tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81932430736101286072024-03-12T20:06:02.275-07:00The Transitional GardenerA periodic report on what's happening in my small, but jam-packed garden in coastal Virginia. Major interests include growing uncommon plants, propagation techniques, and adapting gardening methods to suit our somewhat capricious climate in the "transition" zone between the Northern and Southern states.Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-64907130014245629722009-08-12T11:29:00.000-07:002009-08-13T02:11:02.942-07:00Confessions of a Gesneri-nerd<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368248493994353906" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj94ydK883dnXpqa8ZHdcbBfAAp4lE7DgIueBr3D4EMJHOiasBD9CwumaqNiYZZ61f2zUE3gPOdlHVfyv5mDtUzUjVmIXE_QELZYwbj15amoj4p0y8CIRL73t9_YjOc9h14g_DZqvJBVEzW/s320/Hemiboea+subcapitata809.JPG" /> <span style="font-size:85%;">Above is Hemiboea subcapitata, among the hardiest of gesneriads for me so far, having overwintered successfully even in large containers. Its one aesthetic drawback is that the bracts which subtend the tubular blooms invariably turn brown just as the flowers begin to open. Below, Kohleria 'Longwood', tender, but happily bedded out for the summer.</span><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367702038693733858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEPkvhQI8hwCsBbt1k-ZVxqMYwQQwh7pMZUHSNVcfveToq5-3hC3dNaXxvsB6s8PQTScnMGPtahMl7XM2tN__rjCH725aHoM-vV74eKNfDxJKZm74ZEXCZ0vOCZ0x892JKSx_RLAWyaDp/s320/KohleriaLongwood.JPG" />A person whom I used to consider one of my best friends has been riding me unmercifully about having attended the annual convention of the National Gesneriad Association in Silver Spring, Maryland last month. Try as I might, I’ve been unable to disabuse him of the notion that this constituted either (a) a coven of old ladies sporting red hats and purple dresses swooning over African Violets (not that there's anything wrong with that) or (b) a gathering of nerds in skin-tight spandex huddled in groups discussing favorite episodes in which various Gesneriads attacked the Starship Enterprise (that either...I guess). In truth, it was sort of both, featuring a spectacular array of plants for sale and on display, lots of nice, knowledgeable people, and what I’m sure were very informative lectures which I would love to have heard, had time and circumstances permitted.<br /><br />So when our friend arrived the other night, I was prepared: I had many new plants to show him that I considered indicative of what was available at the sale, but nowhere else; several examples of blooming gesneriads in the landscape which are totally hardy here; and, best of all, a brand new, very flamboyant (they had a more tasteful version, but I figured I’d let my gesneriad freak flag fly all the way) new t-shirt. It’s emblazoned with a colorful botanical illustration of Episcia reptans, about a thousand times normal size, and a banner headline that reads “The Gesneriad Society.”<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367702839621600914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALHpIvi42lTMKLGcrdf4eGyt_pexy7N1WiYTe9LzazvO4fm6xI9pYYmg9VXAC66YKUREhdS5zcqIfSe0YHXDI32k4Y0QKtfE2liagiaSqJne9cPF8XG_FBb7OSUySYBsRyTxa2yzVI1iA/s320/GesneriadshirtJuly09.JPG" /> Sadly, my friend (as well as my long-suffering partner) remained unimpressed. Pressing on, I regaled them with the virtues of gesneriads as hardy landscape plants here, mentioning that I've been trialing some plants for hardiness which had heretofore been considered only suitable for greenhouse cultivation. I showed him one of my tiniest Sinningias (‘Rio das Pedras’), full grown and comfortable in a pot the size of a thimble; his comment was “I bet people walk all over those in South America all the time and never notice.” Finally, just to humor me (he does this, which is one reason I like him so much), he did ask an extremely intelligent question: “So just what makes a plant a Gesneriad?”.<br /><br />If he had asked the same question about a Begonia, I’d have been ready. Ditto for lots of other botanical families. However, the only response I could make to this question was to stammer and stare; I was totally stumped. It’s just an incredibly diverse tribe, and there are genera (Rehmannia, for example) about which even botanists can’t seem to agree in terms of whether they’re Gesneriads or members of the Scrophulariaceae. On top of this, the scientific names change back and forth on what seems like a weekly basis. Since I was finally speechless on the subject, I poured him another vodka-watermelon smoothie and let my friend take over the conversation, which is usually the best plan when he’s around, anyway. He’s darned entertaining, even if he does do a pretty good impression of a botanical cretin.<br /><br />After researching his question, I feel somewhat vindicated. Every definition of the family Gesneriaceae that I can find is riddled with inconsistencies – the words “most” and “many” are commonly used. There seem to be very few uniquely defining factors, as in this Wikipedia article:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">"Most species are perennial </span><a title="Herb" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb"><span style="font-size:85%;">herbs</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> or </span><a title="Subshrub" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subshrub"><span style="font-size:85%;">subshrubs</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> but a few are woody shrubs or small </span><a title="Tree" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree"><span style="font-size:85%;">trees</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">. The </span><a title="Phyllotaxy" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllotaxy"><span style="font-size:85%;">phyllotaxy</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> is usually opposite and decussate, but leaves have a spiral or alternate arrangement in some groups. As with other members of the </span><a title="Lamiales" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamiales"><span style="font-size:85%;">Lamiales</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> the flowers have a (usually) </span><a title="Zygomorphic" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zygomorphic"><span style="font-size:85%;">zygomorphic</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> corolla whose petals are fused into a tube and there is no one character that separates a gesneriad from any other member of Lamiales. Gesneriads differ from related families of the Lamiales in having an unusual inflorescence structure, the "pair-flowered cyme", but some gesneriads lack this characteristic, and some other Lamiales (</span><a title="Calceolariaceae" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calceolariaceae"><span style="font-size:85%;">Calceolariaceae</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> and some </span><a title="Scrophulariaceae" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrophulariaceae"><span style="font-size:85%;">Scrophulariaceae</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">) share it. The ovary can be superior, half-inferior or fully inferior, and the fruit a dry or fleshy capsule or a </span><a title="Berry" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berry"><span style="font-size:85%;">berry</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">. The </span><a title="Seed" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed"><span style="font-size:85%;">seeds</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> are always small and numerous. Gesneriaceae have traditionally been separated from Scrophulariaceae by having a unilocular rather than bilocular ovary, with parietal rather than axile placentation." </span><br /><div align="left"><br /><div>While this question may continue to be perplexing, at this time of year I’m very appreciative of the contribution that the members of this very diverse family make to the garden. Many species and hybrids are proving to overwinter as perennials here in Southeastern VA, zone 7b, and numerous others are perfectly adapted to dry storage as rhizomes and tubers, making them perfect for summer container culture.<br /></div><br /><div>Below are the windowboxes from my last post, shown again here to illustrate some of the ways gerneriads can contribute to the summer garden. The scandent Begonia is B. boliviensis, but the darker, more upright foliage belongs to Kohleria 'Dark Velvet'. Kohlerias are rhizomatus gesneriads, but their dormancy is unpredictable, so they don't lend themselves to prolonged winter storage as do Achimenes, Sinningias, and Eucodonias, for instance. They're also extremely tender, browning off at temps in the 40's. Luckily this variety is easy to root from cuttings and grows like a weed all summer, adding its tall, felted, chocolatey foliage to containers in shade to part sun.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrVFa5OfFEYUP0dcHU6DnJ8FxI9t7nVE6mvTEfhnc7dTF8LafC1B7AZPQ2L7gV6fThDiCBBlhi4ZE2F45eoPFPeeoUQpMZ_cxudgAZDkZbTmU93H8EXCtW3fwYDKuguVZOV9sLJBW2VEp/s1600-h/WindowboxJuly09.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367701504620596626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxrVFa5OfFEYUP0dcHU6DnJ8FxI9t7nVE6mvTEfhnc7dTF8LafC1B7AZPQ2L7gV6fThDiCBBlhi4ZE2F45eoPFPeeoUQpMZ_cxudgAZDkZbTmU93H8EXCtW3fwYDKuguVZOV9sLJBW2VEp/s320/WindowboxJuly09.JPG" /></a></div><div><div>Here's a detail of the tubular, speckled blooms of K. 'Dark Velvet'.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eerP2NDoYDonneX3oNffiMiNbfC-XOGZz1ZnnfVJuhYvjqXTB7EwwOtBiNhsHuXSSPxuTiWNooCxW9YHm3LbIgwyfLGZBHTnp7xzdZGMdboGyRdyR4ysaRHNWiv1PFU7a7tKLVWoHZYQ/s1600-h/Kohleriasp52007.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367701313113739730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eerP2NDoYDonneX3oNffiMiNbfC-XOGZz1ZnnfVJuhYvjqXTB7EwwOtBiNhsHuXSSPxuTiWNooCxW9YHm3LbIgwyfLGZBHTnp7xzdZGMdboGyRdyR4ysaRHNWiv1PFU7a7tKLVWoHZYQ/s320/Kohleriasp52007.JPG" /></a> Another view of the windowboxes and surrounding bed, showing more gesneriads on the lower level - Achimenes 'Purple King' and Gloxinia nematanthodes 'Evita'. These two are now ubiquitous in the garden, apparently hardy even in pots and containers left outside over the winter. Can't help but notice the "color echo" among the Begonias, the Gloxinia, and and the Arisaema seedpod in the forground.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79i1199rnCC18QBbsYXtqCOCcTu8JXwIMt9ZxcqLU0iTxsvLG3t_mzl5sf8k5tm-WEHJSMEAVXewP34sdxOLYKWvoDg7Ybgwbc49Gc0-Dw3bEzEZzw8dpnptoNFz3xnZdB0NxgW7Van9l/s1600-h/Windowdrawer809d.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367700869511179154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79i1199rnCC18QBbsYXtqCOCcTu8JXwIMt9ZxcqLU0iTxsvLG3t_mzl5sf8k5tm-WEHJSMEAVXewP34sdxOLYKWvoDg7Ybgwbc49Gc0-Dw3bEzEZzw8dpnptoNFz3xnZdB0NxgW7Van9l/s320/Windowdrawer809d.JPG" /></a></div><div><div><div><div>Titanotrichum oldhamii was the first of the hardy gesneriads I planted outside, and it's been fairly dependable, especially given some supplemental summer irrigation. It's like a tall, shade loving foxglove that puts up spikes of yellow bells every fall - it's a good illustration of the close connection between the gesneriads and the scrophulacea. Interestingly, instead of flowers, less mature plants produce terminal wands of beady propagules, which can be "sown" just like seeds to produce hundreds of new plants. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367700155754318738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-GnNibK-d5DyNu8nF5f0KH54O6ttfRfn2uECt9txcd9WEqpgdMOvJyc0JJr6kFV4voJlIEeAFpb6i5IChD9gNHfyAZgOE5HKlg_Sz_Mvdo3qit4uu1mG9UzEhlbJqvHPNf4JJKEiYZsw/s320/Titanotrichum825b.JPG" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSCgzgdOJpCGDF5zse2WR03Eql-lTwmAKmpELm-YghSuzLiq2hyphenhyphenGZCDBLLWfo7uEZlxnjGCYgAH87D-1ALcIKKh7stHX9G6L8xadu50A59icpWaraqTw9TK_QAI3cQCBTtJ1L90gPBMsh/s1600-h/Titanotrichum91a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367699861130251666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSCgzgdOJpCGDF5zse2WR03Eql-lTwmAKmpELm-YghSuzLiq2hyphenhyphenGZCDBLLWfo7uEZlxnjGCYgAH87D-1ALcIKKh7stHX9G6L8xadu50A59icpWaraqTw9TK_QAI3cQCBTtJ1L90gPBMsh/s320/Titanotrichum91a.JPG" /></a> <div><div>Tremacron aurantiacum, another Chinese gesneriad, and the only rosette-forming representative of the family with which I've had much success in the outdoor garden. Ramondas have been a dismal failure, melting away during the hottest part of the summer; I do have two Haberleas growing fairly well in raised beds, but they haven't bloomed so far. Tremacron is an extremely obscure genus, and there's almost no literature available on it; the closest affiliated genus I've been able to discover is Briggsia, and barely more has been written about it. Trial and error is the only way to go in a case like this.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDffQdNvFwt8EAqlDHPicaoaKgpHJEj2H3TX1ftwzcZN0ZdmxzCi7EO2l6NpJhfwryh4Zq-BpNLRk5h_CA8qI5uNu8zNnMTcmzl-Ft1dlJRFEdLmY6WscSmRmzabozZPzfY2fq2TssGpV/s1600-h/Tremacronaurantiaca81707a.JPG"> <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367699456164354210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDffQdNvFwt8EAqlDHPicaoaKgpHJEj2H3TX1ftwzcZN0ZdmxzCi7EO2l6NpJhfwryh4Zq-BpNLRk5h_CA8qI5uNu8zNnMTcmzl-Ft1dlJRFEdLmY6WscSmRmzabozZPzfY2fq2TssGpV/s320/Tremacronaurantiaca81707a.JPG" /></a>For this week, at least, the two plants below are included in the genus Seemannia; they were Gloxinias before, which is not the same as the genus including the familiar florist's Gloxinias, which are actually Sinningias. Clear as mud? The first illustration in Seemannia sylvatica, which produces lush growth all summer long, but waits until November to bloom, being sensitive to day length. It does behave as a herbaceous perennial here, but there's not much point in growing it outside, since our first frosts prevent its flowering. I do think it would have great potential as a holiday house plant; it's certainly much easier to rebloom than a poinsettia or a Thanksgiving/Christmas cactus.<br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbPw3iZRSUXF2XPPK10lMKtpPOWYORpny-cFo-309b9nkreBCJ0d99IaxIt-0Kcf7brOKvXAX-aEeNtauAAPXNN0oMyYp9PiTgwaT8-rIU4Rbcm7YvSs6qcLN9K-ux34yuZ07mnW44ego/s1600-h/GloxiniaChic121406a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367698428466656274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXbPw3iZRSUXF2XPPK10lMKtpPOWYORpny-cFo-309b9nkreBCJ0d99IaxIt-0Kcf7brOKvXAX-aEeNtauAAPXNN0oMyYp9PiTgwaT8-rIU4Rbcm7YvSs6qcLN9K-ux34yuZ07mnW44ego/s320/GloxiniaChic121406a.JPG" /></a> Seemannia nematanthodes 'Evita' is perfectly hardy here, where it, along with Achimenes 'Purple King', has insinuated itself into beds and containers all over the yard, mostly due to my recycling potting soil in which are hidden the chubby white rhizomes which serve to carry the plant through the cold months if kept barely moist. It has even wintered over successfully in pots and containers left standing outside without protection.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHV7VNllNc2YA6o3IBuNK0J5pub2AKNhTVgliPaWx-oAmBGtW-UIZb4M-RPd_pyOcPUpZanxaDFKoi3WK6wgiZf-aLskhghDorqW3WTLPnmqLozxqItOAGX4KuxXeFSeiVjnUNmHUDNcDr/s1600-h/Gloxinia80607a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367698161900213762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHV7VNllNc2YA6o3IBuNK0J5pub2AKNhTVgliPaWx-oAmBGtW-UIZb4M-RPd_pyOcPUpZanxaDFKoi3WK6wgiZf-aLskhghDorqW3WTLPnmqLozxqItOAGX4KuxXeFSeiVjnUNmHUDNcDr/s320/Gloxinia80607a.JPG" /></a>As mentioned before, the florist Gloxinias are simply a group of Sinningias hybridized from a peloric (which means that the individual blooms exhibit a radial symmetry atypical to those of the normal species- I think) form of S. speciosa, pictured below. Grown from seeds several years ago, these seem to manage fine planted all year in the dry shade beneath an overgrown Magnolia grandiflora (everybody has at least one of those in these parts.)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPv7kGrMeOqBApq4RCnGADBkruOrMLBHXuH9ZULacmSsauL0cziNcXiKTkUk5ijRe7Ti-2PVE3qzgkbWM8q2JERltgJPNh_hyphenhyphenDVS7M_xB9gj7cJkSu9rzeVywgU1c859yhAE1A1Swz4iv/s1600-h/Sinnspeciosa61408.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367697294588573586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPv7kGrMeOqBApq4RCnGADBkruOrMLBHXuH9ZULacmSsauL0cziNcXiKTkUk5ijRe7Ti-2PVE3qzgkbWM8q2JERltgJPNh_hyphenhyphenDVS7M_xB9gj7cJkSu9rzeVywgU1c859yhAE1A1Swz4iv/s320/Sinnspeciosa61408.JPG" /></a> Sinningia guttata, also hardy in a raised bed, and another parent of the florist's Gloxinia. I should mention that I have wintered over tubers of those hybrids outdoors as well. If anyone knows of a reputable source for "Emperor Frederick", a once-common old cultivar that's a sentimental favorite (my grandmother gave me one for my birthday once), I'd love to grow that again.<br /><div><div><u><span style="color:#0000ff;"></span></u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfL6irHdiaeia8GzJ1v4HjPs9D4IZODn3rFZ026VYQWdyfUYujFlkb3jW0RkT8VlafPQbSPDt4o34dnTeV_S60PmBoRfyKm5Yl_mWwoIQ6uBICkQ8RHNcUuNJFCdn9OPMmUaGoZgUe_IX/s1600-h/Sinnguttata73108.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367696913492430322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfL6irHdiaeia8GzJ1v4HjPs9D4IZODn3rFZ026VYQWdyfUYujFlkb3jW0RkT8VlafPQbSPDt4o34dnTeV_S60PmBoRfyKm5Yl_mWwoIQ6uBICkQ8RHNcUuNJFCdn9OPMmUaGoZgUe_IX/s320/Sinnguttata73108.JPG" /></a> <div>Sinningia tubiflora is bone hardy all over the garden and in containers, and is a dead ringer for Nicotiana alata when it blooms in June in the dry partial shade under the skirts of a Magnolia grandiflora which needs to be removed on day. It's as easy to grow as potatoes, and can be stored in a similar manner through the winter if hardiness is an issue. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8roqWiTiwhqzM21pPFm321C5oP4XfvvU29h2DpwO9UltiNz2MEebQBjX-uIkx0I7XcWvoDsOLMzRnOUxpCy4SbyeMaC1NWyn0T2A0A2poMoW0gZo4o9H3iyH5MdRU78J-vTDfxuv8Qux/s1600-h/Sinntubif609a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367696469621600834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8roqWiTiwhqzM21pPFm321C5oP4XfvvU29h2DpwO9UltiNz2MEebQBjX-uIkx0I7XcWvoDsOLMzRnOUxpCy4SbyeMaC1NWyn0T2A0A2poMoW0gZo4o9H3iyH5MdRU78J-vTDfxuv8Qux/s320/Sinntubif609a.JPG" /></a> Here's another visit with the companion planting of Eucomis 'Sparkling Burgundy' with Sinningia selloviae, another dependably hardy gesneriad that's a real workhorse in my summer garden. I've tried unsuccessfully to grow Phygelius for years, but I've found that this plant and its hybrids give a similar effect (vertical spires of tubular flowers in reds, oranges, and creamy yellows) but are much easier to grow here. Some of the tubers (grown from seed) are the size of baseballs now. I have a couple of plants of S. selloviae 'Purple Rain', but that selection seems to be a much weaker grower for me thus far.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_SMgFpHz9QMZCrg10XMI1sh6VDJRx_6JdYMKwQYVyr7mCLAUJzlgJ15yTg_6Dp7OKqefe11sxL5FDLJARtv9aJQj38PtSuUe4hv1mZSDEocGwUR2neEEJ-jNp6PvT9lLTUqw8W-pcxB-/s1600-h/SinnselEuc609a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367695948508288738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_SMgFpHz9QMZCrg10XMI1sh6VDJRx_6JdYMKwQYVyr7mCLAUJzlgJ15yTg_6Dp7OKqefe11sxL5FDLJARtv9aJQj38PtSuUe4hv1mZSDEocGwUR2neEEJ-jNp6PvT9lLTUqw8W-pcxB-/s320/SinnselEuc609a.JPG" /></a> The white form of Sinningia cardinalis ('Innocence'), leaning out from under a containerized Hellebore. It would probably like more sun, as most of the Sinningias seem happiest in strong light. Haven't tried this yet for hardiness, but I have enough to do so this year, and have high hopes.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjJ_IN3MoMefudW-kExhh1MzNu_HIKONSKh_MgXz7q4429K8wwZJAv7pSsiwIVrZH6cDHKRnfq7CEH1L7m8xZcaurM_HdeLCJQZxz4j1oledLfJ0NMB8gWq5Ryk016x96-xpZCoQng60_/s1600-h/Sinningia+cardinalis+%27Innoncence%27809.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367695519333929330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjJ_IN3MoMefudW-kExhh1MzNu_HIKONSKh_MgXz7q4429K8wwZJAv7pSsiwIVrZH6cDHKRnfq7CEH1L7m8xZcaurM_HdeLCJQZxz4j1oledLfJ0NMB8gWq5Ryk016x96-xpZCoQng60_/s320/Sinningia+cardinalis+%27Innoncence%27809.JPG" /></a> I think this is Sinningia lineata; it's pretty tough, and quite possibly hardy here, as well. It's one of the determinate growers, unlike selloviae, tubiflora, and their hybrids (Sinningias can be determinate or indeterminate bloomers and growers, just like tomatoes). This, in my opinion, limits its potential as a garden plant - it doesn't mean I won't grow and enjoy it, but the finite bloom period makes its impact more fleeting in the landscape. The miniatures and semi-miniatures fall into this category as well, and have demonstrated pretty good winter hardiness, provided the tubers are kept dry. Their main drawback is their size - one fallen leaf can obscure an entire plant for long enough that I completely forget it's there until it's too late. For now, they live in the garage under banks of fluorescent lights (which thankfully are back in operation after having had to be dismantled for a construction project.) <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWO5lUPr0IOoyjLB5O0TSlPbZg7dunuLlJ1KYCTOrTd2YKkp5KAB91-_DjIKqY5sWnvHsBJQUx9jEwbVhqSlNmWZTEKBjzQK4IuvKFi5_m78_0NTEfz9w-GRyqGNLteBBUN6_oh77UGThT/s1600-h/Sinningia409.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367695301549711394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWO5lUPr0IOoyjLB5O0TSlPbZg7dunuLlJ1KYCTOrTd2YKkp5KAB91-_DjIKqY5sWnvHsBJQUx9jEwbVhqSlNmWZTEKBjzQK4IuvKFi5_m78_0NTEfz9w-GRyqGNLteBBUN6_oh77UGThT/s320/Sinningia409.JPG" /></a> Sinningia conspicua is hardy here, and enjoys as much sun as possible. I first saw this species growing in the high desert garden at the NC State Arboretum, which was an "aha" moment for me regarding the cultivation of this genus in general. <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjsH0QTuWBoqW_Gdb8iDiduA7gAjgwRCvSIx3PqQ91WcNZk8UHoGAtO7PNjhpsLk6a5jdfq-aukk3438TFB9EbIw6pWwX5gTKZhrwFI3rGq2J8U2hyJtneXRTCO2P_CK8kN8SS3whHo6U/s1600-h/Sinnconspicua70809c.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367695059350588914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjsH0QTuWBoqW_Gdb8iDiduA7gAjgwRCvSIx3PqQ91WcNZk8UHoGAtO7PNjhpsLk6a5jdfq-aukk3438TFB9EbIw6pWwX5gTKZhrwFI3rGq2J8U2hyJtneXRTCO2P_CK8kN8SS3whHo6U/s320/Sinnconspicua70809c.JPG" /></a> Sinningia 'Butter and Cream', another of the selloviae-tubiflora complex of hybrids which propagates easily by tip cuttings and returns annually. This one is a nice substitute for Phygelius 'Moonraker', with which I've struggled ever since seeing great swaths of it in St. James Park in 1996. This ain't London... in lots of ways! <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-y_XfaDgu-m3us0_6Y30y0mrOpF1TIYdrpyg8yBAXNrRwXTudVEmoY8o9bQVzfuCIEnNDbKHTxa92UHPHYZzB4WgJshyphenhyphen76evOQ-jI1-p6Nuyl0LlpNoXbB0nGDEEoNhMwpI2BqZzOH4q/s1600-h/SinnButterCrmf609.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367694670725014034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-y_XfaDgu-m3us0_6Y30y0mrOpF1TIYdrpyg8yBAXNrRwXTudVEmoY8o9bQVzfuCIEnNDbKHTxa92UHPHYZzB4WgJshyphenhyphen76evOQ-jI1-p6Nuyl0LlpNoXbB0nGDEEoNhMwpI2BqZzOH4q/s320/SinnButterCrmf609.JPG" /></a> A newer acquisition, Primulina tabacum, a rosette-forming gesneriad which seems to do well in the shady plunge bed. It hasn't spent a winter outside yet, so the jury's still out. It may be more interesting than beautiful, but so are a lot of the things I grow (and many are only interesting to me...I live in fear of the crew from "Curb Appeal" on HGTV showing up at our house!) <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfjGFVI4v0u2sPsWRe5oS8rvua8uYmqLY0oHCTQ2nEHIlHO45IV2XSyvYnNs1f4MLNbZFRyV6GAcjMOcyBRBY7smNbtA2rrii35op_-kKCjbqBT-945MGvVoFu9PXacWA2iDirK84zbQw/s1600-h/Primulinatabacum709b.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367694183545717682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfjGFVI4v0u2sPsWRe5oS8rvua8uYmqLY0oHCTQ2nEHIlHO45IV2XSyvYnNs1f4MLNbZFRyV6GAcjMOcyBRBY7smNbtA2rrii35op_-kKCjbqBT-945MGvVoFu9PXacWA2iDirK84zbQw/s320/Primulinatabacum709b.JPG" /></a> Below are several more pics of Seemannia nematanthodes 'Evita', which is just coming into full bloom right now all over the garden. It's great for filling in late summer gaps everywhere, and blends well with many other things, including tomatoes! <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwrw-XEPiGm8yH_yDhXk4NMgZznwW52AfOeTGXeGYCbrfeywkPp6TjDNkb1xXK86elGl3uFQkmo5MNKZccvdDYEjv61W5VP1-cXFDvlx0S1MSBprmV7E_K4Tzj1w87VAlRwtkOi3COicv/s1600-h/Gloxtomato100108.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367516878757108034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwrw-XEPiGm8yH_yDhXk4NMgZznwW52AfOeTGXeGYCbrfeywkPp6TjDNkb1xXK86elGl3uFQkmo5MNKZccvdDYEjv61W5VP1-cXFDvlx0S1MSBprmV7E_K4Tzj1w87VAlRwtkOi3COicv/s320/Gloxtomato100108.JPG" /></a> This clump should look great when it blooms in a week or two, especially if the Rudbeckias hold out long enough to offer some contrast in shape and color. <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUyG8ftJZJRjZK1D9XpcHXrY1wfGwU021wyIk7oUb8tTvcCDbx8tIz5sOq0-QI7ehVytyFxg1AcMwb7F-PHQ5XWnk7SQVGS-qy2DKONhULgawbhpOKLRU-a7OQgmLRg-7tMQgyXln76NQ/s1600-h/Gloxinia+nematanthodes+809a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367516488859526802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpUyG8ftJZJRjZK1D9XpcHXrY1wfGwU021wyIk7oUb8tTvcCDbx8tIz5sOq0-QI7ehVytyFxg1AcMwb7F-PHQ5XWnk7SQVGS-qy2DKONhULgawbhpOKLRU-a7OQgmLRg-7tMQgyXln76NQ/s320/Gloxinia+nematanthodes+809a.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uvU-A5yX-r_5Wpcl_pOrvrP2RhPxvFTJ95aPrirPBQBuXDb7a2ZC3BGTVRnsF1QqB5XMhjasN0_pxKiYEn1IQVkGwwZqX5TXRTMkcZiQrg35Ai_cSFXby7R56912UDYSRyy6RSkdsIla/s1600-h/Gloxnemat709.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367516207579578738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uvU-A5yX-r_5Wpcl_pOrvrP2RhPxvFTJ95aPrirPBQBuXDb7a2ZC3BGTVRnsF1QqB5XMhjasN0_pxKiYEn1IQVkGwwZqX5TXRTMkcZiQrg35Ai_cSFXby7R56912UDYSRyy6RSkdsIla/s320/Gloxnemat709.JPG" /></a> Not hardy (as far as I know - trying it this year), but cool, is what used to be called Koellikeria erinoides; I think it's actually a Gloxinia these days. I have lots of them, due to its propensity for reseeding itself and ability to be propagated by dividing the long, scaly rhizomes, which are easy to store dry in pots over the winter. Here it's a great foil to the dwarf Eucomis vandermerwei; the whole pot goes into my parents' shed in October, and I don't see it again until April, when I bring it out, water it, and begin the cycle again. I may have mentioned this before, but the rhizomatous gesneriads and South African bulbs seem to have very similar cultural needs, and make great companion plants, also being complimentary in foliage and bloom. It's a hard plant to photograph well outside, and there are much better pics of it on the Gesneriad society site. One of my secret (not anymore...), guilty, Martha Stewart-esque "good things" is to use Ron's collection of McCoy Rustic pottery as caches for pots of these when they come into bloom - the creams, greens, and browns of the pottery and the plant are perfectly in sync. <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBmMhgCZQff7OZzC4S4davQzsiBausgfsvD-klTlOlQd4hps1XvZ09zE6qp1Pj7lk5hYem8w6dseLDbguuxG-vZO1t1OS51DJujqtXBxQLcqKAYE9tgGrlrFLPn2IUX_tZ_39pFolwZO2/s1600-h/Gloxinia+erinoides+EucomisVander809.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367515959477176082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBmMhgCZQff7OZzC4S4davQzsiBausgfsvD-klTlOlQd4hps1XvZ09zE6qp1Pj7lk5hYem8w6dseLDbguuxG-vZO1t1OS51DJujqtXBxQLcqKAYE9tgGrlrFLPn2IUX_tZ_39pFolwZO2/s320/Gloxinia+erinoides+EucomisVander809.JPG" /></a> This container is treated in the same way as the previous one. It combines Kaempferia roscoeana, one of the monsoonal, shade-loving gingers, with Eucodonia andrewsii, another of the smaller rhizomatous gesneriads which has spread itself throughout our planting beds. The flowers, when they begin, are small, slipper-shaped, and an exact color match with the flowers of the Kaempferia. <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKX-cPEnh-kRPfW7QzlXTJlz6cIV68ZI7TCH3pSpLzsumJInrrFZV9lN0Swpub8s-p6Z-d1GPoLO2opPXPrO91n98yLOVZ0wDT4ozPBmh8xLswlkeLf2ZSp7KidwOJgnCu49zS2fg1qCxd/s1600-h/Eucodonia+andrewsii+Kaempferia809a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367515608436138290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKX-cPEnh-kRPfW7QzlXTJlz6cIV68ZI7TCH3pSpLzsumJInrrFZV9lN0Swpub8s-p6Z-d1GPoLO2opPXPrO91n98yLOVZ0wDT4ozPBmh8xLswlkeLf2ZSp7KidwOJgnCu49zS2fg1qCxd/s320/Eucodonia+andrewsii+Kaempferia809a.JPG" /></a> Another E. andrewsii produced from the same pinch of seed - <div>the foliage of this species seems to come in two color phases. It tends to begin blooming in late August- early September, along with its relatives, the Achimenes.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1aXcppeOJ_BLCfqtbRoAxjwpIyA5JgLl1WLeSFW_IWScgZMOdzUFflSNIgF7FHCXVIehYc2CNQVLRpvVDvQWG-M1aWN9NKMnPGhxO9h-sQ-cACRSzLCTQ0Hcl3ZvmAF0XNq4Mlelihn_/s1600-h/Eucodonia809.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367515295637443026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1aXcppeOJ_BLCfqtbRoAxjwpIyA5JgLl1WLeSFW_IWScgZMOdzUFflSNIgF7FHCXVIehYc2CNQVLRpvVDvQWG-M1aWN9NKMnPGhxO9h-sQ-cACRSzLCTQ0Hcl3ZvmAF0XNq4Mlelihn_/s320/Eucodonia809.JPG" /></a> A Chirita ('Chastity'?) which was a gift from some great gardening friends, tucked in among the roots of the Magnolia. It wintered over last year, but I keep another in the greenhouse for insurance. I have a couple of other hybrids that I plan to try outside eventually as well. These don't really have well-developed underground storage structures or rhizomes, so I suspect their hardiness may be less dependable by far than those gesneriads that do. <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxCahDOuUURGelZgpBL2dfd6HlInitN-5cXxfLqQRN9ioX4tbYnVwO3NOy5W99jUTz_xdbHsZ8owLgcFiWjhPVpndNobrKnUlBgxW6NCaecCtdoEPoA83O3ZAEt5eXq9mL7uTDT8So-U8/s1600-h/Chirita+%27Chastity%27.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367514824603146658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxCahDOuUURGelZgpBL2dfd6HlInitN-5cXxfLqQRN9ioX4tbYnVwO3NOy5W99jUTz_xdbHsZ8owLgcFiWjhPVpndNobrKnUlBgxW6NCaecCtdoEPoA83O3ZAEt5eXq9mL7uTDT8So-U8/s320/Chirita+%27Chastity%27.JPG" /></a> The Achimenes are just beginning to bloom now, and they're becoming some of my favorite plants. The small, purplish rhizomes are ridiculously easy to store over the winter in small bags of vermiculite, and some, which are inevitably left behind in the ground or in containers over the winter, return every summer throughout the garden. About the only drawback to growing them is the fact that they respond to drought by going dormant, so consistent moisture (without overwatering, the eternal paradox of gardening) is necessary. Below is 'Harry Williams'. <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFynPw3cF84VNdtMZ62QsdKduKCqZjqzeKJaCHJ3CPwC_hlZ9DxDUh3CCkhnK6B0f2eHbY9Zv2y2krfxqcnMyoQnAHxjUl6EpRwQXb-g4lzzk6B3YUmAZtqEsg2NnJeI2dGVKUcVdrnbXk/s1600-h/AchimenesHarryWms908a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367514430078767778" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFynPw3cF84VNdtMZ62QsdKduKCqZjqzeKJaCHJ3CPwC_hlZ9DxDUh3CCkhnK6B0f2eHbY9Zv2y2krfxqcnMyoQnAHxjUl6EpRwQXb-g4lzzk6B3YUmAZtqEsg2NnJeI2dGVKUcVdrnbXk/s320/AchimenesHarryWms908a.JPG" /></a> This is A. 'Yellow Queen'.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJqu7e0qy2M98UpHRfRw7-UgZf30vrpPGCgb0nyUPIBFl3wekeXu-2ddTujbB5FGqU7y9HWgaVSb6Du6aOKC-hz6wqQnOo7R50D_sxIiop5Mvoa5PUtbzHeZfucYwE-aJeruV-iP0KoDs/s1600-h/Achimenes+YlwQueen809.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367514177314706962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJqu7e0qy2M98UpHRfRw7-UgZf30vrpPGCgb0nyUPIBFl3wekeXu-2ddTujbB5FGqU7y9HWgaVSb6Du6aOKC-hz6wqQnOo7R50D_sxIiop5Mvoa5PUtbzHeZfucYwE-aJeruV-iP0KoDs/s320/Achimenes+YlwQueen809.JPG" /></a>And A. 'Purple King', which is becoming a great "passalong plant" throughout the south, and with good reason - I grow it everywhere. It's the earliest blooming variety, produces a myriad of rhizomes which can be stored or left in the ground over winter (and even in pots, apparently.) Here it's spilling over the top of one of our rain barrels, weaving in among the Trachelospermum which constantly threatens to engulf the house.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwk3hiWnWRukfd9KoL47yl9s2sFnVAlwauUKNpHcfnmEJFsk5MzNANckB6PNCjO6apJ8SpcHMq3EszmFkq9MFvZaZC2bmN5wD7cGPm9xYwmhYc8sokKbmgTH4JX_oou0tj-ctpDGR5YduJ/s1600-h/AchimenesPplKing809a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367514049909287058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwk3hiWnWRukfd9KoL47yl9s2sFnVAlwauUKNpHcfnmEJFsk5MzNANckB6PNCjO6apJ8SpcHMq3EszmFkq9MFvZaZC2bmN5wD7cGPm9xYwmhYc8sokKbmgTH4JX_oou0tj-ctpDGR5YduJ/s320/AchimenesPplKing809a.JPG" /></a> There are so many other gesneriads waiting in the wings (and the greenhouse...and the light garden in the garage...) for garden space, that I suppose I do have good reason to be embarrassed about it. We all have our little (?) manifestations of sublimation and denial in life, and the insatiable acquisition and propagation of plants appears to be one of mine. At the aforementioned convention, I found lots of new plants to try in the garden, and a few that will never go outside - why I need to grow Episicias or Gesneria cuneifolia, which basically require life-support, is another question, but they are here, too, along with Niphaeas, Diastemas, Lysionotus, Vanhoutteas, and many others too numerous to mention. One day, when they're finally rid of me and all of my craziness, I hope my partner and friends will invite some real plant nuts over to clean the place out!<br /><div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvjgl9_PS0zM_JCFPcdd9T5CpNxQDNisDtFSP1wgk7-DtA4WYF76OCj8I7IbUimBjip6VdWWIeyWg4Fendtm_aOZoybDFY_A-rIthMKq6lVC8NHwjduSRy8JMnSaWDmO_8LroFpnUzb3s/s1600-h/Sinnconspicua70809c.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358389919733847842" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigwNGLma-o0m332od3gc5Gq8FKuQj1dFklcWh1YXJSc8asBwy1judhtWxj1HM6XAMiuUisnGgCUFR55HlZ9cNiO7wiDFU4t4Uk3tjpuBbhBfQcQBnGNY92MZ_FTzhcDh0uhpRq0rEHpig_/s320/Chirita+keiko+91308a.JPG" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br />One more Chirita for the road...Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-55931707479601062482009-07-26T01:19:00.001-07:002009-07-26T01:30:55.010-07:00Name that Orchid!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtBszjHIyUmo2pzaN7tWdpBbcBakzqeNbI4cajLkj2lDMsUUsJ80M4-aXBYxnlL2xARGGrlKsmu9jvz4KzDiOwgLfhcIZuyOMPdskeHCm8gDB3tYENgQiHlrHVpr7_pIsCADxKQBDnIaF/s1600-h/EpipactispalustrisPAJuly09e.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362681201781631378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtBszjHIyUmo2pzaN7tWdpBbcBakzqeNbI4cajLkj2lDMsUUsJ80M4-aXBYxnlL2xARGGrlKsmu9jvz4KzDiOwgLfhcIZuyOMPdskeHCm8gDB3tYENgQiHlrHVpr7_pIsCADxKQBDnIaF/s320/EpipactispalustrisPAJuly09e.JPG" /></a> <div>Any ideas regarding the identity of this hardy orchid which I found blooming in a great swath at the base of a driveway in the Blackridge subdivision in Pittsburgh last week? I've noticed the plants in this yard every summer while visiting our family, but prior visits have never coincided with the bloom period. I even went so far as to ring the doorbell (a great step for a shy person), since the garden in general was really interesting and well-kept, but there was no answer. </div><div> </div><div>My best guess, based on research, is Epipactis palustris, a European species. I've grown E. gigantea, but it has fewer, larger flowers spaced farther apart on the stem, and is also more of a reddish-brown tone. I'm assuming it isn't a species native to the area, since I didn't see it growing anywhere else except in this yard.</div><div> </div><div>Anyone want to weigh in with an identification?</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWoxmzYnd616g6J3foVUxYWMpT6VqcwcQ4t2S5hA7Kk1maeD88C9LJBw1K8QRVDQkTTX4I4lzXs0xHEeHJmobeAyAUYwaoQsE27HICXFlz3kXP6iZfLKLk1Uu2RNFKuSo9Wm2fb5jcWmk/s1600-h/EpipactispalustrisPAJuly09c.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362680774492983602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSWoxmzYnd616g6J3foVUxYWMpT6VqcwcQ4t2S5hA7Kk1maeD88C9LJBw1K8QRVDQkTTX4I4lzXs0xHEeHJmobeAyAUYwaoQsE27HICXFlz3kXP6iZfLKLk1Uu2RNFKuSo9Wm2fb5jcWmk/s320/EpipactispalustrisPAJuly09c.JPG" /></a></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-90682493556309545282009-07-16T01:40:00.000-07:002009-07-23T01:42:17.615-07:00"High Summer Holds the Earth"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVReIK4rY713FtGwKOLandF2wVIXgedXLrEU4niEWAT8o9dxc3nseklVaFb7ZaSNky8Pq9iDaq_Wnfcm_leaOBY3uTafGxOMN9bU25AYlpDyoB41ypCF1FXzhGHEV1q6qEHWCqnQNy8FlN/s1600-h/BegsinensisSWhiteJuly09a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361211908887556114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVReIK4rY713FtGwKOLandF2wVIXgedXLrEU4niEWAT8o9dxc3nseklVaFb7ZaSNky8Pq9iDaq_Wnfcm_leaOBY3uTafGxOMN9bU25AYlpDyoB41ypCF1FXzhGHEV1q6qEHWCqnQNy8FlN/s320/BegsinensisSWhiteJuly09a.JPG" /></a>Above, the hardy little Begonia sinensis (considered a subspecies of B. grandis, but differing greatly in stature and bloom season), flowering against the foliage of B. masonorum, potted and sunk into the bed under a giant Magnolia grandiflora for the summer. A similar circumstance produced a hybrid grex (B. masonorum x grandis) a few years back, of which I still have two plants in the greenhouse. It's totally worthless - not as attractive as the tropical parent, nor as hardy as the temperate one. Still, I can't seem to purge it from the collection. Below is Hymenocallis 'Tropical Giant' - gotta have it in the summer garden.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHLW7eNYK-QBfukqhSXmzIZxpBwx0mo-SSzoC3cMuL6lMVo6kRIucGxXkh7cymiF-cVcwLeOzXMs6Er5F5yMGE9u1dqa9bVKh72yiNwfivvXQRt5zxy5RKHGpzXx2P4hUulOfOfEW7S7R/s1600-h/HymTropGntJuly09.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361208381477068482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHLW7eNYK-QBfukqhSXmzIZxpBwx0mo-SSzoC3cMuL6lMVo6kRIucGxXkh7cymiF-cVcwLeOzXMs6Er5F5yMGE9u1dqa9bVKh72yiNwfivvXQRt5zxy5RKHGpzXx2P4hUulOfOfEW7S7R/s320/HymTropGntJuly09.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg373aErW-TWVplOEIJRjAxVF26uJaIvH-3E5K6jq7a3vlhKdOgcOz3wDEYg8wthrG5IwnwEdCD6Lt61JOuLUZ-lgbjn1QYbQMiWdt0SHXK24IU-zxC3X3Do5tJBva5CP11b9c0uEXrHvgx/s1600-h/AzaleaprunifoliumJuly09A.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361204786914198770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg373aErW-TWVplOEIJRjAxVF26uJaIvH-3E5K6jq7a3vlhKdOgcOz3wDEYg8wthrG5IwnwEdCD6Lt61JOuLUZ-lgbjn1QYbQMiWdt0SHXK24IU-zxC3X3Do5tJBva5CP11b9c0uEXrHvgx/s320/AzaleaprunifoliumJuly09A.JPG" /></a>The last of the azaleas to bloom, prunifolium waits until mid-July to put in an appearance. Next year I want to save some pollen from R. austrinum and canescens in order to do some hybridizing for later blooming deciduous plants - this whole side of the family is beautiful and underused in modern landscaping.<br /><div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361199304707765234" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKrShnPw4UeB-mwVyjzS0UEaU_P1avBTj7Pjt8JrRxCxB-ySQHPyXFLLop_A0VIgoGphU4wcTZMXmKT9nr697HchdxBERXkBgNVAxbpMXi16hE6K6SXpuiFoLrqhOHJe-HOJVM4LW4CMam/s320/BegsutherlandiiJuly09a.JPG" />Above- Begonia sutherlandii, a beautiful little species from South Africa (lots of great orange flowers from that part of the world - wonder what S.A. pollinators are attracted specifically to that color?) which is hardy and spreads via bulbils that form in the leaf axils, just as do B. grandis and sinensis in all of their color forms.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOw3amTo8yutjKEkJJX5mLD75JLjkOwa4lTEH1i0sZBMTxxkLaxQKf-EXqyc2LnXZOVAvQHtMrK65t-uU2N9BdtpvNbLrgIFQfEaGApvAjv7cdTS33Dg0KSNvyoy-cwlX_mgf8GoA6_Rml/s1600-h/FrontbedJuly09.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360681852295407186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOw3amTo8yutjKEkJJX5mLD75JLjkOwa4lTEH1i0sZBMTxxkLaxQKf-EXqyc2LnXZOVAvQHtMrK65t-uU2N9BdtpvNbLrgIFQfEaGApvAjv7cdTS33Dg0KSNvyoy-cwlX_mgf8GoA6_Rml/s400/FrontbedJuly09.JPG" /></a> As this overexposed, unfocused photo illustrates, July is a time of complete and utter excess in our garden, and, for the most part, I really enjoy it. It's also the time of year when I'm able to spend the most time outside, so I suppose there's been a bit of unconscious planning over the years so the garden peaks in summer. Because I'm out of town, visiting family, and thus not plagued by guilt for not actually being out IN my garden (it's raining here, or most likely I'd be out in theirs right now...), I thought I'd throw together this scattered post to show a smattering of views around the landscape - and that term applies about as much to my garden as does the label "opera" to the performance we're going to see tonight at the Pittsburgh Civic Light (as air, apparently) Opera, Barry Manilow's seminal work "Copacabana." However, as my pastor and friend is wont to say, "Walk that bad sermon proudly, just as you would an ugly dog!" <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlX3J1C4EjMdxNHXNFj9CZy4-kv03mxOfTAC-EWKVSTwvskaDot2RN67qz5PPQ8H_QzkfkO87QcTcQ7n2HIVUs7qX0B7sGiV8HelNEqhbyLAG7pVn4BO_aM2Q7UMB8BJ9pujf_AixsEaG0/s1600-h/GaltoniacandicansJuly09c.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360093458644126098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlX3J1C4EjMdxNHXNFj9CZy4-kv03mxOfTAC-EWKVSTwvskaDot2RN67qz5PPQ8H_QzkfkO87QcTcQ7n2HIVUs7qX0B7sGiV8HelNEqhbyLAG7pVn4BO_aM2Q7UMB8BJ9pujf_AixsEaG0/s320/GaltoniacandicansJuly09c.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEdZnbeeX0FxhW98lZvvr-EgYMM-rIt_oWgnFOs4jyJjsbFwexNuFdqFXJOamVElW6aAQGJo32rILZkpyos1kWM45Qpf8E5m6Hmd2bV1piBqKvp9tu80xSVs3BVZ6cyLLV8oFl2JG64mc/s1600-h/TetrapCannasJuly09.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360093150660230178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEdZnbeeX0FxhW98lZvvr-EgYMM-rIt_oWgnFOs4jyJjsbFwexNuFdqFXJOamVElW6aAQGJo32rILZkpyos1kWM45Qpf8E5m6Hmd2bV1piBqKvp9tu80xSVs3BVZ6cyLLV8oFl2JG64mc/s320/TetrapCannasJuly09.JPG" /></a> Above is Galtonia candicans, one of many South African bulbs blooming around the place. Many of these, this one included, are growing in black nursery pots which are submerged in a bed of rampant groundcovers during their summer growth period, then stored dry in my parents' storage shed for the winter, enabling me to move containerized hellebores into those positions for the winter.