My new place in the Country

First, Donna- Your pictures are beautiful and you list daunting! Congratulations on all you have done.
Second, Becky- If I, inexperienced gardener that I am, can get a brug or datura metel to germinate, then you certainly can. Since I didn't know better, I just put the seeds someone had given me in some pots. I probably watered them faithfully for a couple weeks, but when nothing happened, I kind of ignored them, thinking they weren't going to grow. One day, voila,to my surprise, there they were! They are coming along now. The daturas have buds. I got one blossom on a datura, one was almost totally open and got knocked off by rain, another bud got knocked off by rain...... But anyway, I am giving these a try. What have you got to lose?

Becky, that's right Hydrogen Peroxide.Yes 2 tablespoon to a qt. of water.Just soak them to softnen up the outter coating they will not sprout in the water. Pot them up in potting mix that will drain well.Covered with about 1/4 inch of the mix and they should sprout in about 10-30 days.Keep misting them so they don't dry out but not so much as they will rot if kept to wet. My little guys are about 8-10 inches tall in 3 inch pots and all need to be transplanted to larger pots or in the ground.They are fast growers.They are real water hogs in the heat sometimes have to water all my brugs 2 times a day. Don

This message was edited Jun 9, 2007 2:33 PM

snuzer - I have some datura sprouting and growing, but the few seeds of Brugs that I planted 3-4 months ago never came up. The datura even had small lavender flowers on them recently. Very cute. I don't know how big they will get and they didn't seem to like all the rain we got recently, so don't know how they'll fair in the long run. But the brugs seem to be much more tempermental to me. But .... I would love to get one or two to germinate and grow! They are really beautiful plants!!! All of them. You are talking to someone who thinks anything blooming is fabulous! Until recently, the only thing I grew was grass and shrubs and trees. (None with blooms either! lol) I am soooo easy to please as a newbie! If it's got color, I'm thrilled!!!! LOL!

Thanks, Don! Will give it a try with the few seeds I have. Thanks to you and snuzer for the encouragement! I guess I just needed a little nudge or kick here! lol

I received brug and datura seeds in the same envelope from a DGer. I planted some of each and the above pictures show what came up. I believe the one in the bottom picture planted in the ground is a brug and I believe the 2 in the orange pots are brugs. The one in the back is kind of crooked, but I think it will straighten out. I may move it to a bigger pot or into the ground today. The brug that is in the ground has taken a lot of abuse. It has lost its leaves a couple times but just keeps coming back. I have read a bit on the brug forum recently, but any advice from the more experienced gardeners would certainly be appreciated! --Sue

I have 4 brugs, and 2 dats. One brug and one dat are fighting for there lives right now. Spider mites. I kill them, and they keep coming back. I'm about to get out the flame thrower. Grrrr

Donna I really enjoyed looking at your new place on this thread and love that photo of the wildflower bed.

Here is a photo from last fall of the giant cosmos that you gave me Donna a couple years ago. I save the seed every year.

Delisa - I like them too. Those Orange Giant Cosmos are so easy to grow and just look lovely. I see bees on them ALL the time. Probably butterflies like them, too, but I never catch them around those beds when I am outside. Your arbor and flower bed is really pretty! :-) I hope many more new plants are blooming in your garden beds this year! :-)

Becky the only plants that survived or that didn't float off were Brugs Tatiana, Monster Brug, Pink Velvet, and a couple of the seedling I was growing, My Surinam Cherry tree, Sinningias Tubuflora and Sellovii and a few of my tropical hibiscus. I have always been a generous trade and it all came back to me 10 fold. I have used a great e-Bayer seller for 4 years that sells small well rooted plants and seedlings for a good price with good shipping prices, I go to the flea Market in Mobile. I swear I don't know how the lady sells so cheap. I am talking full 1 gal root bound potted plants for 2 to 3 dollars a pot. She has all kinds of plants and I do lots and lots of trading. I grow a lot from seeds. I just started 171 brug seeds, 151 of Delisa's and 20 of Gary's crosses.

Delisa I dearly love my wildflower bed and if I had room I would also plant a whole bed of just the Orange Cosmos. It is my absolute favorite. I have lots of it in the wildflower bed and all around the duck cage. What I especially like about it is if a bad TS knocks it down all the branches keep growing up to 3 or 4' tall like a long border. I think that looks really neat to have a long wall of it lol. How tall have yours reached?? I have had some get 8' tall. Becky the Painted Ladies really love it and the Yellow. Sadly I have not been able to find anymore of the giant yellow

8 ft...wow : ) I don't think I've ever seen Cosmos that tall. I can only imagine how beautiful they are.

BlueGlancer do you have room for them? I have seed saved from last fall.

my chaste trees are very good butterfly and bee attractor.

Yes, I have alot of room.

I love my Chaste trees. They are blooming right now. I just bought them last year. They are beautiful. : )

yes they sure are. I have pics somewhere with 6 skippers on the one flower stem

Wow, all I had today were a bunch of bees, that I noticed. Bumble and honey.

oh no not today BG from my old home. The skippers are just coming in here. Haven't even seen a Long-tailed Skipper yet but do have 1 Silver-spotted Skipper

My butterflys are hiding out somewhere, also. Last fall they were everywhere. I'm ready for them to return. : )

blueglancer would you like some of the giant cosmos? Donnab gave me my first seeds 2 or 3 years ago and I have had them since. I would be happy to send you some.

Yes please, my addy is in the address exchange. Is their anything in particular that you have been looking for, that I might have?