Hey count me in on that Fran.I have the peruvian lilly out by the pond and yea...it's BIG too. It's got little green seed pods all over it's flower spikes now. Waiting for them to mature want to be able to share with everyone who wants them.

I have a orchid cactus that has been blooming this year for the first time. And now has a fruit(?)or seed pod the size of a fat quarter and bright pink. I keep waiting for it to split open, but then wonder if it's a fruit like the pataya(dragon fruit) almost looks like one just alot smaller. I don't think it's an edible fruit per say , but I know alot of succulents do fruit after blooming. Their are several more in variuos stages of growth on the plant.

Home alone...DH and DS are away for college orientation. Nice having the house to myself...I can clean and do things at my pace at anytime I feel the urge....so quiet too, no tv, no snoring....just me and the dog and cats so peaceful...........

You all are just wonderful people I tell ya..Look at all that love spreading.... Girls I am having a hard time right now...My mentor in gardening is leaving me...This is our last weekend together...Plant sale/ Garage moving sale....She gave me my first plant it was a sun plant and I put it in shade...hahahh Nate came over and yelled at me hahahh (we lost him two years ago)... It has been a fab day...I have spent my day with her... I get three more...please put me in your prayers I am losing it losing her... My heart is breaking so much... I am trying to type thru tears.... I know I need to stay strong...This sucks...I have to wipe away all the tears and go get her potting pots out of the gh.... Life really does hurt and my heart hurts really bad...:(((((( Pray please.... She told me I could take pics of her garden...:)))) Love you all my web friends too...Barb I will be strong....I will get a pic of me and her..Her name is Barb too..:)))

Hi everyone,
I sent out an email to everyone reminding them to contact their partners. I will email Dawn and Joyce again to see if I can get a response. I put June 30th as the date boxes had to be received by, but it would be nice to have contact by now. :-) It is a busy time of year, that's for sure!!

Barb, thanks for sharing your pictures! Awesome!! I will post some later tonight (have to get out in the garden now, it's finally sunny out!) Oh no!! I'm sorry to hear that you are losing your mentor (and I hope you only mean that she is moving away). Life is hard sometimes, that is so true. People come and go out of your life and sometimes it really breaks your heart. I am sad for you!

Thanks for the info on the plants bigmama! I will spend some time tonight going through your pictures again :-). By the way, that was so much fun!! I got to "shop" off of her pictures everyone! Loved it!!

Fran, thanks for stopping in to say hi, it's great to hear from you!! Count me in on the plants this fall too. I had great luck this winter with the coleus cuttings I kept. Sorry to hear your wrist is bothering you!! It sucks to have pain doesn't it? I hope that it's just temporary and will get better soon!! You'll have lots of time to relax on your vacations!

Chell, looks like you got a great box too, this is so much fun!!! I have a great sedum that I use in my perennial garden on the path up to my bench. It is fine to step on and it's pretty too. I wish I would have known last time we did a trade, I would have included it. I can send you some if you want. Glad to hear that Logan is feeling better!

Mariann, sorry to hear about all that rain. We finally have some sun today as it's been very cold and rainy here for over a week (not nearly as long as for you though!!). I get depressed when I don't get to see the sun too!! That's part of the reason I hate winters here so much and want to move some place warmer!! Thanks for the info about the NBC. I think I will put it out and see how it goes. I hope that it won't get bugs!! Always a gamble though!

Regina, sounds like a peaceful house it's nice to have quiet sometimes. Enjoy yourself my friend!

Ok, that's it for now. I have to get outside and enjoy this beautiful evening in the garden.

More later,
Amy

Oh, P.S. (why do I always have a P.S. Barb, I must be turning in to you!! LOL)

Anyway, P.S. Another tip...I always type my messages in Notepad or Word as I read the forum. Then when I'm done, I just copy and paste them here. I have lost a few messages myself before and I got tired of it so I started doing it this way. It's nice!

Hi again,
I just wanted to let you all know that I emailed Dawn and Joyce. I seem to remember that Joyce said she was going to be out of town early this month so may be she's not back yet.
Amy

Well we just got done cleaning her pond..I got permission to post pics...Here is my mentor and her gardens in early spring Wi weather...Lol Crazy weather....That is Al helping her clean the pond out...Thanks Amy :) Special friends that teach and share are the best..:))) I feel better everyone! I had a moment lol It sucked but to be expected from a friend leaving....