<br /><br />Foliage is even more prominent in summer than flowers, and certainly less fleeting. This is a fortuitous combination of Tetrapanax, Miscanthus, and the ruby foliage of Canna "Australia"; better contrast in texture and color would be hard to plan purposely.<br /><br />Below is another South African bulb, Eucomis Pole-Evansiae, its bloom scapes not having opened or achieved their ultimate height.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsir2NtGh3LW_Ii-01x8xM0Y0PfkqeThjjIWU1IbzbA2SFFPMMTyNNG8PqCPWFgdjhB-1XjwGzivay8B-5tvzWtNwEXJXqj1o829fU9Hf_3i5s6gmf3ut5nYR0ktI8j6wt6Y5-u9j9X6eO/s1600-h/EucPole-evansiiJuly09.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360092929246006722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsir2NtGh3LW_Ii-01x8xM0Y0PfkqeThjjIWU1IbzbA2SFFPMMTyNNG8PqCPWFgdjhB-1XjwGzivay8B-5tvzWtNwEXJXqj1o829fU9Hf_3i5s6gmf3ut5nYR0ktI8j6wt6Y5-u9j9X6eO/s320/EucPole-evansiiJuly09.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_yJ_oadtGQ-xZ9XrNloGxJHBIVAZTD2R0b3DP8TRAfctZp3D3lG2KzCnBMkXFzDvpepBC6cCUbTe2LedgPkeHf-UKQ6km7uqu9JbC9sZ6V24yT9nbZbluzF5hQ47V_Y_RJEkmaZvNMy1/s1600-h/TetrapJuly09.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360092796394715634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_yJ_oadtGQ-xZ9XrNloGxJHBIVAZTD2R0b3DP8TRAfctZp3D3lG2KzCnBMkXFzDvpepBC6cCUbTe2LedgPkeHf-UKQ6km7uqu9JbC9sZ6V24yT9nbZbluzF5hQ47V_Y_RJEkmaZvNMy1/s320/TetrapJuly09.JPG" /></a> More interplay of color, light, and texture, with the sculptural leaves of Tetrapanax (admittedly a thug, but spectacular) along with rugosa foliage, among other things.<br /><br />This is a common aroid -either Dracunculus vulgaris or Sauromatum venustum; either way, the leaves are cool.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360092589733187618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJZ7IJKIZ8dkzxr_DFPKRvVR9TLLRUfucvqxbxbiSlEjhzkjWIyQbGIOwjU2plsqL-j69PBUOaSKw6NiFeloq1nD-H8LtuleXLYSKBd8jC1c9VOnM0vmzCxzXInxk7Jp6GHn154db01LZO/s320/SauromatumJuly09.JPG" />One of the many Hostas in bloom and leaf - "Lewis and Clark." I'm moving all of my hostas into very large containers; those in the ground seem to decline steadily over the years as root competition and shade increases. Potting them allows them to follow the light as necessary (with a little help, as long as my back holds out), as well as to have access to a steadier supply of moisture.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7sVblLMmsXU9qFKaEPIRgMalzHBIa5htNB7NFe9EvFEk311kPADJvf5L_QrDGtIFsAh-vZd5njfkj_SWL0xHokhFbgmrIv9VmNZKsOafwUy_Fi01gjeDwzlqpnK-QEyQXtU6fYpSgIr-/s1600-h/HostaLewisClarkJuly09.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360092356337725314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7sVblLMmsXU9qFKaEPIRgMalzHBIa5htNB7NFe9EvFEk311kPADJvf5L_QrDGtIFsAh-vZd5njfkj_SWL0xHokhFbgmrIv9VmNZKsOafwUy_Fi01gjeDwzlqpnK-QEyQXtU6fYpSgIr-/s320/HostaLewisClarkJuly09.JPG" /></a>More concealed containers in the modular bog garden; these are just a couple of the several dozen Sarracenia species and hybrids that provide interest over at least three seasons of the year.<br /><br /><div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360092220251779154" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8OH3gB6PEGk6sozq7aU5eXpSqRXhZJhuYjhhybauC2NU-0txTErRiHWT3xEWhe1mMVEh7B50TrluYnN6sgdrh9wTzjCrBo8fxxBkLQ-HjsPnVe68A1raHZJvXs68LZLfXbbxxNWVA9wkH/s320/SarracJHindleJuly09.JPG" /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div>Another view of the front bed, dominated by the first Trachycarpus I ever planted (T. fortuneii). I have about a dozen species in various locations around the tiny property, and so far there's been no winter damage at all. This one is blooming for the first time this year, a mere 15 years after being planted. <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360091513381996290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjydzEX51SD1LjPLFMmVBR979RxDYJvrTS5GYO0plfZfX605MEEUXtG07YA-kCtSk4TNnBnlIoQPb2PMPEKnUgVRVMS2NMyv5JhcB0IsbOph8TEQik4Vl8qkaiE22a8Ys8yr8mrFjrbyl2N/s320/FrontbedJuly09a.JPG" /> Cyclamen purpurascens seedlings are blooming for the second year, having been sown four years back. You have to hunt for the blooms at this time of year, but it's always a neat surprise.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhyeyjSZnpBBLFNpCslFGKf5eVL2hs4e8zKqtyiFCRMUda-HhYfOuRdT95jODiCnCkt1X6v5HtfE6l4g6DXyJhuIHKn8RAjEClhGdzxHkL9EV67-XtqjDKTck9Smi-4eki1B8EwmixWZI/s1600-h/CyclpurpJuly0-.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360091256497617954" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhyeyjSZnpBBLFNpCslFGKf5eVL2hs4e8zKqtyiFCRMUda-HhYfOuRdT95jODiCnCkt1X6v5HtfE6l4g6DXyJhuIHKn8RAjEClhGdzxHkL9EV67-XtqjDKTck9Smi-4eki1B8EwmixWZI/s320/CyclpurpJuly0-.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Below, more foliar combinations - Coleus "Inky Fingers", Amorphophallus konjac, and one of several pots of Caladiums I've stored dry in the attic for at least ten years. Can't imagine buying new ones every year.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziQXBWUibsYDKGHHF5Pjg0qyVjdJ2kuFSJVMvjLs4J3YPvBkqXJVH45SkStdyzMOcPKWqr29FnLWAGQyDvEWT3YxAejuIpg9-P81M-ZDp66MB9ysq3P7GRQ2iabghP-Dsx4OP4obTn56U/s1600-h/AmorphophJuly09.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360090991802473586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziQXBWUibsYDKGHHF5Pjg0qyVjdJ2kuFSJVMvjLs4J3YPvBkqXJVH45SkStdyzMOcPKWqr29FnLWAGQyDvEWT3YxAejuIpg9-P81M-ZDp66MB9ysq3P7GRQ2iabghP-Dsx4OP4obTn56U/s320/AmorphophJuly09.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZKVVayMyjO_nReap-Pql5lz-vY5DWnOnFx6cG-SIZFyaNWk46Tx-5F7kMk_5rhKaqKJtREjn5vOaer3bCRMghzI7WiIXutFgr3psqq3Ie0sL9AhzFqE9KMCuOTq2RmRZdLFVoPLumEMP/s1600-h/HydrmaresiiJuly09.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360090741888332290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZKVVayMyjO_nReap-Pql5lz-vY5DWnOnFx6cG-SIZFyaNWk46Tx-5F7kMk_5rhKaqKJtREjn5vOaer3bCRMghzI7WiIXutFgr3psqq3Ie0sL9AhzFqE9KMCuOTq2RmRZdLFVoPLumEMP/s320/HydrmaresiiJuly09.JPG" /></a>If I had to choose a favorite among the Hydrangeas, it would probably be the above, H. mariesii 'variegata'. I finally gave it a decent prune last year (having been shamed into it by a visiting friend,) and it's looking much better this year. </div><br /><div>Below is a windowbox combo that I love - Begonia boliviensis, Kohleria 'Dark Velvet', and Achimenes 'Purple King'. Beneath the windowbox I placed some used dresser drawers, rescued from the curb one day ahead of the trash truck; I have no pride. I've found that these make great little raised bed planters, and in this one I've got some bamboo ferns that I raised from spores, more achimenes, Gloxinia nematanthodes, and Lysionotus sangzhiensis. More and more gesneriads are finding their way into the summer landscape here; I hope to expound on that at a later date; maybe during my next vacation...<br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360090476132521058" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCTDMNVqKROkndK_YFar-VRgjo-NHrvl1FEXX0WGgDnbW41qaBlaK7EFOCAC3AxxSeHl2KicdPVTZqJ3OqeQd_gvAokbz7RAHsOqzoBd8nKbFUOQJDzbDGv-PsTzg3bI2up4EUMJw0u7t2/s320/WindowboxJuly09.JPG" />My grandmother's "Touch-Me-Nots", Impatiens balsamina, seed themselves through the back island bed with abandon. They make a great "good weed", filling up blank spaces, allowing for easy removal where they're not wanted, and bringing back happy childhood memories by providing fat, expoding pods to pick as I pass by with the pruners or watering can. Eupatorium coelestinum is another "escapee" which I edit out of the beds as need be.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOF5taqrGP459qNw3OCFGevsP0dlhawFimtBju-7Z0ptb6LWXfMs1VAjM_uoEFq9TwiZKqkCHVvWhrOOkht3BWWzlMOtmfPumPou9OiBPefFMB_cFnMtsVCS7croSFJ38s2eIRoTeW0jcR/s1600-h/EupBalsamJuly09.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358983447456385586" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOF5taqrGP459qNw3OCFGevsP0dlhawFimtBju-7Z0ptb6LWXfMs1VAjM_uoEFq9TwiZKqkCHVvWhrOOkht3BWWzlMOtmfPumPou9OiBPefFMB_cFnMtsVCS7croSFJ38s2eIRoTeW0jcR/s320/EupBalsamJuly09.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I feel obligated to grow a few pots of this old variety of Caladium, "Postman Joyner", although, to my knowledge, no family member has ever worked as a mail carrier. I did have a great aunt who served as postmistress in her small Virginia town, but she was on my mother's side. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAX15_x4RLS9-tWMbho3Cc_FjQHNpUqkaLTqq7vRfmXYRVCnZyZQvZFbQ4KQkNpIGfyVgL0KJBNnHJYMJzOOWzk6nrSGr02gzCcimBXwXiSca6UhHrxKQpRxGEP3nIp5xCgiOxTCs5sAYv/s1600-h/CalPtmnJoynerJuly09a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358983099681954546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAX15_x4RLS9-tWMbho3Cc_FjQHNpUqkaLTqq7vRfmXYRVCnZyZQvZFbQ4KQkNpIGfyVgL0KJBNnHJYMJzOOWzk6nrSGr02gzCcimBXwXiSca6UhHrxKQpRxGEP3nIp5xCgiOxTCs5sAYv/s320/CalPtmnJoynerJuly09a.JPG" /></a>A new Eucomis I picked up at a Whole Foods in North Carolina, of all places - it's a hybrid called "Twinkle Stars", and it looks great with a new Sinningia hybrid called "Bananas Foster". They're potted together, and should store through the winter in a cool, dry state just fine.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zYazIoLSMuqMIeqmzZdMhVwjpsS4qedN9ytbnmuq1f4Hv67DEHfMGLk29IJjQ0hOAPDeDUPUL3mBGKA02kPALXapRWkaW1XV2jmnsErEA7YdtrGgA9yxDsyQG6kWBkVWsiRJoH_iwDPb/s1600-h/EucTwinkleStarsJuly09a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358982799541842210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zYazIoLSMuqMIeqmzZdMhVwjpsS4qedN9ytbnmuq1f4Hv67DEHfMGLk29IJjQ0hOAPDeDUPUL3mBGKA02kPALXapRWkaW1XV2jmnsErEA7YdtrGgA9yxDsyQG6kWBkVWsiRJoH_iwDPb/s320/EucTwinkleStarsJuly09a.JPG" /></a> Okay, it's not technically "growing" in the landscape, but then, a lot of my plants aren't; this is Phragmipedium "Sargeant Eric", cohabiting with Hedychium coronarium foliage for the summer. As much as I love the "hardy" Cypripediums, I have to admit that they really do require more "life support" in our temperate climate than do their subtropical cousins.<br /><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MFDaNmDZF_On921zGmpTVW_4NGTCRsc5W1K1fHdBDEM8tt9A0K8NkikQjbs7uXZ-xFm9POi7a_jbFHDLCV-8xjZrgCentuzvSnppFYsIE0nZG_hxaernIYq8GhuUVNeI0V_aLAEbpPEK/s1600-h/PhragSgtEricJuly09b.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358982525724436450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MFDaNmDZF_On921zGmpTVW_4NGTCRsc5W1K1fHdBDEM8tt9A0K8NkikQjbs7uXZ-xFm9POi7a_jbFHDLCV-8xjZrgCentuzvSnppFYsIE0nZG_hxaernIYq8GhuUVNeI0V_aLAEbpPEK/s320/PhragSgtEricJuly09b.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkKxvG8KFkjsz1gdMhy7GxrQ_wf_U9EmCU1AZHdebzR4XIeWWKb9V1KMBQ-A0Om18Z9bGDh3yLoXAZKDqNQ0FU7FNoaHL_p8lWx5NDsxTd48OCqLk05pgergsIG1T8nmdicu4N68UcJst/s1600-h/SinnselEuc709.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358982201258488098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTkKxvG8KFkjsz1gdMhy7GxrQ_wf_U9EmCU1AZHdebzR4XIeWWKb9V1KMBQ-A0Om18Z9bGDh3yLoXAZKDqNQ0FU7FNoaHL_p8lWx5NDsxTd48OCqLk05pgergsIG1T8nmdicu4N68UcJst/s320/SinnselEuc709.JPG" /></a> More eucomis, in this case a couple of dozen "Sparkling Burgundy" plants interplanted with Sinningia selloviae; if the gesneriad bloomed a couple of weeks later, the display would be spectacular. It's one of the indeterminate species, so if I can remember to cut back the bloom stems, maybe we'll get another flush of blooms before the Eucomis inflorescenses fade completely. The Eucomis were all grown from leaf cuttings, and the Sinningias sprang from one pinch of dust-like seed received from a society seed exchange.<br /><br />Back to the front bed for a closer look at Agapanthus "Ellamae", supposedly one of the best varieties for our area, and bearing that out after three years in this location. It descends from the species A. inapertus, which means that something about it doesn't open completely. I assume that refers to the individual blooms, which hang like blue bells from the head, but it could also refer to the rubbery, green bract that subtends the buds - I finally had to assist the buds of every umbel in escaping from its grasp.<br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7eedOmvWYjCVycR3i8jg8mkCMpkW0eB_4E8Z7-QrRlMneqp2OCeaoG8hdpTttevRAH3cWXFmzG-68h2HSN4EBqyKRLj9tI88AQ6nwJeTAJmKYQQcJPAKCIiSXT-xwu5Bu6SMoiIQ1wcJ/s1600-h/AgapanthusEllamae609c.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358981594330104482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT7eedOmvWYjCVycR3i8jg8mkCMpkW0eB_4E8Z7-QrRlMneqp2OCeaoG8hdpTttevRAH3cWXFmzG-68h2HSN4EBqyKRLj9tI88AQ6nwJeTAJmKYQQcJPAKCIiSXT-xwu5Bu6SMoiIQ1wcJ/s320/AgapanthusEllamae609c.JPG" /></a> My neighbor is building this arbor beyond the fence that separates our properties, and it really improves our yard, too. Borrowed views are great, when they happen like that. These are but a few of the beautiful clumps whose names are lost in the recesses of my memory, but which we enjoy anyway. Wish there was room for many more; some are still in pots, which is not something they enjoy for extended periods of time.<br /><br /><div><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358981326960614386" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezebAD56bes4piaqhpS9UGQZELESmpoSByidbCCJIcsBEEa1DfmvmrAMG_S7ktWrQvxasAeYtDstGt9hNVU75WsgwzsmT1nht9V0C-Grk3yM7AHNmYZYCNTp78BLz4fvztt8TsC4huekE/s320/Hembackbed609.JPG" />Keringeshoma coreana, a very cool perennial related to the Hydrangeas which I'm growing for the first time this year. K. palmata is similar, but the blooms don't open as widely (inapertus?)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPXWHYYtgwYT8tfejs6zFhUvBgc72q8M7q81oYFokvDBM4jEEsI-3n7XsyQX5ugefJy5wucvR25INTV4p4kF5iHNvNoq9Lj0Q8xIahdCjhf2vMqdHH4SpSOSF8xh8AlX7cXz52YHq3JLB/s1600-h/KeringeshCoreana609.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358980452037409330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPXWHYYtgwYT8tfejs6zFhUvBgc72q8M7q81oYFokvDBM4jEEsI-3n7XsyQX5ugefJy5wucvR25INTV4p4kF5iHNvNoq9Lj0Q8xIahdCjhf2vMqdHH4SpSOSF8xh8AlX7cXz52YHq3JLB/s320/KeringeshCoreana609.JPG" /></a> Another view of the variegated lacecap Hydrangea that I love... <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358980276115384050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAS5Tu_6eyLtZv5VLUSR6PHexWiEGJdbwbz6tqLsQk0YArIJkGnwc1_UfpM0CaxO-cMNRk96nDr16A_E32SfR45LlCcWs_nUbr6d538DylQIzW9xXpQgLWHIGUIVPNK8hMG__c5M-WSY3b/s320/Hydrmariesii609.JPG" />And a dark blue lacecap, originally a gift florist plant. It seems too dark to be "Blue Wave" - any ideas?<br /><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoazu6fFWM8zVFyYS1kmWhDQYTgRCCnrJgcGAQoj-FaLmTIj1pFSQII1GErY6zePUD4TGPJo1CpaxaWdiDB9HIvZI95NHLNCTNgZAAsBxklRfOmOrmau61oeXL0iDiy4K9zVniRZ5n8Kb/s1600-h/HydrBlWave609.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358980096474722818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoazu6fFWM8zVFyYS1kmWhDQYTgRCCnrJgcGAQoj-FaLmTIj1pFSQII1GErY6zePUD4TGPJo1CpaxaWdiDB9HIvZI95NHLNCTNgZAAsBxklRfOmOrmau61oeXL0iDiy4K9zVniRZ5n8Kb/s320/HydrBlWave609.JPG" /></a> It's just a Monarda (probably 'Adam'), but it looks like fireworks during July, and I like it.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmsnsrLDSTBIAG16OL-xLKEYy027nhJbzv6-DilUj5l-aPyaZxz0kuvvAsD3uwdmnyTllPH8v6-L_gP0iSFeV67xzpx8yQkCh9_03VFPTi0iXjYsy24VjJF9NDbQXV06qoIWwe2Dl2piu/s1600-h/Monarda609.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358979940173512402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmsnsrLDSTBIAG16OL-xLKEYy027nhJbzv6-DilUj5l-aPyaZxz0kuvvAsD3uwdmnyTllPH8v6-L_gP0iSFeV67xzpx8yQkCh9_03VFPTi0iXjYsy24VjJF9NDbQXV06qoIWwe2Dl2piu/s320/Monarda609.JPG" /></a> These cobalt berries form on the bloom scape of Dianella tasmanica, an Australian native that spends the winter in the unheated greenhouse. I may divide it next year and try part of it in the ground, if I can find a sunny, well-drained spot (always at a premium).<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR25IeOVX_Uio67grf4s-bKl-uglR4A-lSnRIzpDTB2SLY4sxNCsgMZtW7k_GKQqD9QGT-vTc2UD0i4XtP2AJOIX2u9JNVR6TsYSDH0nneu6_EpBJIZH93vc43ydWeWhyphenhyphenrBT7YoHAAUYYg/s1600-h/Dianellataz609a.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358979653149326194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR25IeOVX_Uio67grf4s-bKl-uglR4A-lSnRIzpDTB2SLY4sxNCsgMZtW7k_GKQqD9QGT-vTc2UD0i4XtP2AJOIX2u9JNVR6TsYSDH0nneu6_EpBJIZH93vc43ydWeWhyphenhyphenrBT7YoHAAUYYg/s320/Dianellataz609a.JPG" /></a> The tropical Nymphaea "Panama Pacific" - it winters in the garage in an old aquarium and produces new plants in the leaf axils late in the season. These go in the inside aquaria, but not in the one housing the Herichthys severum, which find them delectable morsels for snacking.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMkjlGpgH23lJCIuBWCRdc0jMM6K8UbY1ADms2WoYYXbqPcUcbAGihAoLzuM6bZ3WIpiBZhR7Ljzm7swAd8of1he15gXTpb7sUu6kvwBnxzLg4hpOG7Ez8VPXvPnpE3q8mxpw0yV2ksgq/s1600-h/NymphPanPacific70809.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358979302162951682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMkjlGpgH23lJCIuBWCRdc0jMM6K8UbY1ADms2WoYYXbqPcUcbAGihAoLzuM6bZ3WIpiBZhR7Ljzm7swAd8of1he15gXTpb7sUu6kvwBnxzLg4hpOG7Ez8VPXvPnpE3q8mxpw0yV2ksgq/s320/NymphPanPacific70809.JPG" /></a> Another Hemerocallis (possibly "Femme de Joi"- every time Ron picks one out, it looks like this, so we have lots of short, apricot tetraploids) blooming with Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue', another gorgeous plant which is incredibly invasive if left to its own devices.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfGicSpB_8rLnLCWd3wH4Wv0eItFChohb1CXzQTElQxbxLwqdLVx9vouSxZI05CSekyu0qr7C7J_EqHsOzljxuUGXCJJDIctcSkmW6bQa2cTtKGJSq13uectNz9euVtpWgfVJNsTCh8Rb/s1600-h/HemFemmedeJoi70809.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358979122849967410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfGicSpB_8rLnLCWd3wH4Wv0eItFChohb1CXzQTElQxbxLwqdLVx9vouSxZI05CSekyu0qr7C7J_EqHsOzljxuUGXCJJDIctcSkmW6bQa2cTtKGJSq13uectNz9euVtpWgfVJNsTCh8Rb/s320/HemFemmedeJoi70809.JPG" /></a>Another great foliage combo - Arundo donax, the varigated form of the giant reed; Colocasia antiquorum 'illustris', with its toes in a temporary pond; and Arisaema consanguineum, my favorite species in terms of foliar impact.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAHMreGFZaOL05iGqSyWTpYKb3nnjOLGYT9SgG_0LcpsgR0iy2EsQEll25ZSRWGgYb7QH8o4NdxPGa8kXMIoKNmGxGXjK5encVNwqbr-etapHAuY5IV7pAL_DnAkuWVSCVJQ6dws6bVz8/s1600-h/tropfoliage709.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358978733001504466" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAHMreGFZaOL05iGqSyWTpYKb3nnjOLGYT9SgG_0LcpsgR0iy2EsQEll25ZSRWGgYb7QH8o4NdxPGa8kXMIoKNmGxGXjK5encVNwqbr-etapHAuY5IV7pAL_DnAkuWVSCVJQ6dws6bVz8/s320/tropfoliage709.JPG" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div>More Sarracenias, this time S. leucantha, filtering the sunlight through the white fenestrations that decorate each tube and exist to confuse insects which are unliucky enough to find themselves marooned on the inside.<br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqXmb7qPafEkcm0OjCP60pMUdBqsP3Md5jn62O4mBHCd-tyPIyA9iSsZHIo4jJQGnh1d-uOjRLZQ98-BnCgtH0J4o1l74Ji8ZM0X6bt0HvjskCSYge_9kQjr74EQNutvGAhHJjFEmvQc7/s1600-h/Sarracbed709.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358977899915951858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqXmb7qPafEkcm0OjCP60pMUdBqsP3Md5jn62O4mBHCd-tyPIyA9iSsZHIo4jJQGnh1d-uOjRLZQ98-BnCgtH0J4o1l74Ji8ZM0X6bt0HvjskCSYge_9kQjr74EQNutvGAhHJjFEmvQc7/s320/Sarracbed709.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Back to the rear island bed, with foliage colors and textures repeating and contrasing in beautiful patterns. Wish I could say that I planned all of this.<br /><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358977573000081506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0NDROSkR4mmrV-ORysXM_HzqZT28Bo_jE8vHLK_VPEqTocvU6LdY8xu5PWGNnPW30l2XL9wosDT3SufJpyOBs-3OJjbhq6L5yhRyivlVQDIW5JWkLnGgccZlBJTc-BQVPCNAkmj9WGh6/s320/Cannabed709.JPG" /><br /></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><br /><div>Finally, a little (very little) garden "art" - a fake boat headed into one of the ponds with a cargo of Lysimachia, surrounded by more Tetrapanax, Cannas, Hydrangea "Endless Summer", and Colocasias. In the foreground is Crinum eboracea, a hybrid of C. bulbispermum and C. asiaticum. I know this "tropicalismo" style of garden is a big, fat, fake, but I have to admit that I really enjoy the look of the garden at this time of year. It would probably be more politically correct to have given over all of this space to vegetables this year, and we do have our big pots of grape tomatoes, basil, etc., just as always. I have to admit to being somewhat amused by all of the professional garden writers who are just now learning to grow food, since I grew up in the vegetable garden with my parents and grandparents, and have always just assumed that everyone genetically knew how. However, until I'm unable to afford my visits to the local farmers' market, our quarter acre of land in its midsummer glory is too precious to be turned into a truck farm.<br /></div><div>One question unrelated to gardening: can anyone offer advice concerning placing and moving pictures within these posts? One reason I don't post more often is that this is such an unwieldy process. For instance, the first two pictures in this post were afterthoughts, but are stuck on at the beginning because I was unable to move them to other locations. Also, every time I add a picture, spaces appear throughout the post, each of which has to be manually eliminated before the post can be published. There must be a trick here that I don't know about, and I'd be grateful for any assistance!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNLi8zaV1bCZ4d1ONLhIdD-Otho1q4UU6orvuyzalgX4wzLZADSmOgBcOWk7K831UX8506a5BTEAq8Ag0HZ7uQ1vSSilfVOjnXzMCK460dZt4b2shDmPjeOi70gzbKHUmqqSuGv994ito/s1600-h/TetrapCrinum709.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358976219752526482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNLi8zaV1bCZ4d1ONLhIdD-Otho1q4UU6orvuyzalgX4wzLZADSmOgBcOWk7K831UX8506a5BTEAq8Ag0HZ7uQ1vSSilfVOjnXzMCK460dZt4b2shDmPjeOi70gzbKHUmqqSuGv994ito/s320/TetrapCrinum709.JPG" /></a> Happy summer, everyone!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-6338556193312515062009-04-18T03:59:00.000-07:002009-04-18T04:01:44.880-07:00Just a quick note to let anyone who might be interested know that I've decided to take a break from blogging for a while. It's come down to making a simple choice between having time to write about gardening or to actually work in the garden; for me, that's a no brainer!Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-63954805890284157692009-03-01T00:58:00.000-08:002009-03-02T01:15:39.915-08:00"What (We Do) For Love"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkmiJ8V7n5Stj-nTe50dLuqjoYJtWg6GE83HKQXfomU-1IBpoLi-KYKkYI4t_GDNlXNQCUjR1O4FzMZGIq5jkHUOiot83Y2zebw9edcwx-pjjkjaglIKI-I7jbjzwzpX-uPJJGqjVK5E/s1600-h/Helxordblpictee3109.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308159159076584450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlkmiJ8V7n5Stj-nTe50dLuqjoYJtWg6GE83HKQXfomU-1IBpoLi-KYKkYI4t_GDNlXNQCUjR1O4FzMZGIq5jkHUOiot83Y2zebw9edcwx-pjjkjaglIKI-I7jbjzwzpX-uPJJGqjVK5E/s320/Helxordblpictee3109.JPG" border="0" /></a>This is a flawed reference, since "A Chorus Line" is not among my favorite musicals; this could stem from my having spent several months chained to a piano beneath a stage on which a dozen or so dancers whose singing was marginal, at best, (it was a local dinner theater production) whined about not being able to find work...as dancers on Broadway. Never mind that most of us work in more mundane jobs all the time to support our families, our homes, and, yes, our hobbies. All the same, I've been thinking a lot lately about how to arrive at a balance between making a living and "following my bliss". This is further complicated by the fact that some of us have too damned many "blisses", and only 24 hours in a day; still, in my life (another musical theater reference - wait for it...) I've recently been impressed by some excellent role models who manage to find just that balance.<br /><br />My friend Rob., for instance, has always wanted to be a writer, and has always been one - he's made lots of sacrifices along the way in order to do so, but, all in all, I think he's happy with the choices he's made, and he produces some amazing work. Rob. was in that same, fateful production of "ACL" over 20 years ago; ironically, he was the best singer in the cast, but played "Zack", and therefore never got to sing a single note. I think he'd call that an example of something he did in order to <em>finance</em> the things he did for love, rather than something he <em>loved</em> doing.<br /><div><div><br /><div>I cogitated on this difficult dichotomy yesterday as I took a day for myself (Ron was occupied, much to his relief, with judging a high school forensics meet) and made a 3.5 hour road trip to what is Mecca for all mid-Atlantic winter gardening enthusiasts - Pine Knot Farms in Clarksville, VA. It was just as well that Ron couldn't go, because I used the drive time to work on getting the score to "Les Mis" embedded in my ear; as I mentioned to Cosmo, I've recently been cast as Jean Valjean in a local, semi-staged concert version, and wanted to start learning the 80% of the show that I've never sung or taught (I've done "Bring Him Home" for years as an audition song and party request). I'm trying not to get too excited, because this particular production involves not one, but many barricades, more figurative than literal, and may never actually happen. However, I do seriously love the show and its message (probably its having been based on great source material is mostly responsible), and I have to admit to tearing up a couple of times as I listened to three different recordings over the course of my journey. Because of the choices I've made, including things like enjoying eating regularly (not to mention allowing said eating to take control of my life and physique for many years), wanting to live in one location with one person, needing to be near my parents to assist with their care, and concentrating on education as a vocation rather than developing my performance skills, I'll never have the opportunity to sing roles like this in a professional venue. Community productions offer the rare chance for people like myself to do so, and I'll be very excited if the whole thing works out. At any rate, I derived great pleasure from barreling down I-85 and bellowing "2-4-6-0-1" to my heart's content with no one to reach over and smack me.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308159457363502050" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPETAP34JTftydyJV9fcYVcB3sV84zTEX1u6h3lnjlejEgNezQ4UBP6VnhdEzSnx8HzBL2Qpb5hlZ9sQ6E_aMJyrvmZwLIjOPVMcApq7BGyO-9muTLR2WvgkyiXSBaQlRyA37SyATHsUM/s320/HelsPKF30109.JPG" border="0" /> <div>Beyond the plants I bought at Pine Knot, all of which are beautiful and totally homeless at this point (hence the garage location for these photos - I didn't take the camera with me yesterday, since I knew I couldn't juggle that along with flats of heavy pots), I had a chance to spend some time with some shining examples of folks who are doing what they're doing "for love", and making a living to boot. Dick and Judith Tyler have spent years building their business and developing a massive following throughout the world as experts on the genus Helleborus (Judith is the co-author, along with C. Colston Burrell, of what has become the "bible" for hellebore growers and breeders), and I hope they're able to continue doing so for many years to come. What's impressive is that they steadfastly concentrate on breeding and producing gorgeous, exceptional plants in a day and age where most garden retailers (bless you, Les!) have to be all things to all people in order to stay in business. Not that the Tylers haven't made trade-offs to achieve this; their home and garden, though beautiful, are in an extremely remote location; they do most of their business via mail order; and I'm sure they've made many other sacrifices over the years in order to pursue doing what they love. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaqjrVyQxUo4oSPFJqB2gE4R4POiYigMz3sj5JdeWZVDHrDVdonm3mdEOume3s_FWsKStuVwWY_sbADwFaZ11tmVvqW1wJrtLShxDEpWRaM5IRo4myBAV0LqNSyOVPlm2XG-JH0uIlCI/s1600-h/hellebore+book.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308492759746349234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 100px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 139px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaqjrVyQxUo4oSPFJqB2gE4R4POiYigMz3sj5JdeWZVDHrDVdonm3mdEOume3s_FWsKStuVwWY_sbADwFaZ11tmVvqW1wJrtLShxDEpWRaM5IRo4myBAV0LqNSyOVPlm2XG-JH0uIlCI/s320/hellebore+book.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>The highlight of my day was the fact that Judith, while swamped with visitors, spent a long time with me, showing me plants I've never seen "in person" before. H. vesicarius, which virtually defies cultivation, was in full bloom, as was the extremely rare hybrid between H. niger and H. thibetanus, "Pink Ice". Judith is as delightful, kind and open in person as she is in print and email, and I thoroughly enjoyed being with her and her family.<br /><br />Jamie, Dick and Judith's son-in-law, is another example of someone whose career and life choices I admire greatly; we talked about his decision to switch from a public school teaching job (similar to the one I've had for 21 years) to teaching cello privately and performing in North Carolina. He mentioned that when he stopped enjoying music, he knew it was time to get out of the classroom and return to the reason for his initially having become a musician - I can't agree more, and although I sometimes wish I'd done something similar, had I done so I would miss many of the things and people in my life now. It's all about finding a balance.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308494885994520562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 304px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 241px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPt251GXdb14hI3wwKsonVti779qb5lJGV307HiR2GvcAuECu6udvt1iKhQjUaTdiNAfQHiSBmKUZRR-RJfeqpJmyQCEK1KZ1P8pJAU-sjrt88TXwz89K4XlC_qK2Mv3vR0nqcAV5KPs/s320/TTPlants+harper.jpg" border="0" /> <div>Another friend who has "followed her bliss" for many years and become a brilliant gardener, writer, and speaker in the process is Pamela Harper. I was telling Pam about a discussion my mom and I have every winter about her hydrangeas - she wants "those ugly sticks" cut down , and I have to explain that doing so will keep them from blooming. Pam says, and I agree, that this sort of thing is the reason she never wanted to be a garden designer, although she probably could have made a lot more money had she done so. Interestingly, I heard Penelope Hobhouse say almost the same thing in a recent lecture that was podcast by BBC Gardens Illustrated. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8SGApBMek_pVE9ehU1G_Uy5FpqfuZdaj3rsseDE7XVOhms6F06qlU5WwIYNhjtmsr7I4L_4EtKviGXwjjum6ZvI6wMoashVbLOYHC3YHkOlDPcHqIcBi05aPmrSo0TTEhmhgfsrcen4/s1600-h/Helfestival2008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308493595207019858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 236px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 316px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii8SGApBMek_pVE9ehU1G_Uy5FpqfuZdaj3rsseDE7XVOhms6F06qlU5WwIYNhjtmsr7I4L_4EtKviGXwjjum6ZvI6wMoashVbLOYHC3YHkOlDPcHqIcBi05aPmrSo0TTEhmhgfsrcen4/s320/Helfestival2008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>So I'm still working on finding the right proportion of work, time with family and friends, singing, gardening, writing, arranging music, and, oh yeah...sleep. It's a never ending process for all of us, and that's as it should be. For now, I've decided to let Victor Hugo guide me in establishing priorities, because when it's all said and done, I truly believe that <em>"To love another person is</em> [about as close as one will ever get]<em> to see</em>[ing] <em>the face of God."</em></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-84175429169538861132009-02-15T01:47:00.000-08:002009-02-15T13:14:53.606-08:00Bloom Day, February 2009<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7BXt1xLIij5taPedJs7IrtbE_aslECxEUiEzLtT0OlM-EOmNuIQjAFyAOsUfakwFtXW4HqCVpms9SngbWr6C9wwZ3xjuRcd_S3hd6NF2UJaLw4paYsfnV275Ezs6wDNcgNEU8TE9WxY/s1600-h/CamDebbrown21509.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302961765582272754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7BXt1xLIij5taPedJs7IrtbE_aslECxEUiEzLtT0OlM-EOmNuIQjAFyAOsUfakwFtXW4HqCVpms9SngbWr6C9wwZ3xjuRcd_S3hd6NF2UJaLw4paYsfnV275Ezs6wDNcgNEU8TE9WxY/s320/CamDebbrown21509.JPG" border="0" /></a> I've been doing this for over a year now, and since gardening is cyclical, is stands to reason that there would be numerous repeat appearances in a blog post such as this. I'll try to avoid some of the more obvious suspects that are blooming right now, although they are incredibly welcome. Narcissus 'Peeping Tom' (a cyclamineus hybrid) and 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation' are fully open in clumps all over the yard, and I'll try to restrain myself from posting too many Helleborus x hybridus, although I counted nearly 100 plants in full bloom yesterday with lots more in bud. Above is Camellia 'Debutante', which, along with Magnolia soulangeana, stands as one of the very finest of the brown-flowering woody plants in our area! We had bathroom wallpaper festooned with very similar flowers in the early 70's, so there's something oddly attractive to me about these blooms, even after they've been trashed by a freeze.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302961976045438578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpSpv2mvs-qIX24xbqeBu3JxEXEzJoWYO3A9vDNmYal2gDYPSv33r7fJyJx9lC_IZAD2Kez1qaa7LuL4ExwxoHgxBqQq2LOZ_kTACID7ETuHu-g8r9ob7XIuyVKoRt1Ufk23D69ujDQuc/s320/Chaenomeles21509.JPG" border="0" />Chaenomeles japonica, another remnant of my grandparents' garden, and badly in need of thinning and pruning. </div><div> </div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4j-JdDXG3s2DiRucrTLCzzue1JL8uSRfgMaWFLiodlM8h91Uxnr5gCdFqKth5d_t6UpOpTK0bv_JDpo3JxCN1cbQx09SkCmt2hLqJx9I71qIMHAOqy2s0rsEDPsbnyDIHzH9X6tsJyXM/s1600-h/AucubaGldDstberries21509.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302961615284394194" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4j-JdDXG3s2DiRucrTLCzzue1JL8uSRfgMaWFLiodlM8h91Uxnr5gCdFqKth5d_t6UpOpTK0bv_JDpo3JxCN1cbQx09SkCmt2hLqJx9I71qIMHAOqy2s0rsEDPsbnyDIHzH9X6tsJyXM/s320/AucubaGldDstberries21509.JPG" border="0" /></a> Aucuba 'Gold Dust' has produced its first berries ever, which surprised me, since it's a female clone and there are no males that I know of in the neighborhood. Les has promised to hook my single girls up with "stud service" via a male known as 'Mr. Goldstrike' later on this spring.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFv3DWx6x5jpcQiFkQUBsyUwCgZJwbCsdT8uCHiiEMDWvFqZbePHbZJg7kH8U3ZBIS1Pw7TY_aR-dCq6elko9H4xkvERK7VzrlFVv8S1GBo0ZWQJfvb4WmKcLNalQEG6hQVV8eD-kPefw/s1600-h/Arisurashima21509.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302961440938563538" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFv3DWx6x5jpcQiFkQUBsyUwCgZJwbCsdT8uCHiiEMDWvFqZbePHbZJg7kH8U3ZBIS1Pw7TY_aR-dCq6elko9H4xkvERK7VzrlFVv8S1GBo0ZWQJfvb4WmKcLNalQEG6hQVV8eD-kPefw/s320/Arisurashima21509.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Arisaema urashima started breaking dormancy in the garage, so had to be brought inside to flower way ahead of schedule. I hate taking pictures (and growing plants, too, for that matter) inside!</div><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>I think this is Crocus tomasianus, which is ubiquitous, but with good reason. I like the way it pushes up through this clump of Christmas fern every February.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuRv8Zu46EARR1Cfr4qnJFxYNhbyKbCHnQcMh2mk_HijMS0kfpnoSgTD-oz31PZTiuAX7_x1863SxexCfeKQb_SEZfXAK5zIzsQ2ZPJxfZtRtB8hsMkjb8cN8QL48EuUOEnk7f37iHCM/s1600-h/Croctomassianus21509.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302961217627170946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkuRv8Zu46EARR1Cfr4qnJFxYNhbyKbCHnQcMh2mk_HijMS0kfpnoSgTD-oz31PZTiuAX7_x1863SxexCfeKQb_SEZfXAK5zIzsQ2ZPJxfZtRtB8hsMkjb8cN8QL48EuUOEnk7f37iHCM/s320/Croctomassianus21509.JPG" border="0" /></a> After years of trying, I'm finally having some success with Cyclamen coum, but only in very large, well-drained containers. I've partnered them with tree peonies, to which excessive summer watering is also anathema. While hederifolium does fine in the ground, this one, with its very desireable flowering season, rots away with the least bit too much moisture here. It's encouraging that these tubers have begun to reseed themselves.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYYJ5nv-Ow6ckx-BOPG3h51EMGSJDMSdHc-CoI9k5s_p11H7PoswZ4x3WgAE8QOOsRJxUiJ1mgHapXbSJK6s8zvR39n82di32RR-c4GXWpUnDIzLNm03xMste8LZbKr0TLTBE_JH2KWU/s1600-h/Cyclcoumrdnose21509.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302961047293602114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYYJ5nv-Ow6ckx-BOPG3h51EMGSJDMSdHc-CoI9k5s_p11H7PoswZ4x3WgAE8QOOsRJxUiJ1mgHapXbSJK6s8zvR39n82di32RR-c4GXWpUnDIzLNm03xMste8LZbKr0TLTBE_JH2KWU/s320/Cyclcoumrdnose21509.JPG" border="0" /></a> This one is almost unphotographable, but it's the more common crimson color variant of C. coum.</div></div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyK1CDzJOlwkkQ2imNmx3ITtofNtuw1cQMf8ZhSGmymHv_C2OAhPvnQ8mqHA2NcWIVuBpbbNz5M3kmITqDfGyIJie8A3AXpl32KMEHzmuMeIoaYXgN_zk6B1ngpg8kz2ZHj-B7eSVg8sY/s1600-h/Cyclcoumred21509.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302960857428500290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyK1CDzJOlwkkQ2imNmx3ITtofNtuw1cQMf8ZhSGmymHv_C2OAhPvnQ8mqHA2NcWIVuBpbbNz5M3kmITqDfGyIJie8A3AXpl32KMEHzmuMeIoaYXgN_zk6B1ngpg8kz2ZHj-B7eSVg8sY/s320/Cyclcoumred21509.JPG" border="0" /></a> Daphne odora is another great plant which makes one wish for a "scratch and sniff" computer screen, but responds to poor drainage by kicking the bucket (watering can?) immediately.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-waugQ5Bu4snGMEoldt0HMQrmQ7_gQvpIJWP0gu8ucQEUyTYHLtBPt2v-IyE42eIPnRtZpGeHICeG2w1gurzIf_XL3DgvNQ0n_LSMy16gz9tBwJVy3ML1ua15mufFvsjGKAHtZssD2EM/s1600-h/Daphneodora21509a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302960655453650898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-waugQ5Bu4snGMEoldt0HMQrmQ7_gQvpIJWP0gu8ucQEUyTYHLtBPt2v-IyE42eIPnRtZpGeHICeG2w1gurzIf_XL3DgvNQ0n_LSMy16gz9tBwJVy3ML1ua15mufFvsjGKAHtZssD2EM/s320/Daphneodora21509a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Speaking of scents, that of Euphorbia characias 'wulfenii' is an acquired taste - pretty similar to skunk in an enclosed area. It's another plant that requires better drainage than I can provide in the ground, so its huge clay pot gets hauled into the garage on nights when the temps go into the teens. I have to admit to sort of enjoying the smell, but then, according to scientific studies, there are those who become stimulated by the aroma of sweaty male baseball players, so who knows which olfactory receptors this Euphorbia is causing to fire off in my increasingly befuddled brain? Probably best not to go there.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTpzMaEd9dx4RC-25_JmzhtUYMgjxVa2wh6mO0SqZz4YOhKnHTCeHc0CxFzkjwSIF179g6GewpNFGZkxXtFVVJNmL-P2V7EYlJ0Ge_jXqk8SV2CX80vOuPp8O2EP33q8Sus8aXvOrDtY/s1600-h/Euphcharacias21509.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302960458838082210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrTpzMaEd9dx4RC-25_JmzhtUYMgjxVa2wh6mO0SqZz4YOhKnHTCeHc0CxFzkjwSIF179g6GewpNFGZkxXtFVVJNmL-P2V7EYlJ0Ge_jXqk8SV2CX80vOuPp8O2EP33q8Sus8aXvOrDtY/s320/Euphcharacias21509.JPG" border="0" /></a>If I could bring myself to shell out $145 for <em><strong>Snowdrops: a Monograph</strong></em> (not that I haven't seriously considered it...), I might be able to do a better job of sorting out my Galanthus species and varieties. This one came to me as elwesii, so I guess that'll have to do for now.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwU6Hs0oVYT9igzPqgE2jV_q6nir0XZFMQVfgyUJYDdtVGqQQm8De5H6DCfq7-tnZLJwPFUCv6JE_jqCr6WYaUXTYFLQWzUSW7ic347a5VxY3aSPTv-ZR-s1KYQzjObxc8m9L6g0HxaEY/s1600-h/Galanthus+elwesii+21509a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302960180974950194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwU6Hs0oVYT9igzPqgE2jV_q6nir0XZFMQVfgyUJYDdtVGqQQm8De5H6DCfq7-tnZLJwPFUCv6JE_jqCr6WYaUXTYFLQWzUSW7ic347a5VxY3aSPTv-ZR-s1KYQzjObxc8m9L6g0HxaEY/s320/Galanthus+elwesii+21509a.JPG" border="0" /></a> The snowdrops below are distinct from the others I grow in having shiny, green leaves. I've had them forever, and don't remember the source. Perhaps ikarae or plicata? Any ideas appreciated! <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTuBlpXJ_THdx7nkkbHhyN9MRdX_MpogO3rC0aD3XALH-M8OlybBHcc3txUD8BryXbctOsmPicUAmK5L2yHyQHVCC3WS0sWlm6wxTo6x-z_Ve6YkkbBN2q-NDRgIeSDxOd4-Cwe_bznA/s1600-h/Galanthus+ikarae+21509.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302959988579983698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTuBlpXJ_THdx7nkkbHhyN9MRdX_MpogO3rC0aD3XALH-M8OlybBHcc3txUD8BryXbctOsmPicUAmK5L2yHyQHVCC3WS0sWlm6wxTo6x-z_Ve6YkkbBN2q-NDRgIeSDxOd4-Cwe_bznA/s320/Galanthus+ikarae+21509.JPG" border="0" /></a>Just a couple of Hellebore pictures - these really are my favorite plants, hands down, and I did an extensive post on them last year about this time or a little later. This one is close to something I've been working on - a chartreuse base color with picotee edging. If it were a Cattleya hybrid, it would be classified as an "art shade."<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDKEE0DfTGegG7gc7RxL_7hs3BvI_R6PA2bkinB65F4Ad9xDs80utWtcpzdImpPTfBX9bByb2Ql0kgS-s9hgs2TZasFJ4uCQLDYzne_vA2z56K_9O1MGrvFUEsALq_IhgSqS6oh5eWyE/s1600-h/Helxhybchartrpicotee215009a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302959762402588146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDKEE0DfTGegG7gc7RxL_7hs3BvI_R6PA2bkinB65F4Ad9xDs80utWtcpzdImpPTfBX9bByb2Ql0kgS-s9hgs2TZasFJ4uCQLDYzne_vA2z56K_9O1MGrvFUEsALq_IhgSqS6oh5eWyE/s320/Helxhybchartrpicotee215009a.JPG" border="0" /></a> I'm not as crazy about the doubles as some are, but this is a nice, pure pink, probably from Pine Knot stock originally.