South Florida's Galloping Gardener's Part II

Here are the rest of the bougainvillea.
Art

Those are really beautiful Art. I wish I had the room to grow lots of bougainvilleas.

Val,
Most of us don't have the room, that's why I showed you a number of them in pots (that's a hint.) After I make cuttings and they are doing well, I transfer them to hanging pots for further development. Once they are big enough, I transfer them to the yard. I have one pot in a stand up holder that has two bougainvillea in it. One is more aggressive than the other and is taking over the pot.
In the meantime, both plants are growing smaller and smaller leaves, due to being crowded into a small pot with little room for root expansion.
I say this because I believe they can be trained to become bonsai plants.

I want to add a bit here about technique in making the panorama shots you have seen above.
In the first three, Frangipani, Copperleaf and to a lesser degree, the Hibiscus have all been cropped prior to making a panorama out of them.
With the Bougainvillea, to show the foliage, I didn't crop much. The result was the natural bending of the picture the program makes to make it look like a panoramic view, caused the plants to look narrower and taller than in real life. We look at it as the plants are drooping. Controling this effect could be handled a couple of different ways. First crop all images to be the same size. Second use less pictures. I used four in each grouping. Using three would have made a more true representation of the plants in the picture.

One last comment. Doing cuttings has a lot of advantages, but it does have it's share of problems. The biggest is the growth factor. When I am doing a cutting I have no idea of the plants age. Two plants side by side may look to be the same in growing habits, but I don't know if one has been in the ground two years or five years. I see this in my growing plants all the time. I have bougainvillea that grow to 5 or 6 feet in just a couple of years. I have others that haven't reached that height in 4 or 5 years. Since all my Bougainvillea are growing in the same area with the same exposure, watering, and dirt, it's got to be the plant itself. When making a cutting I don't know this in advance.

Art

Hap, I never left.

Val, "Also, what's the name of the little weed cutting you gave me at Nancy's. I can't remember."
I didn' t give you the name, I don't know it. I spent some time looking for it this morning and came up with nothing. I found several good sites for Florida weeds, but nothing for this plant. At this time, I am thinking it might not be a weed at all. It could be just an invasive plant that has been spreading via bird dropings.
I will wait until one blooms and take it's picture then submit it to the ID forum. I have good success there.
In the meantime, here is another panorama of the "weed" shown from left to right as mature, mid, baby. The leaf structure might help you id it untill I get a picture. This panorama was done without any editing of any kind.

Art

Thanks Art, I'll be watching the so called weed. I haven't planted it in the ground yet. I'll see how it behaves in the pot.

I have 2 bougainvilleas, a dwarf one that's in the ground and behaves pretty well. The other, I have it in a pot. I don't have much room even for pots anymore. Last year after moving over 100+ pots back and forth during the hurricanes, I swore that I would get rid of them. I planted everything I had in pots in the ground. I really don't want to go through that again, so I'm keeping the number of potted plants to a minimum.

I'm going to have to learn that panorama technique, it's very cool.

Val

Val, I looked at that weed several times today. The more I look the more I think it's not a weed. Whatever it is it's not a problem here.

Girls, Here is a listing of what I have growing and available for give away in the nursery.
Lemon Grass 3 about 3' each.
Turks cap 1 about 18" (from Molly) my cuttings are doing good so it's disposable.
Cleorodendrum bungeii 1 about 18"
Bougainvillea California Gold 1 about 6"
ZZ Plant 3 all not taken yet, but close. They are over a month old. These were experiments.
1 a leaf cutting 1-3" branch 1-7" branch.
2 Copperleaf about 5" shown in the copperleaf panorama as 2nd on left. I can make cuttings of any of the others.
Lanana 3 about 6" tricolor http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/73544/
Several Cardboard palms about 4"
Firebush 2 1-18" 1-12"
Pachysandra Pachysandra terminalis (yellow flowers) 2 about 6"
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/6868/

Dragon's breath I can dig out for you. http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/83060/
Elephant bush pictued above in the cat frame I can make a cutting for you.

Anything else I have pictured above or in plant files at the link below
http://davesgarden.com/pf/imagesbyuser.php?user=artcons

The cuttings I made for you yesterday are doing just fine.
Looking forward to Tuesday.

Art

Art, I would love the Turk's Cap if possible. Also, a Pachysandra cutting would be nice too. And the Plumeria, that's it.

If there's anything you would like from my yard let me know, so I can start some cuttings ASAP.



This message was edited Jun 1, 2010 12:00 AM

Val, I penciled you in for those.

I will take a look at your pictures again.

Thanks!

Art

I don't have anything fancy like you kids...but let me know if there is anything you want from here.

Hap

Nancy, I would appreciate some Coleus cuttings if possible. I don't have any of the bright red ones or orangey ones.

