Totally. When I'm broke (=now!) I would much rather buy plants than clothes or shoes, for example. And I'm a girly girl! lol
Tuberose Bulbs on ebay
LOL robcorreia! I bought some pants for the first time in 5 years last month!
Any extra spending money I get goes to the garden or other hobbies which are also garden related. I hardly ever go anywhere these days since I work from home....so I don't need very many "nice" clothes anymore.
I would rather eat beans and rice for a few days too, and be able to get a coveted item for the garden.
Sad to admit...but I agree with both of you!!! Much rather have a coveted plant then to spend it on new clothes...or new camera equipment....
My tuberose purchase resulted in five dime sized dried out little husks. I was deeply disappointed. If none come up I will try the vendors posted in here. Chantell, didn't you try some gardenias? How did they fare over the winter?
-Joe
Hey JOE!!! How you be???? If you're comfortable please share who you purchased yours through so we know to avoid. As for the Gardenias....the Kleim's Hardy from Bluestone never thrived - they replaced it...I'm coddling it a bit before putting it IN the ground - our night temps have still been dropping into the 40's. The shooting star has done great - kept its leaves even during the winter (course it was a mild one for us) - it has at least tripled in size. The Chuck Hayes...bless it's heart is still alive but seems to be a struggle for him. Gotta work on him a bit and get the EE pot in front of him again to shade that direct sunlight. I'm now a proud owner of a Stephan's Jasmine (thanks to my buddy Becky)...couldn't resist after hearing you talk about it last year. Matter a fact was thinking about you as I was tossing the coffee grounds/egg shells (what the heck - kitchen sick too?) out around the Gardenias....sugar? creme? ROTFLOL ^_^
I feel bad saying it in here without approaching her first. I planted them thinking they might come back the way my colocasias did last year. Looking at the bulbs in here though, by comparison they were not satisfactory.
w00h00 about Stephan's jasmine! This year mine didn't die back at all! It's now sending out LOTS of new growth around the top of the vines. I got a Kleim's hardy to try to kill again in a few seasons (once I have enough propagateed to try it in multiple locations.) The starts of Chuck Hayes I got in here from someone I killed before I figured out an easy way to root gardenias.
I still have plenty of "Veitchii" though. I am looking forward to its spicier fragrance this summer.
Ya know, sometimes my gardenias just get a leftover cup of coffee. I haven't noticed them being upset about either splenda, sugar, creamer, or flavored cream. :)
I'm spinning around in circles right now with the stuff I have to get going. I have poincianas, brunfelsias, and gardenias to pot, as well as cruel vine to start somewhere outside. The local garden club is touring my "lush tropical paradise" this August. It is currently neither lush, nor tropical, nor a paradise. :/
Right now I am a project-making fool. I ripped out a bunch of shrubs, got a half a ton of, well, processed sewage sludge, from the local wastewater treatment plant (talk about shoveling a load of ...), I have a lot of mulch to put down, a screen to erect (made out of old recycled wooden doors, I'll post photos), castor beans to plant. AUUUUUGGGGHHH.
But it'll look pretty when I am done. I tell myself that. :)
HEY, my musa basjoo came back in force. That's an amazing thing. :) I am kinda worried right now about chlorosis, but I'm applying magnesium salts and plenty of water.
-Joe
lol! And me too, I have found a new use for my kitchen window...Whenever I make coffe of eggs...just open the window and toss over the flower bed!
Ok now Joe...that's just plain teasing with all of us!!! Tell me you're either succeeding at keeping "Veitchii" alive INdoors...or even more amazing you were able to keep it from dying OUTside in your zone?!?!?!? Then you say " I figured out an easy way to root gardenias." OMG...I'd pay good $$ for that secret. Out of SEVEN green cuttings of Maid of Orleans cuttings I got ONE to root for me. Course I have no heat mat and our weather's been unseasonably cool (not complaining except for my plants). Someone was kind enough to send me two rooted brunfelsias toddlers - so any helpful hints on those would be very helpful. Now I've got to google poincianas - if you like it...it most certainly would be something I'd like.
I am SOOO excited about the Stephans...you and by bestest buddy have kept those going outside in our zones.
Poincianas aren't fragrant as far as I know, but it's called Pride of Barbados (or flamboyant tree) for a reason, http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2247/ . :)
K. Easy way to root gardenias. Get a small aquarium. Fill it full of H2O, set the temp to around 78 degrees F, give it fourteen hours a day of light and run an aerator in it. Drop in your clippings (any size, even little buds broken off of branches, thank you kitty cats for that one.) I get 100% rooting.
Someone told me that gardenias are toxic to fish, but my tetras didn't seem to mind it at all (fish are optional.)
I didn't get veitchii to thrive outside. It lived indoors. I have six rooted cuttings of veitchii.