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5PTJ0W-Rro1sKY8YHwprQ2JZqkjrWr2QZQhpo_lnQV4WRPkFLlTUM5kRaAITQIuFmnhCzVeNKcfOV_Urv151fATj0weHV5WZKf9dtUAKqKcHDIho0FJaVc9MT5QMQ_SLraZNd9ck4uc/s1600-h/Helxhybpnkdbl215009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302959558915809762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5PTJ0W-Rro1sKY8YHwprQ2JZqkjrWr2QZQhpo_lnQV4WRPkFLlTUM5kRaAITQIuFmnhCzVeNKcfOV_Urv151fATj0weHV5WZKf9dtUAKqKcHDIho0FJaVc9MT5QMQ_SLraZNd9ck4uc/s320/Helxhybpnkdbl215009.JPG" border="0" /></a>In recent years I've gotten more and more excited about H. niger and its hybrids. Container or raised bed culture seems to eliminate problems with drainage and humidity tolerance. The first below is "Winter Moonlight", a tissue culture of a form developed by the Tylers at Pine Knot Farms (which is where I'm hoping to be for a while in about two weeks.) Judith says it originated from a failed hybrid between H. niger and argutifolius, which normally produces H. x. nigercors, another very garden-worthy grex for this area - those are spent blooms from a clone of it in the background of this photo, as a matter of fact.<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwPJVCfzCOaFZz-dUFdigM4j-mm0O-Nzof8f7DUt74TH83oFHimlNKqU4GU_RdHTV1WbgLW01W3OJBuDnHaDYnaM8sMvORLIaszp8D0OT2G9KctAeTx1d81WD7Qfqyessf0g1YxJwsZo/s1600-h/Hniger+WntrMgc21509.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302959309802814162" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwPJVCfzCOaFZz-dUFdigM4j-mm0O-Nzof8f7DUt74TH83oFHimlNKqU4GU_RdHTV1WbgLW01W3OJBuDnHaDYnaM8sMvORLIaszp8D0OT2G9KctAeTx1d81WD7Qfqyessf0g1YxJwsZo/s320/Hniger+WntrMgc21509.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This is a plant I've had for about ten years, supposedly descending from the famous </div><div>'Potter's Wheel'. The size of the blossoms supports this connection, and the best thing is that it tends to rebloom in May, when the flowers are less likely to become spotted due to the interaction of cold temperatures and moisture.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7U9up_heVv9XAY_jzFZoWt7LepEN46tFpmR0Sv5uUbjnjRPQ_I52KjZu_zdmM3gmb8c6kq1abakEn6TdHE9tpqWKPKQWi6gfuyMSfB0QnZ_YBDMBLofKcwaNYLrMzaSsj-mlwe-aqWNQ/s1600-h/HnigerPttr'sWhl21509a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302959178413404514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7U9up_heVv9XAY_jzFZoWt7LepEN46tFpmR0Sv5uUbjnjRPQ_I52KjZu_zdmM3gmb8c6kq1abakEn6TdHE9tpqWKPKQWi6gfuyMSfB0QnZ_YBDMBLofKcwaNYLrMzaSsj-mlwe-aqWNQ/s320/HnigerPttr'sWhl21509a.JPG" border="0" /></a> The first bloom of a plant originating in New Zealand, I think, called 'Winter Magic'.</div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNL2cq1GDBHO9vtHdWwzOMviNb9VUIsry-XMIHAOGdeR40P2qfOahJsms9cO0IRCXPRqntXt5HROgbqZgJApiwMWxiJP9AM3_myEsiIbRCRAVn-bPNyuX2-eZtivbqyrJ00LaH4guUXk/s1600-h/Hnigerwntrmnlt21509.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302958998049462130" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNL2cq1GDBHO9vtHdWwzOMviNb9VUIsry-XMIHAOGdeR40P2qfOahJsms9cO0IRCXPRqntXt5HROgbqZgJApiwMWxiJP9AM3_myEsiIbRCRAVn-bPNyuX2-eZtivbqyrJ00LaH4guUXk/s320/Hnigerwntrmnlt21509.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's a "color echo" for you - Paphiopedilum 'Mem. Larry Heuer' blooming in front of a Mahonia in full bloom. Okay - it's a cheat - I just couldn't get a decent photo of it in the kitchen window. It's a primary parvisepalum hybrid, combining emersonii and malipoense.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHwrCWc07SW3xnz_0FlyjDBGtshYofuKnpaaF9UAh-RiQshD90yy55JrsW-arYXBJwXl46qsgEOzs4exg_vsNJwnLMhPgB_0EUXH-mtEr3sjHY5_QAR_dGmh2GKDfelcCGVLQ8GkADvY/s1600-h/PaphMemLarryHeuer21509.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302958818389670594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLHwrCWc07SW3xnz_0FlyjDBGtshYofuKnpaaF9UAh-RiQshD90yy55JrsW-arYXBJwXl46qsgEOzs4exg_vsNJwnLMhPgB_0EUXH-mtEr3sjHY5_QAR_dGmh2GKDfelcCGVLQ8GkADvY/s320/PaphMemLarryHeuer21509.JPG" border="0" /></a> Not yet in bloom, but grown mainly for foliar effect anyway, is Trillium underwoodii. It amazes me how early these break dormancy every year, yet seem to revive completely after every hard freeze they endure.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYa1o0D4MZyB0c0HBU41-DOGQEWXFGrt-GlIF7mRBqYzDRNN0RxPpPUKO2zaeeddamJXAFpqBoodSfu0JRpSxjZSgG3xkB2xs6u0NMFTJVLsYMvIdWygiSaB-EGh-kUivy2dhQ29f8TA/s1600-h/Trilunderwoodii21509.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5302958682438525266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYa1o0D4MZyB0c0HBU41-DOGQEWXFGrt-GlIF7mRBqYzDRNN0RxPpPUKO2zaeeddamJXAFpqBoodSfu0JRpSxjZSgG3xkB2xs6u0NMFTJVLsYMvIdWygiSaB-EGh-kUivy2dhQ29f8TA/s320/Trilunderwoodii21509.JPG" border="0" /></a> In the greenhouse are lots of begonias, orchids, and gesneriads in bloom right now, but that's probably not the point of this exercise. Not much to report right now, so I'm headed out to tackle some serious pruning chores; I've done one rose ("Graham Thomas"), one Hydrangea, and one Arbutus so far - only a few dozen more to go. It beats working on taxes, which is really what I should be doing right now. All I can say is that I sure am glad it's February; it's amazing how much a couple of hours of sunlight (even if it's chilly out yet) can do to ameliorate the symptoms of my seasonal affective disorder, aka "cabin fever"!<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303134716139128706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxJjY0VVd7PAKEynJMzrEJKZu1rynmJ5NJNENmnveAkH7CLHBa37o2F22OkN_tqqAFXT_PiQvhIyWYADm9IVFRZgF3qaPQH3wUdUJ0Yw_4V65pn0-8Df2Mfn4U-HEuzQ7onIXF_3Alik/s320/Helxhybpnksptd215009.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-15491754824921927732009-02-01T01:52:00.000-08:002009-02-01T03:43:03.995-08:00"Only for Now"Ok, so obviously you've got to break a few eggs to make an omelette. But, just for Phillip, here are before and after pics of the great terrarium adventure which I undertook yesterday. It had to happen, and it was a Saturday which was too cold for outside work and during which no housecleaning, shopping, or cooking (for ourselves or anyone else!) was necessary, so I took the plunge. I should have taken pictures of the entire process, but my hands were too dirty, and I was trying (unsuccessfully) to keep the kitchen somewhat clean, so I didn't add photography to the mix. Why the kitchen, you may ask (as did my partner)? It was too cold and dark in the garage, and our obnoxious kitchen lighting is so glaring that one could perform a tonsillectomy on the kitchen table, if necessary. I posted a pic of the seriously overgrown bottle garden before, but here it is again:<br /><div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297782622285556738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8f5jWUAFQkJI4xpQrGmWr8wqaGAAZADhT_QFyMuvz4p_SG4Yv8K4vbyVpKDX-olyzpfrlD1s67qt5GsMZuy8Vw8niHZqcujG3zHiF7PFi7m34PZFdO_VLl62V6o_PQcNVMmrm3ziwAfk/s320/terrariumJan1709.JPG" border="0" />I used a tool called a wire puller, a flexible wire coil which opens its "arms" when pressure is applied on the handle, <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297782852592734450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 178px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdueswoOSO2woSVQJODcH5LzaWscTThmnDD4W0OLHT6201IhBjzfqH6HKlNGpHaJ75lL6Ish4cBLp-gkf-7kqxraP6zXaKpQm4hUjdbvmKgs6-NcPhKNcvZp4Y3aYjyF-AnW7y-KYhGI/s320/wire+puller.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297783076868063330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 256px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AIe8yZTiswL0GDnOnWSS-sVJCAv7TKAp8Q4d4Qk7SBMeRJtfrMpU81OugLe79hmrLu_lq8aZoaZSKG47Nu4hyBj9XIjZomvYWEsdSm7UhSTJI4Q5EZ0uF1sXvu2JS5IAa0A6pAsCV6Q/s320/wire+puller+ext.JPG" border="0" />and a tool I made from a teaspoon, some electrical tape, and a bamboo stake (which had to be reinforced along its length by three heavy-guage wire insulation holders after breaking in the middle of the procedure). <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297783445066206402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLIiBu4cAlXtqbqkt80oLJq26cLVgpsQBjGM07R5XMaTb-thufYuq7toMy72B8L3TVXT3rdslvJGGDX8HuphVQdZzdF_ZL6VQcNP3yuFk-WiExNbjLR7j8ST3cdsjUx86xPtZaR0CDJk/s320/terrarium+toolspoona.JPG" border="0" />I started out very carefully, trying hard to lock the pincers of the wire puller around the crowns of each plant, reverse its polarity, shake off the soil, and pull it gently through the neck of the Florence flask. After about 10 minutes of cursing which would have made Tony Soprano blush, I gave up and started getting Medieval on the mass of vegetation. When everything was extracted, I ended up with the following:<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297783843761885138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaZhwoRlgKuay9AVKUbmN6kRad1PE1X1qJ8p1M5_3yxaYqE8-5V3tjC_uzgIEyECAfa1j6xKu2z4xbsDhlS6WwlwyTDwFhQuJtMIH8kTCNPS9O3QSx31x5XWJPXthgjzHzewLmWqec6U/s320/BegButtercupJan3109a.JPG" border="0" /> 9 pots of Begonia 'Buttercup' rhizomes in various stages of growth, but which I feel will produce beautiful plants in a few months. This is a hybrid involving B. prismatocarpa, an African species which requires lots of warmth and humidity to do well, but produces occasional bright yellow blooms. From the enormous pile of severed leaves I prepared about a dozen leaf cuttings as well (why? - there's no place to grow them here at all, and they're not hardy, which is the kiss of death at a plant sale around here...). These are under a humidity dome on a heat mat below a bank of fluorescent lights in the garage right now (how many prepositions can <em>you</em> use in a sentence?) </div><div><div></div><div>Along with the wreckage of the begonia, I extracted a jewel orchid (Ludisia or Haemaria, depending on the source of info, discolor) which broke into several viable pieces; several tubers of mini Sinningias; three nice Autumn ferns; and a very healthy Holly fern. Interestingly, I never planted the Sinningias or ferns in the terrarium - they were volunteers. Anyway, they'll all recover, I think, and the only damage was to the kitchen (cleaning that is next on my list of projects.) I took advantage of the mess to bring in and separate about 50 Bletilla seedlings (a cross I made of two B. striata varieties - the pure white one and the more uncommon blue cultivar, 'Murasaki Shikibu'), so that's another tedious indoor task to take off the list.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297791431024262738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FRCza-dCj8fRQG6_XDhHq8nf3A62ol5DCT67C3HbzaY0Hsf8L-N34pxowb6DtbPv42mWhdk8tXN6IgN1qe6dk8D7NoOjf4czpT8SU4KQJR1Eiu0CdoXYJxg_w2ak0Ro0WAow5bvqjyc/s320/BletstriataAlbaXMShikibuJan3109.JPG" border="0" /> <div>What to plant in the terrarium next? It's a tough call - whatever I use has to enjoy constant humidity, thrive in low light (the terrarium would overheat and cook the plants in a sunny spot), and maintain less than a 12" diameter and 8" height. I have some seedlings of Gesneria cuneifolia which might fill the bill, but they're miniscule, and it'll be some time before they put on much of a show. There's also the actual species form of Begonia prismatocarpa, which seems to remain smaller than its hybrid; who knows what it might do, though, given unlimited warmth and humidity? Pearcea hypocyrtiflora is another candidate, but it's a touchy critter and I'm still learning to grow it. For now, the bottle is in the garage drying out - I won't be able to get the old potting medium out until that happens.</div><br /><div>Remember the dirt in the kitchen? I might have landed in hot water over that, except for a couple of very fortuitous accidents. Last week I finally managed to break my trusty elliptical trainer - 75-90 minutes of hard labor daily over a period of four years would cause any of us to crash, and it did so spectacularly at 4 AM last Monday morning, sending me tumbling sideways into the thirty gallon aquarium next to it. Somehow the tank survived to break my fall, although the angel fish, who've known me for years, still seem to view me with trepidation. Anyway, while the part for the elliptical is on order, I've been forced to rig up the contraption below in order to ride my ancient 10-speed in the living room for 2.5 hours every morning (it takes a lot longer to get the same cardio effect on the bike as one does on an elliptical, and skipping the workout is NOT an option) while working on the computer (I'm pedaling my butt off, literally, right now). I've discovered that I love rigging things up in order to make them work - now if I only <em>looked </em>like MacGyver!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297784843435091346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCP9PyvqWBc6-GAXSYA0e-s96HjHC2GvZ_2xvLmAJqOdtND4i_kxBRERpwmTrAW7XHwZqCbgVSu_7XtPXr0NjnkhqQRSw46_Mv4IuY1rIH8Qn-9pfnzxi41mc51mlbHyE8v84gG2IHWf4/s320/exercisebike.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>As I was dismantling my terrarium, Ron decided to try out the bike, and did fine until he tried to dismount, at which point he managed to knock over the banana plant I had just potted up and moved in from the garage (you can see it directly behind the bike.) He felt so bad, and was so busy cleaning up his own mess, that nothing was ever said about the perlite and vermiculite on the kitchen table. We went with friends to see "Avenue Q" in Norfolk and had dinner out, so the kitchen was never a prioity. </div><div></div><br /><div>Sometimes things just work out, and even though the show seemed superficial and silly at first, it did emphasize some deeper themes, with applications even in the gardening world. Like the period of time during which any planting, including a terrarium, looks really good, everything that happens is "only for now." Gardening, like life, is performance art. And that can be a good, or a bad, thing...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297785587421572482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 270px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpcSve4BdU7uAxlbf7mAc1NPAE1-3iZ2JkowlLwKY8pcVwe33z0BdZgV1pCsayTqxH0Y28c9Vt7LDN76DNuBiEmkPLlJ3RnvpFcQrUwlr7wM-Nbx5Gz_Z3g777yj3qGPNfnkqg9rtiFE/s320/SinnOrngZngrJan3109.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>PS - this is Sinningia 'Orange Zinger', which looks good, but "only for now". It'll collapse into a well-deserved rest period after another few weeks.</div><div></div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-90103532136436657072009-01-17T01:42:00.000-08:002009-01-22T01:08:22.621-08:00"Don't Look, Ethel!"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBUvXKXol1AqDkI_fSWcideMFE3EdgMO8rw0kcHwYmVlrXWeqQPmk6v31gJ1QU8J88x4RzSfgnMF_fI-ajXs1nsdKc2rK9qjUey02p3q0E3Jdn1HBqLVNOsq50dnh4_h8HHSL-rSDhQc/s1600-h/CamDebutante13102.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292197625872548674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBUvXKXol1AqDkI_fSWcideMFE3EdgMO8rw0kcHwYmVlrXWeqQPmk6v31gJ1QU8J88x4RzSfgnMF_fI-ajXs1nsdKc2rK9qjUey02p3q0E3Jdn1HBqLVNOsq50dnh4_h8HHSL-rSDhQc/s320/CamDebutante13102.JPG" border="0" /></a> As I write this, the thermometer outside the kitchen door (which usually registers a few degrees warmer than the one at "the bottom of the garden") is reading 15 degrees F; we usually have one or two nights like this every winter, and a couple of days like yesterday, when the temps never made it out of the 20's. My policy at times like this is to try not to look at things and trust that I've done my best to prepare the garden for these inevitable cold spells. Actually I feel better about this one than many in past years, since it's not following several weeks of warm weather during which plants are fooled into breaking dormancy, thus rendering themselves more vulnerable to freezes than in a progressively colder winter such as this. These pics were all taken before we entered the deep freeze, but I'm fairly confident that most things will survive, no worse for the wear, in the long run.<br /><br /><br />My grandmother's camellia, most likely 'Debutante', will sport brown flowers rather than pink once things thaw out; it's not the best choice for this area, since it blooms at this most hazardous time of year, but it's a sentimental favorite and one I would not be without. The huge mother plant (since removed by the new owners of the property) froze to the ground at least 3 times over the first 40 years of my life, always rebounding over time to at least 15 feet high, and looking better for the rejuvenation. I would never wish that for my camellia collection, but I have been reading lately in the journal of the Southeastern Camellia Society that the only sure way to eliminate tea scale, with which many of my shrubs are naggingly infested, is to cut the plants to the ground and allow them to regrow. I don't have the nerve to do this on my own, but a night or two in the low single digits might make that decision for me.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbInpFLtPvneFXZWJ5BhxXwMiKO0q5kEdmuai9-L3kxKqaTB0qQworv3MZ21qqSafYATbq6RPMVFWzFSgShIy-15nTRaz8qDmt_9JwTUmze1JmTHvaLXXsG8J4IOG8WGCIEDkfu2xzuS0/s1600-h/PrimulablueJan1009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292196982180460418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbInpFLtPvneFXZWJ5BhxXwMiKO0q5kEdmuai9-L3kxKqaTB0qQworv3MZ21qqSafYATbq6RPMVFWzFSgShIy-15nTRaz8qDmt_9JwTUmze1JmTHvaLXXsG8J4IOG8WGCIEDkfu2xzuS0/s320/PrimulablueJan1009.JPG" border="0" /></a> This primula, one of three I purchased last spring which were bred for heat tolerance by Dr. Clifford Parks of Camellia Forest Nursery in NC, managed one bloom before the cold snap hit. More importantly, all three plants look great, even after a long, hot, coastal VA summer.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWQhQx4TGVOmpGfLhKvcqGgNzIibeAYGdxUW1WG3vzvQ0UI5-SpAf4Zn81bbEE28HufGQkN1-x_U1yBhYNepiebPkLva9J_Lrv9Gxy0NP8cwmyD_mvt8oe1pwxPVqVUCKK3Bt-xuaGUM/s1600-h/PansiesJan1009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292196878799494498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWQhQx4TGVOmpGfLhKvcqGgNzIibeAYGdxUW1WG3vzvQ0UI5-SpAf4Zn81bbEE28HufGQkN1-x_U1yBhYNepiebPkLva9J_Lrv9Gxy0NP8cwmyD_mvt8oe1pwxPVqVUCKK3Bt-xuaGUM/s320/PansiesJan1009.JPG" border="0" /></a> These pansies were an impulse buy last fall, but they do make this planter look useful in the winter. I hate spending money on annual plants, but summers here are just too hot to germinate viola seeds in a timely manner.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHyIClK94A4gsNnk_-ZRz7xhKsthD4beVc2X3lOYHxfXaeUiK2DEfLx_hBy_ZBtnUKs06i-GxD8mcY4fdtFrv_h54Wv-9meHSV3qoyvQ-jgJszI5iwlFACbOhacEQ9Jx0WtzaE0Y4ajQ/s1600-h/Narcissus+tazetta+Jan1009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292196785652415842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVHyIClK94A4gsNnk_-ZRz7xhKsthD4beVc2X3lOYHxfXaeUiK2DEfLx_hBy_ZBtnUKs06i-GxD8mcY4fdtFrv_h54Wv-9meHSV3qoyvQ-jgJszI5iwlFACbOhacEQ9Jx0WtzaE0Y4ajQ/s320/Narcissus+tazetta+Jan1009.JPG" border="0" /></a> A nice little bonus- these leftover paperwhite bulbs were in the compost that I dumped on this bed in August, and produced a few spikes of bloom before the freeze occurred. I would never pay money for these to plant outside (and Ron won't let me grow them in the house because of the smell), but these bulbs came out of some big nursery pots full of perfectly good potting soil left on the curb by someone in the neighborhood last summer. I never let useful organic matter go to the landfill!<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlvTcPK4bASLqrhUfEcJFzDm0FQK7kNkcda07sGgdp5Pi_7BHa7TZmGN5QLKpoptYBdw3d7vlmVOEc_rBEm7YUmCE-0xFv2fvlW4HJzo3SBNGCVKdrS3mbavRtMgGSsA4XYJ0PI4HdUk/s1600-h/MahoniaJan1009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292196604210264290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlvTcPK4bASLqrhUfEcJFzDm0FQK7kNkcda07sGgdp5Pi_7BHa7TZmGN5QLKpoptYBdw3d7vlmVOEc_rBEm7YUmCE-0xFv2fvlW4HJzo3SBNGCVKdrS3mbavRtMgGSsA4XYJ0PI4HdUk/s320/MahoniaJan1009.JPG" border="0" /></a> Everybody's posting Mahonia blooms this week, and for good reason. The best thing about these shrubs, aside from these blooms in January, is the flock of cedar waxwings that pass through every summer and strips them of their grape-ish berries. I've been lucky enough to be looking out the kitchen window once or twice over the past few years when that's happened.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5roUDgqEAJA6g-5R9MN26FV9Nxcnj3q4TaOwP6gtKo15RFwQ9SPwxOqilk4kgvm4hYe_A_kdT3LUuexj1Uf_HzJsKe72jrK_D0j9pnYtE0zSUd9mV5dmvL0we2Xp_AcrBi9OixX2Y78/s1600-h/Helleborusxericsmithii+Jan1009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292196506994094130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_5roUDgqEAJA6g-5R9MN26FV9Nxcnj3q4TaOwP6gtKo15RFwQ9SPwxOqilk4kgvm4hYe_A_kdT3LUuexj1Uf_HzJsKe72jrK_D0j9pnYtE0zSUd9mV5dmvL0we2Xp_AcrBi9OixX2Y78/s320/Helleborusxericsmithii+Jan1009.JPG" border="0" /></a> There are hundreds of Hellebore buds in the garden right now, but not many in full bloom, which is probably a good thing given the weather. This is H. x ericsmithii 'Pink Beauty'.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oD4QkUvEjlA7_eWJsigiH9m9LkYuZ7Z0_pfzCxnUciTaJpn6Z-3DHvhaLugiEyOlIEP5gGqVTQxMU8MptO5mFXVhLA8JtIi9iMU5Gt7avDp64cdCQUoKDYPThNI7gXaIoyPBgTaaa24/s1600-h/Helleborusniger+Jan1009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292196402142498626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oD4QkUvEjlA7_eWJsigiH9m9LkYuZ7Z0_pfzCxnUciTaJpn6Z-3DHvhaLugiEyOlIEP5gGqVTQxMU8MptO5mFXVhLA8JtIi9iMU5Gt7avDp64cdCQUoKDYPThNI7gXaIoyPBgTaaa24/s320/Helleborusniger+Jan1009.JPG" border="0" /></a> H. niger 'Nell Lewis' strain is just coming into bloom now.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXPqkf86F9_1K0J0MNr_TZnbWajaYBvDfx_ZNOgdlJzXBvDwMwds5Gaz880NkoqtKxblVC5bjFU11cWuebEPfFbop-CIn0l_w3zFmtY3VLGgXp9ueFVeV00osV6VLzEv1p_VbflkBmdA/s1600-h/Helleborus+foetidus+Jan1009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292196288796841362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXPqkf86F9_1K0J0MNr_TZnbWajaYBvDfx_ZNOgdlJzXBvDwMwds5Gaz880NkoqtKxblVC5bjFU11cWuebEPfFbop-CIn0l_w3zFmtY3VLGgXp9ueFVeV00osV6VLzEv1p_VbflkBmdA/s320/Helleborus+foetidus+Jan1009.JPG" border="0" /></a> A chance seedling of H. foetidus with a few buds already open. This species never lasts long here in any given position, but usually seeds itself around so that at least one is in bloom every winter. I believe it's a drainage issue, into which category most of my gardening problems fall.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-hBfGZ3iQAn_pF7uu-QNAK4Uw3uXGO_MJhMdEMyEONbqGyZKsy1l0777bWwMsRbKxCwhkVX_7TRXQBUNaVs6PvaV4wUBOlKE_08J6O4_UPKOwxOhi9NwSA0HuuKzaqw3EtGvcgyzOZg/s1600-h/GalanthusLadyBeatrixStanleyJan1009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292196136820727186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-hBfGZ3iQAn_pF7uu-QNAK4Uw3uXGO_MJhMdEMyEONbqGyZKsy1l0777bWwMsRbKxCwhkVX_7TRXQBUNaVs6PvaV4wUBOlKE_08J6O4_UPKOwxOhi9NwSA0HuuKzaqw3EtGvcgyzOZg/s320/GalanthusLadyBeatrixStanleyJan1009.JPG" border="0" /></a> A new (to me) Galanthus cultivar, one of three single bulbs which constituted my only non-clearance sale bulb purchases this fall. This is 'Lady Beatrix Stanley' and it's double, although one has to wonder why that matters in a flower that's so close to the ground.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cNHL5loXrfBww5f8dqnDauKXokwphxDgc1s-2AwoepfWyMjIZAVBGmUrr8BbSSK373hse8HYCQ6sPyCPbbBOQbkTpBux7r2BnTmxsZMYv6axC8iYzRpdCs7rQEilxUAEtzDT2U6uALk/s1600-h/CyclamencoumJan1009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292196034093262946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0cNHL5loXrfBww5f8dqnDauKXokwphxDgc1s-2AwoepfWyMjIZAVBGmUrr8BbSSK373hse8HYCQ6sPyCPbbBOQbkTpBux7r2BnTmxsZMYv6axC8iYzRpdCs7rQEilxUAEtzDT2U6uALk/s320/CyclamencoumJan1009.JPG" border="0" /></a> A Cyclamen coum plant raised from a batch of seeds purchased from Seneca Hill a few years back. I'm glad I got them then, since Ellen has since stopped selling cyclamen seed as part of her retail operation. Although C. hederifolium does pretty well in the open garden here, my only success with coum has been in raised beds or large outdoor planters, where this one resides. I covered it with a sheet of spun-bonded row cover last weekend, although that probably isn't necessary, even with these temperatures.</div><br /><div></div><div>I'm just turning a blind eye to things right now, being thankful (?) for the forced inside time. I'm actually reading a few great books, something I've done less and less as the computer has taken over my indoor time. <u>Garden Open Today</u> and <u>Garden Open Tomorrow</u> by Beverley Nichols are as entertaining as they've always been reputed to be, and <u>Planthropology</u>, by Ken Druse, is spectacular eye candy, even for the non-gardener. By far my favorite, which was purchased as a consolation prize when <u>Snowdrops: a Monograph</u> became too rich for my blood (I just couldn't justify paying over $100 for it), is <u>Buried Treasures: Finding and Growing the World's Choicest Bulbs</u> by Janis Ruksans. It's not a picture book; rather, it contains tons of first-hand growing information gleaned from years of raising bulbs under nursery conditions in Latvia, of all places. Strangely, Ruksans's climate and growing conditions correspond to mine in many ways, so I'm finding it extremely informative and enjoyable. </div><div></div><br /><div>So who knows? Maybe the Christmas tree will come down today, that back bedroom will be cleaned out, or the freezer will get defrosted. Those are noble aspirations, but I wouldn't bank on any of them actually happening - there are still flats containing hundreds of Bletilla and Sinningia seedlings under lights in the garage needing attention, not to mention a cramped Begonia prismatocarpa hybrid ('Buttercup') screaming to be liberated from the gigantic boiling flask terrarium in which it's been imprisoned for two years now...<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292212770948737602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcxGEA0PWuohRnoMoGtfaj5t9AvgC22hU-KRvpayO7M_xxg8B3eKOVx2dkRxRGTAO0eItbcK7eCx21TeWMd0txrvTqQsZrmC9lgTRQMJfTGCfGH9Z6ccXonuFOoo4DIXjPyAvZRCsnAQ/s320/terrariumJan1709.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-23125317205100184802008-12-14T01:22:00.000-08:002008-12-19T23:42:35.447-08:00A Long Winter's...Rest?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JIQRSgA-CJTn0Kg82hd3G4zkZONrSLXdnBMyf8Ql9l4mzUZUmP6JcwHHwTtH5l8mUfFXo0TMAldtI07ZJixck_lbfI00bPvT4uo2V7ZdCpfqeOTMDJbtYJroug-x8cW55SKwWH8HxFY/s1600-h/HelnigerPW122206a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279924778670050450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JIQRSgA-CJTn0Kg82hd3G4zkZONrSLXdnBMyf8Ql9l4mzUZUmP6JcwHHwTtH5l8mUfFXo0TMAldtI07ZJixck_lbfI00bPvT4uo2V7ZdCpfqeOTMDJbtYJroug-x8cW55SKwWH8HxFY/s320/HelnigerPW122206a.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div>Just a short post to wish those few friendly souls that occasionally check in here a very happy holiday. My December consists mainly of being chained to the keyboard at church, supervising hundreds of singing (?) children at school, preparing for the obligatory holiday observations among family and friends, and getting ready to visit Ron's family in Pittsburgh; as a result, very little gardening, other than necessary life support and maintenance, takes place here. In an hour yesterday, for instance, I watered the epiphytes in the greenhouse (potted things take much less water at this time of year), drained the hoses, unloaded several bags of pinestraw which I "liberated" from a neighbor's curb on the way home the other night, spread some of this over the remains of the crinum and hedychium foliage, gathered rhizomes from achimenes and gloxinias to store and give as Christmas presents to friends who probably will be appalled to receive them, and began the icky process of processing the berries of Arbutus unedo and Hamelia patens. This last involves crushing the berries into a container of water which will now be allowed to ferment over the next several days, being rinsed repeatedly during this time to separate the pulp from the seeds. Ron particularly appreciates waking up to find these containers of "gunk" lined up along the kitchen countertop. There's a special place in heaven for anyone who lives with a gardener (at least one like me) for almost twenty years!<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div></div><br /><div>Still, there's lots of life in the garden at this point, and during the hour or two I have to observe it, I really enjoy it. The Sasanqua camellias are still going strong, the hellebores are showing buds (and in the case of one H. x nigercors, an incredible display of early blooms), and arums are coming into their own as the summer perennials gradually clear the airspace above them. Lycoris, Cyclamen, and Ranunculus are all in great foliage, adding life, if not a riot of color, to the scene.<br /><br />The palms are especially striking this year, having put on enough growth to begin making a real statement in the front garden. The five species of Trachycarpus look great, and I'm especially enjoying the impact that T. nana is beginning to make in the front bed. (This photo is a couple of months old.) <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279586710911748130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDaKaU3g6JYMi3mgHqgb-eLkB8t6wWo8lamtC1fSaDYBDRLkvbVYTp7ldXeBjSvrlWS-8KUrwJ__BEccYMtYEQB1-_Pw0yTazKGHzGUfkK995fG-F9mtPGppq1GAo2LSH5QtPh1thgZHs/s320/Trachynana908.JPG" border="0" />Despite its name, it appears to grow much faster than some, such as T. wagnerianus. Using these temperate palms in beds is an interesting project, since they tend to shade out their neighbors in their "teen" years. Once the crown of the palm is above 10 feet or so, however, the shadows they cast are negligible. I'm not providing any winter protection to the established Trachys, Sabals, or Rhapidophyllums this year, other than a thick collar of pinestraw around the base of each. Chaemerops humilis tend to defoliate if the temps drop into the low teens, but it seems to return from the crown in any event. I did plant a small C. humilis var. cerifera this year, so I covered it with a "wall-o-water" yesterday, enduring great physical discomfort, as more water always gets on my clothes than goes into the narrow plastic channels of those things. It doesn't help that I invariably put off filling them until the temperature is in the 30's. This flat of Sabal minor has done extremely well (the seeds "fell" into my pocket last year from a planting in the parking lot at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk), but I may not live to see them attain any size to speak of, considering the growth rate of that species in general. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279586341903923778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBLdFbKHoIUXLRINEQt_yyAvq4TUlNT7DwxrLEgisZezof0ltp1qgcPIkb4v7bLgRheBjWN4gmy32DabyQDXni5oVW5icy-SWJbiPqPtHuZ0ESqxUZSXMBP0ARpdk9TWV_EtWnk3wSOY/s320/Sabalminorsdlings908.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>I have high hopes for two new members of the aralia tribe, a variegated Fatsia japonica and its hybrid, Fatshedera 'Annemieke', a cultivar with beautiful golden variegation which was a gift last spring from Pam Harper. Both are looking great among the wreckage of the frost-bitten garden. I can't decide whether to spray the Fatsia with Wilt-pruf to offer it a little protection. I don't think it will die outright, but the wide bands of white variegation could be damaged by a hard freeze, ruining the appearance for months to come.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279588837495409170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8L52UUZ-oJXBf1WAUclmnZ8f1Br-vdvjUOuOUzMChc8oXE1qlAVZmi-tUjjmtN5gYcO5SZHQaoj2KJfxzwUaP_nhi2ZDeyWBLroNjsV2-E-4sbyPacZrRkrgl5NBnkJcwa0eJErKxso/s320/lightgdn121408.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>Inside I'm dealing, as always, with severe space issues. I have literally hundred of seedlings and cuttings which need to be pricked out or potted on, but no place to put them once these tasks are accomplished. I'm not sure what the answer is, since there is absolutely no more space in the garage light garden (or "pot garden", as my sister-in-law dubbed it), the greenhouse, or any of the cold frames. I guess it's just as well that I don't have time to do any of these things. I read that Mike Kartuz, a California nurseryman and expert in gesneriads in particular, often holds hundreds of seedlings in small pots for months on end without feeding them, potting them on at his convenience and beginning fertilization to induce growth. It doesn't sound like the best horticultural practice, but I can certainly see the necessity for it, and that's exactly how I'm handling several containers of Bletillas, Sinningias, Begonias, and other things which produce hundreds of progeny from a dusting of seeds (these are Bletilla seedlings from a cross I made in April of 2007.)<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279589230528349202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeo9YwCrm_uKHF4ValWB00SVf4hylQcwoytL31qGVrq9g97Jn9Bv4TKM6yXtM_TELKtgnKJUqHdh6neUk81X7TJ-p9RLQA6Nw6PXR9PdMptVufylGb9lcmlCeekDBHowB8E2jfOh5z30/s320/Bletsdlngs121408.JPG" border="0" />Interesting to note - the picture below revealed, upon being enlarged, something that I hadn't noticed with my less-than-xray vision - a couple of these crowded miniature Sinningias are actually blooming under these conditions!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279589822176098306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SPmWTSsrqD12wNx0_jPJMvnZabOOM3J-OIfkEl-h5GhJknNhlNUZ8J7WTV9OqaAHFUYBBoCOjJCbj9DlqdA8gUlyR0pnDh5B3kWp6jkQlrzef70tyC6z-9O2h69-BsGpLQ80Sv6bnvQ/s320/Sinningiasdlngs121408.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>I should be doing a lot more outside right now, but short of my giving up the five hours of sleep I allow myself now, that's not in the cards. Acceptance of a messy, but interesting garden seems to be the best alternative at this stage of my life. There'll be time for weeding, raking, and pruning later (I hope.)</div><div></div><br /><div>Happy Holidays!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-63486793751261032542008-11-22T00:47:00.000-08:002008-11-22T01:39:03.386-08:00November SnapshotsNot much time for prose right now, but a few pics of what was in bloom before the first real freeze, which occurred on November 19 this year.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxrO0L4OXaXCTgu44Mfq4TT93vn4TRJPX9H0NjxtadeQD8jH50rILGqsNUWqj9zFN4gDMlWTq3AtoKhy6GT8ZLNyHo66gQGldUBh75dgXTczxWkSocKEb8q_LxeaVZM8G3L0p52Dp8To/s1600-h/AnemoneHonorineJobert102808c.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271405092779432994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxrO0L4OXaXCTgu44Mfq4TT93vn4TRJPX9H0NjxtadeQD8jH50rILGqsNUWqj9zFN4gDMlWTq3AtoKhy6GT8ZLNyHo66gQGldUBh75dgXTczxWkSocKEb8q_LxeaVZM8G3L0p52Dp8To/s320/AnemoneHonorineJobert102808c.JPG" border="0" /></a> Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKS_J_R2F4sasIcDFyAdFAdYJFwTl44y2Sd9nxyh2hM0QZRrALXAhPQcSW-7Nx7dovWsuYlVx0jzaj2qteUn4M7R68Xm3ZY7clyJ2ofBKFX7MNYtqgOU8AdKW1JhDb-HTZcjV1Sg7LpE/s1600-h/Arbunedo111508a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271404990724930450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKS_J_R2F4sasIcDFyAdFAdYJFwTl44y2Sd9nxyh2hM0QZRrALXAhPQcSW-7Nx7dovWsuYlVx0jzaj2qteUn4M7R68Xm3ZY7clyJ2ofBKFX7MNYtqgOU8AdKW1JhDb-HTZcjV1Sg7LpE/s320/Arbunedo111508a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Arbutus unedo 'compacta' in berry and bloom at the same time, and worth every bit of extra care it requires re. winter protection and careful siting.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jhB1jw9XkbsOqr72-pADbCHsE_CtEwTanATLX4FANkH6Gecdf5dewyMzWhwAM8dq6S5d0XoePDRfLcWR0DCV7JGwtd_uBNMBmbfiNw6bGyHfkL-zCaP6cTbFD5q6jlyh3vK0Hg8P-mQ/s1600-h/Arumitalicum111508.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271404849890724738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1jhB1jw9XkbsOqr72-pADbCHsE_CtEwTanATLX4FANkH6Gecdf5dewyMzWhwAM8dq6S5d0XoePDRfLcWR0DCV7JGwtd_uBNMBmbfiNw6bGyHfkL-zCaP6cTbFD5q6jlyh3vK0Hg8P-mQ/s320/Arumitalicum111508.JPG" border="0" /></a> A big clump of Arum italicum, like a winter caladium in the landscape.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MRhh11blVt9arKHw0JUdJsCP03SaV3WV-6Hh5mOB-rviN5zeNxwwh4-amYS0oDQSR6QUuGE8O00b0d8WFuZE6VtuK8C9cFcgt4qkJ3Sdad_VNv2eSSGX9SMwHPslpvP03hFq-33f_74/s1600-h/Camsasanqua102808.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271404638602628530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MRhh11blVt9arKHw0JUdJsCP03SaV3WV-6Hh5mOB-rviN5zeNxwwh4-amYS0oDQSR6QUuGE8O00b0d8WFuZE6VtuK8C9cFcgt4qkJ3Sdad_VNv2eSSGX9SMwHPslpvP03hFq-33f_74/s320/Camsasanqua102808.JPG" border="0" /></a> An unlabeled Camellia sasanqua, probably pretty close to the original type.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1MokPNDqDBCCk7mAPAv1A1MCF6kRlgpLR91gOIn172r4ieXLZ-6cKjCqUkmcE0JvvqYMRpj3ESWtseCqwORua3Ijk7d1wefPa7XvNVdkF-6C7N9OLXXHNgqAzgee0V91xOlflTXKsIk/s1600-h/CamSasanquaDblPnk.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271404513058733906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1MokPNDqDBCCk7mAPAv1A1MCF6kRlgpLR91gOIn172r4ieXLZ-6cKjCqUkmcE0JvvqYMRpj3ESWtseCqwORua3Ijk7d1wefPa7XvNVdkF-6C7N9OLXXHNgqAzgee0V91xOlflTXKsIk/s320/CamSasanquaDblPnk.JPG" border="0" /></a> Camellia sasanqua 'Jean May'<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqkuYHHYoyqbb1jJF1gvVmxEDpIBlca4hlbpgaQTdapeJD4pqWorfqAMIwkCikS13j5f6q7XZMCk2Balvm5k6q8AuTs-NtJPRW9G2cuH_5QBYgivM9m_nbM4NcaxpLQ-wattvokbBw9A/s1600-h/CamsasYuletide120206b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271404317500471842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqkuYHHYoyqbb1jJF1gvVmxEDpIBlca4hlbpgaQTdapeJD4pqWorfqAMIwkCikS13j5f6q7XZMCk2Balvm5k6q8AuTs-NtJPRW9G2cuH_5QBYgivM9m_nbM4NcaxpLQ-wattvokbBw9A/s320/CamsasYuletide120206b.JPG" border="0" /></a> Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide'. Everyone posts this, and with good reason. I "accidentally" planted one in the front and another in the back, and can't bring myself to remove either, despite a desperate need for space.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oMqJKaISbGNcEau-ZlsNNXpAywA8WFoIi_zub3ywMxhwqBT7C7jZP_xnd48fmkQ78J9vZZH2oHuq94P8yJlXsWw0Txw4_d2VCJfQss0bx2odQV2_tcfUhAZ7R_Z3Nn5z33tX_yrlNxM/s1600-h/Chrysanthbug1108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271403825709208498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3oMqJKaISbGNcEau-ZlsNNXpAywA8WFoIi_zub3ywMxhwqBT7C7jZP_xnd48fmkQ78J9vZZH2oHuq94P8yJlXsWw0Txw4_d2VCJfQss0bx2odQV2_tcfUhAZ7R_Z3Nn5z33tX_yrlNxM/s320/Chrysanthbug1108.JPG" border="0" /></a> A beautiful bug (as yet unidentified - any thoughts?) on my only Chrysanthemum, which I think is just called "Single Korean Apricot", also pictured below.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg924rZGn8XXDlc_-Z5TbRj6jYEz6SnJ6g1nS02TQvhikJcBpUX9Lwb4_37B8E4HPrqLfuI0TYDbNmQSxkbw0l3Q-uKp9rW5lNWeXRjChV0G5kSDK15WO6HF2rY4LxiYMHGxocG4E7Ad4w/s1600-h/ChrysanthKoreanapricot1108a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271403734662058834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg924rZGn8XXDlc_-Z5TbRj6jYEz6SnJ6g1nS02TQvhikJcBpUX9Lwb4_37B8E4HPrqLfuI0TYDbNmQSxkbw0l3Q-uKp9rW5lNWeXRjChV0G5kSDK15WO6HF2rY4LxiYMHGxocG4E7Ad4w/s320/ChrysanthKoreanapricot1108a.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7Ev1CRWyGG5vdncdQqPj7j8HLUH5D0uBrlUC17-132Doy1FFn3gQky3LfJjsjm2BN0J6oIeYy5BCyG27QAeCSQdUIM_DWRFhLAWnAuFA6BLVYnSPsF6i0O32l_Qv5fju4dHIFfAoQaI/s1600-h/ColeusAlabamaCrimson102808.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271403531674001954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7Ev1CRWyGG5vdncdQqPj7j8HLUH5D0uBrlUC17-132Doy1FFn3gQky3LfJjsjm2BN0J6oIeYy5BCyG27QAeCSQdUIM_DWRFhLAWnAuFA6BLVYnSPsF6i0O32l_Qv5fju4dHIFfAoQaI/s320/ColeusAlabamaCrimson102808.JPG" border="0" /></a> The last coleus standing - interesting that the different cultivars seem to have varying degrees of cold tolerance. I think this one is called 'Alabama Sunset'.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtzHuEqdZARoHYOI8af-wslypNli9dZBHNl2QJcyd1U3Ik8a4HG7gG6ZbPde5g8FfqIvxpJhiooqqEyQdN8BgcUD6L0r9etpxbXvuE66hHu-cAeAemSt2x5gAcrbuqI2AKg_PAJspJuI/s1600-h/CrEmmaJones102808a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271403371845656178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYtzHuEqdZARoHYOI8af-wslypNli9dZBHNl2QJcyd1U3Ik8a4HG7gG6ZbPde5g8FfqIvxpJhiooqqEyQdN8BgcUD6L0r9etpxbXvuE66hHu-cAeAemSt2x5gAcrbuqI2AKg_PAJspJuI/s320/CrEmmaJones102808a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Probably the most photographed and posted plant in the garden this year, Crinum 'Emma Jones', still putting up scapes in mid-November. The one below, and another like it, have no hope of opening outside, so have been cut and brought into the house to see what happens.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdPG3BOgr-aEsWHEk8ZTe0yAjzGeqEVgcd1goFM_7Iant7iNL-yaG4zaATqaZq6EtLYIXwgujpI5c34c4G3VktLanl8I8TybKSWuuRJZUQ44HovnaQmmLF4NTz2FMd1rJJ0am-9nHIRQ/s1600-h/CrEmmaJones111508c.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271403210797266098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdPG3BOgr-aEsWHEk8ZTe0yAjzGeqEVgcd1goFM_7Iant7iNL-yaG4zaATqaZq6EtLYIXwgujpI5c34c4G3VktLanl8I8TybKSWuuRJZUQ44HovnaQmmLF4NTz2FMd1rJJ0am-9nHIRQ/s320/CrEmmaJones111508c.JPG" border="0" /></a> Below, another Crinum, 'Walter Flory', also still in flower.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LK2ebCL-hsZjo90x2YarGpHX8iJ4-7XAqJl_DG7J8u_tdrfXaQVtKAKntwtD2ymubJkdXZ1ubd36NdQeurQJLdUIkaqNhhqanSO8NVGjjZXMQ_CNo8qumzjia1jgJcyzcVBJZkmiQOg/s1600-h/CriWalterFlory111508.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271403050269012322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7LK2ebCL-hsZjo90x2YarGpHX8iJ4-7XAqJl_DG7J8u_tdrfXaQVtKAKntwtD2ymubJkdXZ1ubd36NdQeurQJLdUIkaqNhhqanSO8NVGjjZXMQ_CNo8qumzjia1jgJcyzcVBJZkmiQOg/s320/CriWalterFlory111508.JPG" border="0" /></a> Crocus ochroleucus, grown in a pot for drainage reasons and so that it doesn't get lost.