Is there anything that you would like from my garden? I have rooted cuttings of Stapelia, Ctenanthe, Polypodium, and Croton.


This message was edited Jun 1, 2010 12:01 AM

Nancy, Are you kidding me! You have a great assortment. I could spend day there getting cuttings, but I don't have the pots to put them in. Remember, 4" pots are at a premium around here.

I have a new picture for you. It's of a native plant I purchased this past January over in Naples at a native plant nursery. This is called a Horsemint, Spotted Beebalm, Bee Balm (Monarda punctata) http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/799/index.html

I have some under a Sable palm, two at the East wall in a bunch of other stuff and one behind the pool fence. It's a non descript plant which you wouldn't pay attention to as you passed it by, until it turns colors. It's doing that now. Today is the first day the largest one is beginning to turn colors.

This large one is about 2' tall in the midst of a bunch of other plants and bushes. The picture attached is of it, in the middle of this group of plants. Look directly at the center of the picture, you should see a white and violet colored flower or bract. This is the topmost part of the plant. The next post will have a closeup of this bract or flower, whatever it's called. The sky is overcast so the flash is going off so it's effecting the coloring of the pictures.
This picture is here to show you the size of the plant. Later on as the plant matures I will take more pictures to show it's colors.
This large plant was made from a cutting of the mother plant which is planted under the Sable palm. It took quick and was the first cutting I put into the ground. Based on how the various cuttings of this plant are growing, my suggestion is it be planted in full sun.
In the next post is a closeup of the flower or bract.

Art

Val, I noted in the above post you mentioned you have crotons available. I was impressed at your use of the crotons in your garden. This inspired me to use them more in my yard. I would take some of the crotons you would part with.

More on the Beebalm. This is a closeup shot of it's first coloration.
I should have plants to give away of this plant. I don't know how many are growing under the Sable palm, but if more than what I have growing is wanted by anyone, I can make cuttings. They take quickly.

This is a closeup without the zoom of the first coloration of the plant.
I expect it to get much more colorful.

Art

Nancy, perhaps you would part with cuttings of your ground hugging plants. I took one cutting (I think) from the N side plant grouping that is about parallel to the lake side of your lanai. I hope you understand what I meant by that. I am not sure I do.
If I remember correctly, you have several ground hugging plants. I wish I could remember which of the plants I have here is the one I have a cutting of.
In the future at cuttings sessions, I have to make notes I can understand when I get back home.

Here is a pic of how some of the cuttings recently made are doing.

Art

Art, your cuttings look really good. You are an expert at this. I would love to give you the rooted Croton, I have many more and I will bring some cuttings for you. They take quickly, so you should have no problem.

That Monarda looks really nice, if you have some to spare I would like some (boy, am I getting too greedy or what LOL).

I'm making plans to completely redo my backyard. It will be a monumental task, but I'm not happy with the way it looks. I will be getting rid of some plants,and most (if not all) of the grass. My DH rolled his eyes back and announced he was moving to Wisconsin LOL.

Molly, Nancy do you want any cuttings?


This message was edited May 31, 2010 11:59 PM

Still thinking Val........................:^))))

Art,

the cuttings that you showed are from the sweet potatoe vines...the only one that I have down by the lake is the bright, light green one. The cutting you took location I did not understand. Is it inside or outside the lanai? The only ground covers that I have is the purple leafed thing under the bananas near the house, Wandering Jew, and the sweet potato vines, three colors...I have some chenille plant that I don't give two hoots for and I am covering that over with my coleus. It has done nothing for MY garden..

Just let me know.

Sure, Val....coleus will be coming..

Nancy, My mistake. I should have been more clear. The picture was just to show how some of the plants are doing.

I am talking about plants that hug the ground. You had several, if I remember correctly. Small creeping plants. They were all outside. I did get a cutting of your sweet potato. That was the one i thought was redder than the rest, until I got it home. Now it looks just like the others. You are probably right. It must be the water.
With my luck, I probably took a cutting of a weed. laugh!
I also have a cutting of one of those creeping plants I am talking about. I will see if I can find it and bring it along Tuesday.

The sweet potato plant took in two days. I kept it in water the first night and second day & night. The third morning it had roots so i potted it. That's very fast rooting.

Val, don't forget the Beebalm, as I call it, is a very ordinary looking plant most of the time. When it blooms it becomes very showy.

I included a picture of what a plain Jane Beebalm looks like befor it starts to bloom. I wouldn't want you to be dissapointed because it's so drab looking.

The original plant went into the dirt under my Sable palm sometime in January. It didn't do much there except to provide a plant for me to get cuttings from. The others out in the yard, which I grew from cuttings, have grown two or three times the size of the one still under the Sable palm. The one pictured is on the North side of my pool fence. It's in full sun most of the day. It's probably only been in the ground since around April.

