S Fl Galloping Gardeners 9/1/05

Here we are.......rooten' and a tooten', no pun intended. We are a small group that meet every couple of weeks for a plant and info fix and are joined by many in spirit from all around. All are welcome..

Hap

Hi Hap. Nicely said.
If you get a chance, go back to the old thread. I posted a message after you.
Art

Art, I did, I did,,,,way ahead of you, silly goose.

Hi Hap. You probably got the same message I did as I was composing my post.
Questions. Did any of you try the photo software I distributed?

Anyone having trouble or success with the plants I gave out at the Butterfly World GT?

Of the plants you know I have, any requests for cuttings? Although they won't be ready for next week, they will be ready for the following GT.

Art

Art, my life has evolved around CNN. I will try it today....and report...

The others will have to chime in about the plants...

Hap

Art, I'm Ok for now. The Braziliean Nightshade and the Plumeria didn't make it again, but that's all right. I have plenty to put in the ground.

Happy to report that the Turk's Cap you gave me has already flowered. I was thrilled. Also the Monarda (still in a pot) has already flowered.

I's there anything you want? Hap, what about you?

Val

I'm OK....relatively speaking..

In this mornings paper there was a little To Do Today story at the bottom of the front page. It noted the first Saturday and every Friday morning there are guided tours of the Deerfield Beach Arboretum (AKA the tree zoo) here is a link http://treezoo.com/guide/

We might put this on a visit in the future list. We might get some good tips on what to plant to replace what we lost by visiting a place like this.

I am getting near the end of my cleanup here. It seems like it's never going to end, but I know it will.
I found out some information about generators we can discuss on Wednesday.

Art

I'm in the process of looking at generators too. We can share the info.

Hap

Ok, I have been working on my list of growing plants I have available for give away on Wednesday.

All are growing plants except where noted. Schefflera (Nova) (my best butterfly nectar plant), Coralbush, (Jatropha multifida), Spicy Jatropha (Jatropha integerrima), Shooting Star (Clerodendrum quadriloculare), Plumbago (Plumbago auriculata), Lantana (Lantana achyranthifolia), Pentas (Pentas lanceolata) bright red. Copper Leaf, (Acalypha wilkesiana) in bright green & white shades, Allamanda 'Cherries Jubilee' & Yellow, Peacock Ginger (Kaempferia laotica), Scorpion Tail (Heliotropium angiospermum), Golden Dew Drop & White Sky Flower (Duranta erecta) will make from cuttings. Also ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) (3), Pineapple (Ananas comosus) (3), Clerodendrum, Flaming Glory Bower (orange) (3) Blue Butterfly (blue & white) & bungeii (pink).
Then without lookin up all the technical names I have Party Time, Blanket Flower, Red Porterweed, Giant purple Porterweed (from B'fly World) (no need to ask as I am bring a couple of these for each of you). Cardboard palm, native milkweed, stevia, snow on the mountain, Beautyberry or is it Beautybush, Swedish Ivy, Dune Sunflower, Wild Yellow Purslane, Blue Daze.

I have good size extras growing of all my pictured bougainvillea here.
I have Hibiscus in small Red, Red Gold, Yellow, Large Red, Pink, Pink on Pink, Orange with red, and Fire & Ice multicolored. I will need to make cuttings of the hibiscus.
I have in for Val, Braziliean Nightshade and the Plumeria. She has been having trouble with these. I have one Firebush about 2' tall.

There is lots of other stuff growing in the nursery, most of which I got from you girls. I don't know the names of them yet, but as they get bigger I will take pictures. Many I have duplicated already.

Val, if you can part with another cutting of your Pink Porterweed. The one you gave me is finally growing, but it's so slow. I have had it at least a month and it's just beginning to grow. The one's I got from B'fly World are already doing better than the pink one you gave me.

Nancy, can you make me a cutting of your Bleeding Heart Vine, the white with red. The last one you made me turned out to be a Golden Shrimp Plant (it's doing great too.) BTW, can you remember "hey Cookie, lend me your comb".

