. We are cold and Florida is so hot. We are jumping around from 50s one day and back in the 80s a day or 2 later.

Hi Jen and all. I agree, Oxdrift your gardens are truly beautiful. I can only wish I had the time to really organize and plan things out. Working full time has me captive, tho.
Ju, your propagation efforts are always so interesting and successful!
Gypsi, looks like the four o clock is going to be yellow it is a tuber, and in there with it looks like your coral vine and maybe a firespike. I just can't remember :P
Kitt, I love that tree! Wow!

we are in the triple digits here now, everything is going great guns and blooming everywhere, I have already harvested green beans, cherry tomatoes, peppers and peas and raspberries.

The basement did not get water on the north side like it would have had we not fixed the wall there, and yes, new patio, in a different location, now all the things they thought they scraped out are popping up in the lawn area that was the patio north bog pond area. Hard to explain. I have to have Joe dig down deep to retrieve the root systems after it rains a lot in order to save that stuff from being mowed over all summer long. All basement plants except the two huge tubs of snowqueen hibiscus and cestrum nocturnum are up and out. Gamera and Lil Bit have been moved and everything left down there is under the first T5 light now. It sure is nice and cool down there, I'll probably sell as much as I can and start the "Can't let go of " process by moving them back down a plant at a time. ( I am really thinking hard about what I am keeping tropical wise)... It is my goal to have all wild and natives outside all year round, this digging up and bringing in is too much for me now.
The basement will never be "finished" The new Patio is ugly and I hate it, but the new garden is rocking with tomatoes, peppers, green beans and beets, and Joe let me keep the sunflowers that came back from last years seed for the morning glory's to climb on. I asked him for a new arbor, we will see if I get what I want. All the lilies are a bloom except the tigers and the Asiatic stargazers, they usually bloom around the 4th of July, the monarda's , cones, daises and rudbeckias are all blooming. it is crazy how fast it went from bare to lush and green and colorful. My Chaste trees are all budded. .. Kansas's closest thing to Texas mountain laurel trees...
I undid the rooting tubs and now I have 6 cups of cestrum, four cups of firespike, and four cups of passion vines. We still have a huge mud area off the new patio where the old one was.. *sigh*



This message was edited Jun 16, 2016 11:15 AM

Wow, I just have a front yard still full of pots, but with a high of 100 and high humidity and a house full of grandchildren it isn't moving fast

If I had a houseful of Grandchildren, I wouldn't still be working and I sure wouldn't be worrying about a garden. Joy in those grandchildren can't compete with any kind of flower, or at least, I feel that way. Wish I had that Joy. You do have that awesome pond tho,right? It is too hot to do much!

Some of the propagation going on
1 and 3 are the Sunflower and Zinnia in the cement ring holders
2 and 4 without ,, same growing conditions , the difference is ,

I have some to plant still , late annuals now ,

Wow Kitt that Florida tree is pretty funky. Right up my ally.
Keith

Oh Kitt, I love your Weeping Wattle tree (it looks so tropical to me) and I hope you find your wild Lupine someday. If I ever find some, I'll collect them for you.

Debra you grow so much I was thinking you had super powers with a full time job too. I don't know how you do it but I guess it's all catching up to you and those decisions are going to take a lot of thought. Just keep what you love. You can start by listing everything you have into three columns with column 'A' being the most liked (and likely to keep) and column 'C' as the least liked. Working through things in this kind of organized manner really helps me to make the decisions.

I'm saddened to hear you hate your new patio, you should post pictures and we all can help come up with ideas to inexpensively beautify it. I'm up for the challenge and for the occasion, I can even slip into my 'big girl pants' in case my ideas are rejected, lol.

Gypsi, Grandkids like planting things don't they? I bet the heat doesn't even affect kids, I know they're made of special heat & cold resistant God rubber.

These God forsaken tent worms are REALLY getting to me. It's not only what they eat, it's the mess they make. SO many of them are committing suicide in the pond. I'm skimming it multiple times a day and the water is just gross. When Reece is here she loves to skim but I still have to supervise because she can't really swim yet. I pity the poor fish having to live in dead worm soup. I took the filter media out and washed it and put in a couple bottles of Waste Remover but it didn't really help. The weather has been cool and wet and the worms are really sluggish on those days but today was hot and they really kicked into high gear. A lot of them look full grown so hopefully they will soon cocoon up. And that will be another mess

This message was edited Jun 16, 2016 10:06 PM

LOL, God rubber. Love it. I will have to tell my grandson what he is. He is 27 years old, wonder how he will love that. Or Robin, is there an age when they change to something else??

Debra, remember how many of us told you that you would have a beautiful garden this year? And now I am telling you that you will have a beautiful patio when you look at it a while and make up your mind what to do with it. It will be!