Maid of Orleans is a jasmine. My success with jasmines is more hit or miss. I have maybe a twenty percent success rate with jasmine cuttings, although I may give them a try in the aquarium too.
For my seed germination I got a length of reptile heat rope, a used 50 gallon aquarium with a hood, a 40 watt fluourescent tube. I taped the heat rope to the bottom of the tank and set the seedling trays in the aquarium with the light on fourteen hours a day. I'm facing some difficulties hardening everything off, but it has worked well for me for daturas, poincianas, castor beans, hyacinth beans, and tomatoes.
I tried brunfelsia seeds. I did not label my rows of seedlings. I have two seedlings with shiny round leaves, but then I see that lo and behold, cruel vine has shiny leaves too, so I'll be surprised by whatever grows. :)
-Joe
I was sent an e-mail yesterday letting me know that my tuberose was shipped out, so I'll post pictures as soon as I get them.
Shellabella~ where are you planting yours? Will they be a focus of your garden or will you plant them in the back? I love the hear how people plant their things...
FH Mom..can't wait to see yours when they arrive!
I have them in a small bed just off the pool cage door. It has a Rangoon Creeper climbing the fence in the back of the bed and then these are in the front. So I guess they will be a focal point of sorts.
I use that door alot so I wanted to smell the fragrance everytime I passed by there.
Yes~ if they are good I think many will be interested as the price was right.
I have ginger outside my patio door that looks pretty at first but as it gets older and larger it gets too much sun and the leaves get yellow then die- which is not pretty enough for me to keep them there. I think I'll move them to a shadier spot and try the tuberose there.
Gosh Joegee, I wish I was that resourceful! It must feel goo to see those cuttings growing roots!
Sorry I got off topic. Yup, I am always glad when I can get something to propagate, especially something I want to kill ... I mean, um, cultivate, outdoors over the winter. :) Kleim's Hardy will be a victim, err ... volunteer next year.
Tuberoses, Touch of Nature looks excellent. I see they have gloriosa lilies too (one of my favorite wierd flowers.) Hmmmmmm.
I *did* find an extraordinary place to order from on good ole ebay: http://stores.ebay.com/Wellspring-Gardens . He has some lovely plants, his shipping is decent. I got a confed. jasmine, a Kleim's hardy, and a hardy amaryllis (hippeastrum x johnsonii) for less than $15.00, and they are all beautiful.
-Joe
For those who haven't grown Tuberose before - it resembles a 'clump' of uncut grass the first few months until it sends up the bloom stalks...then it looks like a clump of overgrown grass with shoots...LOL. This is not a particularly "pretty" plant - just so no one's disappointed....but it certainly makes up for that with very heavily scented blooms by late summer/early fall.
Joe - so you were happy w/size of plants as well?
This message was edited May 22, 2008 12:40 PM
Thanks for the info Chantell, I have a few plants like that already...ie: Rain Lilies...they don't look like much until they bloom, but no scent either. They make a great border tho. I have hundreds of them...they multiply nicely!
They weren't huge. For the price I wasn't expecting that, but they were well packed and healthy. They have ample opportunity to become huge. :)
-Joe
Holy cow! The tuberose just arrived!! I ordered 25, but received 27 and some dribbles. I ordered them on Tuesday and they arrived this morning. I did not pay extra to have them shipped more quickly. They cost .50 each, so I paid 12.50 plus the $7 shipping. They were packed very very nicely. And... they are large. Very large. I would say they are about 4x4 or 5x5. I will post pictures this weekend.
~~ Positive recommendation for Touch of Nature out of GA ~~
FH - don't forget to put your feedback for them on our WatchDog - here's their link: http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/1594/
Yes~ I was thinking about that. I have 2 extra teens for the weekend, so I can only be on the computer in snatches, but I'll do that tomorrow. Thanks!!
I think you got a great deal FH Mom!
Alrighty was just staying quiet...but when I rec'd a belated "Happy Mom's Day" card w/a $20 in it from my sis I HAD to order. I asked for 1/2 and 1/2...so got 13 of singles and 12 of the doubles - s/h also $7 as quoted...ordered 5/19 (I think)...rec'd today. I didn't pick the largest - nor the smallest....but the best I could determine was avg size. To the left of the soup can is one of the single tuberose clusters and to the right is the double tuberose cluster. I am MORE then happy...will reserve ultimate judgment once i see how they thrive. Oops almost forgot...I did order mine from Touch of Nature www.touchofnature.com
This message was edited May 24, 2008 12:25 AM
k, mine were about the size of the red 80 calorie sticker ... :)
-Joe
Ahh Joe....I'd really contact this person you bought your's from. I can email my pic to you if you want to use it. Just pop me a dmail