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJKvoR53C23lUSttIKlYu2DFQT2sdYZ_v4yi6b-MgAV022xnekK2d85TtI5GzyzjsBs2k5lBRghyphenhyphencya79CtgsfbvUErorYJJvlMqkrxA6lwMYfBbcBgOimkgwethLWFX74cFa9itFM8w/s1600-h/Crocus+ochroleucus.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271402874224344434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJKvoR53C23lUSttIKlYu2DFQT2sdYZ_v4yi6b-MgAV022xnekK2d85TtI5GzyzjsBs2k5lBRghyphenhyphencya79CtgsfbvUErorYJJvlMqkrxA6lwMYfBbcBgOimkgwethLWFX74cFa9itFM8w/s320/Crocus+ochroleucus.bmp" border="0" /></a> Galanthus reginae-olgae, one of the fall blooming snowdrops. I just got one bulb of the other, G. peshmenii, which was my one bulb purchase of the year (this may change as Brent and Becky's Bulbs in Gloucester begins marking down their inventory this weekend.)<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttQfoV2d_hJ1sOWgn8lmEmYZ6m9IjWvGrT4mCyvRDHQmwzMCJ-sR7arWPTEwE4T7Za-Yswuf6qBg8pWMlf6YzLSdec1MSK6NZ58JSNZUOwpAcXTCOse-kHJcLTKqOcHWTHLMpEn0a0Gw/s1600-h/Galanthus+reginae-olgae102802a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271402656873387874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttQfoV2d_hJ1sOWgn8lmEmYZ6m9IjWvGrT4mCyvRDHQmwzMCJ-sR7arWPTEwE4T7Za-Yswuf6qBg8pWMlf6YzLSdec1MSK6NZ58JSNZUOwpAcXTCOse-kHJcLTKqOcHWTHLMpEn0a0Gw/s320/Galanthus+reginae-olgae102802a.JPG" border="0" /></a> The first Hellebore of the season, a great plant of H. x nigercors. This hybrid between the Christmas Rose and the Corsican Hellebore has been a great producer of pale green blooms over the years, but this is the earliest it's ever been in flower.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnAFRmrWrvCZ4hSrjMabxiBv4h8w2Drq2o9-nVaCArWepyUHAioF2tw3t4Jx75wd9EI188TU2sxpiLlNTzE3_uSQzpZzLgHFo54SHJ2rbvshWdd6CvkB34qLg4viOwSxwbxskmjvfoIA/s1600-h/Helxnigercors111508a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271402530127463026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrnAFRmrWrvCZ4hSrjMabxiBv4h8w2Drq2o9-nVaCArWepyUHAioF2tw3t4Jx75wd9EI188TU2sxpiLlNTzE3_uSQzpZzLgHFo54SHJ2rbvshWdd6CvkB34qLg4viOwSxwbxskmjvfoIA/s320/Helxnigercors111508a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Musa velutina, carrying fruit that's ornamental, but seedy. I was hoping the seed would have time to ripen, but that's not going to happen, at least not outside. I've cut the stems and put them in water - at least they'll be interesting to look at.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrlhi90Q7jcqx2gtZu7YxheDn7-9QclH4z8A9xDVvdwDbAmIN10zj7OU6W66457I0BukAsOPqWtNMiBF1AdYNwnt_QBmtfIvLvT4ahVANSC7yI96J3WUTIu-l7RdT8gySXlSBrkatHFk/s1600-h/Musavelutina102808.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271402200175942434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrlhi90Q7jcqx2gtZu7YxheDn7-9QclH4z8A9xDVvdwDbAmIN10zj7OU6W66457I0BukAsOPqWtNMiBF1AdYNwnt_QBmtfIvLvT4ahVANSC7yI96J3WUTIu-l7RdT8gySXlSBrkatHFk/s320/Musavelutina102808.JPG" border="0" /></a> Nandina domestica, the yellow berried form. It's not as vigorous as the red variety, and the berries become discolored after hard freezes, but it's attractive for a while, at least.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQwFWyYLqDJmITIHOZo-4q6T3W5VZvltH_IT7jK_YZrCofByUjS28qFr71PXpwjhZgKxLM3gk7l0YQvodLrMkFRHTpAlm_Q4Zpfy4oQLxCM4HND8-pEbItKifoJETVBoVYjK1UfrmW9A/s1600-h/Nandinaxanthic111508.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271401821869350530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQwFWyYLqDJmITIHOZo-4q6T3W5VZvltH_IT7jK_YZrCofByUjS28qFr71PXpwjhZgKxLM3gk7l0YQvodLrMkFRHTpAlm_Q4Zpfy4oQLxCM4HND8-pEbItKifoJETVBoVYjK1UfrmW9A/s320/Nandinaxanthic111508.JPG" border="0" /></a>Another group of plants I've shown too much, but they really do provide three seasons of interest. Sarracenia leucantha comes into its own in fall, producing its best pitchers before our temperatures plunge.<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4H31JtSts0X0yiIC4LHh3iRNMsRtK9aDg4x1GJ4y1Dh2TPADjprlYROYoHPDNLUAsyKM7bf9GNe50H7h51JaRX6xhlV8EnvvQ7xecwhf7-4Vd9Ejj7x1pCcE-aV7T0kHpHkiKDvC8bis/s1600-h/Sarleucantha111508.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271401703484831954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4H31JtSts0X0yiIC4LHh3iRNMsRtK9aDg4x1GJ4y1Dh2TPADjprlYROYoHPDNLUAsyKM7bf9GNe50H7h51JaRX6xhlV8EnvvQ7xecwhf7-4Vd9Ejj7x1pCcE-aV7T0kHpHkiKDvC8bis/s320/Sarleucantha111508.JPG" border="0" /></a> Sarracenia minor 'Okeefenokee Giant' among the doomed salvias and cannas in mid-November.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xTDaYV2JS0eajkLZh5000TO7K4bqfB2Q96jvtEbYZ3U_aqWvKscOkqEQ4kHwcBS4W3pp0DaEmOsu1WjhYIszBWR-DRj2IKkSbzXIFIijGUfxb9MXvOyYoX0yJG0vCNbnuyechKBWltg/s1600-h/SarracminorOG102808.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271401560493887106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xTDaYV2JS0eajkLZh5000TO7K4bqfB2Q96jvtEbYZ3U_aqWvKscOkqEQ4kHwcBS4W3pp0DaEmOsu1WjhYIszBWR-DRj2IKkSbzXIFIijGUfxb9MXvOyYoX0yJG0vCNbnuyechKBWltg/s320/SarracminorOG102808.JPG" border="0" /></a> Schizostylis coccinea blooming amid the wreckage; I cheat with this one, bringing it into the coldframe during the coldest part of the winter. It's not extremely productive here, but it blooms at an unusual time.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-88YhoZFtOmroMFw-J0PseEXgnRBcco4yyYSREviFa2Rl5tbBufSxNDE1o4QVSpeRovtQSaHqbaXKpl8LTxeNuBEZDcrxmsnSvm2Afh3s4K61yAxLbUbSg6mnjUr8arwHdPSYtfZne3o/s1600-h/Schizostyluscocc122106.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271401391312921442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-88YhoZFtOmroMFw-J0PseEXgnRBcco4yyYSREviFa2Rl5tbBufSxNDE1o4QVSpeRovtQSaHqbaXKpl8LTxeNuBEZDcrxmsnSvm2Afh3s4K61yAxLbUbSg6mnjUr8arwHdPSYtfZne3o/s320/Schizostyluscocc122106.JPG" border="0" /></a>In winter, gardening has to move indoors. This terrarium started life as the jar out of which my great grandparents sold ginger snaps (they recommending topping them with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese) in their little store in Southampton County. Now it houses a rotating display of miniature and dwarf Sinningias; the ones that aren't currently blooming live under banks of fluorescent tubes on shelves in the garage.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefKzIh8EYMaDtkdtf17q6bugUDue9bpe8XzZHtjjLAvQCo3USdGftBodX5ThTP6Et2zH2u_il_lda9AxLsPnVl1E5q1S2Ohxkj5E2ZXROU2aVKsPoGaMKQFro4nMRiteZn2Cfs0shB4U/s1600-h/terrarium102808d.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271401284190296018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiefKzIh8EYMaDtkdtf17q6bugUDue9bpe8XzZHtjjLAvQCo3USdGftBodX5ThTP6Et2zH2u_il_lda9AxLsPnVl1E5q1S2Ohxkj5E2ZXROU2aVKsPoGaMKQFro4nMRiteZn2Cfs0shB4U/s320/terrarium102808d.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-67099751473774830142008-10-19T01:22:00.000-07:002008-10-19T01:58:39.508-07:00Building the ArkSymbolic of the current state of our busy lives is this moonflower, which has taken up residence on the unused hammock out back!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSxejimaBl3uJmOYN37rxDKFPW2_IIvBRpMCgSVPzY3WxC1pV07iwoZLWfvWc5ugeeRGWQEd_VL0IW6I4137JMYg55j8uGwulJr6ii5lF0VDzkJ_3YrSCLpSjI-oaTJCoBloSpMNQCS4/s1600-h/Moonflwrhammock101008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258780304201242434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSxejimaBl3uJmOYN37rxDKFPW2_IIvBRpMCgSVPzY3WxC1pV07iwoZLWfvWc5ugeeRGWQEd_VL0IW6I4137JMYg55j8uGwulJr6ii5lF0VDzkJ_3YrSCLpSjI-oaTJCoBloSpMNQCS4/s320/Moonflwrhammock101008.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div><div><div><div><div>This is the busiest time of the year for me, both professionally and out in the garden, mainly because winter is at the doorstep and I've only just begun taking cuttings, rescuing tender plants that I want to carry over, and rebuilding the ramshackle structure that I loosely call a greenhouse. Covering it with a double layer of polyethylene every October is a drag, but until I can afford a commercially fabricated model (which will be never...), it's the best I can do. It's only 8' x 16', so deciding what to keep and what to let go (sometimes those things surprise me and winter over, even in pots) provides me with my personal version of "Sophie's Choice", appropriate in the city which bore William Styron (although he didn't remember it so fondly in his writing!) </div><div> </div><div>We did have a nice bit of rain over the last two days, which saves me some time I would have spent watering today and has filled the rain barrels for now. The only drawback to these has been the time it takes to actually use the water they hold - not a problem during the summer, but moreso now that time and daylight are at a premium.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258783959866331666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wiK_2LLYFE0BJLBUdlOrsT1cGEmcjVaZGr-PhEfXuuKGNEzwPbmnorwEXa9SOn_mNBGgKvx8L0Tkgo5atwIkbj7YFoJOuGdsxKs2GLLgTLVOjWr8tgXD2G0JZMIjyhcu7GAngS2hHNI/s320/Eichornia100108b.JPG" border="0" /> I like the look of these rain barrels a lot, but the non-draining wells on top are a subject of consternation. While they've provided nice places to grow this water hyacinth (Eichornia) and Sarracenia (a hybrid called 'Cobra's Nest' - sorry Mom!) during the summer, they also require constant vigilance and applications of BT to prevent their becoming mosquito nurseries. I may take them off entirely for the winter; I'm afraid the standing water will crack the plastic as it freezes and thaws. We've lost lots of concrete birdbaths that way in the past.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258784289834066658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFubLV2ZxIePPyc3WiKcPwqqOrZpMpzK3dC84LiwG5sJIc05VifM1PctjtqJVosz4UFxGRzeYqN4a6vTf-Ygi5GyhWNYs5PjL8zcskmKF2MI10qFduc1bU5_nTKfunuPcdPEnN1piedmM/s320/SarracCobrasNest71108b.JPG" border="0" /> <div>Things are still beautiful, in spots, right now; while hardy perennials and shrubs hunker down as cold weather ap<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmeJmFnM6JkhQ33ZA74fJlrwuAjRA0-n-6AUJRdhSLQZ7vW2HYM2jebTBoZOkPNRVSQ-b1VzcIyQxt-8pQC6rlzilTA66Zc-ibZbq2j0WJHY4mRGhm3eXi_bHQcremr1CaiP_t4AEyfo/s1600-h/Sarracxwriggleyana101008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258781212738672322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmeJmFnM6JkhQ33ZA74fJlrwuAjRA0-n-6AUJRdhSLQZ7vW2HYM2jebTBoZOkPNRVSQ-b1VzcIyQxt-8pQC6rlzilTA66Zc-ibZbq2j0WJHY4mRGhm3eXi_bHQcremr1CaiP_t4AEyfo/s320/Sarracxwriggleyana101008.JPG" border="0" /></a>proaches, the tropicals have no clue, so they blithely continue on. </div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><div>This is one of my favorite fall combinations; the texture's a little fine, so it doesn't translate into a great picture, but I really like the "color echo" between the Sarracenia x wriggleyana 'Scarlet Belle' and the Salvia splendens 'Van Houteii' against the "ears" of the chartreuse Xanthosoma 'Lime Ginger'. The Salvia and elephant ear are both tender, so need to be propagated via cuttings and stolons, respectively. As stated before, so much of the color in my late season garden is derived from foliage, rather than flowers, that it doesn't seem to qualify for a "bloom day" posting. The Sarracenias are a case in point; some, such as leucantha and its hybrids, including 'Daina's Delight', wait until fall to produce their largest, most colorful pitchers.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mXAWs8Y7BiSRxIFrRhSc0NAm0mfbakp2QUM81iRE6_mHmQupC1RvCeiC4t_w-144tP6m4XhhieYHF2rPktMYi1sjNRW4ffswc102PQdqFkyIK2tXEpo3mVBF2HV9RoCaHyl4FKSIlKY/s1600-h/SarracDDelighta101008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258783463854810706" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mXAWs8Y7BiSRxIFrRhSc0NAm0mfbakp2QUM81iRE6_mHmQupC1RvCeiC4t_w-144tP6m4XhhieYHF2rPktMYi1sjNRW4ffswc102PQdqFkyIK2tXEpo3mVBF2HV9RoCaHyl4FKSIlKY/s320/SarracDDelighta101008.JPG" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-62496107435105979822008-10-16T02:00:00.001-07:002008-10-19T00:56:54.552-07:00Bloom Day II<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNOFx660LEfsvFCaMbyfIp9mohLX1ufKcqmtcj9pK9BtdQBat0A8p31Ypz7yFs56Y1tYyf5JoIdhq2TT2ZohgxXp_bCtiC-qs3SyMhdXbD_Y_MItbVVSU2JscbisBqmybuhdYOrEys_k/s1600-h/Spiranthes100808.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257675490122846114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNOFx660LEfsvFCaMbyfIp9mohLX1ufKcqmtcj9pK9BtdQBat0A8p31Ypz7yFs56Y1tYyf5JoIdhq2TT2ZohgxXp_bCtiC-qs3SyMhdXbD_Y_MItbVVSU2JscbisBqmybuhdYOrEys_k/s320/Spiranthes100808.JPG" border="0" /></a> Spiranthes cernua 'Chadd's Ford', probably the easiest, along with Bletilla striata, of all the hardy orchids. It's in danger of being shaded out by Nippon or Montauk Daisy (which was once Chrysanthemum nipponicum, but is now Nipponanthemum something-or-other, I think) and the ubiquitous Begonia grandis.<br /><div><br /><div>Below is Colocasia 'Black Magic' in combo with more favorite coleus. One project for this weekend is to start rooting cuttings of these.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIsz2Dnt6vYEGrPRHhOaEriUhqappvmJYfw5T7otwZqfvteeeM8lb3znxZgL3aCZe-mGTuIv7A7APr36fCFN8GhgU5-HwdST12KIa8SVrrut_FUHpDC4aW9DJjDbCHy8BjS_Agby0VGI/s1600-h/ColeusColoc101008a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257674896785776178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLIsz2Dnt6vYEGrPRHhOaEriUhqappvmJYfw5T7otwZqfvteeeM8lb3znxZgL3aCZe-mGTuIv7A7APr36fCFN8GhgU5-HwdST12KIa8SVrrut_FUHpDC4aW9DJjDbCHy8BjS_Agby0VGI/s320/ColeusColoc101008a.JPG" border="0" /></a>This is another fall favorite, Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans or rutilans...too lazy to check.) <span style="font-size:85%;">P.S. - Phillip calls it 'elegans', so that's good enough for me.<br /></span><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxod1GqVZ8zzWGhasHM_7YnDBt-saoBhZFGq7let7vskB4gSMEDtMOHdnbireDsG6GE7KpfluDIu8CdoXQbG4BdV4RuFfsnMvoVv6NjWgPgJu7CgfeR1JLPr53SUpsgilF9ggOPRudP8/s1600-h/Salviarutilans101508.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257674736754756162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTxod1GqVZ8zzWGhasHM_7YnDBt-saoBhZFGq7let7vskB4gSMEDtMOHdnbireDsG6GE7KpfluDIu8CdoXQbG4BdV4RuFfsnMvoVv6NjWgPgJu7CgfeR1JLPr53SUpsgilF9ggOPRudP8/s320/Salviarutilans101508.JPG" border="0" /></a> An aster purchased many years ago from Montrose, called "Our Latest One".<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJngFyV2E4mShTErlNrX9yNn9QjZsvjjgzcUAw3Y9LcB23N_66YKPiNn78ehxfP4IMlQQP6DQX500gb4kI57e89a5_-R3Njfh6YxqUL0YpNozllHgPUSajYHr9iGmgU_KMfQuzzQe3_g/s1600-h/AsterOLO101508.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257674494906851138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJngFyV2E4mShTErlNrX9yNn9QjZsvjjgzcUAw3Y9LcB23N_66YKPiNn78ehxfP4IMlQQP6DQX500gb4kI57e89a5_-R3Njfh6YxqUL0YpNozllHgPUSajYHr9iGmgU_KMfQuzzQe3_g/s320/AsterOLO101508.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div>The latest of the Hedychiums to join the party, H. coronarium growing in too much sun for its own good, but doing okay. Still waiting for bloom on thyrsiforme and gardnerianum...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwDN4JYn_hiNDvTyNBCI0qiOPHSivDAhe9TeUFMxVJICocOfROQsHSjCt7VLXqHz1tDX91kAZKpRIaGB0pN149fhj-gZlFWtbklDE7T6jcEeuWB5dpGKQcEX_Isi1dZuGKMN1siFng1I/s1600-h/Hedycoronarium101508.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257674323377751202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwDN4JYn_hiNDvTyNBCI0qiOPHSivDAhe9TeUFMxVJICocOfROQsHSjCt7VLXqHz1tDX91kAZKpRIaGB0pN149fhj-gZlFWtbklDE7T6jcEeuWB5dpGKQcEX_Isi1dZuGKMN1siFng1I/s320/Hedycoronarium101508.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-41553807936149032632008-10-15T00:58:00.000-07:002008-10-19T00:59:14.862-07:00Installment Plan<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257288464856847378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVaTYCuOCOft2vqWx5G6lUjm1P6-6ow5SgIgODxutHi5xsE6tVwdMjKunDI6JaQ-kZGOSElKS0qzhJGe00GKDON31IygmZyfLxjcr5WWHwb7BcIPZBu0tXQXkZnX0_KSCfn1vuh1TojQ/s320/SalvialeucCannaPret101508b.JPG" border="0" />I give up. There's just not enough time to do this right now, so I'm going to have to build my October "Bloom Day" post in installments. Between two jobs, family stuff, social obligations, exercise (a priority for people who like to eat as much as I do) and actual gardening (tasks such as rebuilding the greenhouse in prep for winter have to take precedence right now), it ain't gonna happen. So check back occasionally, and I'll add a picture or two when I get around to it. It's a shame, too, because October might be the time of the year when our garden looks the best. This is a combo of two old favorites that usually hides behind parked cars at the curb - Canna "Pretoria" (aka "Bengal Tiger") and Salvia leucantha, which is hardy here most years.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUkaKc4ur81DThHns7IOG0H_oRAmkVpnlZ0nJWYnzjGCvT_tfnVEtlzLjBWX4QVpfHNIAhKaXII9-G7F_WlI5w-fP-129LG9eU2qfDGDA7QCpOUkRKvPgY_vqRMdZX1bNSkXPrxQDqGY/s1600-h/Camsasanquawhite101508a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257288959833945026" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDUkaKc4ur81DThHns7IOG0H_oRAmkVpnlZ0nJWYnzjGCvT_tfnVEtlzLjBWX4QVpfHNIAhKaXII9-G7F_WlI5w-fP-129LG9eU2qfDGDA7QCpOUkRKvPgY_vqRMdZX1bNSkXPrxQDqGY/s320/Camsasanquawhite101508a.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>The camellia season starts now, and this white sasanqua ('Setsugekka'?) is beautiful. I've rooted cuttings of the double white 'Mini no yuki', which always blooms around Thanksgiving at my parents' house, but they're painfully slow in putting on any growth. 'Winter's Star' is one of the cold hardy hybrids developed by Dr. William Ackerman, and it does really well in a tough position here.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257289608008771474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPk14FIjbfD-QHbWUMxyVcsbdH-Tt7E47TzNBMK_FzHf1Czde6VedmTRHHlTmO4gaJ_rFWRU4qobgStR-623AIZ7YmZM53PeqqMORWmxJuA6v3HpHGK6Li4hVdmzP4CD3t1VvtuXk87w4/s320/CamWntr'sStr101508.JPG" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><br /><br />'Shishi Gashira' will be covered in bloom from now through New Year's, making it one of the longest blooming of all Camellias here.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257290248144431186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoSAHO1HRNVO-ncvpmNsAjoxWKJVfahWl46k620OV_o6QhypY3R2EfihJ9EAIaAg1V4MVDqQQvUv6ape3SW1QB7sXJIG_BgJphRf5FGiuGZoBuEcw4vnn2t1qtf96p0Ajgej3gJ_Uqfo/s320/CamShiShigashira101508.JPG" border="0" /><br />Lots of perennials and 'temperennials' are at their peaks right now; below is a white form of Ruellia which is probably a different species from the taller, purple one.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52fvd5rw5Pz9J2A6UyJsQ8SBasvgW3AdsQoq1Z_3Xc2s1jQtqf3kqOw0BCPwsLZwEJ6ji5Y4jmeTgYQvtPletvcMcAkIJfqXAogkzFjvhu5I1Qo7w4_YUIWmJwRqBy1JJVuDGTKT_1tM/s1600-h/LobeliaCndyCrn101508.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257291808065988194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52fvd5rw5Pz9J2A6UyJsQ8SBasvgW3AdsQoq1Z_3Xc2s1jQtqf3kqOw0BCPwsLZwEJ6ji5Y4jmeTgYQvtPletvcMcAkIJfqXAogkzFjvhu5I1Qo7w4_YUIWmJwRqBy1JJVuDGTKT_1tM/s320/LobeliaCndyCrn101508.JPG" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257291015666399426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDG7zXJmUX5WSxarkg0pQtouoVgjMezTQ9Rybl-2cdNyUZ4wgQV281za9XLGx2zvLYsAJk8XWnWrChDzsalnOKxZFFd-85LPwlAWh0WiCilKHNraxrM8jloXSoydjEWklOxg9ckJbfcc/s320/Ruelliawhite101508a.JPG" border="0" /><br />To the left is a close up view of Lobelia 'Candy Corn', which waited until almost Halloween to produce these blooms. Also in the 'candy corn' spectrum is this seedling of Sinningia sellovii which produces blooms tipped in yellow. This is one of the longest blooming perennials in my garden now, and the tubers are easy to dig and store for 'insurance' purposes.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257293221441676114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSA8G5sD0FgVWQiG04D5BAELTq3A8r1WiWbCsBQY5mx7YlN0s0VlHO2joEGoDycuWuLkkXyBthHIXUiLd5w63uiagxBN5HFxidECD5kQLMG1qIT-cUAkQ_KTxlt04GwYVdB9c567-9kk/s320/c.JPG" border="0" /><br />That's it for now - lots more to post, but time to get on the "hamster wheel"...Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-32140668447362863262008-09-19T17:30:00.000-07:002008-12-17T15:13:32.007-08:00To Each His Own... My Own Personal "Garden Rant"I'm entering a liberating stage as a gardener, thanks to the examples set by friends. There is a time when one feels the need to grow every plant, and to believe every claim made by the gardening industry about the latest developments in horticulture. The last couple of years, Echinaceas and Heucheras have been the darlings of the nursery business, and I'm sure the hype is deserved, at least in some areas of the country. The fact that my garden is full (to say the least) makes it easier to keep from rushing out and purchasing the latest plant superstars (the prospect of some expensive dental work looming this summer is a pretty good deterrent, as well), but the best reason not to buy EVERY plant is that there are some things I just don't like. I guess this means that I'm that much closer to having the summer night smile on me for the third time (yeah, it's an obscure reference to "A Little Night Music" - if I'm coming out as an opinionated gardener, I may as well also admit to being a musical theater afficianado), but if that's the case, so be it.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div>At one time I wouldn't have been comfortable saying that, but at my age, I realize that one only has so much time, energy, and real estate, so he might as well concentrate on growing things he enjoys and appreciates. One friend, on visiting my garden for the first time, was asked by another visitor if she had ever tried growing any of the hardy palms in her garden. Much of the structure in my front garden is provided by a collection of Trachycarpus species, which I happen to really love. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247879894626490866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_9jdVWq_iPkGm-uBay7FM8WkchCmuW5oeccdxDXw4FC4U_l4lhOnzPVfFxoGUKzs5h_MF_BX9drrdutjLBdlfzy5hS0Qqp6j38dJhL9eC1E3dM522X-T8jnh_a4N90seWfbAbDiV2gY/s320/Trachys908.JPG" border="0" />Her response was that she hadn't, mainly because she didn't really like them. I was not offended at all, partly because of the kindness in her tone, but mainly because her comment seemed so supportive of my contention that our gardens belong to us, not to the horticultural industry, the gardening cognoscenti, or (worst of all) the neighborhood associations. When I offer plants to people (sometimes it's either give them away or compost 'em), I get lots of different responses, but only once has anyone ever said, "No thanks - I really don't care for those." Interestingly, in the intervening years I've decided I don't care for them, either (Althea "Bluebird") - they're weedy shrubs which reseed everywhere - which is why I was trying to give them away!</div><br /><div>The recent glut of Echinacea varieties is a case in point - it's just not my favorite plant, and I don't use up a lot of garden space on it. I felt bad about this for years, until I read an interview with Dan Hinkley in which he was asked if there were any plants he disliked - bingo! (Now if someone could just make me feel okay about being a Democrat in public... )I keep one, seed grown plant of E. purpurea (if you look very closely at the photo below, you might just spot it), and that's mainly to appease Ron - he's still hoping the plant really has the curative properties for which it became famous in past decades, despite mounting evidence to the contrary. We've never once ingested any part of the Echinaceas we've grown, so it's mostly a mental thing. I think looking at it counteracts all of his misgivings about venturing outside during allergy season (or, for that matter, during ANY season). Anyway, they just don't grow very well for me (mostly a consequence of poor drainage), so I can't justify the expense of building and maintaining a collection of all of the latest cultivars.<br /></div><div>As I mentioned in another recent post, I have an aversion to Hemerocallis 'Stella d'Oro'; I got one many years ago when it was the only rebloomer available. Since it multiplied so rapidly, I used lots of it to cover ground and edge beds when we first moved here. It had gotten so much media hype that I figured I had to like its chunky, mustardy blooms, no matter what. Part of the problem may be visual; I've decided that this particular hue is not pleasing to my eyes, since I feel pretty much the same way about Kerria, Coreopsis 'Zagreb' (don't tell Ron this cultivar exists - his Croatian heritage would demand that we install one immediately!) and Forsythia (I don't grow this, but I don't mind seeing it, either, since it functions as a powerful harbinger of spring.) My feelings may also stem from growing up with grandparents who survived the depression- if a plant is going to produce blooms that mimic those of summer squash, it might as well earn its keep and actually produce something I can stuff, slice, or grill!</div><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf79OvC-VHa9eW-F8NPEs51q2SqbCaqcPRdUk6D_z6PhMQxTY7dyAt4mAbg4E3eu4A2i83w1_hb1v5kQ3iVoR1yMdej348YPabvbneL7-1MiiPehJQA7XDKRlnfR7NbpphPY5bbabHaTw/s1600-h/Backgdn71408.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247883773215700466" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf79OvC-VHa9eW-F8NPEs51q2SqbCaqcPRdUk6D_z6PhMQxTY7dyAt4mAbg4E3eu4A2i83w1_hb1v5kQ3iVoR1yMdej348YPabvbneL7-1MiiPehJQA7XDKRlnfR7NbpphPY5bbabHaTw/s320/Backgdn71408.JPG" border="0" /></a>I know my next revelation runs counter to a mantra intoned by everyone I know who wears the mantle of "Master Gardener" (another subject with which I have a few issues; let's not go there right now...), but here it is anyway. I'm pretty much <em>over</em> the ornamental grass thing. I do enjoy the way some of them look for part of the year, but they take up way too much room as they mature, work me to death (I'll spend most of my time tomorrow chopping them back for the third time this year to regain the ability to walk even one abreast on the path between the island bed and the back fence), and reseed with abandon, despite what most references will tell you. Maybe those folks who live in climates which are colder and less amenable to Miscanthus species don't have to work so hard, but I spend loads of time and tear my fingers to shreds pulling out volunteers all over the garden. Worst still are the seedlings that I don't catch in time - they form massive clumps (a couple are just plain green, without the attractive variegation of their progenitors) for which the only removal technique may well be the ignition of dynamite at their crowns; even that might not work. I would love to eliminate several clumps which have engulfed entire rosebushes, shaded out perennials, and provided years of symbiotic safe haven to the dreaded Japanese honeysuckle, rendering both the vine and the host impenetrable to spades, shovels, axes, post-hole diggers, and even my grandfather's infamous "grubbing hoe" (his name for it - I've seen them listed by the much more genteel name "grape hoe.") Yes, they're graceful, they provide winter interest (especially to people with way too much time and spray paint on their hands), and they contrast beautifully in form to plants with leaves of different design; I can't look at my ten or so clumps any more without feeling totally defeated as a gardener. </div><div></div><div>Here's some more blashphemy: I don't really cotton (pun intended) to things with airy, delicate, wispy little flowers in big, puffy clouds. So Deutzias, Abelias, Exochordas, and a lot of the Spiraeas are not high on my list of favorites. One of the recent media darlings that I really don't get is Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' - why not just plant ragweed, or the wild Artemesia which, no matter how much I pull out all summer, still manages a panicle or two of blooms to produce the next generation of weeds? I love some Salvias as much as the next guy, but all species seem to be sacred to the garden writers of America. That's fine, but a lot of them look like weeds to me, at least as they interact here. I tossed out S. uliginosa (someone with mild dyslexia could probably transform that species name into an appropriate adjective to describe my impression of this wispy, wimpy weed) a couple of years ago, along with several clones of S. microphylla. "Microphylla" pretty much describes my problem with that one - as Miss Hannigan sings about "little girls", "Everything about them is...LLLLLLLLittle!". <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247886049195273682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDQR5nT7FCR9oz3nDVTwBz-S8usG3sd8MCfdKGjjljFgaJqJDxhDJ6hF97uHRF1-5S4j6zu7bB0ewIRSpDFFSQ9058q8IsMKV1DQ3F98rhDOj92yHjepfYR4NsXGzq-9QIAzbewWBtr6w/s320/HelxorDblPpl21808.JPG" border="0" /></div><div></div><div>One issue here may be that familiarity breeds contempt. Hellebores have long been among my favorites, and I've been growing, breeding, and collecting them for nearly 20 years. When I started, they were nearly impossible to obtain, and nobody else had them. Now they're at Lowe's every spring for $5.99, and I find my interest beginning to wane, especially as tissue culture makes the really spectacular clones available to just <em>anybody</em>. Another phenomenon, to continue with the obnoxious musical theater references, is what I like to call (with a nod to Stephen Sondheim, one of the true geniuses of our time), the "God, why don't you love me? Oh, you do? I'll see ya later!" blues... I'm fascinated by plants which defy my cultivation and will squander any amount of money on them, knowing full well that they are destined to become very expensive compost. Once I "crack the code", my level of enthusiasm is greatly reduced. We were just lousy with Cattleya hybrids once upon a time, but growing them got tedious once I figured out how to water them. Maybe, on the other hand, I tell myself this to lessen the tragedy of losing them all to scale infestations, which continue to this day. The truth often hurts as I analyze the psychology that motivates me to garden (or to do just about anything, for that matter!).<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247889477008477794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQoXGefqp0t8m50ytKxlxOHQas0dpQCMdbLm8-Fz4P8YgS-jWV3zW7ZWkN0cDui_A2pO-9ctxiIzsmn81GrHd6iwJUU-YIDtYEN9wLPHusPveB9Q1jgnzBBaPFFvepc3SjrdV2kd0d44/s320/CClarkHermanChicago73b.JPG" border="0" /> <div>I guess it all boils down to this: I have less than 1/4 acre, and, if I'm lucky, another 30 odd years in which to cultivate it actively, and I don't want to waste a square inch or a single minute of either. Life's just too short. It's similar to a stance (somewhat unpopular among many of my friends) that I've adopted regarding community theater. No matter how much I love someone, I adamantly refuse to endure another amateur production of <em>Mame</em>, <em>Hello Dolly!</em> or <em>Nunsense</em> (in any of its incarnations). I admit to being motivated on some level by bitterness - how many similar showcase roles are there for tenors who have reached "a certain age" (at least for those of us who are disinclined to appear in drag)? So go ahead; knock yourself out. Plant that Boltonia, Aruncus, or Clematis tangutica and belt out your unique rendition of "Rose's Turn". Just don't be angry with me when I'm not enthused about adopting your rooted cuttings or staying awake for your inevitable standing ovation (everybody always gets one now, no matter what, courtesy of Oprah) at the Podunk Little Theatre.</div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-58281075993892477952008-09-15T05:20:00.000-07:002008-09-16T01:40:38.735-07:00Bloom Day September 2008<div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245662673827933522" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zOtcsd0CxnvJa1yz8IHmUXvLNufgG_-NtSZQApFDrOOFwWv3dKfSnM7_yzKuodP4Dy104G2DldWJ-6rGYQxBKd0SxHTE4tm5ibHxUtYb6Vv-B2DtZRtdzXxzXmggw0D3cjUZySLjjWg/s320/DSCN3677.JPG" border="0" /> I have to apologize for this disjointed post - I'm short on time, having some tech difficulties, yada, yada, yada. Anyway, here's what I've thrown together for now:<br /><div> </div><div>Although many Salvias, including S. darcyi (left) have been blooming all summer (this one's been engaged in a territorial dispute with one of the perennial Lathyrus for several years now), they're really beginning to come into their own now. Lots of them are definitely hardy here, especially if they're not cut down after frost, which can be a test of restraint for those who like tidy beds - the dead stems aren't very attractive. However, for lazy people like myself, it's a great excuse to do something else.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBq60349sWMjHdFxHc53mJV7fUQv0qKLa7T_2rtkINKAURUMs5ph4aLvFUQkbjJKMzxjDVqWRduUX6v7L1qJCoADc1v-cNhU72C9SdEjBDLMDTioHK3-zuvm02UoGi6NZs5HxQc0016o/s1600-h/DSCN3676.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245661237862579922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBq60349sWMjHdFxHc53mJV7fUQv0qKLa7T_2rtkINKAURUMs5ph4aLvFUQkbjJKMzxjDVqWRduUX6v7L1qJCoADc1v-cNhU72C9SdEjBDLMDTioHK3-zuvm02UoGi6NZs5HxQc0016o/s320/DSCN3676.JPG" border="0" /></a> This Salvia, S. involucrata 'Bethelii', returns here pretty dependably, but I like to keep a couple in the greenhouse for insurance. It's called "rosebud" sage because of the ball of overlapping bracts that forms at the end of each stem and will subsequently unfurl into fuzzy magenta blooms for weeks to come.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPF0aXQpcDKVJFXraBxEHxdU3CrW_St2qdNbwumjxV9jm5YmFlfYmXFZwlkMhEcFtN21aA7z4tO240jEy9TC0W5HfItFNnoJDW_ofomy0USCkafmPhRYWTft_GNuCPDrkDx258BzibOQ/s1600-h/DSCN3671.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245660266509535026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPF0aXQpcDKVJFXraBxEHxdU3CrW_St2qdNbwumjxV9jm5YmFlfYmXFZwlkMhEcFtN21aA7z4tO240jEy9TC0W5HfItFNnoJDW_ofomy0USCkafmPhRYWTft_GNuCPDrkDx258BzibOQ/s320/DSCN3671.JPG" border="0" /></a> Salvia "Purple Majesty" has not been hardy here, probably owing to the S. gesneriflora in its background. This is planted next to the pool containing a tropical Nymphaea, "Panama Pacific", which is the exact same color as the salvia; unfortunately, they never seem to be in bloom at the exact same moment in time. It's kind of like a "color echo", but with a 2 second delay.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9d9RIm2HSdXhNypSaFYp43smWRLQJNoMthrphqdeCEaZDoLbN1Fw62Khztwp9XZrPbm83mMwIzhEipKXzcyC-fsoUvWsYdNXS8xh5P1iWn9Dbp1qqB2ahnCF75McWy_Im2tlscqSDO3Y/s1600-h/DSCN3667.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245658244547462002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9d9RIm2HSdXhNypSaFYp43smWRLQJNoMthrphqdeCEaZDoLbN1Fw62Khztwp9XZrPbm83mMwIzhEipKXzcyC-fsoUvWsYdNXS8xh5P1iWn9Dbp1qqB2ahnCF75McWy_Im2tlscqSDO3Y/s320/DSCN3667.JPG" border="0" /></a>Above is a volunteer Tricyrtis seedling (I'm guessing it's a white form of hirta, but they're fairly promiscuous, showing up all over the garden) which landed in a bit more sun than it probably would prefer. It's covered with blooms, but the foliage has a lot of burned spots. Too bad gardeners can't live in houses which face east on all sides to accomodate all of the plants which prefer that exposure. </div><div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245657632887859666" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="262" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2bNj-1guLW3RxDmyW6Ls4jhK4qUOTbH64sD8S7vSYisnIvHX7ugcu4iGBRhc1zJPl61hcmQtFhC7WyQ_1_ew1d0cuo0trTl-cLk0lwBml9-OOS0-XTr_PjiRsMaj-hBPDx5jCU_EXzjk/s320/DSCN3663.JPG" width="181" border="0" /></div><div>This is Achimenes 'Harry Williams', reputed to be hardy (as is 'Purple King', for sure), and getting ready for its first winter here in Tidewater Virginia.<br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHasvGMzLIEy0myMcU4vCqb-TABq7SHmlC-uVq6OH8rdP_CTGzj4Y0Of_09GZ_qj58BqCyMeSzXjgCxf8xB3GEEgP856UE9bsEqDGeXZJ3H-_cx5hcbEOKOM37uwRS6mvClYLPsjnJnB8/s1600-h/DSCN3658.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245656807997363042" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHasvGMzLIEy0myMcU4vCqb-TABq7SHmlC-uVq6OH8rdP_CTGzj4Y0Of_09GZ_qj58BqCyMeSzXjgCxf8xB3GEEgP856UE9bsEqDGeXZJ3H-_cx5hcbEOKOM37uwRS6mvClYLPsjnJnB8/s320/DSCN3658.JPG" border="0" /></a> To the right is Musa velutina in bud - I'm sure the bloom will make it until we have a frost, but there won't be time for the small bananas, which are colorful but inedible, to develop. I didn't notice this until tropical storm Hannah broke off a couple of the leaves near the stem (which was about the only impact I noticed, even though the storm passed directly over us.)<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHVrA5UePYS3JXZQTPlUVs8Re3zOV_qbAMu-anu2kSPJ5QyeW3FVY_KV0VkwbDuQZS8W5FGh3XYwvvblOyHgAWOBsWgaAB_uoqrubZrIdZbc3uA1vXJHEPwjudwSRmL2Dimufhlfjb9U/s1600-h/DSCN3656.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245654856028082978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHVrA5UePYS3JXZQTPlUVs8Re3zOV_qbAMu-anu2kSPJ5QyeW3FVY_KV0VkwbDuQZS8W5FGh3XYwvvblOyHgAWOBsWgaAB_uoqrubZrIdZbc3uA1vXJHEPwjudwSRmL2Dimufhlfjb9U/s320/DSCN3656.JPG" border="0" /></a> I'm willing to go on record as saying that I intensely dislike Hemerocallis 'Stella d'Oro' (I don't much care for this harsh shade of yellow in other plants, either), and have pretty much booted it off my property, but this is at least a little interesting - a bloom with some extra petals. The slight doubling makes it look a little less like a zucchini blossom. Time will tell whether this is a fluke or a stable mutation; if it's the latter, it'll be a lot harder to pitch it in the compost. I can't even give 'em away, since people only want containerized plants, and I'm not willing to give up my soil, or, for that matter, a decent pot, in the name of spreading this overplanted little pest!<br /><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-A_vhMGe9o-NyOXT7SsgBobXi8tz7aOXD3enzHgFpEdcnsmsXEs2d-ZvpGKL_laBvwnua_wy6LbAWtI0O24ISxXkH2xcLRGtLVZ-MAnVdiWAKIdisNx2L0IuvltAD8WOuoP2lEpicKNU/s1600-h/DSCN3651.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245652083356456002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-A_vhMGe9o-NyOXT7SsgBobXi8tz7aOXD3enzHgFpEdcnsmsXEs2d-ZvpGKL_laBvwnua_wy6LbAWtI0O24ISxXkH2xcLRGtLVZ-MAnVdiWAKIdisNx2L0IuvltAD8WOuoP2lEpicKNU/s320/DSCN3651.JPG" border="0" /></a> Dendrobium canaliculatum is a tiny epiphytic orchid from Australia which spends the summer hanging out in whatever large shrub has a bare branch or two. This plant has been in my collection for at least 12 years, and it's no bigger than 4" in total height.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5Q5Un6r5-ikqEvEeP4LMkgEB5suzYk2SE3UNaK0nsfkn9yqv6N73NJ4Vfh8mw3ZYZlXZe71E4dNKR4hq7iRjF80tft4cDGxkHAEIBl5Sh0iJkjk0ZlLy92AcfjgL4b2Kvo7lWHVoikc/s1600-h/DSCN3645.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245649880447391922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO5Q5Un6r5-ikqEvEeP4LMkgEB5suzYk2SE3UNaK0nsfkn9yqv6N73NJ4Vfh8mw3ZYZlXZe71E4dNKR4hq7iRjF80tft4cDGxkHAEIBl5Sh0iJkjk0ZlLy92AcfjgL4b2Kvo7lWHVoikc/s320/DSCN3645.JPG" border="0" /></a> Cymbidium Golden Elf 'Sundust' spends the summer integrated into the flower beds and usually produces its blooms well before being returned to the greenhouse for the winter.<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZWUBcFq1HZqHVAGA3Jy1KoZIcrHBGtksAdLkMPfLlj3kvG-PsM5Gfbl8Kze21HhlaM2MXn-IaDrmRn2_NuQQjr3WEV04F-nf9KuHeqpgxjeAiyOlG_b6A55z6zdFugvogqQZ-G56FNE/s1600-h/Chirita+keiko+91308.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245430637941526130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXZWUBcFq1HZqHVAGA3Jy1KoZIcrHBGtksAdLkMPfLlj3kvG-PsM5Gfbl8Kze21HhlaM2MXn-IaDrmRn2_NuQQjr3WEV04F-nf9KuHeqpgxjeAiyOlG_b6A55z6zdFugvogqQZ-G56FNE/s320/Chirita+keiko+91308.JPG" border="0" /></a> Above is one of the Chirita hybrids, a Chinese gesneriad which blooms very happily when bedded out for the summer. This family provides lots of color when used in this manner, and several members are proving hardy as well (haven't tried this one yet).<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245430375510541186" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEN4_TEdn7JSqCl10tuWZOX2Oj7m2RTQ5ra7aIwBvb7gU-LGUW2Z4FStgrDzIc3G8CXIEAY2jwayeyD_3GGPqhRM-JbluxmsFudlofBOhslRGjr0j90V5lNEakOnIXT20CAvzPq_02Lc/s320/Lycoris+radiata+91308a.JPG" border="0" /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSdBRyD45EBGz_Pt60VYTH_nPUNhZHZC2nBjIkf8TBlFgB1yfuYlVmjlNJA5iXidr1IewM27K6caUQhLnW5bFNEynO8O8XWeiwim6gbiP28m4K_RLYJ2ss31O-vJxY-ufr7CDsFDZ2zI/s1600-h/Lycoris+albiflora+91208b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245430054079103298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgSdBRyD45EBGz_Pt60VYTH_nPUNhZHZC2nBjIkf8TBlFgB1yfuYlVmjlNJA5iXidr1IewM27K6caUQhLnW5bFNEynO8O8XWeiwim6gbiP28m4K_RLYJ2ss31O-vJxY-ufr7CDsFDZ2zI/s320/Lycoris+albiflora+91208b.JPG" border="0" /></a> Lycoris are mainstays of the September garden, especially L. radiata, which is scattered all over my garden (shown here popping up amid Lantana 'Miss Huff' and Setcreasia pallida). Above is the pale species (maybe a natural hybrid?), L. albiflora.<br /><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245423424101355602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmnxzB4NLBSyAV9RWpUam81yq2nSnheuv3vVVvnuymRXc9X2Dre-pJpBAUC8JQl5wIpb3xh4dRM8KZdT8E4pqsQ1ILxSrGVwQ8iq3H0S6C1LZjduWrB8ceGDicGpp2gqRd4tH3csdDTk/s320/HedyPinkV908c.JPG" border="0" /> <div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7DA_VA4x98JG_gBfXg6-weOnJidii3xcKS6aN874_ttC4svxdkbu9NpxSCFv-BSnI11v7Es0AuvkzAGbNiw9wGgv64iJZKQbjnx8i8N7-JDmwTQF5SyAqAwz7tBivUKIsgn_hXYTJiM/s1600-h/AmorphophColeus71108.JPG"></a>I’m not sure “Bloom Day” is the most appropriate showcase for my garden in September; although there are tons of flowers in evidence, much of the visual interest here in late summer/early autumn is in lush, colorful foliage in a variety of contrasting shapes. Colocasias, Cannas, Bananas, Coleus (okay, “Solenostenum”), Sarracenias, Begonias, Tetrapanax, Arisaemas, Caladiums, and numerous species of hardy palms, ferns, and grasses add to the overall effect. These faux (and some real) tropicals carry my garden far into fall, which, if we get enough rain, can be long, warm, and spectacular. Much of the actual bloom in the garden is thanks to plants which started several months ago, but there are still many new plants putting out flowers at this time of year.