fran im in on those plants..wow all that rain i cant imagine, here when it rains it disapears as soon as it stops, great drainage..in the summer lightning loud, hard rain for a few hours and then the freshness and coolnes not humid , its great, i live way down south of phonix, its not that hot, and it does frezze but not that bad, i also live an hour away from mexico the great wall!!!did you hear about that day care that burned in mexico , its 4 hours from here ive been to that city, it was terrible, a real tragety...any way hope the rain stos soon so you all can get back outside to your gardening, but it has been a wierd weather so far..later big mama ps yea yea i cant spell mad cow and alll

Norma
Rain is a rare thing at this time of year here too. Although the wet and cool nights is pleasant the humidity during the day is horrid. Seems like breathing makes you sweat! I moved 4 daylily yesterday and had to excavate a 4 gal pail full of gravel to do it! (no wonder my wrist hurts) but the moist ground makes the digging easier. (especially since I have to dig it out by hand)

Most of the plants are just loving it! (whitefly, thrips, pillbugs and slugs too) The Japanese Beetles though do not seem to be doing as well, ha ha ha, like I am going to cry over that!!!

I planted 10 peruvian lily about 2 1/2 weeks ago, they looked like medium sized onions, and already they are around 2 feet tall with buds! can't wait to see the flowers!

Barb
I am sorry that your friend is leaving! I know you will miss her it is sad to say goodbye! Fabulous photos! I am sure she will miss her gardens when she moves. I know I would she must have spent a long time putting together such lovely peaceful landscape!

Amy
Vacations are NOT for relaxing!!! ha ha ha thats just crazy talk!!! ha ha ha Hundreds of miles of driving, hiking, siteseeing, visiting! I;ve got Lighthouses to visit!!! ooh that means stairs climbing too! I usually need a week of rest from my vacation when I get home! Not much chance of that this year!

I got three colours of sweetpotato vines this year, black, chartreus and a very pretty goldish colour, don't know how to describe it really will take a photo and post it later! I know that some times these can be overwintered in the ground, but so far I have not had any luck. I heard they grow corms or bulbs but I haven't seen any of those either... maybe because I grow them in pots? oh well :(

I should have plenty of coleus to share. 2 big pots full from Michelle's cuttings and another I started from seeds are just starting to show their personalities! I almost bought "KONG" at Wallmart the otherday!!! what a beast!

Chell you have inspired me (Barb too) I think I will build myself a little leanto greenhouse this fall. Just big enough for wintering a few things see how it works out. Lucky here we really do not need heaters. The odd time it does hit freezing a blanket will do the trick. The hard part will be keeping things from cooking during the day!

Regina
The mocking birds were chasing the cat again (everytime I see them I think of you) not just chasing actually diving and pecking the cat!!! Craziest birds I have ever seen!

Well I better get some work done while I can! Have a great day everyone!

Frances

Hi y'all,

Wow! s'pose to reach 96F today, and cloudy so it will feel very muggy & hottt! Yesterday was very cloudy and only 77...felt nice.

Amy, I also emailed Dawn on Wednesday but still haven't heard from her....maybe she's on vacation or something?!? Or just really busy...I'm anxious to see what she wants from my list and mail her a box. I'll let you know if I hear from her.
If I can't find any tropical type ground cover, I may take you up on that sedum trade offer....thanks!

Mariann, don't ya just love those indoor GH's?!? They are so great for starting seeds. I keep mine in front of an East window in the Lvg room. I overwintered my baby Plumeria and Desert Rose in mine and they never went dormant, just kept growing!

Regina, you lucky dog! The house all to yourself!!! I'd give my eyeteeth just to go to the bathroom in private! If I found myself alone in the house, I'd probably end up cleaning! Enjoy your 'ME' time!

Barb, sorry about your friend moving. Her gardens are beautiful, I'll bet its hard for her to leave them, and especially you, behind. Looks like y'all have made a great friendship, helping each other so much. Just be sure to take advantage of mail/email to stay in touch. Maybe you could even take cuttings of her plants and send to her for her new place. How does she keep her pond water so blue?!?

Fran, hope your wrists are better soon. Mine get really bad sometimes at work when I have to clean alot of windows (wax on, wax off....feel the pain later, LOL,). Those wrist braces for carpal tunnel help alot, but I always forget to use them 'while working' to prevent hurting my wrists in the first place.
My Gh is mainly for overwintering. Its on the east side of the house....in summer the trees shade it, but in winter it will get sun all day. We get occassional freezes (esp in Feb), and most of my tropicals won't take less than 50F temps, but I think the cement block floor and keeping a bucket of water/rocks should keep night temps up. I'll find out this winter, I'm still new at this GH thing, LOL... So far my GH only cost about $150 (for lumber, windows), I'm suppose to get some corrugated fiberglass from my parent's neighbor when he takes down his shed, and my MIL's friend has some store-type shelving for sale cheap, so hopefully I'll have it finished by winter. If you build one just remember to add windows/vents for circulation and to remove excess heat/humidity.

