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cybersunday

Anything strange happening in your garden?

Cybersunday
18 years ago

My korean lilac tree is reblooming, sparingly but I find it very odd. Anything strange happening in your garden??

Comments (41)

  • jroot
    18 years ago

    Strange? That all depends on the definition. My elephant ears are usually very large are barely a foot in length. I just measured an impatiens at 80 INCHES in flower now. I have another impatiens at about 2 foot. The strangest thing this year with this ridiculous heat wave is the huge amount of spider mites. I've never had a problem like this before.

  • mutts_fan
    18 years ago

    Thanks for the heads up... I checked on my Korean Lilac standard and you are right, it is reblooming a tad. Hardly noticeable but there are about 6 short purple blooms in total. I have only had it 2 years so I can't say if its unusual. Is it due to excess heat or lack of water or something else??

    An 80 inch impatiens - wow, Jroot, can you post a photo please?

    Mary Anne

  • bonniepunch
    18 years ago

    I have some cannas that are over seven feet tall this year - it's my third year growing them and they've never been this big before. Some of them are also flowering already - a month and a half ahead of the last two years.

    Almost no bugs to be seen though. I do have a lot more grasshoppers than I've ever had before (and by a lot, I mean only twelve or so). No spider mites at all, only a few aphids on the nasturtiums, and no thrips on the usual targets. The golden tortise beetles have shown up to start their munching on the morning glories, and I have something (some sort of borer maybe?) causing some of my glads to keel over.

    BP

  • pam_whitbyon
    18 years ago

    One of my trees is covered in a grapevine that I thought was dead... but thats more annoying than strange! Ohhh, NONE of my Astilbes flowered this year. The tallest things in my gardens are the weeds that have been growing almost overnight,it seems.

  • den_vic
    18 years ago

    The sun and warm temps have started new pups that are bolting. Just looking at them you can see for yourself. This hardy Musa (basjoo) can become a very tall plant that produces huge, showy yellow inflorescence. At about 15 ft, it's one of the largest plants in BC. The two bigger canes may flower this summer. Once they flower, they will die in the fall / winter. It's amazing how fast and large this plant can become. The medium cane started in spring. It might be a good 8 ft tall by fall. It may grow right through October. Fruit can be eaten but not tasty.

    Cheers

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:534338}}

  • GardenChicken
    18 years ago

    Finally, FINALLY there are blooms on my daylily 'Moon drops'? 'Moon beam'? 'Moon something'? (that's how long it's been!)... my purple leafed Sandcherry bloomed then promptly died - completely, totally, dead, dead, dead... and the Shasta Daisies are 4 ft. tall. A little odd - for me anyway!

  • jroot
    18 years ago

    Okay, you asked for some photos of the 80 inch himalayan impatiens.
    {{gwi:534355}}
    Notice the size compared to the chair inside the screened area.

    {{gwi:534358}}
    White flowers on the H. impatiens

    {{gwi:534361}}
    The pink/purple flower of the H. impatiens

    {{gwi:534365}}
    The stem is exactly like my other impatiens, except much thicker.

  • peatpod
    18 years ago

    I would have to say that things that normally do very well in my garden arnt preforming the best. Like Jroot my EE's that are in the ground arnt doing as well as they have in previous years and my potted EE's are doing really well .. most of my various types of Malva are stunted .. but my Cannas are huge and blooming!!!

  • den_vic
    18 years ago

    Vancouver area yucca that does well on the west coast. Nice, very rigid yucca that provides green all year. Coloured tips. Great specimen for dryer areas of the garden in Victoria or Nanaimo.

    Here is a link that might be useful:

  • den_vic
    18 years ago

    Yes, it just had to be in BC. This is a banana cluster protected from deer and watered during the dry, sunny Saltspring Island summer. It flowered and produced fruit. Most likely Canada's tallest garden plant. Fast grower that may bolt in summer. Spreads if not crowded by other plants.

