Connie,
Plants in containers take less water and FL is very humid compared to Austin. I water once a day.
I even paint the inside of my terra cotta with water proofing paint, slows down evaporation and stops that white crust (salts) from forming.
Pentas are easy here, widely planted because they take the humidity without rotting. Zinnia, Cosmos and Marigolds really struggle when it rains everyday.
This is not my bed of Salvia farinacea>
What beauties you've been showing here. One of the prettiest for me this year is this lantana, don't remember its name, maybe confetti?
This is Zinnia Aztec Sunset. I really love the flowers. They are on the small side, but really stand out in the flower bed.
Deb
I really like this one, too. This is Nigella Chocolate Sundae. It just started blooming, I've never grown Nigella before, and with the name, I just couldn't pass this one up!
Beautiful pics, bug and mom!
Momcat, that is the first "chocolate" plant that truly has a chocolate color to it! Is it a vine?
No, it's not a vine. The few plants I have are very leggy, and kind of droop over. I don't know if that's how they normally are, or if it's just me!
Deb
These are the sunflowers I first posted here July 9th.
closer up
whoa...talk about "taking off"!!! :-)
I'm not sure if this is the right picture, because I'm really bad at labeling my pictures, but the only annual I'm really pleased with this year is Clarkia Mountain Garland. Wintersown.
Hmm, wrong pic.
Well, I guess I didn't take a good portrait. It's second from the left, in a shallow blue pot. (I wasn't expecting it to get so tall!) It was really pretty for weeks. Candytuft appleblossom is pretty also (on the left, with rosemary and sage.)
This message was edited Jul 25, 2008 7:45 PM
Carrie...what a beautiful array of pots! I like that you have mainly terra-cottas and the blues, and your flower colors blend so nicely with the pots! Was that an artistic "accident" or on purpose? Whichever, it's very nice!
My tithonia is just blooming it's fool head off right now..most of what you see here is ONE plant.
By the momcat, I love that zinnia! My zinnias are getting going too, although I don't have any pictures yet. (none are nearly as stunning as that, so that might be why!)
I really like those Zinnias. It was a pack of seeds from Thompson & Morgan. The flowers are small, but they are so pretty, they really stand out.
Connie, Thank you. http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1101/ etc. I like blue! I wish I were better at annuals, or at cutting trees down (grrrrr.) for some sun. - Carrie
A volunteer patch of cleome that appeared after the soil was cultivated too late to plant .
A unanticipated bonus.
jmorth...bonus, yes...but it's going to be a chore to get the seeds before they resow as that will be my front bed and I want to do something special with it. Right now a triple purple datura centers the front. It was planted when it got big enough to transfer, It was planted too late to have seed pods in this area so I don't have to worry about it dropping seeds.
Your definately right about those cleome plants, self-seed city.
My favorite self seeder is African Foxglove.
Love those African foxgloves! Ooohh, I see seed pods....Dale, you know those would be a great seed swap item...hint hint, nudge nudge, LOL.
Hint hint....I LOVE foxgloves!
Hi all,
As some of you may already know, I breed my own zinnias, purely as a hobby. This hybrid zinnia has Burpeeana heritage, and it is a single spreading plant. It has a wider plant than the regular Burpeeana zinnias. I particularly like it because it has several large flowers open at the same time, which can look good in the landscape. I plan to save seeds from it and cross it with other similar zinnias as well. I have a couple of protective nets on two of the flowers, to keep their pollen safe from the bees. The nets are barely visible, because I made them from black netting fabric.
MM
MaineMan (what a clever name!)
I agree about the net being almost microscopic! One would have thought the pic just a little pixilated...but when looking closely there is the net. Very clever. AND wow...what a gorgeous zinnia!!
BTW....DH and I have been to Manchester several times the last few years. DH is part of the design team for the new DDX being built in Maine!
I'm almost sure I planted zinnias .... somewhere ... all that's come up are marigolds, nasturtium, dill, basil, sweet pea, clarkia, .... no zinnias have made themselves known! Oh well, I imagine I will recognize them when I see them! MaineMan, those are very lovely ones you have bred!
This time of year makes me so thankful for annuals. So many perennials are pretty much done for the year, but many of my late planted wintersown annuals are loving the dog days of summer. The Magellan series of Zinnias made me so happy last year, I had to splurge on more this year. I was bummed about taking so long this spring to get them going, but now that they are in full swing I'm glad it turned out the way it did. Last year I got a really early start on them and had the first blooms in April, but by this time they were starting to look a little ratty. These are Magellan Coral, but they look more hot pink in the pic.
Magellan Scarlet is bright and cheery.
I snagged seed for these zinnias from a friend's plants last year. I think they're Cherry Profusion. Had no idea if they would look much like their parents, but have been pleased with the outcome.
I've wanted to try Kiss Me over the Garden Gate for years, and even with the Japanese beetle damage, I still love them!
I posted this pic on another forum, but am so happy with it I gotta show it off here. Italian white sunflowers and cleome share the bed with the KMOGG. They're happy as can be with highs in the 90's and high humidity!
Dale, be sure to let me know if you see anything you're interested in :-)
Tithonias, tall Zinnias, Park's Whopper Marigolds, and Ox Eye Orange sunflowers are cranking out blooms in this bed. There are also white Cleome you can see a couple of blooms of in there and white cosmos that are just starting to bud- I think it was the end of June when I finally got those planted. I love how the white cleome looks kinda like sparklers.
This is my first year growing Coral Nymph Salvia, and I love them! They just keep getting better.
gemini_sage,
I just love your Coral Nymph Salvia!
Neal, I will, thanks and enjoy the seeds.
Dale, love your photo...
Elsa, I'm saving seed from Coral Nymph and will be sure to include some in your goody envelope. They're said to reseed themselves freely, but I'm not taking any chances :-)
Thank you so much! Let me know if I have anything I can send in return.... Our "new" season is starting in less than a month - Spring is officially the 1st of September. Can already see the difference in the garden!
Oh, lucky you, Elsa! Spring for you, just when things are starting to wind down here. I'll be sure to get those fresh seed out to you for your spring sowing :-)
yesterday's sunflowers