Molly, if you can part with a cutting or two from your lavender, the one with the chrysalis on it.
The butterfly you are holding is a Spicebush Swallowtail or Pipevine Swallowtail. They are difficult to tell apart. I copied the following to explain why. "The distasteful host plants of its caterpillars give this swallowtail an unpleasant flavor, causing birds to avoid it. Several butterflies -- female Eastern Black Swallowtail, dark female Tiger Swallowtail, female Spicebush Swallowtail, female Diana Fritillary, and Red Spotted Purple -- have evolved so that they resemble the Pipevine Swallowtail. This kind of similarity, known as Batesian mimicry, may protect the mimics from predators.

Some plants I am searching for are Dutchman's Pipe & Pawpaw (Asimina triloba),

Art

Hi.
There hasn't been any activity or chatter since yesterday morning. Is everyone OK? Are you guys all right down there? I was at Costco earlier today. I worry about you. I saw generators and thought of you guys.

Sylvain.

Hi Sylvain. It's the weekend. It's usually quiet here. Molly is away, I am finishing up my cleanup. Got to get it done by Monday for our monthly bulk trash pickup.

How goes everything in Montreal. Is it getting colder yet?

We have a trip planned for this Wednesday.

Art

hey Sylvaine, even tho it's a holiday we are working on our house (every day). we never really go anywhere anyway. trying not to watch the news too much. i get on plantfiles and research plants that i want for the future garden. it actually felt cool here this morning, but that didn't last long! fall is around the corner tho and i can't wait for alittle break, esp. from the rain. i don't know what it's doing down south of me lately, but it pours here almost every day. i'm about 3hrs. from the galloping gang! i hope someday to go down and join in a nursery raid! that's the latest from umatilla. take care, debi

Hi all,

Just a quick note for now to say I am back and look forward to Wednesday.

If we are going to the Dania Water gardens and Living Color and having lunch, I would suggest Living Color first thing in the morning. It is much larger and will be better in the morning hours. If we are lucky we can get Mardella's friend to tote us around in a cart. Then lunch, then the Dania Gardens.

Art, I will be happy to bring you some lavender. Tomorrow when I am rested and fresher, I will look at the lists again to see your offers. My, my you have been good and busy propagating. :^))

Nitey
Molly

Hi, all.

So glad to hear that everyone is OK, just busy. Everything is fine here, it's been cooler for the last week, going down to 50F tonight. Some perennials have reached the point where they are slowly entering dormancy. I'm busy with cleanup too. Tomorrow, I remove wall paper. The painters are coming Thursday. Never a dull moment.

This spring, I opened a new bed in front of the house and planted it with all kinds of ferns. With this heat, combined with precious little rain, they suffered and did what ferns do: they protected themselves by drying up their fronds. The plant's bases themselves are fine and they'll be back next spring but the front of the house looks a bit frumpy. That's not a good look when you're thinking of putting the house up for sale.

I went to Home Depot today and bought some fall chrysanthemums that I'll plant in the front of the bed to break down that desolate effect. I'll also cut down the dead fronds. Interestingly, some weeds are growing in there where the ferns keeled over. Gotta admire them weeds!

Once Labour Day is over, I'll cover the pool with a net to catch the leaves in preparation for winter. I'll be glad when we're out of here. With the impending cold, it's only a matter of time before Gail starts aching from her arthritis again.

We don't go very far ourselves, with gas prices the way they are and so much going on in the house. We have imposed a maximum of 1 hour of news watching a day upon ourselves. This catastrophe in NO is influencing the whole world.

Unfortunately, I can't say I am impressed with the relief effort's expediency or efficiency so far. That general they sent in there looks like he could put a positive spin on the end of the world if he had to. He should get into politics. Second-guessing is so easy when you're far...

Take care, you all.
Sylvain.

Visiting early this morning so I can get out there when it's light to finish my clean up. Last chance to get out all the trash left over from the storm. It's bulk trash pick up day. They get here early.

Molly, if you have the time, would you look up the information you said you had on "creatures" or "figures" made from "boot jacks" of Sable Palms. My largest Sable palm is about ready to begin yielding the boot jacks and having something creative to do with them would be nice.

