Mao, That one in the picture above is Princess of India. It has unusual purple-green leaves.
This one is Indian Chielf...a trailer or climber (sort of) that bloomed more heavily, even though it was in more shade. One plant went about 8 feet along the edge of the bed where I have English Ivy. Gave some color to the green ivy, and made it look (from a distance) as if the whole 10 foot length was planted in flowers.
Suzy
maozamom, how long did it take for your veronica to get that big? I saw the thread you were talking about making your greenhouse out of windows it's soo cool I just love it! I lurk a lot around here just don't post lol Do the veronicas spread a lot, I planted some last year and can't wait till my blooms get that size! I'm gonna have to get some 'sunny border blue' seeds for sure! If you want to collect some seeds from them next year just wait until the seed pods turn brown and lean them over into a paper bag and shake they put out a lot of seeds!
Lea
maozamom, what is that variegated plant with your bee balm (i think) at the bottom of the picture? It's not a hosta is it?
Here was my very favorite combination from last year.
It was some little baby red poppies, chrysanthemum tricolorum (or whatever they call it now) and Chrysanthemum Primrose gem. The Primrose Gem didn't make the photo, those are near dead Calendulas at the top.
I am trying to get a seed strain of the prettiest (most red colored) of the C. tricolorums.
This message was edited Jan 11, 2008 2:35 PM
This was my favorite photo from 2008. It just sort of shows the exuberance of it all. Now do you see why I love annuals so much?
This was all brand new garden from dirt -- none of it older than one year, and almost all of it from seed. I'd say 98% fro seed. We did a major remodle/construciton project, and I had given away all my perennials as we were getting ready for it.
LeBug....I was going to ask mao the same thing!!! I have a canna marked to get from www.dutchbulbs.com (vanBourgondien) that is called variegated canna 'stuttgart'. Same exact varigated leaves! Aren't they beautiful? I'm curious if Mao's blooms are soft orange too???????
I've been enjoying everyones garden photos :)
here is a mosaic bird bath I made for our hummer garden
Wind, Love your bird bath, I have an old concrete one from a close departed neighbor that I just love it has a crack in the top part, did you use anything to put another layer on it? That is so cool! I don't do canna's too many other plants maybe later, do you think that is a canna doesn't look like it to me from the leaves thought they hung different.
Suzy, I don't know how you do it trying to keep up with all of your zinnia seed strains and others too? lol
Suzy- so the Indian Chief is your favorite nastersium? It's really appealing to me. I grew nastersium once years ago and I guess I had it in the wrong spot or something because I wrote it off but I like yours very much. Beautiful annual garden. Just the colors I like. The work of transplanting so many seedling is intimidating.
LeBug- the veronica is 2' tall and about five years old.
LeBug ans Wind- Canna stuttgart is right. In two years it hasn't bloomed for me.
mao
It may not have bloomed but it sure is beautiful!!! I love foliage plants!
Than you should think about hosta
LeBug, I pull a lot of seedlings out when they emerge if I don't like the foliage color, and again when they bloom if the flowers are wrong or will infect my seeds with bad or wrong genetic material. I encourage everybody to do it whenever I can. It's part of gardening.
The 'Indian Chief' was actually one I hadn't planned on sowing, but I had it and put it over in the shade to compete with the ivy. And it did, and so successfully, and so amazingly I am still astonished... somewhere I have a pic of it (the same area of the garden as the photo above, just off to the left and not inthe picture).
On Feb 5, ask me for the seeds in dmail. I sent some to WZ, nbbut I'm sure ther eare more LOL!
No it is not my favorite Nasturtium....I still have packs and packs to go before I choose it. LOL!!! Don't forget I like to keep my seed starins clean and pure, so I can't grow a million kinds of anything that can cross pollinate. One of everything is my motto. Last year I had 3 kinds of red marigolds...they all were very similar so if they crossed I don't care, but growing a yellow one was out of the question.
Does that make sense?
Suzy
You want to see where the seeds are going? Here is the fountain on the terrace. The new gardens will extend in a 12 foot radius.
Here is the "woodland garden" where I hope to put some shade loving stuff :-)
Rats, wrong picture! If this is the correct picture, you should see some neighbours helping dig up the soil for me (early last summer)
Here are some neighbours last summer planting stuff around the fountain.
Good DG members sent us irises and daylilies - can you believe it? We are soooo lucky.
My own gardens . . . .
Yes Suzy, I though that was a great idea but you know seems like I always get the flowers that I want out of them but I am going to watch them more closely from now on thanks to you! I am going to do some zinnias this year too so I'll watch them really good this year too. There may be times I may call on you to make sure I'm doing right :) And yes you are making sense!
I thought that was so funny when those 'black prince' got offerd I dmailed right away and told her to save you some :) Am I kissing butt or what lol
maozamom, is that thunder blot or what hosta is that, I have risky business have you seen that one it's beautiful dark green but they say it may revert back to it's moma can't remember which it is but I will cry if it does I've only had it for two years in a pot but put one in the ground last year I have three lol I love hostas but my shade is leaving me too many old trees falling apart but I'm on the way to planting a bunch more.