I don't know how these plants act in the winter time. That's why this is on the North side of the fence. Soon the sun will not reach the plant. Then I can begin to monitor it closely and see how it behaves. I can take action on the others which will be in the sun much longer after I see what happens to this one. This is important because when I got this plant it didn't even look alive. I mention I purchased it above, that's not true. The guy gave it to me as a bonus for buying five other plants. I think he felt ashamed trying to sell it to me because it looked dead.
This nursery is in Naples. They have much colder winters there than we do here. I know that sounds hard to believe, but it's true. There temps drop 15 to 20 degrees lower than mine here in Fort Lauderdale. I am hoping the plant doesn't die back completely in winter, but I don't know for sure.

Art

An announcement.
Here for the first time, the public viewing of my own "cultivar" (is that correct) hibiscus. You can tell it's a little shy, it's peaking out from the other side of the pool fence.

Trumpet music in the background...

Here it is...the Hibiscus Artcons

This is the third plant I have cultivated in my life & it's already the longest lasting one. The other two were a coleus and a pentas.

Art, I don't mind if it looks drab. I got plenty of drab looking plants, but then when they bloom they put on a show.

Nancy, would you like a cutting of Hoya? I got plenty to give away, this plant is growing at an incredible fast pace. It has a pretty flower with nice fragrance.

Molly, are you still thinking?

Art, I have you for Simpson Stopper, Bloodberry, Pink Porterweed, and Crotons. Is that it?



This message was edited Jun 1, 2010 12:00 AM

Sure Val, the tiny one that I have is almost as good as plastic.....

Art, that's a really pretty Hibiscus. You have to tell me how to do that. I know nothing about it.

The Hoya cutting is reserved for you Nancy

Okay, I think I am done thinking, it's caused me a small headache. Thinking can do that ya know. heehee

Art, the Pink Alamanda you have? Member I took 2 cuttings before? Well, they didn't make it. But now that I have your new method of propagation, may I try again?

Val, Do you have anymore pink porterweed to spare?

Nancy, Did you say you were getting rid of Chenille? I'm sure I could find some space for it.

Thanks,
Molly

Molly, I've got plenty to spare. I'll make a cutting for you.



This message was edited May 31, 2010 11:58 PM

Art, I think that with all your expertise that you should give a workstop on hybridizing...Yes. That's quite an accomplishment, and a beautiful one at that. I don't have the patience...

Molly, The chenille is the ground-creeper one. UGLY... but if you want..................

Hap,

Yep thats the one, good for me. :^)))

Molly, got the pink (actually purple) alamanda. I'll cut it in the morning. I am not surprised it didn't work for you. It took me many tries to get mine to take. Fortunately I got them from a house around the corner and the guy was very patient with me. He allowed me to take cuttings for, it seemed like months.
I have a note to discuss this on Tuesday.

Val, you about got it covered. That should keep me buisy for a while.

Hap, I discuss my successes here, not my failures. My listing of failures is 100 times longer than my successes. I don't have expertise, I have patience, lots of pots, dirt, and a place to try stuff.
Most people wouldn't tollerate my nursery next door to their house. Most wives wouldn't want this kind of a mess in their yard. My DW doesn't mind (at least out loud) all this makes it much easier to try things other people can't.

Art

Okay I am not galloping ha ha. I would like to know when is the best time to cut back Brugmansias in Florida? Corky

Corky, I have pruned them at any time of the year. It is a good idea to cut them back now in case we get heavy winds (hurricanes). They break easily with strong winds.
I've never had a problem cutting them back, they seem to grow back pretty fast. That's been my experience, but maybe others have something else to add.


This message was edited May 31, 2010 11:56 PM

Hap, Did your Ginger plant the painter stepped on ever recover? If not, I will gladly bring you another couple of plants.

Hi Corky! Welcome to our South Florida galloping gardeners area.

Art

Art, It's a trooper...Coming along fine. thanks....I'm OK

Art I been around awhile lurking. You can find me in epi's, I am Lucy's mom in pets and just the general all around flunky. {ask Molly} Good to meet you to. Cork

And I thought I was the only flunky in this group. Well, live and learn.

I thought I would give you girls a chance to jump on the Beebalm bandwagon as Val did. To encourage this, I took another picture of the Beebalm this morning. Fortunately this morning it began to bloom.

Take a look at the composit picture. Is this a cool looking bract and flower combination or what? Don't forget to let me know if you want one.

Art

That is cool Art.....ok, ya got me! I'd like one.

Molly
:^)))

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/534205/

Here we are starting 8/1/05...

Join us there..

Hap