Norma, we get LOUD T'storms here too...the thunder seems to roll for miles and shakes the ground hard! I heard another tree get struck by lightening during our little storm just the other night (not very comforting after dark, alone in the house with two children...it seems our worst storms hit at night!). Fortunately there haven't been many tornadoes so far this year.
I read about the day care fire in the paper....Tragedies like that are always so sad, especially when children are involved.

DH called last night, he's...

Hi everyone,
Just a quick note to share some pictures of my yard and gardens. It's still very much a work in progress. When I moved here 7 years ago, the back yard was nothing but sod, sod, and more sod. Not a tree or plant or anything. The neighbors didn't even have fences yet. So, I've made a lot of progress, but still have lots more ideas in my head!! :-)

Have a great day, the weather is perfect here and I get to go out to work in the gardens now!! WOOHOO!!!
Amy

Here is a link that might be useful: Amy's Gardens

Fabulous Job Amy! I would give the earth for a privacy fence! the chain links we have make you feel like you are living in a fishbowl.

Question for all you Tropical girls! I have a big EE (Illustrus? I think) has shiny dark green leaf and near black stems, It has started sending out long shoots from the crown, 3 or four of them so far sticking straight out at the sides right at or just below the soil surface. Is this normal? is there anyway to make them grow upright? should I just cut them off? This plant is in a 16" saucer type planter. It is going to be really bad if they start growing leaves that hang out the side of the pot like this!!!

first brug bud

pretty geranium!

mama!!!

fabulous pictures!!! Fran, I had a black magic EE that did that it started a new plant like a walking ee... It didn't come back this year =( bad weird weather
I have Nancy's DC it is 0103 8555 7497 7386 0662. Can't wait for her to get it!!!

Fran, your EE is making babies or trying too, so it's up to you if you want more EE's or not. When that hits the ground it will root and new EE's. You could put a pot next to it to root in or just let it do it's own thing and when you get back from your vacations new EE's. Wonderful pictures btw. Love the bluejays too. The mockingbirds raised one baby and finally moved on.....yea!!! I was getting real tired of getting swooped and tagged.

Heard from my send partner yesterday......

I've got three Different color Brugs in bloom finally....whooo-hooo.

Spent some of my "alone" time putting in a new planter/flower bed. DH said I was busy while he was gone....lol. I planted a padora's vine in the middle and a unusual croton on one side and a bowtini on the other and then a blue kings mantle on one end and a white one on the other end. I have some iris to plant among them yet.

Frosty Pink Brug

Beautiful pics everyone!!

Here is Dee's DC #0309 0330 0000 6175 2609

Hope you love what I sent Dee, I sent you some extras too.

Hope everyone's having a great weekend. We're getting ready for wedding #2 of 9 this summer! UGH!

Amy

OOOOH! Regina!!!! I love that brug! I can't wait to see mine! 'Pink MasterPiece' has not got a bud yet, but it is big and bushy! Won't be long I am sure! I have no idea what the one with a bud is, I sort of hope its white! then I will have a set, white pink and yellow! I gave Jean Pasco to my MIL. I think she will really enjoy having a pretty to pamper!

Baby EEs huh? well I guess there are worse things.... lol its a pretty one, I guess babies are not bad!

Amy
NINE WEDDINGS!!!! OH YUK YUK YUK! no one should have to endure that many weddings in a single year!!! that is just WRONG!!!! you must have been very bad in a previous life! ha ha ha How many times have you got to wear 'pink taffeta' (that is what we used to call being a 'bridesmaid')
always involved a positively horrid taffeta dress!
Have fun!

Its hot here and humid! My wrist feels better, but is still a long ways from 100% so much to do so little time

Frances

Barb-I'm so sorry you are losing your mentor and friend. Is she moving away?

I'm enjoying all of the beautiful pictures.
Hope everyone has a great weekend
Mariann

I am here will get back...Enjoying the posts...:))) Plant sale this weekend....Barb

Can you believe that brug? Four blooms on it's first flower too, or is that four flowers on it first bloom......

Heres the big white one

Holy cow!!! Check out the size of that mosquito hawk in that Brug will ya!

Hi everyone!
It's been a busy weekend, sad it's over! The weather is finally so nice here, I hate to return to work today!!! Hope everyone else had a great weekend too!

Regina, glad that Joyce contacted you, she emailed me too and she said she's been busy.

Chell, any word from Dawn?

Here's the status...