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:534341}}

  • aray
    18 years ago

    I planted cucumbers in my garden. I checked every once in a while and didn't see any. Finally, through the carpet of vines, I moved a few vines to step in a get a deeper look and low and behold, the mother of all cucumbers. It was the size of a water melon. I couldn't beleive it. I showed my wife and the first thing she said was, "We can't eat that!!!". I tried some and it was good despite scraping off the skin and deseeding the midle part... nice!

  • jroot
    18 years ago

    After the nice rain we had, I went out to measure those impatiens which are now 88 inches tall.

  • kat3
    18 years ago

    Jroot any chance of getting some seeds from your white
    H. impatiens? I have the light mauve one... They make good fillers & seem to grow almost anywhere..
    Strange things here...
    1. Dill came up was 3" high & died.. Reseeded & it didn't even come up..
    2. Really short sunflowers with wrinkled leaves.. Considering they got over 8ft. last year..
    3. Cup & saucer vine just doesn't want to grow this year..
    4. Even had a tomato plant die... First time I've ever lost one..

  • sahoyaref
    18 years ago

    We've been having strangely cool weather here, not a heat wave. I always put my houseplants out on my balcony, and they are just sitting there this year, shivering at night. =) I don't think any of my tropical bulbs will bloom, and the caladiums are even smaller than they were last year! My cannas are only 1 foot tall. =( On the other hand, the Oriental pot lilies, which I decided to try this year, are blooming now, and are amazing! Lots of mutated flowers, but they still smell great, and I'll definitely do more next year! The pansies are just amazing this year though; they sure love the cool weather!

  • jroot
    18 years ago

    Kat3, I'll try to get some. However, there is no guarantee, especially since they are all together in a clump and cross breeding has probably occurred. In fact, I was a witness tonight to a gigantic bumble bee going in to all of them. The flowers almost devoured her. Remind me later, in case I forget. I did write it down though.

  • mora
    18 years ago

    Sahoyaref,if it makes you feel any better my cannas are only eight inches high! I don't think they like fog !!!M

  • staples_renee
    18 years ago

    Jroot,
    Have you had your impatiens very long? I love them but in my garden they are an invasive menace. They spread their seed by spraying them (you can actually hear them popping in the wind or if you disturb them in the garden. Come spring I have millions of seedlings everywhere. They are shallow rooted and easy to yank up at any stage - fortunately. They need a lot of water I think our summer last year here in Ottawa gave them the biggest boost in years. The bees love, love them so this time of year when they are in flower the garden is alive with bees. Growing 10 -12ft tall is not unusual for these fellows if the water has been plentiful. I have pale pink and dark pink blooms but no white.

  • jroot
    18 years ago

    So then Staples_renee, I could WS these guys? You say they grow anywhere? In the sun as well? Hmmmm that is giving me some ideas.

  • msjean
    18 years ago

    I have two hollyhocks that are towering over my rose trellis in their third year. I have read that they can grow to 15 feet...but never thought mine would do that :)

  • Las_Palmas_Norte
    18 years ago

    I'm not sure it's "strange" as such but a small Eucryphia x intermedia tree I have is now finally slowing down in bloom production. It was so thick with blooms for most of July that the foliage was scarcely visible. Here it is slowing down but still nice.

    Cheers, Barrie.
    {{gwi:534368}}

  • mora
    18 years ago

    My honeysuckle is reblooming and growing like mad! M

  • Woody_Canada
    18 years ago

    For those of you with reblooming Korean lilacs - that's pretty normal for them to put out a few flowers in late summer. It's also normal around here for some magnolias to have a few blooms in Sept. or Oct. but my 'Susan' one started putting out a few a week or so ago, which is very early. My wisteria also has more than its usual few summer blooms. My Elephant Ears are not as big as they should be - probably not flooding them with water often enough. We had a very dry May-June and a very hot, humid July with no rain early in the month and a few torrential downpours in the last half. So far, August is hot and dry but a bit less humid - except for today which is hot and humid! It's a wonder anything has performed normally this year!