The Firespike starts you gave me are just sitting there. They hate this cold climate. Goes to show when plants do great in hot weather they just won't like it cold. Hopefully it will turn warm here soon, or our summer will be over!!

Where do you have Gemmel and Li'l Bit? Are they outside, or in the basement? Wherever, I am sure you have made them very comfortable.

'what do you mean by "I undid the rooting tubs and now I have 6 cups of cestrum, four cups of firespike, and four cups of passion vines"? What are cups? I don't understand.

Mipii, Robin, is right. That is a good way to figure out your plants. I always go by pros and cons. Same thing as Robin. But that will get you organized fast I think. Altho, it is tough to put any plants in the "cons" column.

Bob is much better, but went to the dr. yesterday and asked him why he was so hungry. Dr. said it was the Prenisone. I told him I always notice when people were on it that their faces get fat. He said that is what the dr. told him. He is almost off of it. drops one every 4 days. That is another one like steroids you cannot drop them all at once. Maybe it is a steroid. Or Opioid. almost the same thing I guess. Anyway, sure glad he likes to cook. But he is eating everything in sight. He has made 2 pies in a week. I usually get 2 small pieces of them. Now I am lucky to get those.

ttyl, jen

Jen, when I have taken prednisone, I pick up the house and move it 10 feet to the West, take a look and then move it back. It is a steroid. Great with bad lung problems. Helps them heal faster.

Vern's sport car is gone and we now own a new 2016 Honda CRX which is a small SUV. Easy to get in and out of, hatch back so easy access for Vern's wheelchair.. Vern was very surprised I did not come home with a Lexus. I told him we needed transportation since we drive about 15 miles a week. I bought a car I do not like but that's what happens once you pass 70 years of age.

My front landscape does nt have an inch left for a plant. Everything is coming up early because of the heat. Suppose to be 117 by Monday. That is August temps. And suppose to be windy. Wind is a curse for a garden when the temps are high.

My 3 month appointment with the surgeon is next Thursday. I hope to lose the brace. Doing good and have some nerve pain in the upper back of my legs.

Good luck to all of you for your start of spring. Hugs, Sharon

Glad you are doing good Sharon and I bet you're beside yourself waiting for next Thursday's Dr. visit. I hope all goes as planned.

Jen, the God rubber starts wearing off starting about age five or so. Otherwise, kids wouldn't have a chance to make it to puberty.

Hey Sharon Glad to hear your better , about doing a few things ,, To warm there still wow,, The Solar campers are in daytime heaven there with you ,
Jen Good to hear Bob is healing nicely and full energy ,

Robin ,, Now i know why I missed puberty ,, lol

after my Appt today I have no more C tests for a year , Yay !!!

well Oids that ster ,, and id 's that Opi ,,he , he ,, I have heard of those ,,!

Took this shot this morning from the side road as you approach our house. The property line starts at the taller trees just behind the low willows that still have leaves. Our house is at the top of the hill right in the middle of all that stripped poplar. It's a good thing that there are a lot of lower conifers immediately around the house.
Keith

Hey, is anyone still alive out there?
Can you see the size of the frog that is loving the protection from the fibre optic grass in our pond? Biggest one I think I've ever seen here.
We narrowly missed a disaster last night. Bad storms all around us. Just 5 miles north a friend had major damage to both his new vehicles from ice cube sized hail and in Vermilion Bay, just 20 miles west there were reports of baseball size hail and damaging winds. Luckily we just had dark skies, slight burst of moderate winds and a few drops of rain.
Keith

We are hiding from the sun. Terrible news on that hail! Glad you missed it Keith. Just hot and hotter now with the Summer Solstice officially begun. Sometimes you can catch us wandering thru the day here >
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1425689/

Love the frog (and the setting!).
Nice June weather here, still getting below 50 at night, garden growing well but I have been neglecting to take photos-y'all inspire me!

I started to say something about the tree area and storms and lost my thought ,
Love the photo's ,flowers , frogs , wilds . then the Garden in synchronicity looks Great !!!
Hot and starting to get dry here for summer ,

Oh and ooops ,,, do try to safe during the storms ,, Weather hates most of us ,, lol the effect anyway ,,

This message was edited Jun 20, 2016 1:23 PM

Gosh, you are right Keith. Not a lot of traffic on here. However, most of us are working in the gardens this time of year. It is always like this, seems every year.

That is a beautiful big frog/ Very healthy looking. I miss them. Not many around here. Too dry. When we do get ponds on the deck, I usually see the little guys. Enjoy them.

Sorry Keith, but it is almost midnight, so think I will head for bed too. You didn't get much out of us for your post did you? Maybe next time. ttyl, jen

Hey guys, good to see some life again. I have been away overnight myself for medical stuff. Just got back. Reece and I are just having a quick lunch then out to water and check things out. Last night was the infamous "full moon in June" and as such I hated to leave Wendy alone with things but she said it only got down to 8 Celsius.