Barb (rosepedal) sends to Mariann
Norma (bigmama4ever) sends to Amy - Sent/Received
Regina (ladygreensleeves) sends to Norma - Sent/Received
Chell (chellflower) sends to Dawn
Dawn (dtm1966) sends to Joyce
Mariann (galium) sends to Heather - Sent/Received
Dee (gardendee) sends to Chell
Heather (divahethr) sends to Nancy - Sent
Joyce (creek_mom) sends to Regina
Nancy (retsec) sends to Barb - Sent/Received
Amy (dieg01991) sends to Dee - Sent

I'll write more later, now I have to get some work done! :-(

Amy

ZOWIE!!!! I thought we had big skeeters!!!! lol Regina! I love that brug! There is a man just a few miles down the road from me that has about a dozen that size and bigger surrounding his pool! I don't know how he does it! they die back to the ground here in winter! My mystery brug now has 3 buds! The yellow that grew back from the ground is off to a slow start and pink masterpiece gets bigger and bushier daily, but no sign of a bud yet!

Amy glad to hear you have survived your first weekend of weddings!

three weeks from bulb to bloom

its not lantana, but the butterflies love it

unknown daylily

Have a great day everyone!

Hi Everybody..:)

O hear ya Amy we finally have great weather....In the 80 yahoo....

Frances I just love mama and Baby and the geranium is to die for...The vairegation on its is wonderful...

Regina look at your brugs...I am so jello...Those are beauties....My Mrs chambers opened one yesterday..The smell is heavenly....

I am hoping after my shopping trip I will have time today to send my package out... I will post a dc number....The plant sale went good....We even made donations fro our local food pantry here on sunday...People are very generous and caring... It was terrific to see it..:)) Well gotta get ready to go....Have a great day everbody...Barb

Hi y'all,

Amy, yes Dawn has contacted me. I'll be mailing her box today, and I have already recieved my box from Dee so you can check it recieved on your swap list. Thanks!

Regina, love that brug..its so nice & bushy!

Barb, good to hear y'all finally reached 80's. We've been at about 96 all weekend..yea, its getting hot, but the plants sure love it!

Here are some blooms from my yard....

Calla Lily....

Sunset Hibiscus...I started this from seed this year! I didn't know they could bloom so young! Took this photo ysterday and have a 2nd bloom today!...

A neighborhood cat moved her kittens to our yard over the weekend, there's 5 of them, about 6wks old...the boys have enjoyed playing with them. This morning I found the Mama cat & one baby sleeping on the benches in the GH..and a couple of plants knocked over (a plumie and voodoo lily!). I don't mind the kids keeping one kitty (as long as it stays outdoors), but the GH (and kids' sandbox, LOL)will have to be off limits to them!

DH made it home Friday..he's already gotten a call this morning from one job he applied for so hopefully.....

Got errands to run. Y'all have a good one!

Chell! love your calla! mine looks terrible, squirrels have decided all plants within a 6 foot radius of a tree are trampolenes(Sp?) is that a variagated canna in the background? very pretty leaf!

I am washing curtains today..... :( what was I thinking!!! of course blinds are worse!

Barb that geranium has your name on it already! ha ha ha, I see cuttings in your future! The flowers are actually very pretty too, I just never can seem to look past those leafs when I have the camera in hand!

Gotta run, looks like we are getting some more thunder and lighting today!

Frances

Hi Everybody...

Mariann I hope you need coleus lol I covered no fibbing a three county area looking for different ones...The neighbors are calling me the coleus queen... I hope you like them If anything does not make it..Please dont hesitate to ask for more.... Here is the DC number 0307 3330 0001 7055 6337....Enjoy I got the one begonia plant from the master gardeners sale here..You have one and me too..:)))

Chell love your pics...Frances my house is a wreck...lol I was busy all weekend...Tommorow is cleaning day...This afternoon I am planting myself in a chair on the deck and enjoy the weather and my plants...:))))) Have a great eavening...I will check back in later..Lol Barb

I took some pics....here is my new composter I got from Barb...Al made me a new stand yesterday....Barb gave me her swing she made and her purple bells and chair she painted...She gave me that big potting soil can too...She also gave me all her pots out of her gh...I will not need to buy any for a long time...lol Peonies are starting to bloom here along with some lillies....Barb

Check this out...:))) Barb

Here is a link that might be useful: GW Data

Dawn, I mailed your box today.
Conf #0308 2040 0000 2347 8474

Frances, that calla started out pink and gets darker each day...cool, huh?!? Yes, that's a variegated Stuttgart canna in the background....I planted them around the backside of the pond. They'll get up to 7' tall, but they require some shade or the white on the leaves can sunburn. We feed our squirrels in the backyard so they'll stay out of the front, and having kids in the yard DEFINITELY helps keep sqirrels away!LOL

Barb, how sweet of your friend! So now every time you're in the garden you have memories of her kindness! (Even when composting, how cool!) BTW, I like the composter....all I have is a black plastic rubbermaid trash can (does the job though)! Is that a Sorbet peony?
Thankx for the GW link, very interesting....looks like you're one of our top posters, you go girl!!!!!