Sylvain, on weeds, I have given weeds from my yard to the girls. When they bloom I will send up a picture. They have a dainty red flower that resembles a miniature pointsetta. I also have growing in my yard Shepherd's Needles or Butterfly Needles, a weed that my small butterflies love, especially during the winter months when there is not much else in bloom. I have patches of the butterfly needles around the yard for the butterflies. During the summer months I keep them cut back, but in the winter I let them grow everywhere they pop up. Here is a picture of a Butterfly Needles bush.

Back later on.
Art

Artcon, i have those too. i've always called them Spanish Needles, but whatever the name, you are right. they provide a splash of color and the butterflies love them and i leave a big patch growing at the edge of the yard. debi

Good Morning All,

I had a good nights sleep and been back in here doing some catching up. It's sprinkling a little outside. I am hoping for a light overcast to get out and do some transplanting. My Bush Beans are ready to go in the veggie plot now. I have some Sugar Snap Peas I took from the vines last year I need to plant also.

Do yall remember the Morning Glory Bush I bought I think at Jesse Durko's? I planted it by the tool shed at the corner of my veggie space. When the power workers were here to restore my electricity, they broke of a good sized branch from the plant. I found it later in the day and took what Art told me about propagating cuttings. I snipped the branch in 2, put the greenwood in water and put the hardwood in soil someplace.

The greenwood cutting is growing some roots now in the water. I can't find the hardwood cutting. I don't remember where I put it. I'm sure it will surface sometime soon.

Art, the bootjack art is shown in a picture below. SWPT15 is the artist. I am trying to post a link of the photo she sent in a Dmail. I'm not sure you will be able to see it but here goes: http://davesgarden.com/mail/pmailpic.php?pid=229654 She calls these Spirit Men.

I have another photo I want to share with you in my next posting about Turks Cap.

As to the Turk's Cap, I received mine in trade at the Okeechobee Roundup, I believe from Norma. She gave me numerous interesting plants.

There were 2 turk's caps I received, one of which I believe Art got from me and as Val said she has a cutting from that one.

Mine has grown quite tall, about 3 1/2 feet. When it got to 3 feet it leaned over so I stuck a piece of dead branch in the cross board of the wood fence and pulled the top of the Cap back up to be held there. It stayed put until the hurricane came and dislodged it. Well, I pulled it back up and it's fine now. It never stopped blooming. I think yall are going to love this plant.

Art,

The Alamanda Cherries Jublilee, will that be a rooted cutting? I failed at rooting the cutting you gave me the first time we met. Also, may I have some Blue Daze? (funny, this one does very well here in Fla and I have never have any.)

I can bring some cuttings of Jewels of Opar, both variagated and the solid green if anyone likes. The green I have growing in full sun in the B'fly garden. The hurricane broke a top piece off one, I stuck it in the ground and it rooted right away. I love it when that happens :^)))

I will be going out there in a few to get some work done and will see what else is ready to share.

These last couple of weeks have been strange for me, my garden is not looking real great due to all the winds etc. After this work trip, I am only going to work on Thursday. The rest of the days will be for gardening and meeting up with yall.

Molly
:^)))

Rain break!
Hi Molly. I will put in a couple of the Cherries Jubliee for you. The Blue Daze is growing i'll bring it along. You were right about the Turks cap. I did give a cutting of mine via you, to Val. Yours looks terrific. One of these days I will get mine into the ground.

I also have available a growing Snow on the Mountain and cuttings can be made from my Neoregelia crispata, Variegated Devil's Backbone, Dark Pink Oleander. Elephant bush verigated or solid green via Nancy are growing, and just about anything else in my yard I can make cuttings of. For pictures go to http://davesgarden.com/pf/imagesbyuser.php?user=artcons&offset=0

The image of "Spirit Men" was good. The link didn't work though. I wonder if she broke off the "legs" of the boot jack, or they are stuck in the dirt. From the picture it looks as though she broke off the "legs" part. I think I will try to do this using the legs as the base so it will look like it is standing on two legs rather than looking like a shield. At any rate, it will be an interesting project. Thanks for sending it up. My biggest Sable Palm is just getting to the point where I can almost take off the boot jacks intact.

Break is over.

Later, Art

Hi to all, Corky

Hi Corky, Good to see ya here. Wish you could come on Wednesday, but I know we'll see ya here in November for the South Florida Round up.