</div><br /><div>This is Hedychium 'Pink V', blooming in front of Trachycarpus takil, with Crape Myrtle 'Yuma', still blooming three months later, in the background.<br /></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245649385950951986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduXh-pE6XDNuAf9MofmyaHuDLJe-ITNESSOdfTxBahWe0d9aqIZFj8NkSpStWESZ8YrfjZRVMZrwStrBj02LyH-aXV1wnGUPRw6wxJgdQKIkl0g67yQz8EG3f23qSiEOqoKsP5NVqAUA/s320/DSCN3642.JPG" border="0" />I know I posted it last month as well, but Begonia grandis, in both its white and pink color forms, definitely bears repeating. It's almost weedy, but a major workhorse in the late summer garden. Its form changes as the blooms mature, and the pendulous fruiting bodies provide a lot of color and interest well into November.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPshtXCsx3fL_sIs3W1tp9wIwbqQm60fcDTIJhbsCJUQCOcYYFxtdGZWGKGruflfm6amOJkcw1U_bkJ83eOsfDWNW6YyYhLBbTV2I3i4ofKV1WCTjpbv9hIsBT4wxYcJ1OWBmx4zXPPA/s1600-h/Okra908.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246154459332739618" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMPshtXCsx3fL_sIs3W1tp9wIwbqQm60fcDTIJhbsCJUQCOcYYFxtdGZWGKGruflfm6amOJkcw1U_bkJ83eOsfDWNW6YyYhLBbTV2I3i4ofKV1WCTjpbv9hIsBT4wxYcJ1OWBmx4zXPPA/s320/Okra908.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div>No flowers on these red okra right now, although the pale yellow hibiscus blooms which precede the red pods are attractive. These are growing in pots in front of the garage, and have been attractive (not to mention tasty in jambalaya) all summer, despite having been backed over by the pickup a couple of times and battered by wind. The pods turn green when cooked. As the lower leaves have dropped off, I'm underplanting them with rainbow chard seeds, which will provide color and salad pickings all winter. </div><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245429192154616690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmkcPK4thkC9KBqdezK6fPxHnUin_fYevyYcubD5s5u_QDzLS52HIL5IrEssBNhTwUqg5bzVDr7oxE1nsNP2Wwwl1wdMoq16DldioBZhreNw_JTB0OVX48h6qaXrQLoBck6tz9kE6vOI/s320/BC+Binosa+%27Wabash+Valley%27+83008.JPG" border="0" />Above is BC Binosa 'Wabash Valley', one of the toughest of my remaining epiphytic orchids. It seems resistant to the scale which decimated the rest of my collection years ago, and blooms happily when hanging outside on the fence in late summer. </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246157616411086370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLde16RMBOXXjy5M0_xsJPy4Qo0GXukvdkty9l_c4T7pjogLjFFegLyb0wdQXYuSN-T82nMaNi8IWy6iFwyrzj_Lq58x-qaYXcM7zOh31thZFhu5ZzsnDudOhp5oxrhpBSgeSSc9Ne2Ck/s320/Anthericum+saundersii+908.JPG" border="0" />Anthericum saundersii is a useful little tender perennial (it survived last winter, but that isn't saying much) in the Chlorophytum (spider plant) tribe which looks like a grass or sedge, but produces these wands of flowers that look good arching over the edges of ponds.</div><div><br />My biggest dilemma in siting the more diminuitive fall bloomers is that many remain hidden among the burgeoning vegetation; there must be at least 50 Cyclamen hederifolium, cilicium, graecum, and purpurascens in bloom around the yard, but unless you know where to look, you miss them entirely. I’d love to grow more fall Crocus, Sternbergia, and to try some Colchicums (I never have), but there aren’t many places where the blooms wouldn’t be swamped at this time of year. Raised beds and pots are about the best solutions I’ve found to this problem, and it’s here that I grow things like Acis autumnale, some of the rarer Rhodophialas, and Galanthus reginae olgae. I’m doing my best to limit pics this month to things which are in bloom now but have not been in past months, so this is just a small cross section of what you might see as you fought your way through the “jungle” right now. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245288317054883762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Onq54iDnMDSSpmBKV22zxPUuHoLkkNOW7aUyhhZr69hQnsCGSHYUB7zDbkVGbvKHatLLtsw-n4cui9p4soT8P_irsaAVw6qkkfo5rxBPHG5NfhQhbcl8O-k1G_uBZ2aOkuTOpf7e3ek/s320/Rhodophiala908a.JPG" border="0" /> Rhodophiala bifida, the most commonly grown species. R. spathacea is pink, but hasn't begun to bloom yet. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1yPSAbKiVdBupXHkqpllldlagwZQ5rgbg-CVMl6sFrRMQMKQHeB_LqJPGjytjl9a_IrCuc7wthl8olZpJ1UG31WBp5AYYtMRNEIKdpRbyPSuFU91ePr89nJKizg2apgmL085G7ZcSIw/s1600-h/Coleus908.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245287424482500818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1yPSAbKiVdBupXHkqpllldlagwZQ5rgbg-CVMl6sFrRMQMKQHeB_LqJPGjytjl9a_IrCuc7wthl8olZpJ1UG31WBp5AYYtMRNEIKdpRbyPSuFU91ePr89nJKizg2apgmL085G7ZcSIw/s320/Coleus908.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div><div>Not a bloom, but I love this coleus, which is planted in the middle of an old clump of amsonia (I excised the dead center this spring, but decided to leave the rest of the clump where it is, plopping this plant down in the center as a place holder.) Anybody know the name of this cultivar? I've long since forgotten it - I winter over cuttings of about a dozen varieties every year. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGAgfINU98dVqMxHMdSBIFIvsuAT_0SzRguJDKHpp7cXlhDfMoYH0MQ5vE6kWkG4-RYXqiHah-QHlCAXBdJ4xMUpA73qVs0AoKtlBFbjl__fCkUBCF7rL8XjebLticjXyWNXeavDI3rk/s1600-h/Zephcandida908.JPG"></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244306849141896898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGAgfINU98dVqMxHMdSBIFIvsuAT_0SzRguJDKHpp7cXlhDfMoYH0MQ5vE6kWkG4-RYXqiHah-QHlCAXBdJ4xMUpA73qVs0AoKtlBFbjl__fCkUBCF7rL8XjebLticjXyWNXeavDI3rk/s320/Zephcandida908.JPG" border="0" /></a> Zephyranthes candida, self-sown among the trumpets of Sarracenia rubra.<br /><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEzstiaz9aV5DifXdhmiPi1ihhynlyCQNJ8FYNTNIeBZfzSMMkgA9jKkiubcXEpRwF15V3LZ5r4a8QOHm131I2sXcZGPk5PRsS8TgncsSYrkhl5A54z4wxQXLjhmjbxnLvtONVoovcA4/s1600-h/Vernonia908a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244306544464076770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEzstiaz9aV5DifXdhmiPi1ihhynlyCQNJ8FYNTNIeBZfzSMMkgA9jKkiubcXEpRwF15V3LZ5r4a8QOHm131I2sXcZGPk5PRsS8TgncsSYrkhl5A54z4wxQXLjhmjbxnLvtONVoovcA4/s320/Vernonia908a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Vernonia, a very attractive, at least in bloom, native plant which refuses to be eliminated from the front border (it's pretty ugly for nine months of the year).<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlYt_xf_GDfFe21gCC2eZZ7nRtW0HwO7vKbYuL7yDZ-m4dVJGcSlDZUsF3HyWkpnCiFGNk1fWJEng8xuuarKGw7PinNuL9OFR6pQuKeKS6aARazAfaPuEVknaHoyO4F_j9Xb0v0AikVA/s1600-h/Tulbaghia908.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244306272501951138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJlYt_xf_GDfFe21gCC2eZZ7nRtW0HwO7vKbYuL7yDZ-m4dVJGcSlDZUsF3HyWkpnCiFGNk1fWJEng8xuuarKGw7PinNuL9OFR6pQuKeKS6aARazAfaPuEVknaHoyO4F_j9Xb0v0AikVA/s320/Tulbaghia908.JPG" border="0" /></a> Tulbaghia violacea ("Society Garlic"), a South African plant that is dependably perennial here and loves lots of water when it's hot. It's here in the green and variegated forms.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkw3iq3lUpa1KGclkcuao0NQ9TkXdjWDuSLK1wooh3fwBkpfpylvR5HuFfbKmBjCr6pFUliJFuDSV-oDN9aHLqVx80VdKj-tD_O-VrbBZ5mehfQPEgvukUStAzkYIJekTiOcecY37ODTQ/s1600-h/Ruelliapink80108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244306051932367570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkw3iq3lUpa1KGclkcuao0NQ9TkXdjWDuSLK1wooh3fwBkpfpylvR5HuFfbKmBjCr6pFUliJFuDSV-oDN9aHLqVx80VdKj-tD_O-VrbBZ5mehfQPEgvukUStAzkYIJekTiOcecY37ODTQ/s320/Ruelliapink80108.JPG" border="0" /></a> The pink form of Ruellia brittoniana, I think. These have naturalized in pink, white, and the ubiquitous blue, and they love the heat.<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNj266_qacBTPIemmeOQiuc7_ulWAJxSbxYKiCPbU_YbIDDcwqPzBVzCG2DDi8K81PTrfyxccVINwtBq35qYDziL6GTCQ1YYDg5JSRcvwSNybcbHxLIdWcmbHYb7vogTHgYx3s2kZtOE/s1600-h/Senecio+confusus+908.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244305520045989522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNj266_qacBTPIemmeOQiuc7_ulWAJxSbxYKiCPbU_YbIDDcwqPzBVzCG2DDi8K81PTrfyxccVINwtBq35qYDziL6GTCQ1YYDg5JSRcvwSNybcbHxLIdWcmbHYb7vogTHgYx3s2kZtOE/s320/Senecio+confusus+908.JPG" border="0" /></a> Senecio confusus, Mexican flame vine. I save cuttings of this over the winter, but my plants from last summer returned as well after our warm winter.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BTm7ngmb_53rckjT8o16KGG9steou5JFjc7hKPDbdNYwuooO4MbKwXFCfaq_I708QmPVdeMUmxI-L2aWi7MOqYPFTkS-n39MaRr1AKbMHJnTbG8ZrT2We7lMef8jl85MVOKh_lZL43I/s1600-h/Rudbeckia+laciniata+83008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244305307900420370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BTm7ngmb_53rckjT8o16KGG9steou5JFjc7hKPDbdNYwuooO4MbKwXFCfaq_I708QmPVdeMUmxI-L2aWi7MOqYPFTkS-n39MaRr1AKbMHJnTbG8ZrT2We7lMef8jl85MVOKh_lZL43I/s320/Rudbeckia+laciniata+83008.JPG" border="0" /></a> Rudbeckia laciniata, growing in shade beneath a red cedar - totally the wrong place for it, but that's where it planted itself. I pulled out the original plants years ago, but seedlings persist in odd places around the yard.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS23ab_LABWUoGdA3MXg47Q5tmpS89XjcCHyJ8xDawTyFdUM5JmTS79e_8Df4aWs0YdvJ8fBBJyU3vzlW2FCz81coLpuTkIQ8X6ybqBeMl1HjM8D-mYZeezWNZ-2IswkhAYCYv-AeJbLs/s1600-h/Sarracflavabloom908.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244305128496948562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS23ab_LABWUoGdA3MXg47Q5tmpS89XjcCHyJ8xDawTyFdUM5JmTS79e_8Df4aWs0YdvJ8fBBJyU3vzlW2FCz81coLpuTkIQ8X6ybqBeMl1HjM8D-mYZeezWNZ-2IswkhAYCYv-AeJbLs/s320/Sarracflavabloom908.JPG" border="0" /></a> Another extremely tardy bloom on Sarracenia flava - I've never seen pitcher plants blooming as late as a couple of mine have this summer. This one, a "copper top" selection of the species, also bloomed in April; its somewhat outward facing flowers, very unlike those of the other clones that I grow, seem to be consistently produced.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUfKfIQu5FXfZ3XUYMgM54OevucxLBnb4O0V0mSeovXFuqTlQUvRlV6NnSREKL7gQFag7Q__6I5QvawqvANkevluk4exyj8Q71_Uwgq73yG5so6INnhqvPA-tZ4Kx7a76kKEbhsr-bv8/s1600-h/Sarraceniaalabamensis908d.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244304799556880546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUfKfIQu5FXfZ3XUYMgM54OevucxLBnb4O0V0mSeovXFuqTlQUvRlV6NnSREKL7gQFag7Q__6I5QvawqvANkevluk4exyj8Q71_Uwgq73yG5so6INnhqvPA-tZ4Kx7a76kKEbhsr-bv8/s320/Sarraceniaalabamensis908d.JPG" border="0" /></a> Okay, once again, not a bloom, but pretty cool - Sarracenia alabamensis (which produces its best pitchers toward fall) simultaneously playing host to a milkweed bug and a wasp.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6K0zTs_8-cZBWDvKJYrypTXHKg0UQyBfXX9IL6EVa5YW-nwi7zckYXdcE-ORvyEN60x4dSgJTmtQghHuJGt8lY2PysG46KJvKR8Fih351hAjsSSCp-q9oC_c3HDXzC-KLLeX5KO9W7c/s1600-h/Passiflora908a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244304299825432930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6K0zTs_8-cZBWDvKJYrypTXHKg0UQyBfXX9IL6EVa5YW-nwi7zckYXdcE-ORvyEN60x4dSgJTmtQghHuJGt8lY2PysG46KJvKR8Fih351hAjsSSCp-q9oC_c3HDXzC-KLLeX5KO9W7c/s320/Passiflora908a.JPG" border="0" /></a> I thought I had eradicated all of the Passiflora coerulea from the garden after it became a pernicious weed a few years back, but this one survives, and I didn't have the heart to yank it out.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlBZZU1QOfejub9vQGbNT27Il7EknVklig038-_p9JRmhUvxuzs8luFine8NeUWjRxB5-kYPwIefei_vctv_tYILZ9dv8Cc_5sya3GsfgUnsnpc5j-pbATPpPjH0dsKp5ZNT7Tr_sAM4/s1600-h/Arisaematriphyllum908.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244303885462763346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlBZZU1QOfejub9vQGbNT27Il7EknVklig038-_p9JRmhUvxuzs8luFine8NeUWjRxB5-kYPwIefei_vctv_tYILZ9dv8Cc_5sya3GsfgUnsnpc5j-pbATPpPjH0dsKp5ZNT7Tr_sAM4/s320/Arisaematriphyllum908.JPG" border="0" /></a> Again, not a bloom, but the aftermath thereof - berries on Arisaema trifolium, against a frond of evergreen Korean fern (Polystichum polyblepharum?).<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMFpJlZmxRWzYRdGlM132cPyjQHEUVMGZUejT85RUrYrC83wCnlULWvM7wVOjATCO40XkKKi7zG93__iGfQXKzsZze6eJHJChMiVhuSwAVPtW0lGugPnc2DBvzxQqDNgN7CCZAvDUEWQ/s1600-h/Ocimium'BlueAfrican'908.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244303668043994178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMFpJlZmxRWzYRdGlM132cPyjQHEUVMGZUejT85RUrYrC83wCnlULWvM7wVOjATCO40XkKKi7zG93__iGfQXKzsZze6eJHJChMiVhuSwAVPtW0lGugPnc2DBvzxQqDNgN7CCZAvDUEWQ/s320/Ocimium'BlueAfrican'908.JPG" border="0" /></a> Blue African basil, a sterile hybrid with a pretty strong flavor - a little goes a long way in food, but the blooms are attractive, and they keep coming, since they don't set seed. This one's totally tender, but cuttings are simple to root in fall.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_58OPsTwoumVT0v-ra2Xu-rpGlT3-npjEXo9iOZBwHMNXVR5FFc5KDQU3tuIxRVHZpbM-jQUi5oLFp3-_zirJVIxYoFnpCWdmCTn2mLXhzu1M2yj-1TzMlVYjDcmSZqUzPU4GZ20C8HI/s1600-h/Justiciacarnea908a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244303373056699698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_58OPsTwoumVT0v-ra2Xu-rpGlT3-npjEXo9iOZBwHMNXVR5FFc5KDQU3tuIxRVHZpbM-jQUi5oLFp3-_zirJVIxYoFnpCWdmCTn2mLXhzu1M2yj-1TzMlVYjDcmSZqUzPU4GZ20C8HI/s320/Justiciacarnea908a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Justicia (aka Jacobinia) carnea, which is tropical, but has wintered over for me both here and at my parents' house since we brought it back from a childhood vacation in the '70's. I can't remember the exact year, but I remember going, during that same trip, to the visitor's center in Orlando that housed the model of what Disney World <em>would</em> look like when it was built. The original plant came from a flea market (the seller called it a "Pinecone Geranium") somewhere in Florida, and has part of the family ever since.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26zJJ7VZNxyhLbAsWeKAn8Q5gjz3eb2V_rGia1Thfj7M9-epqh9UMVf9Y0zUmshrgSDpOIUzxlIJU03P5yyB5nm5TET1pTKG4mJ8fsiE-ll2szz2U5VHu_q2CIL2Q_EYUE0V27CpFakE/s1600-h/HemBarbara908a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244303144902298754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26zJJ7VZNxyhLbAsWeKAn8Q5gjz3eb2V_rGia1Thfj7M9-epqh9UMVf9Y0zUmshrgSDpOIUzxlIJU03P5yyB5nm5TET1pTKG4mJ8fsiE-ll2szz2U5VHu_q2CIL2Q_EYUE0V27CpFakE/s320/HemBarbara908a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Hemerocallis 'Barbara', the latest flowering cultivar I've found. It started blooming three weeks ago and is still at it. I like that it's tall enough to be seen above the rank growth of Salvia, etc. in the late summer beds. I know - it's almost the same color as the dreaded 'Stella d'Oro', but it makes up for that by being taller and more graceful in shape. I wouldn't grow it if it bloomed in July, but I'm happy to see it in September (as much as I'm happy about anything in September - it's a "teacher thing"...)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuHlosuwyDoSIQXM8kX5S96IbcouiuzOiYrBnlBcYwyONK_68dDlEF1pt13hheDlcqY9I8iPsWyINDEtKFyG9fGt1t2DpGft_1mTrVVK38H1oy1s5Yt7q6M40XJY8qKAORf-H21OGIlw/s1600-h/Nicotiana+langsdorffii+908.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243225017204598674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuHlosuwyDoSIQXM8kX5S96IbcouiuzOiYrBnlBcYwyONK_68dDlEF1pt13hheDlcqY9I8iPsWyINDEtKFyG9fGt1t2DpGft_1mTrVVK38H1oy1s5Yt7q6M40XJY8qKAORf-H21OGIlw/s320/Nicotiana+langsdorffii+908.JPG" border="0" /></a> Nicotiana langsdorffii, which reseeds randomly and also returns for two or three years in a favorable location. I tried to photograph its navy blue anthers, but they're not evident here. The only other true navy blue that occurs in my garden shows up in the seeds of a white-spotted strain of Helleborus - talk about a <em>really</em> distant color echo!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9aypd68_SzDwNQpqfEnKjtrR8VtEYGjdi3rmet4iypOEmkguNEyZ6uP8vnOvVaBmrCDeenTxyCPo-vHzhoLcEiE3GF3UdZ_e-_Z9vmOyJzdsvw6lmA5W5Ts1UM-ua0pBI0JRT2a3buY/s1600-h/Hedychium+Tara+908.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243224644185280018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9aypd68_SzDwNQpqfEnKjtrR8VtEYGjdi3rmet4iypOEmkguNEyZ6uP8vnOvVaBmrCDeenTxyCPo-vHzhoLcEiE3GF3UdZ_e-_Z9vmOyJzdsvw6lmA5W5Ts1UM-ua0pBI0JRT2a3buY/s320/Hedychium+Tara+908.JPG" border="0" /></a> One of the varieties of Hedychium coccineum, probably 'Tara'. I've had it forever, so the nomenclature is questionable. Still waiting in the wings, but beginning to show buds, are H. coronarium, thyrsifolium, 'Elizabeth', and my favorite, gardnerianum.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6K1RRce5xg2in94P_ruxkw3ZOEb0Q4YYmoREEmYxBmzCA0fx9i5iwCLpjcXClGJtlx4xu05KyOiK2Eoumr2KAo_dCtu5Ot9Vz_vYX9DkO0x3tqyTognaJFAajFsHSrn6aBwgx0YUrQuM/s1600-h/Fungi908.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243224066001992402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6K1RRce5xg2in94P_ruxkw3ZOEb0Q4YYmoREEmYxBmzCA0fx9i5iwCLpjcXClGJtlx4xu05KyOiK2Eoumr2KAo_dCtu5Ot9Vz_vYX9DkO0x3tqyTognaJFAajFsHSrn6aBwgx0YUrQuM/s320/Fungi908.JPG" border="0" /></a> Again, not a bloom, but pretty cool nonetheless. Before I took a closer look at this fungus, I was complaining about our neighbors' having tossed their old orange peels over the fence. Of course, I throw them in the flowerbeds all the time (they're supposed to deter cats), but those are MY orange peels, and therefore somehow inoffensive...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSEuLJcrusvBUD_n5cRIjX_tAbAlZNoFTyUMMxc_4a4zcODjKqzqngG0Ks8221pP4oF6RbFf4L1E3D-Xwj2L0axopKLvmLgLDXbeFQDrS_2DiPirvZmmSV5hMAhgdaBhWReQVMK6iESQ/s1600-h/Clempaniculata908c.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243223767162243730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSEuLJcrusvBUD_n5cRIjX_tAbAlZNoFTyUMMxc_4a4zcODjKqzqngG0Ks8221pP4oF6RbFf4L1E3D-Xwj2L0axopKLvmLgLDXbeFQDrS_2DiPirvZmmSV5hMAhgdaBhWReQVMK6iESQ/s320/Clempaniculata908c.JPG" border="0" /></a>Clematis paniculata (it has another name that starts with "max-", but I'm too lazy to look it up), another thing I didn't plant, and threaten to rip out (as if that were possible) every year until it blooms. I like it with the grasses and Colocasia antiquorum 'Illustris' in the foreground. </div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCReZmjTqlkksNpn1cG_irWNKJxpnSqgy8VK6we1oiQHbcXOWuky7XP_e9GgGJyXJjOaiSjvZ9ncbkpNjDLaOqexE7-TA0Fe2WA0bLCJM1htn0TuJK0W9fFbYhSXjHXFChczKhbgKuTQ/s1600-h/Callicarpa+908.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243223462142151138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCReZmjTqlkksNpn1cG_irWNKJxpnSqgy8VK6we1oiQHbcXOWuky7XP_e9GgGJyXJjOaiSjvZ9ncbkpNjDLaOqexE7-TA0Fe2WA0bLCJM1htn0TuJK0W9fFbYhSXjHXFChczKhbgKuTQ/s320/Callicarpa+908.JPG" border="0" /></a> Berries on the native Callicarpa just beginning to turn purple. It's an ugly shrub for most of the year, another holdover from my native plant craze (I got over that), but I do like the berries.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Jd5hPgtLVopVDbUHwFubwIdTJMuZQVQ-SXUQ3acPkW75x6rfV_5NsEyVvi5KTm64PVQuJ0TRXV8MHmj9tGUwHwxmAF5BneR1Pfg_YKDaaibkNZRQx4aKGOi03jgxtk1msprJzAdSzxU/s1600-h/Bulbinefrutescens908.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243223288294951842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Jd5hPgtLVopVDbUHwFubwIdTJMuZQVQ-SXUQ3acPkW75x6rfV_5NsEyVvi5KTm64PVQuJ0TRXV8MHmj9tGUwHwxmAF5BneR1Pfg_YKDaaibkNZRQx4aKGOi03jgxtk1msprJzAdSzxU/s320/Bulbinefrutescens908.JPG" border="0" /></a>Bulbine frutescens, a tender little South African succulent, kind of like a miniature kniphofia, but everblooming once it gets going. It's easy to propagate and carry over from cuttings of side shoots.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja750kqrxjIvIzqAVTdvzROaDdeuCxoyBI_0hvJ9wqEmuPOHqG8pMrEzlFGUGUPBESuKN0ZCfBelJIS1I7v5ZviGDi5HFzS3YyNLr7xYs6K5wfpb1aGCRCCyMHTz8ltZSobApYC1KEkcg/s1600-h/Anemonevitifolium908a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243223027184677650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja750kqrxjIvIzqAVTdvzROaDdeuCxoyBI_0hvJ9wqEmuPOHqG8pMrEzlFGUGUPBESuKN0ZCfBelJIS1I7v5ZviGDi5HFzS3YyNLr7xYs6K5wfpb1aGCRCCyMHTz8ltZSobApYC1KEkcg/s320/Anemonevitifolium908a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Anemone vitifolium. Lots of sources list this as a rampant grower which takes over planting beds; I wish it were moreso here, along with 'Honorine Jobert', a white cultivar. They're both beautiful, but not happy enough in my garden to become problematic, apparently.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245419584300310578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtf28BeRwFsbkK72Rn7zaxrEL1BMYa-GBomID62sxuKSn_qJ8xjf1773LCfPztaowCkoRjr-lW5a0WZCL6HHMf3bqlcuaKeeSuQk3nMftAbtDQE9EDhIWReqYkaeriCPueRv6ktVePdFk/s320/Clerodendron+speciosissimum+908.JPG" border="0" />Clerodendron speciosissimum - I'm tentatively calling this a dieback shrub here, since it has returned for two years now. It seems to take forever to bloom, and never achieves the size it does as an overwintered plant, but the color makes a big impact.</div><br /><div>This is by no means a complete representation of what's blooming here; many things of which I've posted pictures in previous months are still in bloom, including roses, Begonias, gesneriads, Cyclamen, rain lilies, Cannas, Crinums, Amarcrinum, and others many too numerous to mention. I wish I had more time to work in the garden right now, much less photograph and write about it, but those pursuits are taking a distant back seat to work and family demands right now. The garden, at any rate, is one thing that gets me through this time of year, providing much to look forward to even as the new school year, winter weather, and the hectic holiday season prepare to exact their annual toll on my aging psyche. </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-39100266458483201032008-08-15T01:34:00.000-07:002008-08-17T05:40:21.277-07:00Bloom Day, August 2008<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9Apv6ci27NplEvNwhPIKtg7V42OENKsWk2iXnMzQfGKVq5UxjyHuxx-TBGsEmd6NPl1AnJSNmoJCX84t8q3krWKF8xQEAzXKMiPcHnYMZ4pIO7gqLZj40_xVsxGjpRhuTWGQ-52q1vU/s1600-h/C.+hederifolium.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234483454622082866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9Apv6ci27NplEvNwhPIKtg7V42OENKsWk2iXnMzQfGKVq5UxjyHuxx-TBGsEmd6NPl1AnJSNmoJCX84t8q3krWKF8xQEAzXKMiPcHnYMZ4pIO7gqLZj40_xVsxGjpRhuTWGQ-52q1vU/s320/C.+hederifolium.jpg" border="0" /></a>I know a lot of people complain about August, and it's true that sometimes it can be pretty bleak, depending on rainfall. This year it's kind of an embarrassment of riches around here, and I'm enjoying it immensely. A lot of September bloomers are checking in early this year, probably due to a warm-ish winter, including Cyclamen hederifolium in pink and white, scattered as seed by ants all over the dry, shady parts of the garden. C. purpurascens has been blooming all summer and continues to do so. Also flowering somewhat precociously are natives Eupatorium coelestinum, Rudbeckia laciniata, and Lobelia cardinalis, which has already been in bloom for at least a month.<br /><br />Abutilon megapotamicum (that name is just fun to pronouce) dies to the ground but returns reliably here, growing into a nice sub-shrub and blooming through late summer and autumn.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCzxRPctKZcvZ1Co2u-j6K2R-NR1m1dipHjQ70qytuk0QPyJL7mvZNg6Iq-HMcNupJq-jgRTA5JB8JsdDFEr6NepVYfVs4_FvCHHqFJtZqQk-VBBrcrlxwcazMPyD9GHBkA9Ox4CfXc4/s1600-h/Abutilon+megapotamicum.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234528172102293522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCzxRPctKZcvZ1Co2u-j6K2R-NR1m1dipHjQ70qytuk0QPyJL7mvZNg6Iq-HMcNupJq-jgRTA5JB8JsdDFEr6NepVYfVs4_FvCHHqFJtZqQk-VBBrcrlxwcazMPyD9GHBkA9Ox4CfXc4/s320/Abutilon+megapotamicum.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Yeah, everybody grows it, but the perennial Lantana 'Miss Huff'' can't be beat for shear flower production. It's appropriately located next to the "Wildlife Habitat" sign (a great way to justify a "messy" yard to an unimpressed community association!), since the lantana IS a wildlife habitat in and of itself. It's the first plant we see when we arrive home, and it's always buzzing, humming, and fluttering with life.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234521416275140018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZxeTaYpOjVmyjgVVukstsErfEGDmbITQTY4H9NI_T9i2lpYOd97QCdVz__Q3EJSzZToWnCftRKBjznwyexd_2P2pkFWDkDzjeqLEei7P4dhyphenhyphenffRXnnD5NZ7__AywBbvfuVH24A9OHlc/s320/Lantana+Miss+Huff.JPG" border="0" /> Here's an interesting anomaly: Sarracenia x 'Love Bug' blooming months after all of the other species and hybrids. It's not just one bloom, either - on closer inspection I found 3 other buds emerging from the crown. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234687980263862498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBH4Um2pAxs7HrzujDW9MHrspn5L4YtoCU4Q_uCc43n-RO39wNJJIbsY1xLFi7JrkDoRTamt2z6-FFnqJJ_O2Ua-9hdhYJ1jT3TlrXYdmQ0ph65DmFcBB7L4zWOU5pHMgAsdouYOoo1Q/s400/SarracLoveBug81508a.JPG" border="0" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMbKx5tCl_nIDAQcmUYuNr3ZPy-tgty-fZZfC8NQTrzJxdiTmOn8-DZ8MsVNgPCNMPO1h-dEffKIGl8YgQXa1Q7xL6lbC8_TvW-wIdFxqJdSREbRyxNF9er4EaFZ3nsv-YfgN_R6zC4c/s1600-h/Catt+Mrs.+Mahler81508.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234522846314885810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMbKx5tCl_nIDAQcmUYuNr3ZPy-tgty-fZZfC8NQTrzJxdiTmOn8-DZ8MsVNgPCNMPO1h-dEffKIGl8YgQXa1Q7xL6lbC8_TvW-wIdFxqJdSREbRyxNF9er4EaFZ3nsv-YfgN_R6zC4c/s320/Catt+Mrs.+Mahler81508.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The big bifoliate Cattleya 'Mrs. Mahler' is, of course, not hardy here, but my two huge plants always light up the fence where they hang out for the summer.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So many roses are in bloom now (and finally unmolested by the Japanese beetles that always ruin their second bloom cycle) that I'm choosing one representative - 'Excellenz von Schubert', which is classed, I think, as a polyantha, but it's a rangy one which never shows a hint of disease. BTW, fellow blogger Phillip has an article on roses for partial shade which is posted on his "A Southern Garden" website. As well as being interesting and informative, it corroborates a lot of my reasons for favoring the hybrid musks, teas, and other shrub roses.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyM9__N1vYiAi7F-dJefOH_O27JCAYlL1kqgb5-Ot9MIDGQcWMF2L0nWxGa1ulQfo1wCNFoYGL_36a3RerRWG2k4JZaAm2D2bbaT44jxKclwDXTXXxeYVU4FcDZFN1LXQFuoN4WUXPIE/s1600-h/RosaExcellenzvonSchubert52007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233554454322148898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyM9__N1vYiAi7F-dJefOH_O27JCAYlL1kqgb5-Ot9MIDGQcWMF2L0nWxGa1ulQfo1wCNFoYGL_36a3RerRWG2k4JZaAm2D2bbaT44jxKclwDXTXXxeYVU4FcDZFN1LXQFuoN4WUXPIE/s320/RosaExcellenzvonSchubert52007.JPG" border="0" /></a> Gesneriads are emerging as major players in my August-October garden, and this is one of the hardiest and best - Gloxinia nematanthodes 'Evita'. It spreads among other plants via scaly rhizomes, and has even overwintered outside in large pots here.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KbHnrENu2Op6eA2PwBkS7pXTnoxhA2Lpc38AcPCzUPOwlbG5OeIvRLw5fH2wHRzYCYGc31QAMQQhDrXaa3FiGkDcVoDlonN93B5wtq9PTTkc8HZ_g4OyynynwyMNB0PLuuWFAcRGM8s/s1600-h/Gloxinianematanthodes81707.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233553527428672514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KbHnrENu2Op6eA2PwBkS7pXTnoxhA2Lpc38AcPCzUPOwlbG5OeIvRLw5fH2wHRzYCYGc31QAMQQhDrXaa3FiGkDcVoDlonN93B5wtq9PTTkc8HZ_g4OyynynwyMNB0PLuuWFAcRGM8s/s320/Gloxinianematanthodes81707.JPG" border="0" /></a> Below, another hardy gesneriad, Sinningia conspicua. Its nodding flowers are more yellow than they appear in the photo, but they tend to wash out in the sunny locations the plants in this genus seem to enjoy. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234485389982935346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJzwRPVgj0kwGOXogCGJnVKQiaAgwNjuokNGTIHnxetI1U5lUlewHz2S9RPTz2nI9pBzFQM0UXom8AHQIRey88JJGSMvvLyPGl5myv9wxEJq__-LkXuGFvNJ47_pd-eVaCOgN8_ZKu2k/s320/Sinnobscura73107.JPG" border="0" />Another tuberous gesneriad, not hardy here, but blooming well having been bedded out for the summer, Chrysothemis pulchella 'Black Flamingo'. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233553310628231106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbS5MCd89etJDtT0unxt5u4zA1Wawj87O8OjzTBQ49a-uHzgsTP09tOHYCgJInRsahyphenhyphen0aTL40wseX3_Et9nfdMQYJEqZtCHAai8KNbYO2MsvSw20tq9foU3rotK6vbT27qweKFTtgnaK4/s320/ChrysothemispulchellaBlackFlamingo81707.JPG" border="0" /></div><div><u><span style="color:#0066cc;"></span></u>I haven't tested Chirita 'Chastity' (a gift from some great gardening friends) for winter hardiness, but I've propagated enough that I may try it this year. I've been reading reports that this Chinese gesneriad is showing great cold tolerance for some growers. At any rate, it looks great bedded out for the summer under the Magnolia.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234523601556327618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfJV3wXRUeNfOTX3PoSUxOJ441jrHy7wPuKRFx7ljsY46WypU6kEoJkyRwQcrU4Kxk4uHA4LuEN4jnr8h6t2u8vF5cJ_r0htQKW4WWwe7NnH0CSIyEyHYIXydevJqrsxR0jRH8BfzfkI/s320/Chirita+%27Chastity%27.JPG" border="0" />Tremacron aurantiaca, a Chinese (I think) gesneriad which has been hardy (and evergreen) here, at least through a mild winter. It'll bloom through September, and I've raised a few seedlings for further experimentation.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234524706748215298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFc_YH0lPifT1TWGvmccpfs9SIkpzFtJGztkU2IXucPUQgcuEwfvZpX3u1pZGddGMMrrycs98OFHruGyGZMFqW3JpQXuO5ep_2SsuaDSh7AuCrWR1nL0HvxYxEqMLATRv6LO4o0NFrhk/s320/Tremacron+aurantiacum+b.JPG" border="0" />Our Franklinia (Gordonia alatamaha) produced many fewer blooms this year than usual, perhaps due to the prolonged drought that began late last summer. It's one of those plants that wants the paradoxical "moist, well-drained" soil, so I always tend to err on the side of underwatering. The plant seems healthy (although, at 15 years old it's only 6' high - not sure what's up with that!), so hopefully this is just an "off" year.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHFjkMKByUYhd9SddTagtIKQBfRhFxGy5K254rCdYmlrZaqAyPA1NhYsLZN2nURvsqKAZM7Jjh5dnhjdx3kXegZOyT2CBpWMjBOLD8cLhiNABu9B1hhbDbBOCofp9etx4KwljdmdxatA/s1600-h/Franklinia80108b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233553015328633298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHFjkMKByUYhd9SddTagtIKQBfRhFxGy5K254rCdYmlrZaqAyPA1NhYsLZN2nURvsqKAZM7Jjh5dnhjdx3kXegZOyT2CBpWMjBOLD8cLhiNABu9B1hhbDbBOCofp9etx4KwljdmdxatA/s320/Franklinia80108b.JPG" border="0" /></a> Acis (aka Leucojum) autumnalis, which grows well in dry soil. It's hardy, but because of its size I grow it in a large clay pot; it would be totally engulfed by thugs if I planted it out. This is one of many treasures I've gotten from Ellen Hornig at Seneca Hills perennials, a great source for unusual plants, beautifully grown, along with friendly, helpful information.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234525740937840818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tL08t5SmoThSJ8mjdhuCBQbUfZCTOnR90j2afUf3UNQ-fc1ACN8sk7nAB1DYOF0R4UNCT0AwZEzYsIjeqnuurtc79qTu_O1TkWKT75aHzNYjlppcvXJ76fsQtmjuve9aIgSn-eSPEjg/s320/Acisautumnalis80108.JPG" border="0" />Yet another amaryllid, Lycoris longituba. This is one of the Lycoris which puts out leaves in spring, goes dormant in summer, and blooms on a "naked" stem in August. It's usually described as being white, but this is either a pale yellow variant, or mislabled. Either way, it's beautiful.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234526629839581234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht83EtmjL0mDNVt6BmOW0gtnE8bYGaufn5OO1v1_cPpFiJpBj80sYlfQzdxk6m2vLb_g_ymZMU1Pdq3knlrE9C76jGkw1PA_uNI-NVC12jySvk9xKuEdt8g9mfI9ZHUv0kgw-TlwPouf4/s320/Lycorislongituba80407a.JPG" border="0" />I was disappointed when the bloom spikes of Eucomis pole-evansii got all twisted around (my fault, since I had to relocate it temporarily while the chimney was relined last month), but I think the complementary S-curve that resulted makes a pretty cool photograph.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilb7vEVMeu4_2NJLQvIUoq7siNYrt8kkEPSJaEfsArw2TSKT4xfor9RvxTgjZJ3Imb7uKurLhKWfoqzKrOTYqI9rEfFFlFuJCWhpNZTDiiUFcmTpEECZAa0q4HT-b_fFF3JADJiNBTKu8/s1600-h/EucomisPole-Ev80108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233552632380516466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilb7vEVMeu4_2NJLQvIUoq7siNYrt8kkEPSJaEfsArw2TSKT4xfor9RvxTgjZJ3Imb7uKurLhKWfoqzKrOTYqI9rEfFFlFuJCWhpNZTDiiUFcmTpEECZAa0q4HT-b_fFF3JADJiNBTKu8/s320/EucomisPole-Ev80108.JPG" border="0" /></a> Hymenocallis 'Sulfur Queen', the most dependable of the naturally deciduous members of that genus (they used to be in the genus 'Ismene') in my garden. To me, the blooms look like those of an Epiphyllum cactus when viewed from this angle.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0k8_VXErbyueeh4GPtRxF3VdYj2USN9w_QE1EXhAxwpPUkAZwc2P5nbXJqaN3XBYp2nnt_YbxnjpjQqjyVBPB_kYoW7bI50krBZOKdtwJ5mjg4wvi1mr4Pnf9gOpwGaLZYPgn_Q5wlk/s1600-h/HymenocSulphurQueen80108a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233552295445571698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0k8_VXErbyueeh4GPtRxF3VdYj2USN9w_QE1EXhAxwpPUkAZwc2P5nbXJqaN3XBYp2nnt_YbxnjpjQqjyVBPB_kYoW7bI50krBZOKdtwJ5mjg4wvi1mr4Pnf9gOpwGaLZYPgn_Q5wlk/s320/HymenocSulphurQueen80108a.JPG" border="0" /></a>Habranthus tubispathus var. texensis never stays where you plant it, popping up from seed all over the garden where it's least expected.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5w8amS2Npz-kmV9h4-aayUapHxzts7c8donk_euw9mesIRrcDW8czrVDy-aH0Cdo5xbg9wcppQj9l9H2Fmjl4P3T7bqnhOoBDt_XVlKA88rIE3Aq53OVsvA96mFo8eHs63gwhP2B97M/s1600-h/Habranthustubispathustexensis62706.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233554881031595570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5w8amS2Npz-kmV9h4-aayUapHxzts7c8donk_euw9mesIRrcDW8czrVDy-aH0Cdo5xbg9wcppQj9l9H2Fmjl4P3T7bqnhOoBDt_XVlKA88rIE3Aq53OVsvA96mFo8eHs63gwhP2B97M/s320/Habranthustubispathustexensis62706.JPG" border="0" /></a> A naturally occurring (but fertile) rain lily hybrid, Zephyranthes 'Labuffarosea' (with a self-sown Impatiens balsamina, which I love). It's very prolific and ranges from pink to white, fading through a range of colors as the flowers age.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYjs7nVP-uiwZ_Tl8cUqiLY4WEPw1nyboMKihoZciQ47KtYBmHia8l8AlHCV5mJWqIWSA8yxVLF9b_229QqSUgF3jAi370cH3USpf_p5SuOwCnlwn1KmqQ6Utm776mVZ9G7LpC0soEXk/s1600-h/Zephlabuffarosea72808a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233551980813564050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYjs7nVP-uiwZ_Tl8cUqiLY4WEPw1nyboMKihoZciQ47KtYBmHia8l8AlHCV5mJWqIWSA8yxVLF9b_229QqSUgF3jAi370cH3USpf_p5SuOwCnlwn1KmqQ6Utm776mVZ9G7LpC0soEXk/s320/Zephlabuffarosea72808a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Z. lindleyanam, another beautiful species of rain lily (from Mexico, I think - I'm too lazy to get up and check the book.)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWLEe_5XeAESbUd7h_l1xOtQGqmBLSuugasW9SNWFb5L3owsu900WeVjx_7Q1Y-54gCTBWFwz1-JnRfM0w2UtiGHlMMS1ssYVQpU2tiFJ2qlGqL0eN7lgxUt_gZSAwur0pHR_43D8g8A/s1600-h/Zephlindleyanum80108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233551638156568978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWLEe_5XeAESbUd7h_l1xOtQGqmBLSuugasW9SNWFb5L3owsu900WeVjx_7Q1Y-54gCTBWFwz1-JnRfM0w2UtiGHlMMS1ssYVQpU2tiFJ2qlGqL0eN7lgxUt_gZSAwur0pHR_43D8g8A/s320/Zephlindleyanum80108.JPG" border="0" /></a> Z. 'Sunset', a very vigorous and prolific seed strain.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233553968807828098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCpTkHgiL5PqSrcTqLWSQx2A5Yg23m9qU1iRJoBP_EQ8TmJP5qS7TS2pToBoh3Q6pkUO9NWL-jGbJEpFC6mQW0mtesHcCWmrWCcgpijuvufmTlwD9Gb5ciezWwhrlhbMtEFcUJy_zkTE/s320/ZephSunset80407a.JPG" border="0" /> If I were to choose a favorite among the Zephyranthes, it would be 'Ajax', a primary hybrid involving z. candida (also blooming now) and Z. citrina. It's just about the latest bloomer of all, along with its hybrid (with Z. grandiflora), which is called 'Grandjax'.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21hOHljAWZn71lqzQFLnJuFLByJ_IWPnQZFoKxawkvMpDRoVoV9nsMXj0iJzR5-WYC4GxNEN6Ov_-7wYtAZlcxeI8pUkYI6LxI8dhkWH98MbVY4FCR1aFQiJgPs1qLdXWFZB2ain-3Ak/s1600-h/ZephAjax80108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233551480433412018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21hOHljAWZn71lqzQFLnJuFLByJ_IWPnQZFoKxawkvMpDRoVoV9nsMXj0iJzR5-WYC4GxNEN6Ov_-7wYtAZlcxeI8pUkYI6LxI8dhkWH98MbVY4FCR1aFQiJgPs1qLdXWFZB2ain-3Ak/s320/ZephAjax80108.JPG" border="0" /></a> I only grow a couple of true lilies, mainly because of predation by voles, but L. formosanum grows rapidly from seed, so there are usually enough to feed the rodents and produce some fragrant, shoulder-high trumpets in August.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPF-ZgcAArkLg2ph82tQbBJTcqcfEylroARGLkY_fGgSH7kNQzRlgQNtTUaY9ez4UPp6UDpCvCqv4nqr0PlPhJmhYdvHdV6oQSgfnnBriV21OHZycZ2l6YI83JWvsS-L4i7vTbnvqC48/s1600-h/Liliumformosanum80308.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233551191474236178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPF-ZgcAArkLg2ph82tQbBJTcqcfEylroARGLkY_fGgSH7kNQzRlgQNtTUaY9ez4UPp6UDpCvCqv4nqr0PlPhJmhYdvHdV6oQSgfnnBriV21OHZycZ2l6YI83JWvsS-L4i7vTbnvqC48/s320/Liliumformosanum80308.JPG" border="0" /></a> Another shot of Proiphys amboinensis, now that the flowers are open. It's a little overexposed, but I think it shows the fused central "cup", which is indicative of its relationship to Hymenocallis and Narcissus. I'm hoping to get it to set seed so I can grow enough plants to try in a variety of locations.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzD2gtEXj27W3Vkeh98cNg1WXIh5EvCzTvFIEsqG8Mtky_sIM3lrm7bq50tbRATwUEFFHSzGdCGGzJ5WblnoP_dP1BrsTTg0XOWd0YTTRNfVVzqX3ElnrhJ1JTue3oYMZDJfRCEE8HRag/s1600-h/Proiphys+amboinensis80708a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233550555937645554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzD2gtEXj27W3Vkeh98cNg1WXIh5EvCzTvFIEsqG8Mtky_sIM3lrm7bq50tbRATwUEFFHSzGdCGGzJ5WblnoP_dP1BrsTTg0XOWd0YTTRNfVVzqX3ElnrhJ1JTue3oYMZDJfRCEE8HRag/s320/Proiphys+amboinensis80708a.JPG" border="0" /></a> The last few flowers on a stem of Galtonia princeps, another of Ellen Hornig's babies, which I almost missed. It had been engulfed by a giant miscanthus which flopped over in the rain. I like this greenish species, and it seems as hardy as G. candicans and viridiflora, which, despite the nomenclature, isn't quite as green.<br /></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLG6yUcejTj8itGjYUbFq3N98fJsJrmJ-9c_Gmx17OZOO4Ltl-8rotafckZz8UT9ePWDxPYvadvNuIXl4Y-s-4fOwkHiUsE1CjQzRusqnLzK7WC9-KNCZm9UMLYr5S-KZZPwoBV09OGQ/s1600-h/Galtprinceps81208.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233549260063996194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNLG6yUcejTj8itGjYUbFq3N98fJsJrmJ-9c_Gmx17OZOO4Ltl-8rotafckZz8UT9ePWDxPYvadvNuIXl4Y-s-4fOwkHiUsE1CjQzRusqnLzK7WC9-KNCZm9UMLYr5S-KZZPwoBV09OGQ/s320/Galtprinceps81208.JPG" border="0" /></a> Hemiboea subcapitata, yet another of the gesneriads which is, apparently, completely hardy here. It's wintered over for three years and multiplied into a nice clump, but it annoys me that the calyxes (calyces?) turn an unsightly brown as the flowers open, especially after rain.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWe7iwRm6jfyDpMkF6WCs4PdvQe7IvAwir47hUmXgs-PzB72dlExc23QBdDxgcb4HWvdLrWYcsq1sdO3SH0QgEKSdqZNSfqLtOvLWrRQW5PE-gDlwY9WKt5KNHL_A_zZ-CCynN7ZBMRc/s1600-h/Hemibsubcapitata81208.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233549054591367298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWe7iwRm6jfyDpMkF6WCs4PdvQe7IvAwir47hUmXgs-PzB72dlExc23QBdDxgcb4HWvdLrWYcsq1sdO3SH0QgEKSdqZNSfqLtOvLWrRQW5PE-gDlwY9WKt5KNHL_A_zZ-CCynN7ZBMRc/s320/Hemibsubcapitata81208.JPG" border="0" /></a> Canna 'Australia' - incredible foliage, and wild-type blooms which attract hummingbirds.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOY3GWrbGHOyHzBezWqwcRl-U5Epugba-S5bcjmU1Z0thNmSCsIkXjOkgZEW2CA1QpEtoT4R1OXMs8lvY5CX-6MH9ynJ5CKU9hY1NFyzBlehCdY9uGHs9HThIikbw6SLip3ou5hJOHNG4/s1600-h/CannaAustr81208.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233548881070998994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOY3GWrbGHOyHzBezWqwcRl-U5Epugba-S5bcjmU1Z0thNmSCsIkXjOkgZEW2CA1QpEtoT4R1OXMs8lvY5CX-6MH9ynJ5CKU9hY1NFyzBlehCdY9uGHs9HThIikbw6SLip3ou5hJOHNG4/s320/CannaAustr81208.JPG" border="0" /></a> Clerodendron trichotomum, a great suckering shrub or small tree which blooms in August, smells incredible, attracts scads of butterflies, and produces teal blue berries against maroon calyxes (there's that word again...) that last through October. It's mainly visible from the bedroom window, along with our only lilac and Lagerstroemia 'Cedar Red', since they've all been limbed up to be walked under. Usually you smell this one before you realize that it's in bloom.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlaIkmzIY53Fwpf9rjB52-TI1CFP6DPEYT5_AmbdgdIlgyI1uqmkJ9yef0pZp10mDadH8eIwSAWmwP6T2phzMKc2CKse5Z4Chl9gDFnGtSWoelOmLaV6dvEyynO5oDC2FDrx_i7SZiUI/s1600-h/Clerodendron+trichotomum81208.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233548679721201314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlaIkmzIY53Fwpf9rjB52-TI1CFP6DPEYT5_AmbdgdIlgyI1uqmkJ9yef0pZp10mDadH8eIwSAWmwP6T2phzMKc2CKse5Z4Chl9gDFnGtSWoelOmLaV6dvEyynO5oDC2FDrx_i7SZiUI/s320/Clerodendron+trichotomum81208.JPG" border="0" /></a> More hardy begonias - I've probably shown these before, but they're still going strong, and they look great spilling over into the shady pathways. The orange one is B. sutherlandii, a South African species, and the other is B. sinensis 'Shaanxi White', a smaller, more precocious relative of B. grandis. Both winter over as tubers and reproduce by producing tons of bulbils at the leaf axils in fall.