Seandor, love your shady spot! I'll have to check some shady plants out for you next fall, you could dmail me in the fall and see what I have :) I have to move a few from my 75' shade garden but trying to plant some taller plants around it until the trees get to going, get this, dumb me I planted hollies in front of my shade garden to shade it lol It will take them forever to get big, what was I thinking!
back semi-circle garden
another view
Back corner - by the end of the season the five datura I planted under the standard rose totally dominated the corner - who knew they would grow sooo big!
you almost got it Lebug, it's Dream Weaver. I had to read read my caption or I wouldn't have know which one it was.
Here's Regal Splendor.
Seandor, I love daturas I usually plant them in pots but this year I'm putting them in the ground, I was just sort of experimenting with them in pots to see if I liked them lol
What are the white flowers in a line infront of your ballon flowers? Are they dasies? Your gardens are beautiful!!! The white fence just adds the icing to the cake too 8^)
Seandor, your garden is so romantic. Beautiful pictures.
The colors are wrong but the size is bold enough that I have brugmansia in my garden
I love seeing all the pics here! Lea, you really do need to get a camera so we can see your gardens too!!
Your brug is gorgeous, LeBug!
I had datura and brugs for the first time last summer and I love both - but I had no idea those little plants would get soooo huge! From now on all the tall types are staying in planters.
The white flowers are wax begonias that I buy as plugs in the spring - they make this fabulous low hege with bright green leaves and white, white flowers. Alas, they are not perennial, so I am hoping to accomplish a similar white edge with white and blue balloon plants in full sun gardens on the terrace.
This message was edited Jan 11, 2008 7:57 PM
>>maozamom, is that thunder blot or what hosta
My guess was going to be Great Expectations
Your Regal Splendor is gorgeous!! I just got mine last year... so it has not filled out yet.
I am so envious of all of you that have huge yards with HUGE flower beds.
Seandor- I have my brugs in buckets with large holes drilled in the sides. I bury them in the ground bucket and all and they spend the winter in my basement. I can understand your needing a perennial to replace the begonia but they sure are pretty in your photo
tcs- Dream Weaver is a sport of Great Ex. but it has more blue which make it a healthier plant. You'll really like your Regal Splendor when it gets its full umbrella shape.
This was a great combination of wallflower and lupine from last year. Trouble was it was either bright sun or breezy every time I tried to photograph it so I had to settle for this blurry image.
Seandor that brug wasn't mine I wish it was, I have no light to over winter them they are maozamom's, georgeous! I tried a cutting one time that someone sent me and it got big but no flowers at the end of the summer even :( sigh, I just settle for daturas.
Does anyne have a picture of Tithonia, I have some seeds for some and was wondering if they get busy or not, not sure where I'm going to plant them until I find out. I have the orange one. I want to plant quite a few of them but don't know how much space they take.
Kath, I hope to have pictures for next year!
My brugs are in a room in the basement we rarely enter. They get very little light and little water. Most of the leaves fall off and they go dormant. If you have a place for them they're very easy to over-winter. In the spring I start watering more often and get them outside as soon as I can. They usually only bloom late in the season the first year but when they get older they produce many flushes of flowers. LeBug and anyone else , if you want a cutting get in touch with me in the spring. I kept lots of them.
I had a clump of five or six Mexican sunflowers by my faucet last year. With all the extra water the grew to be eight feet tall. If you like orange I think you should try them but you might not want so much water.
Hosta 'June' and columbine
maozamom, June looks nice with the columbine, I have June I love the blue color in it!
My basement is really damp don't think they would make it there what do you think? I have plant stands down there but afraid the light wouldn't let it go dormant enough to keep it from dying. I have the plant stands surounded with tarps lol There are five of them them plus the watering station takes up quite a bit of space like 1/3 of the basement.
I don't think they have to go dormant. I say give it a try. I can send you a number of cutting. I have 13 plants and a washtub with maybe 30 large cuttings. Nothing fancy but even ordinary brugs are beautiful.
I don't know, I just hate it when a plant isn't happy and worry worry about them until they are good to go, even fish, my son left two tanks here when he moved out and I have managed to kill 3 fish and they die a slow death and just can't handle it lol Maybe I'm a little too sensitive? lol Or just a worry wort lol
Are the Tithonia Mexican sunflowers? If so how wide do they get? I always have the big sunflowers that the birds plant in one bed but very seldom get to see a pretty bloom because of the finches they eat them before they seed lol
LeBug....are these the ones you want to know about? If so, I have a picture somewhere on here of the bush, I will try to find it. I love them.
Gosh Lucy those are pretty I've been eyeing them for a while.
LeBug, Ok, I've found the bush picture. Do you have seeds?
I got some in a trade this year do you need some haven't looked at them yet to see what is in there I'm sure there would be enough to share with you, that's one plant? I like that! How far do you think I should plant them apart from eachother?
Lebug
I have plenty of seeds if anyone needs them, in the 2nd chance swap.. The bushes get about 3ft wide and 3 to 3 1/2ft tall. Butterflies love them.
Well I'm gonna plant those puppies for sure! Thanks Lucy! :) I can see why the butterflies love them!
Hey Blue, I know tithonia doesn't like rich soil, what do you start your seeds in? or are you not fussy. I tried to grow them in below average soil direct sowing and they were...well...below average!!
Hi Lea!!!!
The tithonia look amazing! I am so pleased I got seeds in a trade :-)