  • clemmybug
    18 years ago

    I had the same thing happen with my veggies. Small little zuchinnis were growing and a couple of days later I went out and there were some huge ones the size of spagetti squash. Also my tomato plants got so big that they are just falling over despite the strong cages around them. The tomatoes are so huge they are breaking off vines. I just can't keep up with all of them. My summer squash are all over the place and my hubby just doesn't like veggies. Go figure!

  • den_vic
    18 years ago

    Nice broadleaf evergreens in a Vancouver garden (public). Hebe from NZ and Eucalyptus from down under. Geez, I like those Eucs in BC. Some have a nice scent.

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:534344}}

  • den_vic
    18 years ago

    A Puzzle tree in Victoria. Not much in that garden but an interesting Puzzle tree. This one is a female specimen.

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:534347}}

  • scamp
    18 years ago

    Well - I posted another question on my dahlias before I saw this question but I will add my 2 cents here. Anything strange? Absolutely !!

    My dahlias are not growing well at all and I have had 3 variegated hostas that are all starting to show plain green coloured leaves like if they're regressing and my nasturtiums have grown to the size of small bushes plus my magnolia tree is budding again for the 1st time in the 5 years that I've had it. It's the weird weather (I'm not knocking it - I love hot weather!!) but it is weird with so many high humidity days. If this happens next year - I just might try growing a banana tree in my back yard (=:

  • glen3a
    18 years ago

    Well the very very wet weather earlier this summer has created chlorosis (lack of iron) problems in some of my shrubs. My purple leaf sandcherry is more brownish mixed with almost a yellow champagne color. My arctic beauty kiwi is suffering chlorosis as well.

    My taro roots, which I bought from the grocery store, have performed amazingly due to the warmth and moisture this summer. I was excited during last yearÂs cool summer when they hit a foot high, now one is almost 2.5 feet high.

    My zinnias have been strange. I started from seed and they barely grew while in the tray. Maybe they really need heat to do well and cool nights in early spring isnÂt good? I debated on planted them or throwing them out. Now they are finally blooming, but itÂs taken a while.

    ThatÂs an amazing Monkey Puzzle tree. I once obtained seeds online and tried to germinate them, but no such luck. Obviously I would grow it as a patio plant.

    Anyone familiar with itÂs relative the Wollemi pine? That too looks like an amazing plant and IÂm sure someday it will be growing in Canada. (For those who arenÂt familiar, this conifer was thought to long ago have been extinct, sort of like the ginkgo tree, until it was discovered about 12 years ago growing in Australia.)

    Glen

  • den_vic
    18 years ago

    You can order from South Delta, BC. Ray can ship you small Vancouver Island grown Puzzles. He has cool stuff (lots of it small for shipping) for the BC coast but all of Canada can order from him. If you visit Victoria, check out Happy Palms Nursery and you can purchase small Puzzles.

    Cheers

    Here is a link that might be useful: Puzzles & other exotics

  • bonniepunch
    18 years ago

    I saw some huge Araucarias when I was in Argentina - I had never seen one before (or since), so they kind of blew me away! I brought back a dried branch of one just because it was so neat. I grow quite a few tropical plants, but nothing big like that would ever work for me :-(

    Hmmm...so why did I buy that banana?

    BP

  • den_vic
    18 years ago

    Here's a pink Phormium given to me by a Victoria gardener. One of the nicest Phormiums but not the hardiest. It is affected by flooding or outflow. But puts out the following year. I planted the tough green form -They grow huge.

    Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:534350}}

  • shapiro
    18 years ago

    Zinnias: we purchased a package of "Candy Cane" zinnias while visiting California in April. The resulting blooms are amazing, each plant is different: yellow with red flecks, white with red flecks, pale pink, mid-pink, solid yellow and today - the best yet: a bloom which is yellow with red flecks on ONE side, and solid red on the OTHER side! Very strange indeed!

  • ianna
    18 years ago

    Kathy Rehnwald (spelling) must be reading this thread. She wrote a recent article in the papers today about the strange behaviour of plants this season.

