Canna's on the move

Mmmmmmmmmm. Harry, I don't think I'll moon to much around in that thread.:D:WINK1:

 

I'm still waiting for the delivery of my Canna seeds but took delivery today of 5 Canna plants, from Harts Cannas Nursery, Ambassadour, Richard Wallace, Durban, Pretoria, Musifolia Grande as a back up [actually more like impatience while I wait for the seeds.:D] Anyway, I've potted them up and and added them to the overspill Jungle in my Kitchen.:D

 

How big are your new plants Armandii? Are they in leaf? I assumed that buying cannas in the dormant season they would supply them as tubers?

 

Hi John, I'd actually ordered them in two parts but they arrived in one well wrapped parcel!!!
All of them, except Musifolia Grande, are in leaf form. They are quite substantial plants although Pretoria was a division. They did say that Pretoria was in short supply so I guess that was the reason for the divison, but it is a big division:D Musifolia had been cut down to 6" stems, but all look really healthy. This idiot is getting excited in anticipation of new year!!!!:D

 

I thought a visual idea of what size and form the Cannas arrived in, John, would be better and more descriptive than the last post of mine. So this is them immediately after potting:



Canna Durban



Canna Pretoria



Canna Richard Wallace



Canna Ambassadour



Canna Musifolia Grande. The only one without leaf, but a huge Rhizome.

They were all packed carefully in lots of soft cardboard, soft tissue paper, having loads of roots which were in wet compost and tied plastic bag over them.

 

Hi Pete, to be quite honest with you, I was surprised myself to find they were in leaf. I had expected just Rhizomes. As regarding asking for specific delivery dates I don't know, I can't see why they would object though if, say, you asked for delivery in January, February or March, there are quite a few firms that will do that.

In my case, I looked on the site list of Cannas and luckily the varieties I wanted were shown as in stock......so I ordered them.:D

 

Hi Harry, I only got interested in Cannas a couple of years ago when I bought King Humbert. Then I found Ian Cooke's book "The Gardener's Guide to Growing Cannas" in a second hand book shop and that got me really interested. So I've ended up with 11 varieties after doing a bit of research and trying to get as a wide band of them in foliage and flower colour that I could without going too mad.:D
But that leaves me with a big problem, I am no expert and therefore I will need all the help and advice I can get.:DOH: There are much more experienced, natural, and knowledgeable gardeners than I on GC, especially in the Canna field. So I will be most grateful for any advice, tricks, benefit of experience that could help me, call it a joint venture!!!:D

Can I ask, Harry, what varieties you're growing?:D

 

Yes, I think I'm in the same category of "Monkey see, Monkey do", Harry.:D I do find the different names of the same variety a bit confusing and frustrating, You're growing "Tropicana" which is also known as Phasion and Durban [the last of which I'm growing}. Alstensteinii is listed as growing to around 8', red/orange flowers, and evergreen blue'green leaves, while Marabout is supposed to grow to 4' to 6', orange flowers, while the leaf is a variegation of blue, green, burgundy, black and bronze.........both sound really good.:D

Mine will all be in 18" pots in groups around the garden, although I haven't a clue what will go in what groups. The Musifolia though will go in a really big pot as it should be a big 'un, we'll see!!

General opinion seems to be to add slow release fertiliser when potting on, so I'll do that to about 6 varieties and regularly liquid feed the rest. I'm just wondering if anyone would recommend the use of Tomato Feed when the Canna are in bud???

 

Thanks for the advice about the Tomato Feed, Pete. That's what Harry and I are needing the advice of experience. I'm reading up on Cannas but you know as well as I do that reading up doesn't match real experience. I think the biggest thing for me will be keeping to a strict regular feeding and watering regime which seems to be all important. Interesting about not being really able to overfeed a Canna in full growth, Pete!!:D

I not sure exactly why I''ve gone for a collection of Cannas Maybe it's because I've been dragged out of retirement for the next 18 months or so, and I've treated myself as a compensation!!!:D

I don't think I could ever specialise in one species as there's too much to tempt you in the less exotic area of gardening.

There has been talk of Cannas used as marginal plants in this thread, Pete, if you decide to do it then let us know how you get on. I'll try to keep everyone up to date on my successes or failures with Cannas in the coming year anyway.

 

Thanks for that, Pete. I already have a watering/feeding regime for my less exotic pots once I'm into the feeling of Spring and Summer. But that is usually only once or twice a weekl depending on the weather. Cannas, I guess, will be a different thing!!! I have 5 large watering cans which I fill up in lots and refill as necessary from the Water Butts, and a different set of two for the Green House watering in an attempt to be organised.:WINK1:

Echiums, Pete? How about posting a few pics of those???:D