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UsI1YhcIqRydDH1nOjH2cekRzuapbbZyyllLL-CxCQv4iFuZzrF5ZJkkfqjXACUC2RrpGY_MMScUQ8YTJNhlhHKmoOKfvg_O7QS22FNYiFvvRX8fogrQT82kz3c3W8WOvF1pvuISeb4/s1600-h/Begsutherlandiiandshaanxiwh73108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233548052343287378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UsI1YhcIqRydDH1nOjH2cekRzuapbbZyyllLL-CxCQv4iFuZzrF5ZJkkfqjXACUC2RrpGY_MMScUQ8YTJNhlhHKmoOKfvg_O7QS22FNYiFvvRX8fogrQT82kz3c3W8WOvF1pvuISeb4/s320/Begsutherlandiiandshaanxiwh73108.JPG" border="0" /></a> And here's the larger, more ubiquitous version, B. grandis 'alba', just now coming into bloom...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHF2EpWMsPHaTe1Ds9x4xJWKycdH6dyysPE6FTCrvcDEgZx4QymwXfhFLlICHMraU_FhHajfTOIO4ieURxun1eEqiw_8Ohtt_LBTukqg7bHc2cbZmS4_xFX_JFjOJg-_7l2NdIV_zOw0/s1600-h/Beggrandisalba81208.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233547852072979090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHF2EpWMsPHaTe1Ds9x4xJWKycdH6dyysPE6FTCrvcDEgZx4QymwXfhFLlICHMraU_FhHajfTOIO4ieURxun1eEqiw_8Ohtt_LBTukqg7bHc2cbZmS4_xFX_JFjOJg-_7l2NdIV_zOw0/s320/Beggrandisalba81208.JPG" border="0" /></a> along with the pink variety. These I pull as weeds all summer from all over the garden, but I would hate to ever be without them - it's a great, great plant. Years ago, on a whim, I hybridized this plant with B. masoniana, the Iron Cross begonia (the least hardy begonia that I grow, other than the African miniature <em>prismatocarpa</em> and its offspring, 'Buttercup', which spend their lives indoors in glass terraria.) I still have a couple of these seedlings, which turned out to be not one bit hardier than masoniana, stingy with their blooms, and not as attractive in foliage as either parent. And yet, I can't bring myself to compost them...go have children!<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kJxEs-3CvsdQaM0_4cJJAMTuejHBUrJOvy4FPGiQUcyfz46QiZC89DwAZfGCZubSeJpHvgmWGmhhKqonXKVPtd_k9cE2iKRomN6xddpbCml00aBVpvb_UjEkqOIjpECrOAKY8jBnMBY/s1600-h/Beggrandispink81208a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233547622292117650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kJxEs-3CvsdQaM0_4cJJAMTuejHBUrJOvy4FPGiQUcyfz46QiZC89DwAZfGCZubSeJpHvgmWGmhhKqonXKVPtd_k9cE2iKRomN6xddpbCml00aBVpvb_UjEkqOIjpECrOAKY8jBnMBY/s320/Beggrandispink81208a.JPG" border="0" /></a> I've shown Salvia guaranitica before, but this is the pale blue variety, 'Argentina Skies', backed up by Canna 'Constitution'.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbH_M9mnZVM4xdNH5cZkUZwi1faD1vmHwbCCk6qigTqEqv-rzc9Hn2-1zaL5Xbu-F-ZzPIS-aj8B2-BXgqrZdv1hA1jikmqIdAhqah6Z2aAuWSvHwq2-QC4juGFP9253O4_1XYmkheKY0/s1600-h/SalvguaraniticaArSkies81208.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233547409913953442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbH_M9mnZVM4xdNH5cZkUZwi1faD1vmHwbCCk6qigTqEqv-rzc9Hn2-1zaL5Xbu-F-ZzPIS-aj8B2-BXgqrZdv1hA1jikmqIdAhqah6Z2aAuWSvHwq2-QC4juGFP9253O4_1XYmkheKY0/s320/SalvguaraniticaArSkies81208.JPG" border="0" /></a> And the first bloom of Nymphaea 'Panama Pacific', one of the tropical water lilies which has to be wintered over in the garage, but is well worth the trouble.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLYCVecOdBGxXUsroxT3crux6YsXw6qh8WL0Fl58c6rClaLvrs-cRStO0bhKOieIGwYXs6bLVNBYsc1OPKV0r_v381xXADA8dG1e9oEeg_8s_MY8jr6SamS8x4gVklW9hEcewlvYEP4k/s1600-h/NymphPanPac81208a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233547206294409378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLYCVecOdBGxXUsroxT3crux6YsXw6qh8WL0Fl58c6rClaLvrs-cRStO0bhKOieIGwYXs6bLVNBYsc1OPKV0r_v381xXADA8dG1e9oEeg_8s_MY8jr6SamS8x4gVklW9hEcewlvYEP4k/s320/NymphPanPac81208a.JPG" border="0" /></a> And finally, not exactly "blooms", but every bit as ornamental, are our new pets - a trio of Chinese Golden Pheasants (just in time for the Beijing Olympics). They're still a bit nervous in their new home, but seem to be settling in well. The male is the most colorful, as with many avian species.<br /><br /><p align="center"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxXJS9pMPCkHZViR8OaMGsG1z-zxco1qNIy37Bkb5zSyzPRhgrPDwYKKeM9SdJ_r1NgUCHBjrhg4uKqsRRlTg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>I could go on and on - the Hosta plantaginea hybrids like "Royal Standard" and "Honeybells" look and smell beautiful, sky-blue Thunbergias and scarlet Senecio confusus are beginning to provide cover and bloom, and self-sown annuals like Nicotiana langsdorfii and Impatiens balsamina (descendents of my grandmother's "touch-me-nots") are also coming into their own. It's been a blast playing in the garden this summer, but it's all about to come to a screeching halt as I return to work next week. Not much sleep for me (not that there ever is...) over the next few days!<br /><br />PS- here's Hosta 'Royal Standard' - compare it to the above pic of Proiphys amboinensis, and then tell me there's no such thing as convergent evolution :o).<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5234652668903849746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8buxPKCS59byJe6dF0kyEdGOp0SuSoNpw-Z4jhjop3xsd-rPPnVXC_Ab93XlfJUxhQmbKbCIIaeywlJ4F6fjXfcr6d03xnA1_Xo8EJ5y_9XZQH5-RM8U-oCG1S40_Q_WfJr-3JC50Cs/s400/Hosta+Royal+Standard.JPG" border="0" />Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-50418818365431962672008-08-10T01:17:00.000-07:002008-08-11T01:03:09.349-07:00It's All Over But the Crinums...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_zYAkuWcVkrWV62UZ4F99dqlKoBiaxnlU0M_P09rarB5Q-58_vtoxh3BKrUvL5kaZ85Vyj9epVpMdvXe_DspQ_R8ZiTG-vfr-gBSc0gVyHH0LpDUPluHUNsu3DPCIKgY6ALNlGTDo-k/s1600-h/Crbulbispermum615a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232799152118876882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS_zYAkuWcVkrWV62UZ4F99dqlKoBiaxnlU0M_P09rarB5Q-58_vtoxh3BKrUvL5kaZ85Vyj9epVpMdvXe_DspQ_R8ZiTG-vfr-gBSc0gVyHH0LpDUPluHUNsu3DPCIKgY6ALNlGTDo-k/s320/Crbulbispermum615a.JPG" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230209776053333330" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DmbbMPCtXgXx-TTyaVGsTV5IuaLFrEIzK1_8cU1dX87fC1DMU-FOuA3y1ubqn7ZCnh4lboxHalmsXLz2xuVJfAWC1iNKlBk318Hq1MqYCnbN5aUmOnaMYesGNG2OZCNZEgFYfI-vU7s/s320/CrBradley72708b.JPG" border="0" /> Not really - theoretically we still have lots of garden time left here, but there are now less than two weeks before it's time to go back and "reinvent the wheel" as a new school year begins. Certain plants always help to lighten the gathering doom and gloom that I feel as my schedule begin to fill up again after a pretty good month of unstructured time (and unlimited access to a bathroom!) Crinums, along with their diminuitive cousins, the Zephyranthes and Habranthus (collectively known as "rain lilies") are chief among these. Above is C. bulbispermum, the hardiest of species and most prolific in terms of seed production. I've probably shown it before, but it produces blooms all spring and summer, so more than bears repeating. It's in the background of many of the hardier hybrids, but none of them, in my experience, has inherited its beautiful, glaucous foliage. To the left are the buds of C. 'Bradley' - more on this hybrid later.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div>As time goes on I find myself filling more and more garden space with members of the Amaryllis tribe - beginning in early spring (actually late fall, but that's another article) with the Galanthus, Leucojum, and Narcissus, and continuing long into fall as the Sternbergias, Lycoris, and Amarcrinums bloom, they are among the most dependable bulbs for our climate. One reason for this is the fact that they are distasteful (poisonous, according to many sources) to rodents, and voles are a huge problem here. Another is that, in most cases, they tolerate the periodic summer inundation and drying out that our soils experience. Whereas tulips are basically annuals here, Crinums are a lifetime investment.<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nVEFzYEjDf-QgJ9aT2srlOodV4mvurrQzb8JT2urSGdqdPDT3xE8GDIV9R2pNDmtAhVEY4A2FzQZU9dxv8EmK9P39s7LLTDAvwPrYltEx3JXWP5UjO3sLPYMRV5eFvtezc5zwFwGSwM/s1600-h/Garden+Bulbs+for+the+South+pic.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230210109113886850" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8nVEFzYEjDf-QgJ9aT2srlOodV4mvurrQzb8JT2urSGdqdPDT3xE8GDIV9R2pNDmtAhVEY4A2FzQZU9dxv8EmK9P39s7LLTDAvwPrYltEx3JXWP5UjO3sLPYMRV5eFvtezc5zwFwGSwM/s320/Garden+Bulbs+for+the+South+pic.JPG" border="0" /></a> I won't go into all of the info on this family, since everything I know has been collected from books, nursery catalogs and websites. One of the best books on the subject (and one of my top five favorite gardening books, period) is "Garden Bulbs for the South" by Scott Ogden. I owned the first edition, and liked it so much that I replaced when the second edition was published a couple of years ago. "Bulbs for Warm Climates" by Thad M. Howard, is another great source of information on the subject, as are numerous websites, notably one hosted by Jenks Farmer, who once served as director of the Riverbanks Botanical Garden in Columbia, SC, and another detailing the work of Marcel Sheppard, a noted crinum breeder. It's amazing how much information is available now on what was a relatively unknown genus when I started collecting the various species and hybrids several years ago. Here are a few examples of Crinums which have done well in our garden over the years.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dSY1rQx-4-294FR9rB0eI4QjBZDjlJ4THHGsvpB12Iog0TEIoK_9K9EUsJ9H9jGY15ckPVdTNWw_seObkNjd2UFoIIMx2B4zJmBnDkqqyt2nCN9D3zwfFi4WYUhKyAW2Rx80vjhUKeU/s1600-h/CrEJonesRon80108a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230211121179375090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_dSY1rQx-4-294FR9rB0eI4QjBZDjlJ4THHGsvpB12Iog0TEIoK_9K9EUsJ9H9jGY15ckPVdTNWw_seObkNjd2UFoIIMx2B4zJmBnDkqqyt2nCN9D3zwfFi4WYUhKyAW2Rx80vjhUKeU/s320/CrEJonesRon80108a.JPG" border="0" /></a>Don't panic - this is <em>not</em> a picture from the website of the dreaded TyTy Nursery in Georgia; just reading the scathing reviews of this establishment on the many newsgroups is enough to send one screaming into the night. I have to say that my one experience in ordering from them resulted in what has become a huge clump of C. scabrum - luckily I only ordered the one bulb, because it arrived unlabled and rolling around in a box. Actually, this is my favorite roommate, Ron, posing (under duress) with my favorite Crinum (and not just because Scott Ogden says that it should be), a hybrid called 'Emma Jones'. Ron's 5'11" when he stands up straight, so it's obvious that this plant is a whopper. About 10 years old, it has over a dozen scapes in evidence now, and will continue to produce them sporadically until frost knocks it down. They smell amazing, and if you take a few minutes to stake them, they open right at nose level. Here's a better view of the open flowers: <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230212812313243458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrIeyQy-pQasXx4ZcKXymwi98FQtjuHIszdOjZKx0M58O5SdWtcWWtTD8pbhYxBNQQn96_WgR4bgpggOLsyYjkYfe7fGlai4XJRTvveENOsg7y4z6-UBVZxJEj7hOcVPrkOJQVdG55u4/s320/CrEmmaJones73108c.JPG" border="0" />When I started collecting Crinums, they were all but unavailable, and the best way to get them was by knocking on doors in the country (generally homes which harbor old clumps of Crinum don't have doorbells) and begging. Since this is unpalatable to intrinsically shy people (and mortifying to their traveling companions), the internet has been a great boon as the popularity of the genus has grown. Ebay, in particular, can be a good source of material, but only for those armed with some knowledge ahead of time. There are some sellers who've really done their homework and take pains to make sure that their plants are accurately labeled, and then there are those who dig up bulbs out of their yards, arbitrarily name them after their grandchildren or their chihuahas, and list them for sale. Some mainstream nurseries are carrying crinums as well, and their catalogs can be good sources of information and illustrations, even if the bulbs are actually purchased from a less expensive source (don't tell Tony Avent I wrote that...)<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230580319956548386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgmHIjWrb8WFNurBFbhYVz5DhKXtmJSrzImdYQZ6Kh0pt2tEZq51BxCOB4oiIc53xijirwrzhZhu7pUx-sBexnb5gap3had2fssBRYnU7k7cmRAtVobofx16wmcUBHt77xmtJun1AGgI/s320/CrCrlnaBty.JPG" border="0" />The above plant is one that I literally inherited from my Grandmother Joyner - it grew in a solid mass along the foundation of her house, and had done so for at least 30 years when I got it in 1993. To the best of my knowledge, it's one of the bulbispermum x americanum hybrids, either "Carolina Beauty" or "Miss Elsie". Anyway, it's completely hardy, blooms early and repeats sporadically, and multiplies in wet or dryish soil. I also grow a related hybrid, 'Ollene', which performs similarly. Below is a representative of the xherbertii grex, very commonly seen as huge, isolated clumps growing in trailer parks and in front of run-down country shacks; all the members of this group share C. bulbispermum x scabrum parentage.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230581831320155618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQ1qf2ukBLLIgM9Wl-pTe8xMK0ZYg5FAE2DRsD3XXb_b1M9R6JXoUBRyHJlx1F98JvUtBUd1IFBftbh1c6pIU9G4BmTSWdBdNvAtn8teOvuEHGJ8mKlH4LcWAMeuXY2E0STis1QLPd4s/s320/Crxherbertiia.JPG" border="0" />Speaking of clumps in front of shacks, that's where the healthiest, most productive clumps of crinum seems to grow. Many of mine are too hemmed in by other plants, so they don't have the elbow room they need to grow into specimens such as my neighbor Jane's spectacular C. powellii album - it's taller, and much broader than she is by far, and had several dozen scapes open last month, when I should have taken their picture together. If she ever moves, or gets tired of it, I may plant that variety, but as it is, I don't have to!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230584023349154466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcubaFjlsxjjbyT5bzl1APPaefu5duVED6mua8rAIKqvf1NXsaasAUxMfcMekhdtzZxpgfmY3ja6S1kMUD7cwzAAdBAbI4uq6vraRtYHaMqnYMB5cFWEQDZGcrzdwg1uvIYSNZf9QFQwY/s320/CrEllenB73108b.JPG" border="0" />Above is 'Ellen Bosanquet', the most common of the "reds", and below is one of its taller, slightly darker (although that's not apparent in this photo, due to exposure), progeny, "Elizabeth Traub",blooming in front of Canna 'Australia'. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUNM6gkNYlAQ62DeB1J9TnTYBpk8qZ-wn5swDzNPW1uAbEu36xeKVVrPUvfHNWzGXMbA_IWSvVNP_8z_WxgBlb8Kc1qYEMF45wOS6A4ftekMGWZ2-YZVaO4hVTZ9Xgc06tDgdPUTMOKY/s1600-h/CrElizTraub71908b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230584599195054098" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrUNM6gkNYlAQ62DeB1J9TnTYBpk8qZ-wn5swDzNPW1uAbEu36xeKVVrPUvfHNWzGXMbA_IWSvVNP_8z_WxgBlb8Kc1qYEMF45wOS6A4ftekMGWZ2-YZVaO4hVTZ9Xgc06tDgdPUTMOKY/s320/CrElizTraub71908b.JPG" border="0" /></a> I recently splurged on a bulb of 'Lorraine Clark', reportedly the deepest red hybrid available - nothing to report yet regarding its performance here.</div></div><br /><div>Speaking of Australia, here's one that was hybridized there - 'Bradley'. It's nearly as dark as 'Ellen' and 'Elizabeth', but smaller in texture throughout. It's also pictured (in bud) at the very beginning of this post.<br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230949667554597986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-1UixCKm7XTnS_d0gIVwX9MiB3m-Zvnj9H5NzKStQtuRe2QsYnmtgIooeLDzPpIAAze84b9Ur9QzKToOwo_CQN0ZG7XaqKcFBCc9Nrs3FxOR0ZIFWXTlLFeUfKZB693Nhky_b7KS6GaE/s320/CrBradley72808.JPG" border="0" /> I featured C. 'Carnival' in a post from earlier this summer, but the current blooms are showing a lot more of this hybrid's characteristic striping, perhaps due to the warmer nights we've been having lately.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230950200631584194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTbR_moU8ovO7c11dxBr85XuhAg57fIiKlvkymCZWyvBgyHRW-du1zmLX1GetBmbcb5veH8wPu6VQ6RIR0qT5g3gowI3ZMFBhMFuF_99Ixl6jMAIAPbsr-MdW6Jk4QErOAQ3C0zWxm8c/s320/CrCarnival81008.JPG" border="0" /> C. 'White Prince', a hybrid of C. album (aka <em>yemense</em>) x moorei.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230950994394859810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQq5rg8C4ZhKFAwyz7dIvJU5bz5Yo9MjI058yQ7665Hu2id_4Yf2JRokDwB_okQaIydsJXT4ev_9JwegTt2ISx7Al_O51Z7SqCEpWpNOw5jzZdv8Kas3XMvW_hB-mcvScqkJOUJi0BOU/s320/CrWhitePrince806b.JPG" border="0" /> And C. moorei itself, showing the interesting, balloon-shaped bud form. In general this whole branch of the family - mostly late-blooming white hybrids, such as 'St. Christopher', has been less successful for me. They return well, but tend to multiply vegetatively at the expense of bloom. When they do bloom, they are attractive, but need protection from direct sun (hence the browning of the bud tips apparent in the photo).<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232800295837455186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PpABlw5aD3MMM5bU-Ho_HwPI8GHlibZsjONQplCaDvVmkSz2sNVx6ntDDmXAjv3lMtPTY5lQVe547w0izvZDF3LMBzg9mJKZl5DUvnEWZrTxe7dmPr3RK6j5Ae39PFF07hIWYixXeis/s320/Crmoorei731a.JPG" border="0" />A big clump of 'Walter Flory', growing happily next to our dilapidated back fence - I told you they prefer trashy locations!<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230951908076682482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd2ovfNy_yIQvzYX-3PopVbUyT7Uz7Uu6Dnqj0ctfSSbXH4nGU5iGKwQF3m6QCbe2gV2Tw3awywOd3EjCtFttqmUV2mnA88jNPKyP-_3_r0rrT2alp_CMzgp-fU7sO-c5JZwRyTWQhwxA/s320/CrWalterFlory71206.JPG" border="0" /> C. americanum, which prefers boggy conditions and is nearly indistinguishable from C. erubescens, which does well in a drier location.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230952671489978322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnbCQAaOSYeHuWXIhGa1ODEjB2_SLPw5gNa1CPl6RwNBZN9ysscbfEBzM1oJEtRpfSYfw55gDDdjtzF82aXca2fyYUng33XhuvgVEPPJrguqRKOfhEHI91SZK0JzWj0wfPAx6pd1hVRqg/s320/Crinumamericanum805a.JPG" border="0" /> Here's C. erubescens:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230954527561832658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNX94_req99EMV4Y11g9fkUAjmWTB1EFVu6gPrGlX14FitHNd0BVrx8UgF5WwhrSmwQLYDUfiBm3MqbCBW1T2khHgiDFltnsFc60Kf6dTfxh_WHc73e6cu5Tg1z-SvCnMNnYfKhc4XSaM/s320/Crinum_erubescens2.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>Below is an unusually diminuitive (only 8" high at most, but spreading to 2' in diameter so far) member of this group, C. oliganthemum from the West Indies. It needs lots of heat and water to produce its blooms, but makes an attractive ground cover even without them. I've toyed with hybridizing this one, crossing it successfully (I think) with both Emma Jones and C. procerum 'Splendens'; no blooms yet from either, and neither has been risked outside in winter yet. I've since seen the latter cross available commercially as C. 'Menehune', so it will be interesting to see how mine turn out. While the cross with 'Emma' should increase the chances of hardiness, procerum is as iffy here as oliganthemum, so I'll be cautious in testing that one. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232799469909782338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIh5zAcDdqEY6nZScw6KMeyUDCLOakyyCuhAUet5-ifXwWuI_W-i03YFDurVukZHBm2wmBeuPKH-9xTI9R8gOzreRzvtIeN9xgI5_BxttjjblPt0guwOv-xcyzxoep-4IC6AUFDpMcLPg/s320/Croliganthemum83b.JPG" border="0" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZr7xNhgpeqYA7UX2Bku_KXGGwnEtHv5jctyldFfyv0vaPHb-cQtXHjz2PSOyLEozxCnJ8n9KQEJoQfir4pGoejf87BYptSKJ4UO-d-79Xc_dkKZYrSSzmsQykG1ERPYChEdeDVOvWZH0/s1600-h/Cramabile719b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232799971889546818" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZr7xNhgpeqYA7UX2Bku_KXGGwnEtHv5jctyldFfyv0vaPHb-cQtXHjz2PSOyLEozxCnJ8n9KQEJoQfir4pGoejf87BYptSKJ4UO-d-79Xc_dkKZYrSSzmsQykG1ERPYChEdeDVOvWZH0/s320/Cramabile719b.JPG" border="0" /></a>Here's C. procerum 'Splendens', I think. The nomenclature and parentage of this bunch of probable hybrids (C. asiaticum figures somewhere in the mix) is so confused that writers far more savvy than I seem to be unable to unravel the mess. At any rate, this is an older picture - this particular plant now towers over me, especially when it sends up its huge, purple spikes of bloom. It now lives permanently in the greenhouse, since it's way too heavy for me to haul it in and out anymore, especially at my advanced age! It's the plant that lends the deep red coloration to the foliage of C. 'Sangria' (whose other parent, bulbispermum, contributes cold hardiness and reduces its size considerably), which I've shown in previous entries. I have another plant, almost as large, which is similar, but doesn't exhibit the same amount of anthocyanin as this. The progeny of both of these "tree crinums", so called because they really do develop a trunk-like structure (really the neck of the bulb) over time, are planted out in the garden, and so far have returned in spring, but haven't bloomed. </div><div></div><div></div><div>A peachy, very fragrant, hybrid, 'Mrs. James Hendry'.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230953404736692930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4w3PUhgxp6YM03JkTVNx_NsHdPVboVZB2W_rF4bAQRW5D4PwVcVPoXh54Gb7yx0DqmjA179Ug2gv_YSp-C-fCi6dATTj4jNUZ3t7jvyDrWtxHeBpxkkCIMX20iyMfD1UlMeBDJAb92BI/s320/CrMrsJamesHendry2.JPG" border="0" /> Below is 'Hannibal's Dwarf'', unfortunately a shy bloomer for me; it may need a location with more moisture and less competition from Vinca major. Digging the clump and resetting it deeper might also increase its bloom. Lots of amaryllids tend to reproduce vegetatively rather than sexually if there's not enough pressure from the weight of the surrounding soil (or the walls of a rigid pot) to prevent it.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230954913509124946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ0yplNAKMN1uSsinSVWphL0xzut1_N2OTkR9m7a0lWz9jezMZOJmjFLUhq14AEOUEUUjGwnLFRhrj7xfxD2K-g8Tn1mk5SAl_5_gKQ45TsSa6wlWh-TxmJWemLlzQeG4uOr3VnGFEkpE/s320/Crinum+Hannibal%27s+Dwarf.jpg" border="0" />Amarcrinum, an intergeneric hybrid between C. xpowellii and Amaryllis belladonna, tends to finish the season here. It produces multiple scapes of clear pink trumpets with an incredible scent, which is amazing in the October garden. The ones I cut and took to the visitation when my grandmother died could be "enjoyed" (not everybody was appreciative...) from all over the church sanctuary.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232799669709884290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPVZH6ZUiJ6eJDapdAvKrUedKSlhTrWeJl1IsRjtM6VGfi7j2xULZftS0k0jD2jjGP1mE_LgYNKQMLtATLaLehog2vR-iPX6WbDunSMQvXHargs_3QLaPMXDfVM-6sOi0A6_MojM2Mog/s320/Amarcrinum726c.JPG" border="0" />I could go on and on writing about the virtues of the diverse group of gardenworthy, dependable, vole-proof plants in the Amaryllis family, but "Black Tuesday" (the day after Labor Day, in "teacherspeak") approaches, and others have done so much more capably than I ever could. I'm sure that I have more than 100 different such species and hybrids in even my small garden, and that's not counting the narcissus, which are legion. I'd love to keep posting pictures and extolling the virtues of the Hippaestrums, Leucojum, Lycoris, Sternbegia, Hymenocallis, Cyrtanthus, Rhodophialas, Habranthus, Zephyranthes (I must have more than 30 different "rain lilies" at this point), and other genera, but I have to attempt to shift back into "music teacher mode" over the next couple of weeks, so this'll have to do. My goal is to try to create entries on or near "bloom days", at least, but I think the time for extensive writing may be at an end, for now (much to the relief of friends and family, I'm sure!)<br /></div><div>Here's a "parting shot" - Proiphys (I've also seen it called "Eurycles") amboinensis - an amaryllid (according to what information I've been able to find) from Australia, beginning to bloom for the first time here. I don't dare risk wintering it outside yet, but dry storage seems to suit it, so I'm hoping to propagate it for future experimentation. It's worth growing for the foliage alone; a dead ringer for Hosta "Sum and Substance", but much more attractive right now than that poor, tattered plant.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232818997616434818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE41rhBIcq_uA3cCR3tHhgFIlObwXh34pJ0FCSuzsuD7Qx4WYp6vv2apCooh8HTj8WJW346q6Ke-mqk3IeN5rMtnD8RKhxVVLXfcSTYYdXg3VJ55or1inl5-qe2lrf0gwr6NSVjanTsY/s320/Proiphys+amboinensis80308c.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-22874096576235279002008-07-27T01:48:00.000-07:002008-07-29T02:18:33.847-07:00My "Fifteen Minutes"<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228361372203036786" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwrATT68QnrubYx-AsXgW0i5E42PUVcOltgmjRFaNs_Bt_j2hVgHJexosnznE00YdIHkyFDyyI8mACMnXtZ91OgNVEZRi-PNSU30Tguz-wvRrw8ynOiHytmnJD0CbyfNmNZB_DZQt_xU/s320/Campsistree72808a.JPG" border="0" /> I think I've recently come as close to a brush with greatness as I ever will, which, admittedly, is pretty sad; however, when one's personal aspirations aren't very high, little achievements mean a lot. I've mentioned before that I really enjoy listening to, watching, and teaching with many of the podcasts available these days on my trusty ipod, especially while gardening and working around the house; through this medium Ken Druse and Vicki Johnson have become two of my favorite "gardening buddies". Through their podcast (which is actually broadcast on one or two radio stations in their region), "Real Dirt with Ken Druse", they entertain and inform me every week as I water, pull weeds, and hack back the trumpet and cross vines which would eat our entire landscape if we allowed it. Ken has long been one of my favorite garden writers and photographers, and Vicki is a great gardener, environmentalist, writer, and photographer in her own right, so I was honored when they asked me to help them test out their new setup for integrating remote interviews into the weekly broadcast. Vicki was delightful, kind, and easy to talk to, which made the process at least enjoyable. The technical aspects must have worked reasonably well, since they used my stammering, rambling thoughts on yesterday's podcast; I hope I don't come across as too big an idiot.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228353272967801474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9zN_SXgjcmIRc3haWsRP7pfRJQO32_J9C87b-ezIYlA7V8obS1iehJ5XsCjC-ii__X-On6j25IUpgaVCW5zbbMfGxIIJKPuE68byXLZGbCA3BCn6m4JwAnirul66N7SAmfKMvhhN9W4c/s400/KenDruseRDlogo.JPG" border="0" /> Vicki and I talked about lots of things, including family connections to gardening, my haphazard approach to garden design (due mostly to space, time, and laziness), and the challenges of integrating botany (among many other subjects) into elementary music instruction. We also discussed my main reason for starting this blog, which was initially for weight maintenance - I can't type and eat at the same time! It was really a fun conversation, but knowing that it was being recorded somehow increased my tendency to hem, haw, and stammer; I guess that's true for most people in similar situations. There's no "backspace" or "delete" button when you're talking, and pausing to think translates into dead air, which is every bit as bad as it sounds. <div><div><div><div><br /><div>I highly recommend giving Ken and Vicki a listen; you can do this at the computer without even going through the process of downloading itunes (though how life is possible without it is beyond me) - just visit this link</div><br /><div><a href="http://www.kendruse.typepad.com/">http://www.kendruse.typepad.com/</a><br /><br />and follow the instructions available there. My somewhat flaky, but well-intentioned conversation with Vicki is included in the broadcast titled "Good Gardening and Blogging". <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228362584412195282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJElvza1O62Dj-96woi6GLTdZrVHBhinV42uSePqBn_Rdj6wKJNbNd0i7recAcD_H6lUX2V5Wx5k8egjt0s5UzbBpXpw4-tCXkbCceVfwe9ztfD6V1AQ2m7qcN-049ZEZCkRHLUqwQKhM/s320/Bignonia.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-37121540400834873572008-07-22T12:31:00.000-07:002008-08-24T17:53:27.376-07:00With Apologies to Garrison Keillor, David Sedaris, and Jean Shepherd...<strong><span style="color:#000099;">CBS Evening News for Friday, May 19, 1972</span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;">Headline: Roadside Garden<br />Abstract:<br />(Studio) Surrey County, Virginia, has unusual traveler's rest point. REPORTER: Walter Cronkite<br />(Surrey County, Virginia) Picnic tables laden with flowers, fresh tomatoes, with 13-acre garden nearby. Walter Mizenheimer, former nurseryman, creates wayside stop in woods next to his house. [MIZENHEIMER - does this to make world a better place. Offers to give site to state, but is refused.] REPORTER: Charles Kuralt </span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#000099;"><br /></span></strong>The above abstract, gleaned from a website run by Vanderbilt University which apparently hosts a repository for ancient news videos, is the only reference I can find to an event which surfaces annually in my personal memory. If I wanted to pay $37, I could own a copy of the original story, but since that seems exhorbitant for 4 minutes of footage, I'll fill in the blanks myself.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMlTPAP1AOfWAO8f_SLVHhMtYG8Awp4sKfz6fTVS9pspiVmR5klH0MK4_fUP5oPYJ64MiirFsGsDd8LeiEKkz91wDovI4ONOZpbgirw3wGOrI4ljegPwSIKaPRQIZII-_M0bv16Cs4OU/s1600-h/Lycsquamig71908b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226136917720210642" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMlTPAP1AOfWAO8f_SLVHhMtYG8Awp4sKfz6fTVS9pspiVmR5klH0MK4_fUP5oPYJ64MiirFsGsDd8LeiEKkz91wDovI4ONOZpbgirw3wGOrI4ljegPwSIKaPRQIZII-_M0bv16Cs4OU/s320/Lycsquamig71908b.JPG" border="0" /></a>Scents can most definitely trigger memory, and so, I find, can flowers. This week the first of the Lycoris species, a probable sterile hybrid currently called L. squamigera, began blooming, and it brought back to mind an episode of family history which must have occurred almost exactly 36 years ago. One common name for Lycoris squamigera (shared with Amaryllis belladonna, which doesn't grow well here, although its hybrid, Amarcrinum, does) is "Naked Ladies", but neither these trustworthy bulbs nor any of their names was familiar to my grandmother Birdie, aka "MaMa", who ran a very exclusive camp for several weeks each summer (only her grandchildren were invited).<br /><br />Most days the entertainment options included working in the garden, shelling butterbeans and peas, helping to pluck chickens for dinner, dropping ripe watermelons to break them open and eating them where they fell, and making fanciful creatures (MaMa called them "cukie dolls") from the oversized cucumbers and squash that we'd missed picking when they were edible. Other activities included emptying the five gallon bucket that served as our toilet on the nights when we slept out back in the old country store (it was operated by my great-grandfather before any of us existed) which had been converted into a "clubhouse" for our use; and the traditional Sunday morning wallow in the mud puddles created by tractor tires in the fields. This usually occurred about 10 minutes before we needed to be dressed and ready for church, having been carefully scrubbed and groomed the night before. About once each week, however, we took a field trip, usually ending up someplace "educational".<br /><br />This particular July day found us crammed into the Delta 88 with my Grandmother at the wheel and her sidekick, cleaning lady, and assistant kid-wrangler Mary Daniels riding shotgun. We were fixing to go to the newly opened Yorktown Victory Center (my grandfather was a concrete construction foreman and had supervised the building of all the curbs in the complex), by way of the Peninsula Nature and Science Center, which is now the Virginia Living Museum. I don't remember much about this trip, other than eventually posing for pictures next to the curbs which Grandaddy "built", but I do remember what happened when we stopped for lunch.<br /><br />Somehow (it now seems obvious that she had seen the news story referenced above), MaMa had heard about an amazing picnic spot in Surrey which was owned and cared for by a Mr. Mizenheimer. Sure enough, when we pulled off what I now realize must have been route 10, which hugs the southern bank of the James River all the way to Richmond, we spotted a neatly planted garden full of azaleas (I could identify them even out of bloom, despite my being only ten - that should have been a warning to somebody...) which were punctuated by spectacular clumps of the pink lilies which I many years later discovered to be Lycoris squamigera. My grandmother hopped out of the car, opened the "boot", and displayed remarkable willpower as her eyes fell first on the gorgeous blooms, then on the shovel that lived in the trunk of her car and served to dig up anything and everything she found desirable growing along the roadside. She was tempted, I could tell, but must have thought better of committing larceny in front of her grandchildren, since she reached instead for the first of several big cooking pots which had been stowed in the trunk.<br /><br />My grandmother was never one to travel with sandwiches, chips, etc. - her picnics were pretty much the same as the meals she served at home, only outdoors. Consequently we never left on a trip of any duration without an entire country ham or a "passel" of fried chicken, along with a big pot of butterbeans, in the car. It was a production, but somehow she and Mary Daniels wrestled everything out of the car and over to a clean, shady table, on which had been left about a dozen homegrown tomatoes and a bucket of fresh flowers. Granted, we were probably the first visitors ever to leave more tomatoes than we found (we had brought our own from my granddad's endless supply), but we appreciated the thought, nonetheless. We finished lunch, and as MaMa and Mary Daniels (she was like "Cher" or "Beyonce", only the opposite - we never said one name without saying the other), were gathering things up, out of the "jungle" ambled Mr. Mizenheimer himself.<br /><br />The affable old gentleman - he walked with a cane, which to us signified that he was <em>really</em> old - and my grandmother immediately struck up a conversation, and after some not-so-surreptitious prodding by Mary Daniels, we thanked him profusely for providing us with such a lovely place to eat lunch and play for a while. Things didn't begin to go south until the conversation turned to gardening, as was inevitable, given the casting. MaMa had complimented all of the plants she recognized, though, its being July, there wasn't much in bloom; Mr. Mizenheimer then, quite innocently, as it turns out, asked, "And what did you think of all my naked ladies?"<br /><br />My grandmother stiffened and instinctively grabbed as many grubby little hands and elbows as she could gather up. "Well, we have a long trip ahead of us...got to get going. Thank you so much." She had gotten all cold and formal, and I'd never seen her walk backwards with such purpose.<br /><br />Mary Daniels began grumbling under her breath, "Old goat...done taken a shine to Ms. Birdie...old goat..." and herded us into the car. This may be only the imagination of memory, but I think the tires screeched as my grandmother floored the Oldsmobile. She was obviously flustered, and Mary Daniels continued to carry on about that "old goat" trying to "move in on" my grandmother. We didn't talk much about it again, since we were all embarrassed on so many different levels.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkUupdbo_4Ms00PRDCdzfRbQ3iV8WQ4C87CLpRPGhTaLxLk3gSfd9FeJaqMk7qxBLhqnLdo3x9gqdCoWctzeUIrAuVJ9Neqgqz8Gfor-ygRZ3QBmfI-I-iKjZSbxeUHZuCPkrdxpYaiI/s1600-h/passalong_plants.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226136070554427282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkkUupdbo_4Ms00PRDCdzfRbQ3iV8WQ4C87CLpRPGhTaLxLk3gSfd9FeJaqMk7qxBLhqnLdo3x9gqdCoWctzeUIrAuVJ9Neqgqz8Gfor-ygRZ3QBmfI-I-iKjZSbxeUHZuCPkrdxpYaiI/s320/passalong_plants.jpg" border="0" /></a>Many years later, I was given what would become one of my favorite books, "Passalong Plants" by Felder Rushing and Steve Bender. I learned an incredible amount from this fun, informative guide to southern flora and folk art, but it also served to vindicate Mr. Mizenheimer long (I'm sure) after his passing. I tried to explain the situation to MaMa, and even gave her a copy of the book, but due to a combination of factors - her greatly impaired hearing, for which she steadfastly refused any treatment, her foggy memory, and, most of all, her need to be right, she never, to my knowledge, took the poor, would-be philanthropist off of her own personal sexual predator registry. I think of him every year when my own "naked ladies" start to bloom.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226136649837048738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyIC6YbjhjkcGKV8In1NKF1hSAQRRIfodHexvzl-zj4uqs4ZvRLRTNCinKAzSpsobn1tmM9BNBzfJrhua8hEYm3ykAkT1-q9BvgZ1v-QcuJ0Ah_1XJzp2k9afjW_CuCBmV2EkI5sZ5Gx4/s320/Lycsquam72108b.JPG" border="0" />Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-65407522056404402272008-07-15T01:52:00.001-07:002008-08-24T17:55:21.323-07:00Bloom Day, July 15, 2008<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7x_T0FssGk3TxgXvy74Z1l6xcxnvfJuUOnqXBP0E99_fWcT-CKxca_R7D_Dr78DY_eM7bj8_elCQ8vv110bw-d60bIrtvvuju2cDYVwvYOTBoHmMj_pO8eoXLi_997UPLHr3Y0lm26A/s1600-h/Zephgrandiflora71108e.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223171939391989378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7x_T0FssGk3TxgXvy74Z1l6xcxnvfJuUOnqXBP0E99_fWcT-CKxca_R7D_Dr78DY_eM7bj8_elCQ8vv110bw-d60bIrtvvuju2cDYVwvYOTBoHmMj_pO8eoXLi_997UPLHr3Y0lm26A/s320/Zephgrandiflora71108e.JPG" border="0" /></a> It's not even midsummer, but due to our very early spring this year many plants are blooming well ahead of schedule. Many of the daylilies have already closed up shop, and Sedum "Autumn Joy" hasn't gotten the memo about its name here - it's in full bloom. Gardens around here would be pretty dull in the summer and fall without semitropicals which tend to behave as herbaceous perennials, as well as several members of the Amaryllis tribe, including the clumps of Zephyranthes grandiflora in the pots above. These are hardy in the ground here, but I've had these potted for at least ten years now. They're stored bone dry in the attic all winter, then rehydrated in spring to start again. Below is Vitex rotundifolia, a sub-shrubby species which is reputed to be invasive - I'm watching it carefully, but I like the silvery foliage and muted color.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBwuHzEuK9_ysDbSh1oCp31ygosvh8w2WiDmfuv4cXc8BGAl07sq-07qfOFQWt9JWd8HQYCBXMnBMkRi6hRoVWkMN0QQG2ja-99I24hIRX1krCrh4fE7enU94FKf2xQ4XJWYN3Qh42jo/s1600-h/Vitexrotundifolia71108a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223171658762242402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBwuHzEuK9_ysDbSh1oCp31ygosvh8w2WiDmfuv4cXc8BGAl07sq-07qfOFQWt9JWd8HQYCBXMnBMkRi6hRoVWkMN0QQG2ja-99I24hIRX1krCrh4fE7enU94FKf2xQ4XJWYN3Qh42jo/s320/Vitexrotundifolia71108a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Achimenes 'Purple King' - a gesneriad which has been totally hardy here for three years and is becoming a happy weed throughout the garden. I save a few rhizomes in dry vermiculite every winter, just in case.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypZGXOwrN7phUhoKxNrKW7UBFf0_Mrgd2YvcnEwk8sqv0Yh7zR1XYpkyiibbqYue9gSiaQcyhziuABk4qum7yqUl01EzKq-bz8qLfvdgk-RBmbry489fXzmwgJ_3hauwrFwsumthwgtc/s1600-h/AchimenesPplKing71108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223171431182833954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypZGXOwrN7phUhoKxNrKW7UBFf0_Mrgd2YvcnEwk8sqv0Yh7zR1XYpkyiibbqYue9gSiaQcyhziuABk4qum7yqUl01EzKq-bz8qLfvdgk-RBmbry489fXzmwgJ_3hauwrFwsumthwgtc/s320/AchimenesPplKing71108.JPG" border="0" /></a>One of the rear window boxes, replanted for summer with orange nonstop tuberous begonias (this is the only place I can manage to grow these, probably because the roof overhang protects them from overwatering and there's very little direct sun in this spot); Kohleria "Red Velvet" (not hardy, but dead easy to overwinter via cuttings); and Coniogramme japonica (somewhat hardy evergreen ferns which I grew from spores). The Achimenes kind of planted themselves, but the purple will complement the orange when they bloom.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfMw4AQgIrurZQwU356Aa0QHgSNHaGelIt8pONOWtBel4EFlEOXm-JjUhAgilBUyg7uczG7qR-8uCL0pofGGzvViEhxeMogELdiAzzkyn7xw1EBwmdLD5Jo8RMphSz3ck4ToQuTAxgnc/s1600-h/Windowbox71108a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223171328126507682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfMw4AQgIrurZQwU356Aa0QHgSNHaGelIt8pONOWtBel4EFlEOXm-JjUhAgilBUyg7uczG7qR-8uCL0pofGGzvViEhxeMogELdiAzzkyn7xw1EBwmdLD5Jo8RMphSz3ck4ToQuTAxgnc/s320/Windowbox71108a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Another hardy gesneriad (these have become a special interest of mine lately), Sinningia x"Butter and Cream" (S. tubiflora x aggregata).<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFpKq2DlXf1uqL1NpZmPBsh9lmbBkRGAix1l96gwu4x_PVNzUsS7ayOUQ73eevwVIXBwmjrPapt9h0j34enRF-tcUUwGKRgBwmE8jrIZFLsG2wzatGZOwu1Df5in1Qy4zTrL4A7ZmO0E/s1600-h/SinningiaBttrandCrm71008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223170557320097026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFpKq2DlXf1uqL1NpZmPBsh9lmbBkRGAix1l96gwu4x_PVNzUsS7ayOUQ73eevwVIXBwmjrPapt9h0j34enRF-tcUUwGKRgBwmE8jrIZFLsG2wzatGZOwu1Df5in1Qy4zTrL4A7ZmO0E/s320/SinningiaBttrandCrm71008.JPG" border="0" /></a> A Phygelius new to me this year, "Sunshine". Its distinguishing feature is its bright chartreuse foliage, ironically not too apparent in this picture because of the...er...sunshine... <div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69QIFcNd7W4ldoKZ6aO164cKh1Ko0dnqNdMvmZTpIpbHdvIiWaloPwsz7_dzM7xcE2pRk-Kwj7bjYkn61N7Q142WODzmwcu98uDHxLTtNdCTAd7zMZyUxuGP7vg9wO_rWWRBOuexweMk/s1600-h/PhygSunshine71308.