  • den_vic
    18 years ago

    This strange selection of exotic conifers called Cryptomeria can look quite unusual. This type of Cryptomeria has a rusty tinge to it. The range of flora on the BC coast is amazingly interesting. I also like to see Eucalyptus specimens in coastal British Columbia. The green or silvery foliage is evergreen. It's like nothing you could ever see in full winter in southern Ontario.

    December 2005

    Here is a link that might be useful: Interesting trees on Vancouver Island

  • msjean
    18 years ago

    On December 6...I had a clematis with 4 blooms on it and a honeysuckle bloom. My poppies are up and some rose bushes still have blooms (although they are sad looking ones) on the branches.
    Today we are in a cold snap...so they will of course freeze. Sad to see....
    I heard david Suzuki speaking at the conference in Montreal on the weather station on TV and he said that the rain forests are dying because of drought....Strange weather indeed!!!

  • den_vic
    18 years ago

    It is normal for Victoria (up to Nanaimo) to get rather dry summers but the last decade has been a dry one compared to norms. Victoria used to get more snow events, frosts and precipitation years ago but as time goes on, there is a warmer & drier trend. Part of it is manifested in flora because of slight change in temps. The changes affect Vancouver Island in various ways. Some of my pictures seem to indicate the trend. I wonder what David Suzuki would have to say about palm trees producing a crop of seed on Vancouver Island. How local conifers are being lost but Sequoia is doing well.

    Here is a link that might be useful: The future is now

  • den_vic
    18 years ago

    Some Rhododendrons are seen flowering on the BC coast in fall and winter instead of spring. It makes this coast quite a unique part of Canada with its winter flora and broadleaf evergreens.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Red December Rhodo

  • den_vic
    17 years ago

    SSI has some beautiful and very unique gardens. This tiny garden is quite interesting. That island makes you forget that it's actually in Canada.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Saltspring Island

  • den_vic
    17 years ago

    Mother Nature seems to forget that winter is truely winter on this coast. A tree filled with flowers during a winter month. I think of the last half of winter as spring and the first half as fall.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pseudo-spring on Vancouver Island

  • diane_v_44
    17 years ago

    Den Vic Thanks for the terrific photos.
    You bring a little of the West Coast to us all.

    I am just two years, at the home of my present garden. It takes years and years to get things how you would like them to be. (I miss the garden I left behind)
    But it seems a good year, for both vegetables and flowers in my own garden.
    Tomatoes, eggplants peppers are growing splendidly. Have been using peppers from the gardens, can't keep up with the beans.
    Some Earwigs damage, mostly on the Brugmansia leaves. I don't bother about it to much. Seems once the plant gets larger they leave it alone.
    I do have bloom on some Brugmansia, which is very early for me. Perhaps I am learning more about the plant and what to do to get earlier bloom.

    Wish I had more Cannas growing, they look so tropical.
    Dahlias are going to start blooming maybe another two weeks.
    Lots of Day lilies blooming. I divided them up in spring and thought perhaps I would lose bloom this year, but not so.
    Strange?
    I put some squash at the back of my vegetable patch. I don't water them at all really. Different kinds of squash. I can not believe how huge the plants have grown. I keep moving the vines from growing in the garden so as they grow out on the lawn. But, on the lawn, of course I can not cut the grass where the vines are. Will see how that goes.
    This street where I live, is very much a grass street. Great attention paid to ones grass.

  • jaro_in_montreal
    17 years ago

    July 23 and my Magnolia is blooming again! ...after its usual brief spurt of glory in early spring.
    I only planted it two years ago (it was about 3 ft high then).
    But I did give it a bit of fert once, along with regular watering, which might have something to do with it....

  • mrstrevizo123
    10 years ago

    I have a rogue tomato blossom that seems to look like a sunflower its huge and unlike anything ive ever seen.. you can see a perfect regular tomato flower right to its left but the giant one ive just never seen one like it.. its as big around as my fat thumb. the stem.. the flower is big like almost 2 1/2 inches wide.. can anyone tell me what i did here?? lol my dad is a local tomato grower and hes never seen such a thing and this is one of his plants..

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