Art, You couldn't get the other photo because it's in a private d-mail and won't link. I suspected that would be the case. I wrote to SWPT and asked if she would come post it over here. She had some great art there and maybe she would tell us how she extracted the "boots jacks" from the tree.

Molly
:^)))

Art? Did you say pineapple? real pineapple?

Molly
:^)))

Sure Molly, real pineapple. I grow them all the time. When you visited here I had several growing. I thought I showed them to you.
They were right in front of my nursery area on the other side of the fence. They look like most bromeliad. They have sharper edges on the leaves and they do get much bigger than most bromeliad. Their leaves get verigated here turning bright red with green. I attached a picture of mine, which I have already eaten.
If you take one, don't get your hopes up on eating it soon. It won't be ready to eat until the summer of 07.

Art

Art,

You are funny. I do remember you had one and I was thinking I couldn't be so lucky as to get one.

I have time to wait for fruit. :^)))

Molly

Molly, I'll get one ready for you.
On the plants, usually I keep them in large pots the first year. My reasoning for this, I only have so many places I can grow tomatoes so if I can free up a space for a season, I will. The tomatoes and pineapples share the same basic spot. The tomatoes only last until early June. Then I put in the pineapples for the next year. That second year I will grow tomatoes in large pots.
This year because of my giving away three one year old plants I don't have a two year roatation on hand.
Now that I am expanding my growing area to the North, perhaps I will try both in the ground at the same time.

Art

Hm? tomato flavored pineapples? Yummy, Cork

Hi Cork. I have to do it that way, I have limited room for the tomatoes and a strange layout of my yard. Only so many places I can plant tomatoes to have them get full sun.

Molly, Nancy, Val. See you at Living Color at 9:30.

If you have any spare 4" pots, I sure could use 'em.

Thanks

Art

Yes Art,

I forgot to tell you, I will bring 4" pots and coke bottles.

Molly
:^)))

Val, Call me.....

Where can I buy 4" pots in bulk? I need many. I am going to use my Lead money for this project, so I do have money to spend on pots and soil.
Nancy

HI Nancy, That's a problem I have too. I do have a suggestion for you. Try local nurseries. We visited one today where they were throwing them away. No, I didn't ask for any. With your situation, they would probably part with them just for your asking for them.
In the past I have had luck with landscaping companies in my area. Once they start putting out the impatients on commercial jobs they accumulate 4" pots quickly.

Art

Thanks for the suggestions, Art. I'll check around. I may make it a group project with three students per group to save costs in pots and soil. Some are bringing in the soda bottles already.

Your S. Fla Galloping Gardeners got together yesterday for a trip to Living Color Nursery.
That's every nurseryman's dream, a bunch from the local garden club roaming through their nursery with shopping bags. LOL
Not true, we only use small bags.
It was a nice day for a trip. The weather started out nice but by noon it was hot. It was my first day in the sun since early last week.
The nursery looked pretty good, considering it had taken a hit from Katrina. A few greenhouses with fabric covering lost their tops. There must have been damage to many plants because their trash area was full. We picked up a few cuttings and plants from the trash area.
We did get idea's from hypertufa they had recently poured and several yard castings.
As usual the girls answered my bunch of questions as we were galloping around the nursery. We must have walked a good five miles.
After our nursery visit we had our customary cuttings/plant exchange. Then went for a nice lunch at a small diner just up the street from the nursery. We once again solved the world's problems in the time it took to eat lunch.
Here is a picture of the girls. Not as good as my usual work, but nonetheless a picture of them. From left to right, Val (jnana), Molly (MollyMc) & Nancy (Happy_1)

Art

Those are 3 beautiful ladies. All right now what kind of goodies were in the trash?
sidney

I only took one, a cutting of a nice purple passion flower vine. It's already under a terrarium.
Art

I gotsa about 8 mini caladiums...and an EE, very small...FREE.....

I just got a cutting of a Giant Milkweed. Ok, it was already broken hehehe. I behaved really well, didn't give in to temptation. We had a good time as always.

Val, to get that Milkweed to take-up water, sear the cut stem with flame. Put in water, it will crisp right up. Makes them suitable for cutting garden too.
sidney