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223169936716484370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69QIFcNd7W4ldoKZ6aO164cKh1Ko0dnqNdMvmZTpIpbHdvIiWaloPwsz7_dzM7xcE2pRk-Kwj7bjYkn61N7Q142WODzmwcu98uDHxLTtNdCTAd7zMZyUxuGP7vg9wO_rWWRBOuexweMk/s320/PhygSunshine71308.JPG" border="0" /></a> A very early Lobelia cardinalis, backed up by the first Hedychium blooms of the season (I think this is H. greenii; I got a great new book on the ginger family for Christmas, and one day I plan to key out all of the species and hybrids I've collected...one day) and Arundo donax, a giant, variegated grass which is reasonably well behaved.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6uvTdV0gB6VXQzCu8qslWms4LItYfnUx3C4NDcKGInN9AWOMTzvU7YycWJXCoUrubBnJ7Yy7_JRVl_tgyzTKsakB6qLtMN5lq3X4IndnRWG-PP3d3MK2jcg1TVcaI54yByOKUy9wtlg/s1600-h/LobeliaHedychium71408.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223169519423759266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6uvTdV0gB6VXQzCu8qslWms4LItYfnUx3C4NDcKGInN9AWOMTzvU7YycWJXCoUrubBnJ7Yy7_JRVl_tgyzTKsakB6qLtMN5lq3X4IndnRWG-PP3d3MK2jcg1TVcaI54yByOKUy9wtlg/s320/LobeliaHedychium71408.JPG" border="0" /></a> Another Lobelia (although this classification is in dispute) called "Candy Corn", for obvious reasons. It also survives the winter here, and one even did so in a large pot.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCEqYHBlrH2Cm3x58PQJffqqZR_EsvyJfTOaX59o6kFknUZgQLpoUsvskdAUFRs887mkng5UYFTUgCz0DuY1kySzCY1jAEkfiK4kxdEAyf6tOlbiYkvlleQbtDrY7wFjH8rxWJ1_Ol7qA/s1600-h/LobeliaCndyCorn71108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223169384191530034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCEqYHBlrH2Cm3x58PQJffqqZR_EsvyJfTOaX59o6kFknUZgQLpoUsvskdAUFRs887mkng5UYFTUgCz0DuY1kySzCY1jAEkfiK4kxdEAyf6tOlbiYkvlleQbtDrY7wFjH8rxWJ1_Ol7qA/s320/LobeliaCndyCorn71108.JPG" border="0" /></a> We have tiger lilies in both the single and double forms, and I can't bring myself to eradicate them, despite their reputation as vectors for viruses. The singles are from my paternal Grandmother's garden, and the doubles have spread from bulbils throughout the garden. The orange and purple theme seems to predominate in the summer here - it wasn't planned that way, but I really like it.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXUZoQ39zTr20EaROUf-oyL1RA6NX2T4w6maGExvTy665boXaMN1trjyhMXX0nBTlWNSq2V3igev2eyEdNv8nRAoJE9FzRz55Ss4FtajINpw_n42PDbPLwj3tNlF_JT9HFU9KpfPvzU8/s1600-h/Liliumlancifflorplena71108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223169017560846354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXUZoQ39zTr20EaROUf-oyL1RA6NX2T4w6maGExvTy665boXaMN1trjyhMXX0nBTlWNSq2V3igev2eyEdNv8nRAoJE9FzRz55Ss4FtajINpw_n42PDbPLwj3tNlF_JT9HFU9KpfPvzU8/s320/Liliumlancifflorplena71108.JPG" border="0" /></a> Kaempferia pulchra, another member of the zingiberaceae which performs as a perennial in dry shade. It's slow to get started in summer, but it beats most Hostas by a mile once things heat up around here. This clump is about three feet across now. The flowers are fleeting, but add great color contrast.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEA59uyvnkst_gM_PVPeUBavxJEDXuO466t9oUhIAReOC-Vrjfs6zz55x9rqG-KXy-b0duV7HX2kK9VtIDlx2oOGZ84q9_OuPgjQPT66TcaD3t__PuhyLhcfukJCi05akv5heH-BK1YPc/s1600-h/Kaempferiapulchra71308.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223168646966838690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEA59uyvnkst_gM_PVPeUBavxJEDXuO466t9oUhIAReOC-Vrjfs6zz55x9rqG-KXy-b0duV7HX2kK9VtIDlx2oOGZ84q9_OuPgjQPT66TcaD3t__PuhyLhcfukJCi05akv5heH-BK1YPc/s320/Kaempferiapulchra71308.JPG" border="0" /></a>Hamelia patens is a subtropical shrub which has survived four winters here as a dieback perennial. I grew my first one from a cutting which "fell" from a planting in the garden of our hotel in Disney World several years ago and was subsequently smuggled home in my suitcase. As you might surmise, the blooms are really attractive to hummingbirds.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5Og8KxBVvJwPrx5SBWl5gOy4sQ7pmQMiX8xDcnL7Y19tmXsR4RpUDIJNpl_D5jqXppl_fQYD8takKFVFb-Yh_AgitUO8SV1wAsOeykIsaIi005LH5Y9E_wzalmBVt2E1pW_yXIeApEY/s1600-h/Hameliapatens71108a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223168430154981458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC5Og8KxBVvJwPrx5SBWl5gOy4sQ7pmQMiX8xDcnL7Y19tmXsR4RpUDIJNpl_D5jqXppl_fQYD8takKFVFb-Yh_AgitUO8SV1wAsOeykIsaIi005LH5Y9E_wzalmBVt2E1pW_yXIeApEY/s320/Hameliapatens71108a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Haemanthus (aka Scadoxus) discolor, one of the many South African amaryllids which have been hardy here and bloom in the summer. This one usually puts out these floral fireworks in time for July 4.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcRSAkATq7rkk1Lg7nxAYicNZaszhyphenhyphengZx-1hh4nB1c1YTdtjbuTvo6ZEA7-XoDqjw5w9f19NtcP32JgxRHvmZnsorXERpuro6OshKm-oZo3i7OES89I3vitKEBZk6qkCmEG5CisFWMow/s1600-h/Haemanthusdiscolor71108a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223168158680943474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdcRSAkATq7rkk1Lg7nxAYicNZaszhyphenhyphengZx-1hh4nB1c1YTdtjbuTvo6ZEA7-XoDqjw5w9f19NtcP32JgxRHvmZnsorXERpuro6OshKm-oZo3i7OES89I3vitKEBZk6qkCmEG5CisFWMow/s320/Haemanthusdiscolor71108a.JPG" border="0" /></a>I like this combination of Habranthus robustus with the purple Tradescantia, the blooms of which (if you can catch them) perfectly match those of the rain lily. Habranthus blooms attach to their stems at an angle, while those of Zephyranthes are vertical; otherwise, they're pretty much the same.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlD6CBAfMpDsy023zd2d95wIXh4m12KLDkCiE0A80j6FKOHThGn1hGWErS6iE-CK5ziXbf4JFO9V1DN9KKG636PZ0DXG6VJG-hbQ1s865TVfFbJz_mwMrO9dEQwbDA3z6BG43WwNoZszA/s1600-h/Habrrobustus71008a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223168011302917538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlD6CBAfMpDsy023zd2d95wIXh4m12KLDkCiE0A80j6FKOHThGn1hGWErS6iE-CK5ziXbf4JFO9V1DN9KKG636PZ0DXG6VJG-hbQ1s865TVfFbJz_mwMrO9dEQwbDA3z6BG43WwNoZszA/s320/Habrrobustus71008a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Gloriosa rothschildiana, another South African, this time in the lily family.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbv8MjNg3HBNA6Vd0vWQutDijqPNyAsWTs_KmdWa9px_qoNCDPgzaMxL5_cAo9A4QZYIYQ_ZtPplmoRYuAH34-axzx8DdU-jwiGsoGPjEcSVBkfHWb1k4r2_fA_6MW7iFWgrgTJYaQ9vw/s1600-h/Gloriosa71108a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223167626235221474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbv8MjNg3HBNA6Vd0vWQutDijqPNyAsWTs_KmdWa9px_qoNCDPgzaMxL5_cAo9A4QZYIYQ_ZtPplmoRYuAH34-axzx8DdU-jwiGsoGPjEcSVBkfHWb1k4r2_fA_6MW7iFWgrgTJYaQ9vw/s320/Gloriosa71108a.JPG" border="0" /></a> Another South African bulb, Galtonia candicans. The miscanthus has to be watched to keep it from overtaking the galtonias, but I find the grasses help support the bloom stems naturally; I suspect this happens in nature, as well.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qJU824G76KpqQFrVYFVnMTB04rf8CEG2vLxCePa38ET5RraE8mQJJGc1Qt-8WcwtbrWlk6rz0hFHtckwF2nnRRBvAv6mK513bhLXozz997OIIfSbApb26egmHydDZQVt-L-uRLijmlM/s1600-h/Galtoniacandicans71108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223166932082166626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qJU824G76KpqQFrVYFVnMTB04rf8CEG2vLxCePa38ET5RraE8mQJJGc1Qt-8WcwtbrWlk6rz0hFHtckwF2nnRRBvAv6mK513bhLXozz997OIIfSbApb26egmHydDZQVt-L-uRLijmlM/s320/Galtoniacandicans71108.JPG" border="0" /></a> Eucomis pole-evansia, not yet in full bloom or full height (it'll top 6'), but I wanted to photograph it before the roof workers arrive this morning, since it may not survive the day.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJE52xUyDnt2PWiTATeGQHW0SN9iv_Ki4z1f-ZROzvqiqz0LHjay3XwW7Kj7x-Z2zp8f5r54XWMgf85yVZdtm0a_H1EQvPmPxmbCHGKh09wutJdLRrzgD9GvpYdlYuEWhKgaEGboUeCc/s1600-h/EucPoleEvansiae71308.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223166456800414402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJE52xUyDnt2PWiTATeGQHW0SN9iv_Ki4z1f-ZROzvqiqz0LHjay3XwW7Kj7x-Z2zp8f5r54XWMgf85yVZdtm0a_H1EQvPmPxmbCHGKh09wutJdLRrzgD9GvpYdlYuEWhKgaEGboUeCc/s320/EucPoleEvansiae71308.JPG" border="0" /></a> Cyclamen purpurascens in my "plunge" bed, one of about a dozen I grew from seed supplied by Seneca Hills Perennials a couple of years ago. They're hardy, but I have them in pots for protection right now, and they've been in bloom for nearly a month.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIHSjuf84wMGuT-itJGx83rzWb1XTszQwgRSKyKBm4LpU69YSwY9LNQth8lg2BoijOqMiGOdFSnxEsvyt_oK_dhAev_FTrkC1rOibv5h3nCVBL1z4yLdu8YMpdKSOHBKz1BAZtqQFtEo/s1600-h/Cycpurp71308.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223166287057369506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIHSjuf84wMGuT-itJGx83rzWb1XTszQwgRSKyKBm4LpU69YSwY9LNQth8lg2BoijOqMiGOdFSnxEsvyt_oK_dhAev_FTrkC1rOibv5h3nCVBL1z4yLdu8YMpdKSOHBKz1BAZtqQFtEo/s320/Cycpurp71308.JPG" border="0" /></a> More unexpected are these blooms from a pale form of C. hederifolium - they're not supposed to come until September, and this is not the only such plant in my garden with buds or blooms right now.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBgIxyw9O7iQlqd0EZwmCs16J1Wd8IisDaVm4vIM4akhyphenhyphenwmP3HTzH0H0-hniWJGgPLHCXTQXj2sae3k6oTmdD-LuQj1NRq3lavTVHjePMrGt5e1TeNtUJuhTG4AA9IYGTBp3N1iNhEBQ/s1600-h/Cychederif71308.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223165554958744722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHBgIxyw9O7iQlqd0EZwmCs16J1Wd8IisDaVm4vIM4akhyphenhyphenwmP3HTzH0H0-hniWJGgPLHCXTQXj2sae3k6oTmdD-LuQj1NRq3lavTVHjePMrGt5e1TeNtUJuhTG4AA9IYGTBp3N1iNhEBQ/s320/Cychederif71308.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div>Summer wouldn't be summer without crape myrtles. I love them, but I only grow two (this one is "Yuma", and in the back I have "Cedar Red".) Luckily, almost every other available cultivar is growing somewhere in the neighborhood less than a bike ride away.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2unU1iumrfi0Nzf-SdfOi2BleGKNNxk6k4DbuURRwbFJI-dmkbFWFaF2EaabjFJxqbcZoDFQpBLb0QejYDJ-Cy01vmVgrIddt23HH3eX0FDJ9MXXmZhYxgfV2bfohOZBDygTo-x8Bu28/s1600-h/CrapeMYuma71308.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223165303118675410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2unU1iumrfi0Nzf-SdfOi2BleGKNNxk6k4DbuURRwbFJI-dmkbFWFaF2EaabjFJxqbcZoDFQpBLb0QejYDJ-Cy01vmVgrIddt23HH3eX0FDJ9MXXmZhYxgfV2bfohOZBDygTo-x8Bu28/s320/CrapeMYuma71308.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is Canna 'Panache' duking it out with Tetrapanax papyrifera (no, I never did move it...) I got them both at the great plant shop at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria a few years ago.</div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1lEurs3ZGD7t5mY_GM1FFm557UQWZrn0SsJLbN68sxM2KDEstlXA5mg9TyxturD_Rql3xEttgBfdWZmGfMqGHtfhTE7yJQnrUa4KgsWCH0Zh2B8TWnWoShCXiyyw_3oUEue2cGULbqs/s1600-h/CannaPanache71408.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223165000191492674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1lEurs3ZGD7t5mY_GM1FFm557UQWZrn0SsJLbN68sxM2KDEstlXA5mg9TyxturD_Rql3xEttgBfdWZmGfMqGHtfhTE7yJQnrUa4KgsWCH0Zh2B8TWnWoShCXiyyw_3oUEue2cGULbqs/s320/CannaPanache71408.JPG" border="0" /></a> The latest of all the Arisaemas, A. consanguineum, also purchased from Ellen Hornig at Seneca Hill many years ago. She specializes in this species, and I can understand why.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfypFqp4iSK3ZuMUR9EAyRkRbuggGZ4xQUeVxt3U0p9HCJyyXEGcUOh_wb1Y7F5ojlYsKGHe0Qvd3rkCNz0IK_gRcjPFadxvpo_5ai4mXC03p8DVWBs8v3QBkRxtUr_r3bC24OrLcUp-A/s1600-h/Arisameaconsanguineum71408.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223164701587491490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfypFqp4iSK3ZuMUR9EAyRkRbuggGZ4xQUeVxt3U0p9HCJyyXEGcUOh_wb1Y7F5ojlYsKGHe0Qvd3rkCNz0IK_gRcjPFadxvpo_5ai4mXC03p8DVWBs8v3QBkRxtUr_r3bC24OrLcUp-A/s320/Arisameaconsanguineum71408.JPG" border="0" /></a> Clerodendron bungei- a suckering shrub, considered smelly by some. I got it from a neighbor of my parents years ago, and have always liked the smell (like peanut butter, in my opinion.)<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTHqkyEMlkpzDy1R3PtW0WQucTrdPczOwznupDjzVMpS3ZnVLVn5QSjC1kM7zEuPIPECxT8TID0rglSkVVXCL_301R2yravUHRRTezG9U-FrHOJswdhdVjmtjYFWIhVYlEhXApZ6iABg/s1600-h/ClerodenBungei71108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223163899170640018" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXTHqkyEMlkpzDy1R3PtW0WQucTrdPczOwznupDjzVMpS3ZnVLVn5QSjC1kM7zEuPIPECxT8TID0rglSkVVXCL_301R2yravUHRRTezG9U-FrHOJswdhdVjmtjYFWIhVYlEhXApZ6iABg/s320/ClerodenBungei71108.JPG" border="0" /></a> An enormous white wax begonia (probably a form of B. cucullata) which is being marketed in the trade as "Barbara Rogers". I got it from my grandmother over 25 years ago, and it has come back every year to form bushel-basket sized clumps in locations it likes.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7N45L7ZME7NT6G9xfGXTOcgn4OZuSuqy2Ri8RRlUF9gK0l1UoaZxap78m5S_oPgkLGM7JsROonIjmvWSi6Rch1ctMmc7lc9XHfBsTr23n2RvaIWTX0VlBDmiuoR6mGPl5cTRIWcVvZWA/s1600-h/BegoniaHdyWhite71108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223162903332911026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7N45L7ZME7NT6G9xfGXTOcgn4OZuSuqy2Ri8RRlUF9gK0l1UoaZxap78m5S_oPgkLGM7JsROonIjmvWSi6Rch1ctMmc7lc9XHfBsTr23n2RvaIWTX0VlBDmiuoR6mGPl5cTRIWcVvZWA/s320/BegoniaHdyWhite71108.JPG" border="0" /></a> Hymenocallis "Tropical Giant" - I know, it pales in comparison to the one in front of Tony Avents's house.<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9M85gsQhRmzdEMy7zVBL1E-mS8X1GmUNmoMO2dYH1JdNbMMkxhzmi2u46sqVb_hKVighkvDaVa2MqSyVQZ21sRlVKdts_3TIewgwhdY4HZfy0wiYAIPxrBFAuJcx0qVpTnpkoQDFENo/s1600-h/HymenocTG71308.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223162075193476226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9M85gsQhRmzdEMy7zVBL1E-mS8X1GmUNmoMO2dYH1JdNbMMkxhzmi2u46sqVb_hKVighkvDaVa2MqSyVQZ21sRlVKdts_3TIewgwhdY4HZfy0wiYAIPxrBFAuJcx0qVpTnpkoQDFENo/s320/HymenocTG71308.JPG" border="0" /></a> One of the many crinums which do so well here and bloom through the heat. This one's an heirloom often called "Twelve Apostles". Scott Ogden writes that it's probably a cross between C. asiaticum and C. bulbispermum.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5VPmv9SBpIgaJkTqQvQBBFst8IXre-tgChTLJfDPRN_-zMduMNKEuVfDamYStfr7g5mHPN6nF8AnFf44xp0aJVf5DTBaUREtOoanh9gQvztd2FJwLqetDWbGmzY6OietdBGlK9FhlQU/s1600-h/Crin12Apostles71108a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223161789487507426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5VPmv9SBpIgaJkTqQvQBBFst8IXre-tgChTLJfDPRN_-zMduMNKEuVfDamYStfr7g5mHPN6nF8AnFf44xp0aJVf5DTBaUREtOoanh9gQvztd2FJwLqetDWbGmzY6OietdBGlK9FhlQU/s320/Crin12Apostles71108a.JPG" border="0" /></a> A parting shot of the driveway garden, which is a sea of lantana, salvia, coleus, and various and sundry other heat lovers. Summers like this are great, but they make me so spoiled that going back to work at the end of August gets more difficult every year. But then, somebody's gotta pay for all the compost (not to mention what it's going to cost to heat my tiny greenhouse this winter!)<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCv_v7M84zCPIzhW3XaV5jeBBqmQ7kiItFlyFzR2SjpoyNcrBdkmlVFbEm_51klARhjJTXlevS6lqssI_NRtmzg2E9hUL5tsNvlzsEfxjjgDZ-A8ywSTQEwWaKzuNX3Nt7qygXvq_3i_Q/s1600-h/Driveway71108a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223161578731430754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCv_v7M84zCPIzhW3XaV5jeBBqmQ7kiItFlyFzR2SjpoyNcrBdkmlVFbEm_51klARhjJTXlevS6lqssI_NRtmzg2E9hUL5tsNvlzsEfxjjgDZ-A8ywSTQEwWaKzuNX3Nt7qygXvq_3i_Q/s320/Driveway71108a.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-85206349631466970922008-07-14T01:57:00.000-07:002008-07-17T00:54:35.648-07:00Garden of Plant-ly Delights<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222792192476279330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYZfvDlRhrilUYlLLKYOpp9UAzTj63Qk8elSfTTSg8qn4cb41prK08u1iMviuxUbgxUszc0BIfuePtaU864336rTUT-iEFLIK6P4qBhFFtLRkG6emyV_7-xbA1a79Nyi5V4GPYtv1xA0/s320/PDN71108v.JPG" border="0" />I love visiting Plant Delights Nursery, just south of Raleigh, NC, even though my Visa account doesn't care for it at all. Based on Tony Avent's catalog rants about planting "drifts of one" and lack of planning "on paper", you'd expect to find a sort of "plant zoo", and you wouldn't be disappointed. However, as the garden has grown (I've been attending the infrequent open days off and on for the last ten years or so), it's clear that there IS a method to his madness. I usually take tons of close up pictures, mostly to aid in plant identification and to formulate future wish lists, but this time I decided to photograph broad vistas. This can be a little depressing upon returning home to our quarter acre (PDN now encompasses more than 20), and it's a test of my photography skills (or maybe my camera), but it's good for me to remember that even a consummate plant collector does think about design occasionally. Because it was a hot day, I deposited three friends at a movie theater in Raleigh; sadly, summer movies don't tend to be as long as the January Oscar contenders, so my time at Juniper Level Botanic Garden was limited.<br /><br />I have to apologize that I'm not displaying much creativity in my blog posts lately, but this is taking up prime gardening time, and the summer is beginning to dwindle already!<br /><br />Above is a spectacular allee of Golden Dawn Redwoods (cv."Ogon", I think?) which flanks a walk just above the relatively new sunken garden (below), built for utilitarian purposes, but functioning artistically as well.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222791921649147106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG2_Y5nsOM-uDbwFjpKCpQl_gy5Lses_nnSGOBa6mzi5kmVEPZ04tJmdEMKAoCQ5pfcIF_Dv2sbGOBT6sSbPFA0o1qMmp2hBxVpuRCSiJqw6fDT_kbqPTE_mg9H9H9IZJ4HjvSKpoS0dk/s320/PDN71108b.JPG" border="0" /> <div>Another planting designed for waste water management is the original bog, which demonstrates sarracenias in their natural habitat, supported, but not overrun, by sedges and other plants. I spend a lot of time weeding among the pitchers of mine, but the symbiotic benefits of leaving a few companions is very much apparent here.</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222795989313124434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_JHf0t6o3otPcA3-VqgZFLrsZAo6jok0vPZJ31SZ7Ena6ODMR_oUUAkJbt_adGNa1_OGeiiS6S1kmNbw_92816xE10FMu6u2899Fi3uDetoqZ7e861OMMqJpbAeCGK5bsX4vMk-VXJU/s320/PDN71108x.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>Along the walkway in front of the Avent's house is this mix of tropical and temperate perennials; love the purple phlox growing with the Hymenocallis and Colocasias.</div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222794376658968402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdAgngChA7aZqt5TXrBD-dLD9KnZrTOFTD1I30gJDBKHGzC2ApYaTxWmj8ER_hOX7hsw600a5JyaAzzqFkCQ7MARz0fo9ZNQ48_LtbbfrK6JBSsPKluHcBbpn6ozsNxgh7QV0GNYxWzY/s320/PDN71108j.JPG" border="0" />A canna which has been on my "wish list" - a selection of C. iridflora called "Ehemanni". PDN doesn't list it, but I have recently found a couple of sources, so I may have to break down and get one (where is it going?)<br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkH60Wwe5JGCsVV6wHyjP5_mYuCn6hu1gewCl8icmyuYhhbtltgnPCtDlGoYgVAotDhv3PuzDbTPt1O9xYva8DP4YL1Of_yw3QemtwVa8T2IuLPiRxVmumWTIzMEoFrPAxWruRwsxIio/s1600-h/PDN71108r.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222795596779094162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkH60Wwe5JGCsVV6wHyjP5_mYuCn6hu1gewCl8icmyuYhhbtltgnPCtDlGoYgVAotDhv3PuzDbTPt1O9xYva8DP4YL1Of_yw3QemtwVa8T2IuLPiRxVmumWTIzMEoFrPAxWruRwsxIio/s320/PDN71108r.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div>I didn't do a great job of showing scale in this picture, but the Agave in the center is easily as large as a Volkswagon Bug.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7x9PuvcfG92LsC8dliBzBkLZ1DWzBYVq4bWPnEOvguKrmV5JYBQdre31zMJrZww-Iyotxw96P1iWto-UzmVd1184qw4HhrMuGqT2Tggk3Dpy0G_Yy_3BArsVN2zhTqx1JXsZuLBzdDc/s1600-h/PDN71108p.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222795415030596594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7x9PuvcfG92LsC8dliBzBkLZ1DWzBYVq4bWPnEOvguKrmV5JYBQdre31zMJrZww-Iyotxw96P1iWto-UzmVd1184qw4HhrMuGqT2Tggk3Dpy0G_Yy_3BArsVN2zhTqx1JXsZuLBzdDc/s320/PDN71108p.JPG" border="0" /></a> Sabals and Hedychium in the tropical garden... <div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQUJqNp1e-sB1ElT-zPCeJ109uSfSjwEc0dFYQS9gECC8U-K-HFcjQ0zI2nIRnFI2huKFlQ132I2czSMStB5yyvTdjT_6FLQTZwY4Eh0g3oSR3jg07aL10gV-K8BtfFw4UjyP-3KLhVk/s1600-h/PDN71108o.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222795141529789874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQUJqNp1e-sB1ElT-zPCeJ109uSfSjwEc0dFYQS9gECC8U-K-HFcjQ0zI2nIRnFI2huKFlQ132I2czSMStB5yyvTdjT_6FLQTZwY4Eh0g3oSR3jg07aL10gV-K8BtfFw4UjyP-3KLhVk/s320/PDN71108o.JPG" border="0" /></a> I'm not particularly a "maple person" - I like them, but haven't really gotten into growing more than the one I have. This one, however, is incredible. <div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMa6M37lvWBygBRPI9SRnqWbFagTI2mzn2sBOaxTF5i3A1nRh0XCkiw2-rfaUswr0krXhRsNR5O05KCaEOWIgP4MJNktus5Mvv7_-M69iZc6trSdUrucK6yzOjrgDdVqjdQyHt0NcslcU/s1600-h/PDN71108k.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222794525978333986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMa6M37lvWBygBRPI9SRnqWbFagTI2mzn2sBOaxTF5i3A1nRh0XCkiw2-rfaUswr0krXhRsNR5O05KCaEOWIgP4MJNktus5Mvv7_-M69iZc6trSdUrucK6yzOjrgDdVqjdQyHt0NcslcU/s320/PDN71108k.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div><div><div>Lots of humor in this garden, as one would expect from reading the PDN catalog. </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2owlZX3mcD60_dSZUHLdERM6zc_wljVoFpC4litBt64jn2ayAJtpZJXE6Cc-3d-rvv-_OVMGOADD2i5BkGxtfQrz3aSz35vYNzKUWHrP7C4hKGxvWzeN_WY-2pwe0iHGTHZ0CDd-wqYQ/s1600-h/PDN71108f.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222793968479985682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2owlZX3mcD60_dSZUHLdERM6zc_wljVoFpC4litBt64jn2ayAJtpZJXE6Cc-3d-rvv-_OVMGOADD2i5BkGxtfQrz3aSz35vYNzKUWHrP7C4hKGxvWzeN_WY-2pwe0iHGTHZ0CDd-wqYQ/s320/PDN71108f.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div><div>This is an enormous clump of Hemiboea subcapitata, a hardy gesneriad which I grow as well, though my clump is nowhere near the size of this.</div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHOg3IR26ebKktNIrh6ch6QylEp9fqxBl5m1Df89lmjesOHD0UwNYD5RlgLRPHgGxh5xAKSSkeZ9_03xVdjgaWm4E8fTJTAhPFDmAiSnRS7zXlkFV1mREQci8aAlNixg2g9ucTbSMaC0/s1600-h/PDN71108d.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222793671836288658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHOg3IR26ebKktNIrh6ch6QylEp9fqxBl5m1Df89lmjesOHD0UwNYD5RlgLRPHgGxh5xAKSSkeZ9_03xVdjgaWm4E8fTJTAhPFDmAiSnRS7zXlkFV1mREQci8aAlNixg2g9ucTbSMaC0/s320/PDN71108d.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div>Crinum test beds and some of the production hoop houses at the rear of the retail area.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3krSAabCIRQS4KfnAbskzI1NPNLxE6H_OegeyvZ154Q-exlGIKmpiv-mEWxew8JC2iiyakWMV9GeRhQO1fFR4O_kYNtiqyK__QwF-KM7ExPzMViETnEBw3gkQKcDkdgUvjtaUoUHHfs8/s1600-h/PDN71108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222793514321282946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3krSAabCIRQS4KfnAbskzI1NPNLxE6H_OegeyvZ154Q-exlGIKmpiv-mEWxew8JC2iiyakWMV9GeRhQO1fFR4O_kYNtiqyK__QwF-KM7ExPzMViETnEBw3gkQKcDkdgUvjtaUoUHHfs8/s320/PDN71108.JPG" border="0" /></a> <div><div>Name this plant! Every summer I enjoy seeing it, am confounded by trying to identify it (not everything here is labeled), and forget to ask anybody what it is. My best guess so far is that it's a Schima (wallachii perhaps?), a member of the camellia (tea) family allied to the Gordonias, Franklinias, and Stewartias. Anybody know if that's correct, or of a possible source? PDN has never listed it for sale, and neither does anybody else, from what I can tell (which makes me want one even more...go figure). <span style="font-size:85%;">[Note added 7/17 - According to the folks at PDN, it's Schima argentea.]</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GCffbvxFC_VOknl-XCe2Dd9hBrKg5BFd42TdbUXFDsgixDvrcgV2V1p5wOCFEM89zyarBJerETMnPXLu3hsbxIKhNQAL5TPFEQl0Cx0u31S21WPPSuyqgZKZoiRuRNLXLZ0_cxY15UI/s1600-h/PDN71108t.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222792692331987954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6GCffbvxFC_VOknl-XCe2Dd9hBrKg5BFd42TdbUXFDsgixDvrcgV2V1p5wOCFEM89zyarBJerETMnPXLu3hsbxIKhNQAL5TPFEQl0Cx0u31S21WPPSuyqgZKZoiRuRNLXLZ0_cxY15UI/s320/PDN71108t.JPG" border="0" /></a>This picture speaks to me on so many levels - it might ultimately be the best use for a computer keyboard (inorganic mulch?) The internet has brought me so much information; opened doors to communicating with other gardners, writers, and experts; made available plants I never could have purchased before; and enabled me to chronicle my hobby in ways I never imagined. It has also eaten up hours and hours which I could have spent weeding, pruning, and improving the health and lives of the "inmates" in my own garden. I suspect I'm not alone in feeling this way!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_F_GfYnVm2Ash5DeN_On7jrhY37zVbDJ3YOuNa0qKT_NxLctdXBRUhBg4ufzb6Q1z_OSu7xNQygzB3M25GXO53C82jTs4i3syyvyU5ThjRtTJ_-ZZ6sMrx6TGcPIHgkNcjdzk8od3L8/s1600-h/PDN71108c.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222792493513364194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_F_GfYnVm2Ash5DeN_On7jrhY37zVbDJ3YOuNa0qKT_NxLctdXBRUhBg4ufzb6Q1z_OSu7xNQygzB3M25GXO53C82jTs4i3syyvyU5ThjRtTJ_-ZZ6sMrx6TGcPIHgkNcjdzk8od3L8/s320/PDN71108c.JPG" border="0" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><p></p><p></p>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-28234128895898373862008-07-08T00:29:00.000-07:002008-07-08T01:26:37.507-07:00Bloom Where You're PlantedWe’ve been visiting this week with Ron’s mother and sister, who live in the Churchill area of western Pennsylvania, located between Monroeville and Pittsburgh. They have a beautiful home (which happens to be on the market – Lorraine changed teaching jobs a couple of years ago and is now commuting back and forth across the city every day) in a subdivision which prides itself on its landscaping. Much more tasteful than my garden, these yards are, for the most part, beautifully manicured, with perfectly trimmed shrubs and grass which would make any golf course superintendent proud. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220543374718880274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWz6v_C-V9UL6MUi_7P_8HtmduFFDVps2h52QRaCdzWt4n9mmA9cb1mapCbeNaFtKxRQJiIIfB0uPNF11vLuSDEiR_KPwvlomK69mICDXDM5I3oLHJKusKCz0mRDiEEXiXW2BbqXM-03g/s320/FrntgdnPA70408.JPG" border="0" />My only problem in staying here is that I have a hard time getting in my daily workout, since my elliptical trainer is too big to haul up here; we brought our bikes, but I haven’t mastered the hilly terrain. I find myself either walking my ancient ten-speed up a hill or careening down the other side without pedaling, neither of which provides much aerobic benefit. <span style="font-size:85%;">(Note - I did learn before leaving, thanks to some research, how to shift gears enough to ride on the nearest thing to a level course I could find. This was about a half-mile stretch that went partially around the same block repeatedly - I know those homeowners got sick of seing me as I did my 12 miles daily in front of their homes!)</span> The only real alternative has been walking, which takes more time than I’d like to spend on exercise, but also affords me the best view of a variety of beautiful and interesting gardens very different from ours. Missing are the temperate camellias, crape myrtles, crinums and gardenias, none of which I would ever, under any circumstances, want to do without, but there are other plants which grow to perfection here while they struggle along in the flat, sweltering plots of Tidewater Virginia. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220544638373571922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHwuyNobdX4CunXqGiz8wPQZyBH09tOfauQu5lAiJfkbLmRueH6xqPEYJAskrMj7MfyAcRqp3hRnNMXpF0CbAgWhZLDsiKSTZ6ldpLMu0eMCFxWL4ud3gpdsnmoTDQ9vBDHrOBZb8uYM0/s320/HostagrpPA70408.JPG" border="0" />Hostas are gorgeous here; at the base of the hill approaching Lorraine and Mitzi’s street is planted a huge specimen of “Sum and Substance”. In my yard, for whatever reason (bad gardening being the most likely culprit), this plant throws out one rosette of average leaves and sits there for the summer, but here it looks as if its purpose in the landscape is to stop runaway vehicles from plowing through the owner’s home. Fully five feet in diameter, with each leaf spanning a foot and a half, it’s like a piece of sculpture. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220545053360140290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsYoFuWMexeC3W0uLwdaG7_DMuXJK1L4yJsTyiOkRyUzLcfGhT1T-tqYcgrob4xVYeaj7li-vvY9M5A9D54bZZ_QjNqiBzTzxBPtsK3V39t5WHwgHYf_YDqAwRNp1MaZJZGmWMrPbvV4k/s320/HostaSumandSubPA70408.JPG" border="0" />Other cultivars grow in profusion, with none of the burned edges or stunted growth I expect at this time of year from my own plants. “Great Expectations” even does well here, living up (for once) to its name and reputation. I go home every year determined to plant more and more Hostas (where - on the roof?), despite my very mixed experience with the two dozen or so I already grow. I’m finding that most of mine do best in pots where I can provide them with more water (except, of course, while I’m away visiting their healthier cousins); the challenge is to find frost-proof containers (at least, for this genus, “breatheability” of the container isn’t a big issue) which are proportioned correctly to complement such a low, spreading growth pattern. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7m5CryBUYzJMExwCl-pE3mnnCACJzOXHJkEYtXdjOrWGDa2-YlPGTywDgCzjNoxc4JxXjbZZnNFDdJR6JK7swj55CH1lPiyzBoOsuZkgdVxRc8T-514rWidEo-rjaVctln0hqkOaIlLo/s1600-h/DrvwygdnPA70408.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220545755144463378" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7m5CryBUYzJMExwCl-pE3mnnCACJzOXHJkEYtXdjOrWGDa2-YlPGTywDgCzjNoxc4JxXjbZZnNFDdJR6JK7swj55CH1lPiyzBoOsuZkgdVxRc8T-514rWidEo-rjaVctln0hqkOaIlLo/s320/DrvwygdnPA70408.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The very hills which hamper my cycling provide excellent drainage and necessitate the building of handsome retaining walls, most of which are decked out with an array of sedums, ferns, mosses, phloxes, and other crevice plants. Many yards are terraced to provide space for gardening; poppies, delphiniums, monarda, and a host of other classic “summer” perennials spill over ledges and face down masonry staircases around every corner. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXD6zKVn6xw_k92y-qZGJHQlJ_-LoKAiKDWd_AqixkD-gyHFExpp2MVTBd6PsSDKNsmeJ9Q6091cwxSOFWAq78hGS4oxb7ySPXARlRFd4ldtoE-J1qQSDIhuCGNIEHNb-kVMbK5cEcl4w/s1600-h/ClematispalebluePA70408.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220545364999820002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXD6zKVn6xw_k92y-qZGJHQlJ_-LoKAiKDWd_AqixkD-gyHFExpp2MVTBd6PsSDKNsmeJ9Q6091cwxSOFWAq78hGS4oxb7ySPXARlRFd4ldtoE-J1qQSDIhuCGNIEHNb-kVMbK5cEcl4w/s320/ClematispalebluePA70408.JPG" border="0" /></a>The hybrid clematis are in full glory right now – every yard seems to have at least one scaling a light pole or mailbox. Long borders of peonies are past their bloom now, but still provide hedge-like anchors along paths and driveways, showing none of the burned foliage that ours develop by this time of year.<br /><br />On the other hand, tropicals and “temperennials” are not much in evidence. There is one garden (the owner of which, I suspect, is a bit of a social pariah because of his unorthodox choice of plant material and liberal use of nursery pots around the entryway) which sports a small clump of Musa basjoo , several Oriental persimmon trees, and other assorted “exotics”, but most here stick to dependably hardy shrubs, trees, and perennials, with annuals such as begonias and impatiens for summer color. A curbside container planting of Streptocarpella saxorum dwarfs mine, partially due to the fact that I haven't repotted it in years and almost never feed it, but I'm sure the cool nights and lower humidity help a lot, too. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEnPYjxODi4R-1EEbIalZHfFr_gYSgRD3HXX8bCB1ka0TGt-kVIdGVorzz29YnzniGgkRHs7_sztLRonvO_LxdgCLoXeexIW8DxvlaYtkRSIW988bpf3nBC1By539cIHvROXNwokikHo/s1600-h/StreptocarpellaPA70408.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220546853388560514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="219" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEnPYjxODi4R-1EEbIalZHfFr_gYSgRD3HXX8bCB1ka0TGt-kVIdGVorzz29YnzniGgkRHs7_sztLRonvO_LxdgCLoXeexIW8DxvlaYtkRSIW988bpf3nBC1By539cIHvROXNwokikHo/s320/StreptocarpellaPA70408.JPG" width="298" border="0" /></a>Southern gardens, I realize, have come to depend on tropical and marginally hardy plants to provide bloom and foliage after the more conventional perennials do, since by now our peonies, shasta daisies, and iris are a distant memory. Here the gardening calendar is truncated, bounded on either end by the possibility of frost almost eight months of the year, but the actual growing season boasts slightly more daylight, less heat and humidity (cooler nights are particularly beneficial ), and more consistent rainfall, which percolates happily through the rocky soil.<br /><br />Some plants are much more in use in PA than at home, probably due to the simple fact that they are hardy and do well here. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220547298052489010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPvcv-vcbb0pNDgB_CQZs0GyI9fLW9VEFEBrTO0jIV7AmhMVACr4D_H8akwRmsq3WmeF3_fuCGne8Pv75m5Ap7uxBNEl0MypdDUNOdeBVxCjgIA9L0hi53uOn7-Zx9CNyKVjUR3rMOm4/s320/DogsculpPA70408.JPG" border="0" />Spireas are everywhere; these grow just fine in Newport News, but they (along with numerous other spring-blooming deciduous shrubs) are supplanted by the ubiquitous evergreen azaleas (and who can blame us for that?) Ostrich ferns and Lysimachia clethroides are grown here in profusion (I think that's the only way the gooseneck loosestrife ever grows) and look stunning.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220549454094098946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzZDmWfeQRm8nYhIeDOPSwkX7jkg9voy4UidNjallT6zmKqIm9hK2fiQl6SSBn6Qt9wEhEpGda0qGfYu9xr3Lq8eM-KsEq9U37T16T0KtSujlVpomdkNOweTVE45a17c2b2fiCIuZcrA/s320/DryopterisunknownPA70408.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220549179336107986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4t-MKyuAyL7MkirifMwMxKtHGSp9GNnxb3vTOwjeCIy1CRaz3Wt6KK_kf_VcAdeCQ16Mx-_UeCl1jTO_BWmf74tTtUoaoyTW3LuDOre7vIm-up-qnAohprgeBndKxI8xAuqQdayiGHsM/s320/LysimachiaPA70408.JPG" border="0" />We're home now, having returned in the midst of a blessedly torrential rainstorm. I still feel guilty about the weediness and rank overgrowth of my garden, but passing the exuberance of the cannas, lantanas, crinums, and oleander on the way into the garage, I realized that I definitely wouldn't trade gardening here for anything other than a temporary home in a cooler zone. Crape myrtles, gardenias, and camellias are pretty much deal breakers for me in terms of where I want to live, period. This is Crinum "Carnival", blooming now at about its northern limit of hardiness.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220553104734297778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvgsYAJ7KiZnO88rBqFnvkb2WMK5wylZvijZDTKlS2JhuCAfChOY4eYwKq2PKE3uRzTg-VuqZZkWviwMMs2cKWpAg-qElngUoRgwmNK_s24CW_ppT5cBQZ4uFxX7NSXChMx_78Z3cn0E/s320/CrCarnival720c.JPG" border="0" />There was one crop which grew much more abundantly in western PA than I expect it ever will here; more's the pity. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220554335049900818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="282" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZGETeJx2zD5idjLa8Y3Z8Dq91ZCZtHSD0u0mwYLS207qCri0Je5kKJ-0rHkngh6XlVpOX6T3RbudNvkGwJP_1jAAPSzW0oX3PdXvOj12XuAgS-kJAN740oqGK7eFq29I3I3QJyJf6Tk/s320/obamasign98.jpg" width="362" border="0" />Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-50791907470235933462008-06-23T01:38:00.000-07:002008-06-27T00:43:07.608-07:00"Staycation" 2008Due to economic reasons, family concerns, and a lack of prior planning, we're having a "staycation" this summer, and I have to say I'm loving it so far. Except for a couple of short trips, one to Pittsburgh to visit family, and another to North Carolina to see a play, we will be staying in town this summer. One benefit of this has been rediscovering some of the pleasures available in Tidewater to those with time to invest, especially during the spring, summer, and fall. Informal dinners with friends, walks around Busch Gardens (which takes the "gardens" part of its name very seriously - nothing exotic, but tons of spectacular foliage and floral display executed flawlessly), going to local theater productions and ballgames; all of these are great, inexpensive fun. Just having the time to choose riding bikes for a couple of hours over using the more efficient elliptical trainer, or to chop real onions rather than cheating with frozen ones when cooking, is a treat.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGJJqG3joAtjl5TPOvrM1FEkQ4ekEcXkySqWnUebFp0LfLOyXm1rizrs54IkYnoUV-_a5qAhzbv_BzOtaCDJnT6oaRq7h77ipSF7aE_wm6VN_h4g2vas3NkH_e2u9Z-ZPL_TaTvnEPfk/s1600-h/Norfolk_Botanical_Gdns_6-19-08_030.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215000470429295794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGJJqG3joAtjl5TPOvrM1FEkQ4ekEcXkySqWnUebFp0LfLOyXm1rizrs54IkYnoUV-_a5qAhzbv_BzOtaCDJnT6oaRq7h77ipSF7aE_wm6VN_h4g2vas3NkH_e2u9Z-ZPL_TaTvnEPfk/s320/Norfolk_Botanical_Gdns_6-19-08_030.jpg" border="0" /></a>Not free, but certainly worthwhile, and the high point of my summer so far, was a sunset kayak tour around and through the Norfolk Botanical Gardens the other night with our adventurous friends Bonnie and Dave. It didn't hurt that the weather happened to be perfect (for once), but it also opened my eyes to the fact that our local garden has come a long way in the last few years. No longer simply a display of azaleas and camellias, this is now a spectacular series of gardens which is designed for four seasons of interest.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWabKOktAXrTDrHm3WV-PIFAYkfyTIk3iWJlF6PNiQI7RSvg3whb2aNQ2gLemG5dEdIE8qG7QAo9m3XGSBGvF8KWpbinOcNAzuOnCd2-GhqKS9Jn5L8HQyF03adXxaIltqEQapaYfDMKg/s1600-h/Norfolk_Botanical_Gdns_6-19-08_027.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216462218307821538" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWabKOktAXrTDrHm3WV-PIFAYkfyTIk3iWJlF6PNiQI7RSvg3whb2aNQ2gLemG5dEdIE8qG7QAo9m3XGSBGvF8KWpbinOcNAzuOnCd2-GhqKS9Jn5L8HQyF03adXxaIltqEQapaYfDMKg/s320/Norfolk_Botanical_Gdns_6-19-08_027.jpg" border="0" /></a> My favorite part of the trip was paddling through the main canal of the garden, which is now planted with hardy(ish) "tropicals" including oleander, musa basjoo, crinums, colocasias, and other unusual plants suited to the microclimate afforded by this protected site. Being in a kayak allows one to see these plantings from a perspective unavailable during a regular garden visit, especially now that the garden's fleet of tour boats has been grounded for the season due to structural issues (the vessels do strongly resemble the "African Queen", and I think they're of approximately the same vintage.) The kayak tours are only available one Thursday evening per month, from May through September, and I highly recommend this enjoyable experience.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBKlcAwehHKVYCwO4Bls-EC7bCZLZzrOXtrLimxZ9x_b51xl88vpuXio8QtV0wEXmucRZWa9EVZY-qWNKdsBAJoclFC6gkmTsu6pwzElqsWYz3oDqm6UAfiGJpVqx5eQYF9UzA81uAmc/s1600-h/Salguaranlathyrus61408a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215003258322978226" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="143" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBKlcAwehHKVYCwO4Bls-EC7bCZLZzrOXtrLimxZ9x_b51xl88vpuXio8QtV0wEXmucRZWa9EVZY-qWNKdsBAJoclFC6gkmTsu6pwzElqsWYz3oDqm6UAfiGJpVqx5eQYF9UzA81uAmc/s320/Salguaranlathyrus61408a.JPG" width="234" border="0" /></a>Although the garden and greenhouse will be fending for themselves for six days next week, I've learned that preparation for an absence of this length is much easier than doing so for a long stretch. I don't worry about finding somebody to water (which hasn't worked very well in the past, anyway - it's just impossible to teach people to do that properly unless they themselves are seasoned gardeners), and I just keep my fingers crossed that there'll be a nice, solid rain somewhere during that time frame. I do plan to spend a large amount of time this week pulling everything out of the greenhouse which might suffer from a week without water and getting the last of the 4" pots either potted<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHDsRlN5KA3TCIBJjw_HkijF2vBzZYpGg7Jy59qvq1_pAGjagiN5mMCdnW3iHbhTnnYYY-ToK80uRhpY8MyLIl4osftvAzW-XjFybKC0zQtDBcc1XUiB_XuLlMQMTXQ4JGCRz3Ir1tAw/s1600-h/SalguaraniticaArgskies6707.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215001930279992674" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 204px" height="230" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHDsRlN5KA3TCIBJjw_HkijF2vBzZYpGg7Jy59qvq1_pAGjagiN5mMCdnW3iHbhTnnYYY-ToK80uRhpY8MyLIl4osftvAzW-XjFybKC0zQtDBcc1XUiB_XuLlMQMTXQ4JGCRz3Ir1tAw/s320/SalguaraniticaArgskies6707.JPG" width="163" border="0" /></a> (I've resorted to grouping things together haphazardly in big plastic pots, at least temporarily; some of these end up looking better by the end of the season than anything I consciously plan), planted out, or given away. I also need to do some cutting back and outright removal of Salvia guaranitica "Black and Blue"; it is a great perennial here, attracting hummingbirds far better than feeders or trumpet vine (which I do allow to grow on the back fence - at this point it's providing some structural support as well), but it's already 4 feet high. It usually gets whacked back by half several times each summer. I also grow the standard species, which has green calyxes rather than "black" (it's pictured here with one of the perennial Lathyrus species), and the very attractive pale blue "Argentina Skies", which does very well despite being driven over (it's next to the driveway) a few times each year.