Just a few from my garden

annafl

Esteemed Member
I've been disappointed at the deafening silence of our forum lately. Hardly a comment, a like here and there. I hope we're not going to let it slip away.

As I was going to snap a photo of my uncolored Daisy's Pride for Jeff Searle, I snapped a few nearby, hoping to contribute a tiny bit to our forum. It would be great if we could get a bit of life going. Anyway, here's a couple.

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Thanks, Tim, Randy and Mike! Mike, I'd love to have a get-together here, but most of my crotons are small. I need a year or two to get them to the size I feel would be worthwhile for you all to make the trip up. Thanks, though, after seeing your garden, I'm flattered by your comment.:)
 
Thanks, Kip. It's a Nikon D90. I've had it for years and I don't use it a lot anymore (kids are grown up and away), but I like it. It's very user friendly.

A question for all. My Flamingo is a leggy thing no matter what I do to it. As you will notice, it has long stems with a tuft of leaves at the ends. I wish it would be fuller, but leaves drop regularly for no reason. Not a lot, but just one here and there, making it a leggy thing. Is there a secret to its fullness?
 
Thanks, Kip. It's a Nikon D90. I've had it for years and I don't use it a lot anymore (kids are grown up and away), but I like it. It's very user friendly.

A question for all. My Flamingo is a leggy thing no matter what I do to it. As you will notice, it has long stems with a tuft of leaves at the ends. I wish it would be fuller, but leaves drop regularly for no reason. Not a lot, but just one here and there, making it a leggy thing. Is there a secret to its fullness?
You will find pinching 1/2" off each terminal bud will cause dormant buds on old leaf scars to wake up and cause branching allow these to grow 4" to 6" and just repeat process. This can bush out plant in no time
 
I do that regularly on other cultivars and it works well, Kip, but I tried it once on Flamingo and it just broke one lead again. It does not seem to be a very vigorous grower, at least for me. Could it be it just doesn't like central Florida or does this happen to those in south Florida also?
 
So, so true Phil! I never thought of it quite that way before. I wish I would've known, I wouldn't have given it such a good spot. I also got two of them! Just look at the photos in the wiki from our neighbors to the south. How could I resist?
 
Ana, your Cronstadt is gorgeous! Now I want one :(. I also like the name:)
All your crotons are so beautiful! Can you post a current picture of your Van Burren? I finally got one.

…people are probably just busy. I am very busy re-doing the rest (the major part) of my landscape, killing the grass and replacing it with something else…The heat is brutal, I have no shade, and there was no single rain here in July…

... I was taking some pictures from April, but had no time or energy to post.

I am always wondering how people can dedicate so much of their time to the forum. Gardening is so time consuming!

I have nothing to brag about since I have not really grown anything yet, but I can make some noise here to please you, Ana :).
You did such a lot for us!
 
Thanks, Pix. I'll try to post a pic of Van Buren. I have to take the photo either early or late when the sun is not on it to get a nice photo. Unfortunately, it's getting a lot of sun this time of year, so it's not as nice as it is during the winter months when it's in much more shade.

Pix, why don't you plant a tree or two to give you some shade? I have lots of oaks and other trees and I love them. I run from shady spot to shady spot this time of year, especially since we have just now started to have some little rains the last couple of days. Yes, gardening is exhausting now, but it is still worth it to me.

When DH and I kill grass to make beds, we just put cardboard on it and cover it thickly with mulch. It works great and it attracts earth worms with the added moisture. We've made all our beds this way without roundup, it works better, and it is great in weed prevention since it doesn't turn over the soil. It is so much easier than digging, pulling, etc.

Hey, thanks for making some 'noise', Pix.
 
Wow! Nice looking Ana. The Cornelius has great color and the blotch Thanksgiving has great blotching. Delores...wasn't that decided at the Glocks house that it was Roseo Pictus?
 
Thanks, Jeff. Interesting that Keith's Cornelius Halgrim momma plant has red as its predominant color and mine has pink. Must be in the soil, or maybe in the sun exposure. I don't know about Dolores/Roseo Pictus anymore. I think there were those that still differed, and I know Marie feels they are different cultivars. At least I think she does. Marie, can you shed more light again? I got mine as Dolores.
 
Ana, thank you for reminding me about the cardboard. I will use it on the rest of my lawn. I read about it when I googled the ways of killing grass, but they say to it takes time, and Pix wanted everything done yesterday:)
I had 3 large old Laurel Oaks. I do not like them anymore. 2 years of raking leaves and cleaning gutters took their toll on me. I already removed one tree and another is scheduled to go this fall. I cannot plant anything under them anyway: the roots are everywhere. I am planting palms. My palms have balls:D

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I apologize for my delayed response, but I got busier since guys started working on my walkway and patio:
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Pix, you're doing such a great job with your crotons! They look healthy and beautiful! Interesting to me how different some look with lots of sun compared to significant shade. Crazy plants. Thanks for posting your pics. Glad Pixie is putting out some nice new growth. She looks happy.

You look like you're well underway to less grass. That's a good thing. As for the cardboard, you can plant anything immediately. It takes about two weeks for the grass to die, but that doesn't stop you from digging a hole and planting right then. We did it many times. It doesn't look ugly if you do it right either. We've done it many, many times and it works great. Maybe next time!
 
Ana, it took me 3 weeks to re-do this 140 sq. feet easement. The problem was sedge. The grass there was heavily infested. It was almost all sedge. I removed 5 bags of tubers, pulling out the strings of these "beads". I am doing a weed control every morning for 2 weeks ever since, digging out what emerges. Round up doesn't kill sage tubers. I am afraid that cardboard won't either (?)
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Looking good Pix! More room more Crotons! I may drop this one off at your place soon.
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Thank you, Scott! :) Is this Lilian Stoffregen? You already gave me one:

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But you are more them welcome to bring another :D. I am not collecting, I am lanscaping ;). i like this one: grows fast, grows tall and not too bright :).
 
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