Received my box of gold today from divahethr. I must admit when I saw she was my partner and I saw her list of what she had I didn't think I'd get anything I wanted. Boy was I wrong. I got a starfish cactus, 4 bromeliads, 3 rooted lipstick plants, a pink princess philo that I have been wanting forever, 2 asiatic lilies, a hoya rubra, 2 ZZ plants, and a rosary vine/string of hearts. She sure went an extra mile to make me happy. It was all wrapped in pretty gold paper, therefore my box of gold. Each one is something that I have been wanting. I do appreciate each and every one.
Nancy
retsec

What a beautiful Brug! Really wish I had a place to overwinter those.

I'll need to take the flash drive out of my USB port so I can download some of my pictures too.

Barb-How are you doing? How wonderful that your friend gave you so many gifts. Now where ever you look you'll be reminded of her special friendship. I'm really looking forward to receiving from you.

Chell-I love Calla Lilies! I've never grown them maybe next year.

Well I had a tragedy happen here a few days ago. I have a small room with a picture window. Years ago I built some shelves with grow lights for some of my tropical plants. The other day I was working on my computer and I heard a loud crash. I rushed into the living room to check on my DH but he was fine. We looked around and couldn't find anything until I backtracked to the little room. I had run right by it and never noticed anything. DUH!!! The entire shelving broke away from the wall. I actually had two sets of shelves. One underneath the other. The entire floor was littered with broken pottery and plant debris.
I can't believe that happened! One of the pots I can fix. Luckily none of the grow light bulbs broke.
The plants are still sitting on the floor in that room.
A few plants I had to throw out because they were entirely crushed. Fortunately the pottery, that I cherish, didn't break. Last year my Hoya fell down. It's in a heavy pot with a large macramé plant hanger, that I made. When it fell it landed on a terrarium that my grandmother gave me.
That really hurt! I was so upset. Our roof had leaked and I think that's what caused the plant to fall. It just ripped the hanger out of the ceiling.

Frances-Is that Daylily 'Hall's Pink'?

Amy-Thanks for the tip about typing my post in Notepad and then coping it. Worked great!
Have a great day
Mariann

Thanks chell it was supposed to be a double pink but it turned out that way....

Nancy that sounds wonderful...I bought that lipstick vine when I was out yesterday... I cant wait to see ours flower..They are a neat plant...Heather sends great stuff..:)

Mariann I so sorry to hear about your plants on the shelf...I am happy to hear that you were able to keep most of them..:))) Funny you mentioned callas...I went to jung seed company looking lol and found these...I sent you two and I kept three...Now you can grow them they will take shade according to the website... I also sent ya some of that lipstick vine I found too..:))) I cant wait fro you to get your box...:))) It is just like christmas..hahah

Here is a link that might be useful: callas

Mariann I made a goof those need full sun...The other bulbs I sent you do shade....Sorry for the mix up... I hurt my foot gardening today...Ruh Roh....Lol

My box from Chell came today (woo hoo!) Â thank you very much. They are all great

Milkweed
Mandarin plant
Moth Orchid
Scarlet Milkweed
Milkweed tropical blue
Dessert willow
Honey ball bush
Bleeding heart

I am esp pleased with the different milkweeds and the orchid. I have never grown true milkweed before (just hoyas) and I have wanted to try them but didnÂt have a source.

Thank you again Chell  you are a great partner
Dawn

Dawn, wow that was fast...I mailed your box around 3pm yesterday! Glad you're happy with your new babies, enjoy!

Barb, sorry to hear about your foot...hope its not hurt bad.

Mariann, sorry about your shelf & plants!

G'Night y'all!

Barb-OH....I'm so excited! Can't wait to get your box. You must have been reading my mind. I'll plant the Calla Lilies in a container and bring them inside during the winter. I checked on line about Calla's and what I found said that morning sun is good but they need some shade in the afternoon. That I can do! By the way I love Coleus! I have lots of part shade/shade and they brighten up those areas. Every year I take cuttings of my favorites and put them out again in the spring. Maybe you're box will arrive today...Hope so.
Have a great day

Just finished uploading, resizing and posting my pictures to Photobucket. Thought I'd post them here too. Are you all ready for some Heuchera's????