My apprentice skimming worms out of the gross pea soup pond

ha , ha , ha , lol assistant on duty

1 Some more Basil sprouting ,
2 Shredded plants and stalks in the bag , and the composting begins ,,

well, it is so hot here, I get home from work and water, and that is about it.
Keith, I LOVE your frog and your pond and your assistant!
We have a toad that hangs out. that is all I have besides the birds, squirrels and mice. :P
Jen, you asked about the garden and patio earlier.. here is the new garden patch.
Ju, you are such a wizard! We did have some hail last week, couldn't tell it now, when ever it rains good, two days later it is dry as a bone from the heat. I have been eating wild black berries, haven't checked the hybrids on the south side yet..
last pic is my seed tray shelf,, the heat from the patio and the house just cooks everything! I HATE IT *sigh*

Good morning guys.
Just taking a bit of a break to do some posting while I try to figure out which forecast I should listen to for the day. One says 40 % chance of rain this afternoon and the other says no rain and only 20 C which would be perfect for the staining I'm dying to get done so I can post a full shot of the back of the house in coordinated colours for the first time.
I no longer have a single plant left in the greenhouse. Finished cutting off all the daffodils etc. around the tiny pond in the back yard and planted the remaining coleus and callas there. Once again I lucked out and just kept seeding and transplanting and making cuttings until the greenhouse was flowing over and managed to fill all the holes in the yard and not really have any leftovers other than what I give to my three daughters.
Photos for the day.
#1. Figured I better get a shot of the ferns in their splendour before we get a combination of driving rain and strong winds that flatten them. Sorry I don't know if it was on this forum or another one that I mentioned that is the purpose of the lattice screen to the right. It is supposed to be a windbreak to save the ferns. Last year was first year for it and wasn't too efficient. The Hostas in this shot are the ones that froze to crispy critters last week. I literally trimmed hundreds of damaged leaves off them and there were thousands mor underneath so VOILA they look fine again. Notice the red maple I had to cut out of the middle of them this spring is making a valiant attempt to come back and provide shade for them.
#2. 4 hanging baskets on shepherd hook all in same garden as above.
#3. Again in the same garden. In the back corner of this garden the picket fence just ends in the middle of nowhere when it hits our septic field. To kind of BLEND the transition I used to have a clump of variegated ribbon grass. I restarted it twice and it always looked beautiful for a year or so and then got ugly for two reasons. Firstly it spreads like wildfire and takes over the whole garden. Then after a few years when it gets really thick it starts to loose the beautiful colours that I chose it for and revert back to plain green and like the ferns blows down flat in the wind. Last year (being newly retired and having more time on my hands) I treated with roundup twice within a couple of weeks and tilled the crap out of it to get rid of it. I had been observing this very well behaved grass in a couple of locations around the area. I asked one of my very knowledgable friends at a local garden centre about it and found out that it was Karl Forrester Grass. She sold me three clumps and I am very happy with the results.

By the way. If you guys are bored silly with my ramblings just say so and I can just post pictures and shut up

By now I'm thinking the forecast for no rain is more correct so I better grab a bite of lunch and get staining

You just keep rambling Oxdrift and I will just keep envying your northern plant environment while it is 100 here. My greenhouse has a temp humidity monitor that says yesterday's high temp in it was 131. The plants on the little pond being watered and rooted in lava rock above it are the only living things in the greenhouse, except the fish of course.

so it is outdoors for the camera and my yard is a mess compared to yours.
Mating butterflies, gulf fritteraries I think. gladiolus. a fancy passionflower, my weeded vegetable garden with tiny droughtstricken squash and melon vines, and a dahlia

Indeed !!! keep right on rambling , good to great interest !!!
I read that earlier on my way out , wanted to reply then but had to focus at what was .

Gypsi take it well and easy in the hot weather , from the Mississippi to California people are dropping like bugs from exhaustion the heat ,,

Here it not bad , cross fingers , cross fingers , knock on wood ,,,

Real pretty the photo's , all ,,

Debra ,, aww , you can't hate it , their your little plants and friends , Besides all the Hot weather the difficulty is that you have look awhile until a design you like comes to mind , Having to redo all that sounds frightening , Can't let it get you down ,
I can't say a wizard , but I try to find easy ,simple ways , that do not over cost , to enjoy and accomplish , not always easy ,, I did finally get the finally get the set for the chopper , thing weighs 12 pds with the flange bearings , but over time it will make tons of recycled compost .
Love it when you show and talk your garden efforts ! and all ,,,

This message was edited Jun 22, 2016 9:11 PM