<br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcG0fJqtozrKK4sgdP7O7Ed6eUA96ZyCuCFcrP-900m_CN8rz_qk5EUbYWZkbRFeLyMW2c7yfCMRs-qfN0gaVyNShnSKAZNZh722oF4n2-pYKuNgEowbIKipjdFEkoBc4F_FGMGEkkLU/s1600-h/Liliumregale608b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215005565874859378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="184" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBcG0fJqtozrKK4sgdP7O7Ed6eUA96ZyCuCFcrP-900m_CN8rz_qk5EUbYWZkbRFeLyMW2c7yfCMRs-qfN0gaVyNShnSKAZNZh722oF4n2-pYKuNgEowbIKipjdFEkoBc4F_FGMGEkkLU/s320/Liliumregale608b.JPG" width="292" border="0" /></a>Staying home is also giving me a chance to enjoy a lot of the flowers I miss when we go away for extended periods. It also helps that things are ahead of schedule this year; lilies and daylilies are just about at their peak now. Above is the first bloom of a seedling Regal lily in accidental combination with the gigantic Arundo donax - a great, if precarious, combination. Below is the only decent Hemerocallis hybrid I've produced from a batch of seed sown in 2006; I crossed lots of different varieties, mostly spiders, with "Milk Chocolate". I do kind of like this one, and there are plenty of places to use the "rejects". As Frederick says in "Pirates of Penzance", "How exceedingly lovely is even the plainest of them!"<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215006209021916674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzMFjK-RO761vRXWMNKcTPLt9qmZeMDhEwceb2Vk1jP9rFzhrbrEn-Tz2lK6f5xFPYwtPuQtxeR7r2ygJuIDQ1cgTyo71x4LonJ3EbPEZsWgGPg_Bk_pX2f7_4Viu0IY-NOlCLUD4aGk/s320/HemJJmilkchochyb61808.JPG" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6epg6-kW-x-HqnuD0wKUEoYPJcwKA5HT9gfwrhwen4eci2eCPSVnBBfSHKRAnHHOALzSwGCC8XeytxCm0FJfX5sM5-kGnuWWyLR0sGXr0sYAC-pUWUMfoS8RRNHyaJFng_YsTtJNiQ5o/s1600-h/Phygeliuscapensis61408a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215008126814501218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 163px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 199px" height="199" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6epg6-kW-x-HqnuD0wKUEoYPJcwKA5HT9gfwrhwen4eci2eCPSVnBBfSHKRAnHHOALzSwGCC8XeytxCm0FJfX5sM5-kGnuWWyLR0sGXr0sYAC-pUWUMfoS8RRNHyaJFng_YsTtJNiQ5o/s320/Phygeliuscapensis61408a.JPG" width="207" border="0" /></a>Other stars of the summer garden this year are such uncommon plants as Phygelius, which should be grown more for their foliage and spikes of bloom. New colors are becoming more available, and in a warm winter, such as this last, P. capensis remains evergreen. Interestingly, P. aequalis 'Moonraker' (below), with pale yellow blooms, always dies to the ground in winter but rebounds in spring. 'Trewidden Pink' is actually a dark salmon at best, and a bit more trailing than the others. I'm trying a couple of new varieties this year, one of which has a white bloom, and 'Sunshine', with leaves which are a bright chartreuse and should provide a contrast with the tubular scarlet blooms when they appear. These relatives of Penstemons and Antirrhinums seem to handle heat and humidity better than most other scrophs, as long as moisture is available. They also provide a nice counterpoint in bloom shape and structure to the daylilies with which they bloom concurrently. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215615931004839714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8BuLz5asDugqQfoxEwlNLre7NWImC1wErFe4lMLe5k1USsdFJECKSKU5hJs3db2846wSBiTi-SejXO4YWOJ_TBg8VPI4fWop-GcIjSphpffRrzj6Spjbm_3qJwi481Ymh2k00bw0gEo/s320/PhygMoonraker614.JPG" border="0" /> <div>The area beneath the Magnolia grandiflora in the front yard, long a wasteland carpeted by huge, indestructable leaves and deep, dark shade, is working out well as a location for my plunge bed - kind of a "jewel box" garden for delicate things that might otherwise be lost. Rather than trust things like seed-grown hardy Cyclamen in the open garden for the first few years, I put them in 4-6" clay pots and surrounded these with compost in order to keep soil moisture more constant. The ones that go dormant in summer are traded out for gesneriads which are grown in similar pots but stored indoors for the winter. C. purpurascens, however, stays pretty much evergreen and is in bloom right now, which is kind of a cool thing. This is the first bloom for most of these seedlings, and I'm really enjoying them, especially in combination with two hardy begonia varieties which have become naturalized (they spread via bulbils formed in the leaf axils) among the small pots. The orange one is B. sutherlandii, a South African species, and the white is a variety of B. sinensis (which may itself be a smaller, early blooming subspecies of B. grandis) called "Shanxii White".<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215374719126158418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5gD4NYDFeT8E6NopoZ79n5imG_4dJvJwAmqVU8IdCjN2uCigCZK63U-Hsk8qV0eYjwWSYutRhjQyBgveEOG50UZUT0Yx2AK4e6jaKBdW2jK7OUPvAWDA-EdndzUor4lMSBgBiR4NfcaE/s320/CycpurpBegSWhitesutherlandii62308.JPG" border="0" /> The fencing in the photo is there as a deterrent to ducks and boys chasing model airplanes, frisbees, etc. I spend lots of time fishing their toys out of trees, shrubs, and garden beds, but they're nice kids, very respectful, and always interested in what I'm up to. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215381709931798738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLEIdaGMXThFZnSUTwpryxUCCxnl1UdZitXeOUrLZlEt9jcCDn_7z6PrIdACcYjRnOzZ4eoLHUxV3dYbT6hNlFXNi1NHlN98mAP-Iwd8dzMOb-Dwpk15hnw8bmE7xLKO2KYz_Xe5_sLY/s320/FuschiamagellanicaRiccartonii62308.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>Fuschias are not usually recommended for our area, since they tend to crash in our heat and humidity, but two varieties have done fairly well here for several years. F. magellanica 'Riccartonii' behaves as a hardy perennial, but I always keep a few cuttings in reserve, since it sometimes succumbs to either drought or overwatering. I suspect more varieties could be grown here with perfect drainage and a practiced hand at watering, but I don't have the attention span for that. The problem is that they, like impatiens, hydrangeas, and many other plants, will wilt during the heat of the day without necessarily being in need of water; when one DOES water in response to this behavior, fuschias rot, whereas other plants are more forgiving. The scarlet "Gartenmeister Bonstedt" is not winter hardy here, but, being derived from the heat tolerant F. triphylla, it blooms through all but the steamiest part of the summer, and I keep several large pots of it in the greenhouse to bed out every year. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215382138408939602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevHhNHe7I7S3B6xJR6YRjGxlsf0gh4ThMH6aKnG_n6IDGqOM_Tq6yXqw9Wz1agxdPI9Mk1DAMkA0Gs09weV7_nNuiCViyO7UAZSZObOWeYpZDVF3JuzkaWSaXe2pIKgaY0v-h18ebaaY/s320/FuschiaGartenmeisterB62308.JPG" border="0" /></div><div>At the "bottom of the garden" are bog plants and grasses, rather than fairies, and they're really coming into their own right now. Crinums will flower off and on throughout the season - C. bulbispermum has been going strong for over a month now, along with "Carolina Beauty", and below is C. "Walter Flory", in full bloom after a couple of good rains.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215382614464697362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA73iMo0-3Dj1RVoATE4YykyUkdCRygupug0vYN8Exqpz0sHbPrZhg55PRr3tp5mm0UDmLXDMPT8la3Lrp0HTcj1zwILQnaKvy0WwiGtnOT_bckM4-lpJhgpW5iS_DlM66cductVtK2no/s320/CriWalterFlory62308.JPG" border="0" />Finally, one of my Venus Fly Traps (Dionaea muscipula) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71iVqH2ZqxDTcJPflz-2kvuM-Ryl-S6b6a3jik8FQubwoZM24e2sAjsCkxge9I8J9WdCIqBVOTmY4KbIVMkMnMg3E3yp1_HuBTzKQCjfahOED2YEYxRsD3dXLLsBIbwQJTWMIZiWyQ80/s1600-h/Dionea62308a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215382975442735682" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71iVqH2ZqxDTcJPflz-2kvuM-Ryl-S6b6a3jik8FQubwoZM24e2sAjsCkxge9I8J9WdCIqBVOTmY4KbIVMkMnMg3E3yp1_HuBTzKQCjfahOED2YEYxRsD3dXLLsBIbwQJTWMIZiWyQ80/s320/Dionea62308a.JPG" border="0" /></a>produced three heads (racemes? cymes? umbels? - I can never sort those out) of buds, and I couldn't bring myself to remove them, as all the carnivorous plant afficionados suggest. I won't let them set seed, but if a plant goes to all that trouble, we should at least let it bloom. If it turns out to be monocarpic, our local big box stores are full of others waiting for good homes.</div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><div>All in all, I'm really enjoying our "staycation" - the only advantage to going away might be the ability to sit and read for a while without the constant whining of plants needing to be fed, watered, sprayed, pruned, and repotted. As hectic as our lives are for 10 months of each year, staying at home for a few days is tantamount to renting a villa in Tuscany, and a darned sight less expensive. We have tomatoes, basil, and oleander, Italian cypress, and even a potted olive tree (grown from a seed I got in a salad in Provence in 1991) - all that's missing is the tile roof .</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215384657877162034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2vnl1RAtABqMp1Bb0PJylN4KgmdRqSYjQyM9j6Q4bUF3CXWJBUuEP1wWQ-mkT4ONkom3nGuA30W3vxuCgpS2kTgVvw3ga-ZZGjr5YrhYRjRiXfQU_WZooks55pAL6_5VcnT7jcwzsdU/s320/ClemRoguchiTomato62008c.JPG" border="0" /></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-12594324826271613372008-06-15T02:02:00.000-07:002008-06-17T02:59:43.582-07:00Bloom Day, June 15, 2008It would be easier right now to document what isn't blooming - things are completely out of hand, out of control, and screaming to be pruned, so it's hard to even have time to notice what's out there. Hundreds of daylilies, early this year (even the late varieties are putting up scapes already) are out there every day, and the hydrangeas have never looked better, although they're sagging in the heat by afternoon. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwMcNOoVeH8KanFZnXtSbMgRmAD0AQb5P-Mo9W8mzgTwvhJEKTShlrsMy4E1v2X3lL1B385xDjJe-o2IwHmA-JppEMXiWOnZVT7Z02Ml8zx-bQaRnAduwVWwEB4S7vx4Flr8DsgqY2IM/s1600-h/Asccurrassavicaa.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212031492489387170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQwMcNOoVeH8KanFZnXtSbMgRmAD0AQb5P-Mo9W8mzgTwvhJEKTShlrsMy4E1v2X3lL1B385xDjJe-o2IwHmA-JppEMXiWOnZVT7Z02Ml8zx-bQaRnAduwVWwEB4S7vx4Flr8DsgqY2IM/s320/Asccurrassavicaa.JPG" border="0" /></a> This is Asclepias curassavica, the tropical version of butterfly weed. I like it better than the perennial, since it blooms continually and gets taller. It does require replanting every year, but usually seeds itself around. The only drawback is that it will be stripped bare by monarch caterpillars when they show up in August, so I start a few plants early to ensure a good show (and enough food for them) before they get here.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212033380288863826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQh-hn0EiWDIZKs_5eSON0tyNMR1XtVnXSNSYPJSyBaChzSRRfGVJEGmzCWVFVWM0TR7Pa2-O0247ZH5T7FYgIyzXLuF8ZNm8B1i0qDBSaZgIv3iytWlLm8G6OxTmfEGtfR5SmftZ33_8/s320/HemDkeyed607.JPG" border="0" /> I don't keep track of Hemerocallis names very well for some reason - I'm meticulous about this with other plants, but I've kind of given up on these. I'm just swamped with garden work by the time they start blooming, and labeling is something that goes by the wayside. Anyway, here are a few examples. One of my goals for this summer is to discard clumps of varieties I don't particularly like, chief among them 'Stella d'Oro' - I think it looks like squash blossoms - but finding homes for them without 1)expending a lot of time and effort and 2)losing valuable garden soil and pots, since no one I know wants to deal with bare root plants, is a pain. I would just toss them on the compost, but I know they'd start growing there, too. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212035097801386626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvC_PDExWr9GLMTmwRf5GArWboKDY3dbqT4nZlT2Kc8FjFbm07H6NTWD7ClVr1OhwlEhKm4GHR5otq8qLQm1lCZ2nS7rpjjcxZcHbmhCGJGL149Zd8mxz-YtC0T8iXX-utIXniDQMo1Ag/s320/HemHeartsAfire607.JPG" border="0" /> Above, I think, is "Heart's Afire"; below (again, the id. is iffy), "Medea".<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212035528913056178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_y811MhdWG-JXGfBx4dWrnA0RE-6cCaihpikzTGMNarjM1V0K6aJBtJQqaVH3DeUO_NxKvh0H0RG6UH1mVI0r1Hy7sciqB1ImyCFbn0pryQQwdym9Ue4wiYQfw4hWK0kHXL5q46GDZ8/s320/HemMedea62307.JPG" border="0" /> Below is "Milk Chocolate". I love this one, and have a couple of dozen seedlings beginning to bloom now from crosses I made with it and various spiders (another favorite type).<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212035997069155074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95sxeKW3V8XbknqkTr0KgjuMjUHDc682PzfW9UfKMwHX54UDyc-ynj895GRCMbIQ90vVHGI0OPj63-uZN-gxNWYuGPoJt_Q0qwqaCL1POyDEzqiNG04qaabdbocOYCciDDO0-Vp-z470/s320/hemMilkChoc62907.JPG" border="0" /> "Red Ribbons"<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212036585553022242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgvsvTtOU85_VKNngCgTZnbnXZVTUzPYQtXqBn2ZMGpRsIxJ8z9DbIY7bBzifDqj-zswq_LrugI9O1HGVL2rkmIbykHi1rPl-HkAeMVMtJIyQnBO-PWzVP0L9hVYWD1HGZxZT3XVrNlU/s320/HemRdRbbns607.JPG" border="0" /> "Mynelle's Starfish"<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212037063230232690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLDk_g-BVrrSr7HPl8GxtS-uf4sele0Q3uqmO4TCkAC0RzUDPjtaNHNjJ1sjmfhGOkADM-P3cLrAXeoz0oh6wgwLJYXHFQlUou3wOTwIezYM_l_WEkIh7KJ0Wr7Nan-eqVcCSJ8hJD8g/s320/HemMynellesStarfish62307.JPG" border="0" /> "Red Twister"<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212037446635290386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6wFk41C_GSt5PDoyq4pwo4tzOFno0kwM4iqFeCwr7U4RRAk4NkIlrZej6bT2C3HnPt-SpnRnIxRSYX5OvC4ScdxUcldlRBKlwBfcRJFhb5mOZUpMPpZmAQ2fxGQxU1Wezrz2m_xBdno/s320/HemRdTwister70707.JPG" border="0" /> "Green Dragon" - love this one, too.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212037791396193794" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaunIh0wakhP9ad9hYC_EoaPz6-5iy2W7fgPaiQuy8xzNJjGGm5Pa71RGHgb3Rx8UJ8LgLrdPGDgl6GppOGRiu8bRB1TpuUv4ObESoZ-oViwClXbOKYZSmMWZon1NnVu32F0wDIN8EqiY/s320/HemGrnDrgn60508.JPG" border="0" /> Another spider variant with a lost label - great pink, though.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212038187521933698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiswLPDSBF-Jy-911t1jx0wQISWLNy4mebbf5a08G0qBAi9JGMCw2jQoEzeseLFxG3uDnFcfgCt4ScX1QQPCBkEiInaiMmLo5S7iFa22sblxscv3KsKEkKzXmUE3Q8IHgKoE8zyF_mvyRg/s320/Hempnkspider61408a.JPG" border="0" />Okay - enough with the daylilies. There are plenty of specialist growers out there with photos and info far superior to anything my mixed bag could provide, but I do really enjoy them.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212038882967923426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0QkJyg9r05pFi8dzmgLnQPnsnrBAyILEVkf8Ubfp7AcieDTiKnlHOHF1fHXCpR0Os6IDxvLBw-d6xT1nGN1B6jRGtFy5YlvZPCuKdltPfMaW6HRUkVvhJwOYjnioo4xtXRkm8yR1SC4/s320/Alstroemeriagardnia61408.JPG" border="0" />This is an interesting combo - Alstroemeria psittacina pushing up through Gardenia "August Beauty", blooming in June. These are in deep, dark shade, having been completely overtaken by Nandinas, Photinia, and a massive climbing rose, "Buff Beauty". The gardenia, especially, amazes me with the sheer number of flowers it produces under these conditions - it's literally covered, with the tall (it's pruned to be vertical, and is 6 feet high now) branches sagging across the narrow pathway under the weight of the flowers.<br /><br />Arisaema candidissimum always waits until very late to show itself, but I'm still waiting on A. consanguineum and A. fargesii (which is at least beginning to emerge)- I always give those up for dead before they surprise me and start to grow.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212040071127324050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNerufR19CLQbCMj55bwv7axof6HCN_ePB5sp-NSSnmD9xKhRAQ6DuDOo8p_mrVWL6t8Uy672W73RjFuceqn9wqyQIW0NOQXXEy0QjL1bFF-bK3vNDH7BZw0QJX5Pa6ZuT93qJWFTIkJ8/s320/Ariscandidissimum608.JPG" border="0" />All of my clivias waited until late spring to bloom this year, including this yellow one I started from seed about 10 years ago. Not sure why the delay, but it's nice to enjoy the flowers out in the garden, rather than in the house. I move these into the unheated garage window for the winter.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212782342627154722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETFfd5PJ-0X5gcxTLNbsuR2Mwznq4fI-WR5E2bCwiRf8G-DT6otu9ZeZ5gd-mcGqnV2AH6F_fKI4jQ4n9-ME5FwTP1MiZ9ebvw9oQuHThsTL6cef3EC9UvpYHMDWG6Np0NxDrwT3dg_Q/s320/Cliviayellow61408.JPG" border="0" /> One last iris, an ensata that I inherited from my aunt many years ago. It's growing in a boggy place next to the pitcher plants.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212783211966735570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu7gxjhyphenhyphenO6emY5medXNH0xx9OnZv9bwJRSr68NW7JGrlGFo6g1Az5Fo5OnXXeu_WAsAz49Atbr4K8oDvJ__FiWi3CEHQ98moDIcg92mvoi70S6ZVAY5BUTqA-CKXW3EZratoPly0BdcKg/s320/Irisensatablue608.JPG" border="0" /> Opuntia ellisiana, the "thornless" prickly pear, growing in the dry front bed along with pink evening primrose, a nice filler that's really a weed, and Sinningia tubiflora, pictured below. The cactus fights it out with an enormous Lantana "Miss Huff" every summer, and I usually defer to the lantana because of its blooms and the insect life it attracts. The cactus really would like more sun, so its bloom is limited, but still attractive.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212783709653672818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1zaGRZyoNw61H39MgxX2yb9DTEQ3SCwJpt0g1k7jNuekQRukZFpTQF4epVhJm2gA-B-nGsQxAFykfxigM07gK3zAx-FoPRRVr7mvsK4YOxIU1tIduvyuc_HCgzqgKt54z5y1PkGH-sQ/s320/Opuntiaellisiana61408.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212785009979439394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9UuS7D55s0PLL7xYyAV1l03ZH2GOUGAwKDY2e9Vp3HsxK8HxjjsBC297dl2ptqntVET3P01qamTKEcX-eKLD5s8KVLJdhTfUMTYinNuLoqijmFNd-UM7Oi3rCIShWCGSYa8260_idXg/s320/Sinntubiflora61408a.JPG" border="0" /> A couple more sinningias; I've been collecting and testing these for hardiness. S. sellovii, below, has been reliable for several years, and a seed-grown group shows a lot of variation in coloration; some of them have yellow tips on the tubular flowers and look like candy corn.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212785242558250594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibM94M0tm-k1elHJA3d7coR6-BD3WeAcfB9fKxkG9I_BkEfqNxBCCwjRRWIGadoctFwkAVff7OfyJxOI_DL9qTXOhNGPlpuoGA5tho1vVqHuqTLMSo7X_Lm0iCwIwRf2K-N8Za3TgQqio/s320/Sinnselloviae61408.JPG" border="0" />These Sinningia speciosa are seedlings I grew from a wild collection of the original species which was bred to produce the florist gloxinias. I stored these bulbs dry in the garage last winter, but probably will leave them out this year to see what happens.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212786678163797378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7H06OEANEPl5PQuvQH_LFr8SUDlts42s8jABAkL_hlri6s-ohC-shXrghIyt_dWg7FjC1QsUQAgUTZAo7jdc8gqnuK_416wfh2UrR9r2ewzRhvZRthPkaDYXM9oqu7UOrX3x1dBSVoSI/s320/Sinnspeciosa61408.JPG" border="0" />Last, but not least, pink Nerium oleander blooming in front of (actually blocking) the front entrance to the house. This will probably be removed after it blooms - it never dies to the ground anymore, and even the regrowth in one summer becomes too big for its location against the hot bricks in front of the house. It's a tough call, but the mail carrier will thank us for taking it out.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212787576115513714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwvckRzZ3pu3MYUr0L-2C5pKcDHZtamuwDYadkxoVb84TrxKWFYLj3CzLhx9lFDzzy436jhZaW-p2o5ks4OUzbT1QuVFtKO2Y9bm0V4Ten8IgD6aDlICtQMuqXd0u7yxD9V1MQiRPrQ8/s320/Neriumpnk61408.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8193243073610128607.post-26094792158914729972008-06-06T07:03:00.001-07:002008-06-08T02:33:37.879-07:00The Orchid Bug<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG17FZXTJT0DTpMdn4OTDKsBZWyGl8LLKf52FTH2WlU6x2WVHco0aFmsE_wZIJnW2I0yR0kdhoAD9H9xD1DvN1reLv6WcmptbjDGD3bmTDg7v9UMSN-3pBA5oOSbW-dXqcEgF5gVmaVK4/s1600-h/LaeliaPurpWerkhouserii62507a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209439870984513474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG17FZXTJT0DTpMdn4OTDKsBZWyGl8LLKf52FTH2WlU6x2WVHco0aFmsE_wZIJnW2I0yR0kdhoAD9H9xD1DvN1reLv6WcmptbjDGD3bmTDg7v9UMSN-3pBA5oOSbW-dXqcEgF5gVmaVK4/s320/LaeliaPurpWerkhouserii62507a.JPG" border="0" /></a>(My favorite tropical orchid, if I had to choose just one - Laelia purpurata 'Werkhauserii')</div><div align="center"><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208773084681840146" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdSFstmowM1eRPxPkI573vbEl0_DRmNpZCHzB0oAeacMwR4V8w_s_MrbvTcPBEy6WVDb9tgaM5SUEP3fVbF0pB2Cmd3bBgFMcRW-FkGvBa7mhp0ZnhggzomAkDUmwPjayR7aZty7U_qU/s320/CattClQueen816b.JPG" border="0" />I have to smile when I walk into Trader Joe’s and see a huge display of orchids for sale, because there was once a time when one really had to work to find them for sale around here at any price. I remember begging my dad to take me to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens when I was a kid, not to explore the azalea collection, but because they carried Cattleya seedlings in their gift shop for the (then) princely sum of $5. Occasionally Smithfield Gardens, a few miles from my childhood home, would receive shipments of orchid plants, and we would take a trip out there just to see them. In my teens I discovered Berryman’s Orchids, a small, private greenhouse located on route 17 in York County, and would lobby hard to be driven there on special occasions. Ironically, I now live less than 5 miles from this location, but it’s now covered by a Walmart parking lot. It goes without saying that I was a strange kid, in more ways than one; I wish I could say that I outgrew those quirks, but that would be disingenuous to say the least.<br /><br />Over the intervening years I amassed an orchid collection which <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNx1YriDpzDqYIJjztZ2hauWX3YQVXUnmtnDHAElT1P0SlC3Ssb5Bdt0vLlqUbFDiaYyg8PjeQPA_kurd4F-X7dvIOTycupPJ33b2uyM5aZaLRhExraITz6JC-wag66jHSqZpAL5YhPo/s1600-h/Encycliamariae.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208773966351385810" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" height="226" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNx1YriDpzDqYIJjztZ2hauWX3YQVXUnmtnDHAElT1P0SlC3Ssb5Bdt0vLlqUbFDiaYyg8PjeQPA_kurd4F-X7dvIOTycupPJ33b2uyM5aZaLRhExraITz6JC-wag66jHSqZpAL5YhPo/s320/Encycliamariae.bmp" width="286" border="0" /></a>numbered into the hundreds, mostly Cattleya alliance meristems and seedlings, interspersed with a few species and oddities, all tropical. In 1994, when we moved to our present house, the first order of business was the construction of a “greenhouse” (really a ramshackle fiberglass structure) to house the plants. All was well for several years, until an insidious infestation of scale began to claim my treasures, one by one. At present I have about 5 of these originals left, and even these are harboring insect populations. No amount of spraying, scrubbing, dipping, or brushing has eliminated the problem, and it’s probably just as well. Most tropical orchids have lost their appeal to me since they are now so readily available. It’s kind of sad to see these plants reduced to florist gift status, to be tossed aside after blooming or left to languish in saucers of water on countless kitchen windowsills. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209435135643797874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIGjkfOxNdFK3pi8_0yzPzzNiQVmmWJNeni5bRnngjq578dyO9X7PQGegsjGhKKvKwQKF8gon35jte6kpDvnaU-hwdWGKGoJn7mhdLVSukheADHphrxAWd2PMQ7kDY5VgUTH7dDk4lEU/s320/C.+Mrs.+Mahler811a.JPG" border="0" />All that having been said, I’m still intrigued by orchids, and growing them has served me well as an introduction to perennial gardening, since the growth habits of sympodial species so clearly illustrates classic rhizomatous growth and its implications in terms of propagation and growth cycles. Growing up as an aspiring grower of epiphytic orchids taught me well about the need all plants have, to varying degrees, for proper drainage. I still grow lots of orchids, but my attention has now turned mostly to the terrestrial species, and particularly to those which are considered to be hardy in our climate.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8A3-i1_2EKgByjjYDHfYcqHe91aiIUjS5cEFPtWTQY7hptGqtSlFVXKprn9VYqaFhyVZB3XLKB_GrtbQd3TnMnvIEp5VKDHqxjb4WXgFW7DCRIYtWO-CkrlBa4wNIKxVKMYRlUQHW2as/s1600-h/Hardy+Orchids+Cribb+cover.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208774518848515938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8A3-i1_2EKgByjjYDHfYcqHe91aiIUjS5cEFPtWTQY7hptGqtSlFVXKprn9VYqaFhyVZB3XLKB_GrtbQd3TnMnvIEp5VKDHqxjb4WXgFW7DCRIYtWO-CkrlBa4wNIKxVKMYRlUQHW2as/s320/Hardy+Orchids+Cribb+cover.jpg" border="0" /></a>As mentioned in a previous post, my attraction to growing the “hardy” orchids can be traced back to childhood adventures in the woods with my grandmother. The flame of the obsession was fanned, however, with the acquisition of some books which, I now realize, are completely evil. “Hardy Orchids”, along with two of the Kew monographs, one on Pleiones and another on Cypripediums, have tortured me from the minute they hit the shelves of my considerable collection of gardening books with pictures and descriptions of the varieties of orchids which are considered hardy, at least in the more temperate areas of England. Never mind that our climate does not remotely resemble that of England; every year these books find their way to the “front burner” of my primary reading stack (located, of course, in the bathroom), and every year I find myself fabricating some new scheme to attempt growing the ungrowable. This sickness was relatively harmless, if frustrating, in pre-internet days, but now almost all of these orchids can be had (for a price) by anyone with a modest ability to use a search engine. They can all be killed, too, and much more quickly than the “plastic” Catts and Phals available on every corner.<br /><br />As also detailed in an earlier article, Bletillas are one of my favorite genera, and can (in most cases) be grown outside here in Tidewater. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZzo1CB9CRxRRhMGJdAc9QoD7OE-FlEoaOqkyN5nezYykuy37lLWHZFztFgZXP-QhrqOgl-tfTCYPIrHNDFa08Or6b0FIjGYB33fIG7vEo5rf-wUi2aVZOUuARa1tq2HKRgcgJ-NlRRc/s1600-h/CalanthesieboldiitakanehybApr2006a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208775923431251058" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZzo1CB9CRxRRhMGJdAc9QoD7OE-FlEoaOqkyN5nezYykuy37lLWHZFztFgZXP-QhrqOgl-tfTCYPIrHNDFa08Or6b0FIjGYB33fIG7vEo5rf-wUi2aVZOUuARa1tq2HKRgcgJ-NlRRc/s320/CalanthesieboldiitakanehybApr2006a.JPG" border="0" /></a>I am still learning how to grow the evergreen Calanthes; these are Asian woodland orchids which want that classic oxymoron – moist, well drained soil – and to be kept cool in summer. Maintaining these conditions here in July and August can be a tall order, as is keeping the dormant (but still green) plants between 28 and 50 degrees or so in the winter in order to maintain dormancy. At present I’m growing them in deep, gravelly raised beds which are covered throughout the winter with cold frames. This is more life support than I’d like to provide for a “hardy” plant, but I try not to apply logic to my gardening projects too often – it just makes my head hurt. The plants are growing well, but bloom this year is sparse, perhaps an effect of last fall’s nasty drought and my fear of applying too much supplemental water to this fungus-prone genus. Among my failures are many of the Pleiones – beautiful bulbs shipped from the Pacific Northwest decline over one or two years until they’re tiny, non-flowering nubs which are incapable of producing blooms. I have a few bulbs of P. bulbocodioides and limprichtii left, and I’m trying them in a “plunge” bed this summer – I’m hoping the osmotic effect of this setup will result in evaporative cooling of the planting medium without creating the temptation to overwater.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209223114008589650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QAjFD2998svib4K6zSVZ4vCQyEwh5WB8yUC0J4JxjKgv6S1GxdKKSgPVHrhjZglZ95gFzK6O_k3A9wFJq6SvMf9OOsMVsqh7PJ2TayP6ThBEzV2yZtj9UFa1zGjTlzEOf4Rc_PK-Nxk/s400/Cypreginae51606a.JPG" border="0" />The Cypripediums are another story, and success varies widely for me within this genus. This probably has to do with provenance, since species range from C. kentuckiense, which is reported to grow as far south as Louisiana, and wild populations of which have been reported growing on Virginia’s Northern Neck, only a bit colder than Newport News in general. Not surprisingly, kentuckiense and its hybrids have been most successful for me as garden subjects. I grow all of my cyps in large (half barrel-sized) containers, in a mix of perlite, fine fir bark, and crushed granite; feeding is accomplished with applications of osmocote a couple of times each year. Too much organic matter is a sure invitation to fungal infections, apparently, as is anything less than perfect drainage. The closely related C. pubescens is much less dependable for me, frequently succumbing to a stem rot which is indicated by the sickening leaning of the plant against the interior of its wire growing enclosure; I can spot this situation from a distance by now. C. reginae grows well enough, provided it does not burn in the summer sun; unfortunately, the amount of light necessary for bloom production is also likely to burn the foliage here in summer.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HsjK1kUNvYfmOI3jAsXYQhUxLI200YWNB74FTBAHArlA6U__sUgv6xvoPHPLZapgdiMtnaJ0Eb1VgDZCMguPyVLIjgthDIkZCYisO0kBJ7ysWMvpvy8DMp0m9G46fiBL0GIshLbb-AE/s1600-h/Cypformos3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208770780121317874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 212px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 140px" height="218" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0HsjK1kUNvYfmOI3jAsXYQhUxLI200YWNB74FTBAHArlA6U__sUgv6xvoPHPLZapgdiMtnaJ0Eb1VgDZCMguPyVLIjgthDIkZCYisO0kBJ7ysWMvpvy8DMp0m9G46fiBL0GIshLbb-AE/s320/Cypformos3.JPG" width="297" border="0" /></a> C. japonica and formosana seem to do fairly well, but their early emergence from dormancy (often during one of our “false” springs that occur in February) makes their hardiness questionable here; they usually end up as cool greenhouse subjects by spring. C. acaule, the pink lady slipper of my childhood, is a perpetual failure for me, even growing in media “imported” from the sandy, acidic Southampton County soils which it colonizes naturally.<br /><br />I also grow several Paphiopedilums mostly species and hybrids of the parvisepalum group; kept in a cool greenhouse over the winter, on the dry side, these are much easier to manage than the Cyps., which is kind of ironic. Phragmipediums have not been as successful, but I have a couple which bloom only occasionally.<br /><br />Other completely hardy orchids I grow with varying degrees of success are Spiranthes cernua (widely available, easy to grow in moist soils, but not very spectacular);<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209071579354896882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb2gMF7focHb6Kj-x_baABX10RBOaLU-0a3KnnTKFN_5Ikwpng1GsNCyAgZOQLh_r9KnnhlKJzMw08I53tJdCc4JG06lomUKZkLodoIW6b6ul_N116M9xAdPKQS_kzP-AXCY8T_QAPA_w/s320/Spiranthescernuaoct0607a.JPG" border="0" /> Calopogon tuberosus (good as companion plants for Sarracenias);<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIECf7FyvLTfjJKJD5tjv9pbHS8V30oUebaDvEipzkJO5E1sg2MpiWk7J54MxhBtygqwlXfHqex3EDR3S_LALk0eZUPD654MbAqyRacg1ZQO0cZbtQsr05FRyIadG9GbML0j1OYdMDm7g/s1600-h/Calopogonpink607.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209071947645700562" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 285px" height="321" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIECf7FyvLTfjJKJD5tjv9pbHS8V30oUebaDvEipzkJO5E1sg2MpiWk7J54MxhBtygqwlXfHqex3EDR3S_LALk0eZUPD654MbAqyRacg1ZQO0cZbtQsr05FRyIadG9GbML0j1OYdMDm7g/s320/Calopogonpink607.JPG" width="330" border="0" /></a> Habenaria (Platanthera) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxAM4_fJXPK3C2PeGmCiQsCmp6viRPXOXxnqCbZ_aLY-CDvtGOiNKnOONRfRvDCfz7KEYaMlFjN_ezx2ETi9CIPVnmwMdNiHEhR1NuToDzOe-lWeIC38iSV5kusB8XQVN0tbc8Hh6xng/s1600-h/Calopogonwht607b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209072209425996882" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 188px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 289px" height="319" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxAM4_fJXPK3C2PeGmCiQsCmp6viRPXOXxnqCbZ_aLY-CDvtGOiNKnOONRfRvDCfz7KEYaMlFjN_ezx2ETi9CIPVnmwMdNiHEhR1NuToDzOe-lWeIC38iSV5kusB8XQVN0tbc8Hh6xng/s320/Calopogonwht607b.JPG" width="341" border="0" /></a>ciliaris (this invariably blooms while I’m on vacation, so I usually only get to see the buds and spent bloom spikes - last summer I happened to be at home); <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209224292365288098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EuOaqj-IYNpy0IYxysEyRhX0LTR4lt_tbtAIzNwz0Pxdh2NZq6ZI7GxdkuqnA1CMFhyphenhyphenSaA_G2vwmgCt0oTpj4ZwGFTkr8-cQpNQlx5t_DO1nmSYgB1KPaLLob1Kgg_rigv80XQdY6WM/s320/Platantheraciliaris71607e.JPG" border="0" />Aplectrum hyemale; Epipactis thunbergii, and Habenaria (Pectelis) radiata. I would classify all of these as interesting, but not particularly showy (with the possible exception of the Calopogons) in a landscape situation. Below is Dactylorhiza fuschii; I'm still learning to grow this one, and it's beginning to flag during our current heat wave. I may have to resign myself to the fact that this is one orchid which needs to live in a cooler climate.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209429318136042498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sCv_kVPrJsTXXjJT9FXBheTYgn7SCkY7Pp6laySQhomUxPvjbn4g2rKe8NtdvD66si1QipxYWEc_4d_SjKtQAdA7uvJMmqsOIKGT_vwdaX0dmqXrsrQbnbByjumJHIDQPmojE3h-W0Q/s320/Dactylorhizafuschii52508c.JPG" border="0" /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwm_P8VfYzgB91p4VaWOAjs1N_zbfxbZz4zbdMdAIiMAqvMuo9CVbLKeL2mN5B_au2UftrmgZYyGtnxyL581wdBT60oO4jfFmMhKOnqzLZXPW1qWVwJsLoZW1gOvTv70BnWu18trZQ30/s1600-h/Spathoglottisplicata73107.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209427464064045138" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwm_P8VfYzgB91p4VaWOAjs1N_zbfxbZz4zbdMdAIiMAqvMuo9CVbLKeL2mN5B_au2UftrmgZYyGtnxyL581wdBT60oO4jfFmMhKOnqzLZXPW1qWVwJsLoZW1gOvTv70BnWu18trZQ30/s320/Spathoglottisplicata73107.JPG" border="0" /></a>Recently I’ve begun collecting orchid species which, though tropical in origin and requiring winter protection, produce the bulk of their blooms when placed outside for the summer. Given some winter warmth, Spathoglottis species and hybrids are among the longest blooming and easiest orchids I’ve ever grown, requiring only heat, light, and moisture to put on a spectacular show for over a month each summer. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtzc09U3sg9cS95fEvslVGtPQXk82eb60bz8PPtEbesVUAgdU35gx7uPu5qVDA7QldkNzpgzpqwtFIH56e-lNR6y50ZtgKDYwPEldm4NXcqczOevbjXMXHiT_khvzmvx0YOuwj_bO_MKQ/s1600-h/Spathoglottisflava91007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209431874458370674" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtzc09U3sg9cS95fEvslVGtPQXk82eb60bz8PPtEbesVUAgdU35gx7uPu5qVDA7QldkNzpgzpqwtFIH56e-lNR6y50ZtgKDYwPEldm4NXcqczOevbjXMXHiT_khvzmvx0YOuwj_bO_MKQ/s320/Spathoglottisflava91007.JPG" border="0" /></a>I know this goes against my “if they sell it at the big box stores, I don’t want it” philosophy, but I purchased my first plant of S. plicata for $3 on a clearance table at Walmart – it had no blooms and no label. Bletias (tropical American counterparts of Bletillas) are likewise semi-terrestrial, producing pleated foliage in the greenhouse all winter which drops as the bloom spikes begin to form in late spring.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209435936460587682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV4vL-nqHDCqiggS_f4zwrYe6ZSTxwBpGiJrVPsmA_qLcVunBRktGT1reNQBdU3KCdiNdTUEHUloNnO2Vesh1AVHQnDIWWJnWESjGnesrdWE3jtecARG9b5bmZHE8HtmPLtj1frkEt8Q/s320/Bletia_floridanum3.jpg" border="0" /> These can placed around the garden as the weather warms to bloom for an extended period, and summer drought hardly affects them at all, since their dormancy naturally occurs then. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibovDeUYugNiOohS_zKLtz5m1nr_PogXPjwFpBAcMLtxessEYAToAJP_TGuVb5zqrYZWZpXxsdEogP61SNNTbE3eRp0pRSIw0BhTy07ic4bo2i_DDeeH5HVmok43-YrnRjmw-cWX9ZuU/s1600-h/Bletia_patula2aa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209436377386456722" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibovDeUYugNiOohS_zKLtz5m1nr_PogXPjwFpBAcMLtxessEYAToAJP_TGuVb5zqrYZWZpXxsdEogP61SNNTbE3eRp0pRSIw0BhTy07ic4bo2i_DDeeH5HVmok43-YrnRjmw-cWX9ZuU/s320/Bletia_patula2aa.jpg" border="0" /></a>Beautiful but fleeting are the Sobralias, whose blooms resemble those of Cattleyas but last only a day each (below is S. xantholeuca, or leucoxantha, depending on your source of information). <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209432729080762434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXz3xhhkhb-BajejS1Xp21bDd7TwhRseDQZM0pXstmHNx0tUUHe77zcdijlnUT-MOESy7muoofFjHU0xpDHuc-ggWr3QyyNe57lNmuttZd6Cjm1PjZPZrS8l3lL3_brx49mWmlBcG1GDw/s320/Sobraliaxantholeuca531b.JPG" border="0" />Thunia alba bears graceful blooms which last for a few days, produced in clusters at the ends of the pendulous, biennial pseudobulbs. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209071059352172354" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_N8KmeHxwKuw_Ix12Qnt2_CVlE_M01WCynPp3XH9UU3dyg2EyZsjjWB0JUa-ahAzKlmHUGAdcxV5fC3MGxQq84K6gLCBbiOpuXS7aCQAc4XvfRMvzQtYvIZSLhc6qUJ-oRjKt7GyEZY/s400/Thunia60508b.JPG" border="0" />These drop their leaves in fall and can be stored in a cool (but not freezing), dry place until spring, when they’re hung outside and triggered into growth by warmth and moisture. After blooming, the pseudobulbs can be laid sideways on moist sphagnum, where they will produce sturdy plantlets at the nodes along each stem.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209428440763936050" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6AZyiSeA9MSdv8qGEqvKYjBas959tJ0wMxJhCKPemd-Vp3QyUy7F0YkSG0bw1CvZ7IqJrAVpNik9C1iWy5AnKjslE9ZIvnZ6-k8r5MiyX0gCZXOXlTa0eLrGq9Vy72QYKyuUKfMpJJY/s320/CymbMeglee71206.JPG" border="0" />Some of the “miniature” cymbidiums have been successful as “drop in” plants, blooming outdoors during our long, warm autumns, although the plants have now gotten so large that moving them in and out can be a hardship. C. goeringii is hardy in this zone, but I haven’t found a location that provides enough light and drainage to coax it into bloom as a garden plant.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ALqOT_AuPWrWKY63qutXLWhPrOQ_f2ix78Jf7iroV6h4aPbPT0SKp9dx56QYM09XKceVuwLArgc23qnWUTNszlD4KRMYyO_NgnkSP-CCTGvM7sA_vb3nTEFJSX07MSbLPZYjYWJ2Eh0/s1600-h/Epiradicans52007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209430610756458178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ALqOT_AuPWrWKY63qutXLWhPrOQ_f2ix78Jf7iroV6h4aPbPT0SKp9dx56QYM09XKceVuwLArgc23qnWUTNszlD4KRMYyO_NgnkSP-CCTGvM7sA_vb3nTEFJSX07MSbLPZYjYWJ2Eh0/s320/Epiradicans52007.JPG" border="0" /></a>There are even a few epiphytes which I’ve come to think of as garden plants. The reed-stemmed Epidendrums have become almost weedy; last fall, having run out of time but not wanting to leave them to the frost, I gathered a dozen or more keikis (small plants produced along the stems), tossed them into a plastic basket with no medium, and hung it in a corner of the greenhouse. One small plant of Broughtonia sanguinea alba (really a pale yellow) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDXBrLx5Xj8jJRXyfOuzr5WAR-HLe6Zmw26t0H1-gIE6lEVHN7I3udwllL5y07SuOohXsH3che0laKEfd5eQzxyARnspiYPR60OmlT3hi6NgMYv7OjEkoziVjH02z7tRgv5teJPV5PDE/s1600-h/Broughtoniasanguineaalba73b.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209437696316031042" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDXBrLx5Xj8jJRXyfOuzr5WAR-HLe6Zmw26t0H1-gIE6lEVHN7I3udwllL5y07SuOohXsH3che0laKEfd5eQzxyARnspiYPR60OmlT3hi6NgMYv7OjEkoziVjH02z7tRgv5teJPV5PDE/s320/Broughtoniasanguineaalba73b.JPG" border="0" /></a>has grown for years on no medium – it’s tied to a wire hanger with its roots completely exposed – and faithfully produces a bloom spike that blooms throughout July. Numerous other twig epiphytes use almost no space, parked among the branches of shrubs during the warm months. The only cultural difficulty they present is remembering to bring them in before the temperatures plummet in November.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEw6-s7PEqkfE5EkMCuDAjKedYbnD_f3hT1kxDex9aY1x6y5Jkr_A6CCw29BZkYMsRN5i1BIXA1p55-2BjDz04w4YJsiDYRkAcifEF-NaM5ojigtRqyK43q6s-v2HF48Acpv77U7ZebQ/s1600-h/CValentineCaerulea806a.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209428790961441730" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQEw6-s7PEqkfE5EkMCuDAjKedYbnD_f3hT1kxDex9aY1x6y5Jkr_A6CCw29BZkYMsRN5i1BIXA1p55-2BjDz04w4YJsiDYRkAcifEF-NaM5ojigtRqyK43q6s-v2HF48Acpv77U7ZebQ/s320/CValentineCaerulea806a.JPG" border="0" /></a>I know it’s cheating to consider most orchids viable candidates for inclusion in the mixed border, but I have enjoyed figuring out ways to integrate them into my “jungle”. For a few months each year, at any rate, they, along with various palms, aroids, and “temperennials”, give us a cut-rate approximation of a trip to the tropics. Now if only we had room for a pool…<br /><br /><br />(This is C. Valentine 'Coerulea' parked in a tree for the summer.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Jeffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12538769872317933763noreply@blogger.com0