Heuchera 'Sashay'

Heuchera 'Pinot Noir'

Heuchera 'Pewter Veil'

Heuchera 'Palace Purple'

Heuchera 'Midnight Rose'

Heuchera 'Marmalade'

Heuchera 'Mahogany'

Heuchera 'Lime Rickey'

Heuchera 'Ginger Ale'

Heuchera 'Encore'

Heuchera 'Caramel'

Asiatic Lily 'Lollypop'

Asiatic Lily 'Grand Cru'

Hi all,
Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. It's been busy around here lately. I start on a new client project on Monday, so I have been busy trying to wrap this one up this week. I will be at a new location so my schedule will change again. That's the good and the bad part about being a consultant! :-)

So, here is where we are at with this swap! I hope I got it all...

Barb (rosepedal) sends to Mariann - Sent
Norma (bigmama4ever) sends to Amy - Sent/Received
Regina (ladygreensleeves) sends to Norma - Sent/Received
Chell (chellflower) sends to Dawn - Sent/Received
Dawn (dtm1966) sends to Joyce
Mariann (galium) sends to Heather - Sent/Received
Dee (gardendee) sends to Chell - Sent/Received
Heather (divahethr) sends to Nancy - Sent/Received
Joyce (creek_mom) sends to Regina
Nancy (retsec) sends to Barb - Sent/Received
Amy (dieg01991) sends to Dee - Sent

Dee, have you received my box yet? I checked the DC number and it says it's been delivered but I'm still a little worried. Hope you like it! I realized after I sent it that I forgot to include the seeds you asked for. I will send you those this week sometime. sorry about that!

Fran,
I just got bulbs for that same lily (spider lily??) and mine bloomed super fast too, which shocked me. It smells so nice and is beautiful!! Do yo know how long they bloom for?

Barb, I think I jinxed it with the weather comment!! :-( It started raining on Monday night and isn't supposed to stop until Friday!! UGH! Well, at least it looks like it'll be nice weekend. Some of my pots are drowning though so I dragged them in this morning (after pouring off as much water as I could). Hope they will make it through. At least I can focus on getting the house clean this week with all the rain, it needs it!! Your pictures are awesome, that's so nice of your friend to give you those things. And, the GW link was cool too. I can't believe you made it into the top 10 of posters!! LOL

Regina,
I'm very jealous of your brugs too!! How long does it take for them to bloom? I have a few that I got from cuttings this year and a couple that I started from seed (from our seed swap!!!). This is my first year trying brugs, do I have any hope of ever seeing blooms??

Mariann, so sorry to hear about your tragedy, that stinks!! Man, I hope they all come back from their fall! :-( Beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing!!! I love the lime green leaves, esp the Marmalade!!! Awesome!

Sounds like some awesome boxes are being sent!!! It's so exciting!! I am getting ready for our next swap, does anyone want to host the next one?? I love this group and want to keep going!!!

Have a great day!
Amy

Barb-Your box arrived today! I'm flabbergasted by all the cuttings, bulbs and plants. You sweet lady! Everything was packed beautifully...loved the paper...so cute. I'm still overwhelmed and very very happy.

Barb sent me:
~Lipstick Vine
~Nerine bowdenii-(this will go in a pot)
~Asiatic Lilies-Orange Pixie and Royal Perfume (already planted)
~Calla Lilies Rancho Hybrids-(these will go in a pot too)
~Oxalis Charmed Wine
~Angel Wing Begonia
~Dragon Wing Begonia (Red flowers)
~Begonia Fireworks (cuttings)
~Begonia Verna's Curley Leaf (Lovely!)
~Coleus-Some are cuttings and some are rooted
Sedona
Alabama Sunset
Coco Loco
Splish Splash
Sky Fire
Beauty of Lyon
Stained Glass 'Needlepoint'
Merlin's Magic
Dappled Apple
Kingwood Torch
Dipped In Wine
Saturn

I hope I didn't miss any. Can't express in words how excited and happy I am with all you sent Barb. I love everything!
Big Hugs,
Mariann

Hi Everyone!

I am glad it made it Marianne.... I am also happy you liked everything..:) Shoo I always worry....Let me know how it all does :)Hugs back at ya!

Regina I love that moth in your brug...Lol Your brug is wonderful and Chell the calla is beautiful...Frances Karma sent me those pervurian daffs...I think they bloomed a week or so...Arent they just a riot...:)

Regina have you heard from your partner? Just wondering....

Chell how are the boys doing? Did hubby take that job that called friday? I am just full of questions lol.... The top ten was embarrassing but funny...It must of been the bear thread...

I got my house all cleaned today and plan on weeding tommorow.... I am waiting for a box from our Karyn..I was hoping it would be here today....

My foot is better just sore but not bad I think I pulled a ligament in teh top of it or something...I was just walking lol:)

Regina can I grow the pink bougie in a hanging basket? Roots are coming out of the next pot I potted up too...Can you belive it...That is one happy bougie plant....:)))

Well girls al is fixing the car...I need to find those cute little hanging pots Regina uses on her porch...

You all have a great evening....Barb

Mrs..Chambers made a appearance...She is a big flower like her mama tall and a clux...lol

ps Chell her pond has copper sulfate just added to keep the algae down...It disappears in a day or so...I keep forgetting to tell you....lol alot on my small mind this week..:))
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Hey ya'll,sounds like some wonderful boxs have arrived. I have heard from my partner this past weekend. She will be sending a box along shortly. Like the rest of us life keeps her pretty busy.

My brugs all came from cuttings. The white one from a neighbor that now has moved away, so it's my reminder of her. I have a few other plants that came from her yard as well. The Frosty pink and a yellow one that has'ent bloomed yet came from cutting I sent postage for. The lady took cuttings and had them rooting this special way in a bucket over water and wrapped in paper towels. She sent me hard wood cuttings that had Y's in them, telling me I would get blooms much faster this way. Well....she was 100% right and knows her brugs.I got these cuttings just last fall and the one is already blooming with 5 flowers the first time! A brug does not bloom until it develops it's first Y and then will bloom on that Y. So that's the secret to blooms on brugs....that and I fertilize them with horse poo.....lol.

Thats a big dragon fly on that brug.....lol. Some of my dads artwork that my greatneice painted.

Barb, I will have to go thru my email and find out the name of the company I buy my pots from. I get 4 and 6 in. pots from them for my Hoya's.I found them on ebay. I have seen some varieties of bougies in hanging baskets, but most get so big and are trained to grow up a trellis. I imagine with trimming and training it could be done. Hope your foot is feeling better too.

Wow Mariann I would have had heart failure finding all my babies on the floor like that, glad to hear most survived the fall.

The fruit/pod on the Orchid cactus was either nibbled on or split open the other day. So I picked it off the plant and brought it in to retreive the seed. It very much looked like a small version of a pitaya. I cleaned all the pulp from the seed and layed them out to dry a bit. Later that night I noticed one had sprouted, so I got out some little peat pots wet them down with warm water to expand, and sowed some of the seed. The next night all of them had sprouted!I planted 18 more of them little pellets....looks like I will need to get more pots myself.....lol.

Here's the other pink brug.....Wish I knew this ones name came from a cutting from a neighbor a block away.Seen it in bloom and asked if I could have cuttings and traded for some from my white one.This was last year.

and the one I posted the other day....this is Frosty Pink.

Chell, hope everything is working out ok with the hubs new job, hope he got the other too. Keep them boys busy this summer, looks like you have a creative way of keeping them occupied and teaching them how to garden too.

Regina

Sometimes I wish that I lived in a tropical area so that I could grow those beautiful Brugs. Keeping them in a greenhouse here would be expensive because I'd have to heat it. Then again I'd miss the snow....Maybe not!LOL

Barb-I'm going to pot up the cuttings today. I'll let you know how they do. I'm still so excited!

We are suppose to get 2" of rain today. My DH and I were going to the Poconos but now we need to say home and bail water if necessary.UGH

I'm posting a link where I buy my pots. They are very reasonable.
Have a great day
Mariann

Here is a link that might be useful: Novosel Enterprises

Morning everyone!
Great pictures, I hope I will get a brug to bloom!! Are they spring bloomers or do they bloom all summer? Mine are still so small that I doubt I'll get a bloom this year. :-(

Mariann, thanks for the great link to the pots site!! Wow, those are cheap! I always wish that I lived some place tropical. I would not miss the snow and cold one bit. But, I would miss my friends and family terribly (that's what's keeping us here).

I got a box from Dee last night, what a nice surprise!! I got home late and didn't write everything down so I will post the contents later. THANKS DEE!!!!!!!

here's the latest...
Barb (rosepedal) sends to Mariann - Sent/Received
Norma (bigmama4ever) sends to Amy - Sent/Received
Regina (ladygreensleeves) sends to Norma - Sent/Received
Chell (chellflower) sends to Dawn - Sent/Received
Dawn (dtm1966) sends to Joyce
Mariann (galium) sends to Heather - Sent/Received
Dee (gardendee) sends to Chell - Sent/Received
Heather (divahethr) sends to Nancy - Sent/Received
Joyce (creek_mom) sends to Regina
Nancy (retsec) sends to Barb - Sent/Received
Amy (dieg01991) sends to Dee - Sent

Have a great day!
Amy

look at all those bruggies!!!! My mystery brug set its first bud this past week, since then it seems as though every time I look the number of buds has doubled! I think there are 8 or 9 now! Although the pink has no buds right now, it is a BIG bushy plant it shouldn't be too long before the flowers appear!

marianne
I am not sure what that Daylily is called, I traded for a big box of ditch lily a couple of years ago, there were a few pretty fans mixed in, the pink was one of those. This is another one. There was also a beautiful red and a bright yellow!

first kwanso

Assisian Chariot (I bought this one)

The spider lily/peruvian daffodil is a mystery to me! things shot up and bloomed like a flash! they are very tall too (much taller than the 18" they were supposed to be!)

With your green thumb and skill with tropicals you should have no trouble growing brugs. They are ridiculously easy to grow. You may have to start them earlier indoors but cuttings is definately the way to go!

I got 3 cuttings in a swap at the end of April and they are about 3 feet tall now and two of them have buds! (and I had to wait for my "Y's") ha ha ha this year when I take my fall cuttings I will be doing that Regina! what a good idea! I am no expert of course, this is only my second year growing, but they seem to have pretty simple requirements. Sun, fertilizer (do not seem to be terribly particular about the type as long as there is a pretty constant supply I feed mine at least once a week with whatever I am feeding with at the time, rose food, general purpose, hollyTone, so far it has all been good), protection from the wind and plenty of water (not standing water)

Oh and your fav treatment for pests, leafs seem to be way up high on the yum yum list of every leaf muching creature in the universe!!!

lol, Best run, I am trying to work and my PC is trying to meltdown. I see an upgrade in my near future!

Have a great day everyone!

Frances

Goodmorning all your tropical nuts! (I mean that kindly hahah)

Regina you have a lot of babies there...I think I have my first plumie seedling not sure though the tag was lost...I have only been trying since last winter..hahah

Thanks Mariann Those are some great prices...I hope you and hubby stay high and dry! I will be thinking of you..Please check in so we know you are alright :)

Amy those tornadoes missed you shooo...That was some bad damage on the news this morning....Dee sends wonderful stuff..I have her gardenia she sent me last year...

Frances bodaius pics..I cant wait for the daylilies...I can enjoy your beutiful flowers..:) Eye candy for sure! Ruh roh computer woes...Get it fixed so we dont miss you...Did you get a laptop fro your vacation to take us with you? hahahh

Mariann I take 6-10 inch cuttings put in a glass canning jar and place on my dinner buffet table all winter...Just pull the little leaves as they emerge...I even forget to change the water...hahahha Them turkeys still live...In spring I pot them up and wa la they grow....

I also took my plant last year..Chopped her down to two feet and placed her in the very cold basement off the floor with hardly any heat down there and no light (we heat by wood upstairs) Well I brought her out in spring and now she is three feet in the same soil..hahah I need to give her new soil..... I only gave her a cup of water every now and than...They go dormant in winter if you make them...... I have a picture of my cuttings I will dig for it....With all of us growing them you sure know where you can get some cuttings for sure this fall..:))) We dont cut them know because we are waiting fro them to flush...

Frances seedlings bloom the second year from what I was told...I have quite a few of them growing....Same with daylily seedlings for us up north..:)) Barb

Here it is...Dont mind the mouse trap I was training a kitten at the time to stay off the tables..ahhah :)

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Photobucket wont let us enlarge it so I posting it big...I dont know how to resize yet...That will be my next thing to learn..:)

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Awesome pics y'all.

DH came home last Friday..he's applied for some jobs, but no luck yet. Hope he finds something soon, I'm out of potting soil (and $$ !!!!)LOL.

Barb, would the mouse trap work for small kitties (6 wks), without breaking a leg/nose if it got caught? I think the family of kitties that showed up last weekend have moved in for good, and they've taken up residence in my GH. They keep knocking over flower pots! .....is the copper sulphate your friend uses in her pond safe for fish?!?

No errands/chores today ... I ain't played outside all week so I'm puttin' off housework and heading out the door! Y'all have a great day!

Thanks for the info Fran!! It's very helpful. I really hope that at least one will bloom this year!!

Barb, are you talking about Brugs or Coleus? Judging by the picture, I'm guessing Brugs. So you just pull off all the leaves as they grow? I'm confused...lol

I'm going to start a new thread...look for it.

Amy

ok ladies, I created a new thread since this one was getting kinda long (and I'm thinking about Mariann). So, be sure the start posting over there. Hope you're all having a great day!!!

Amy