Whats looking good in November

Nice Sanguinea Peter, I really do think they are one of the best Brugs, but I found it very difficult to keep happy.
Your doing really well getting flowers the first year.

Mine have always flowered in spring, before late June, and I had a good plant, planted out which did really well last Nov/Dec. before the frost killed it.
I dont have any plants now, even my first year other brugs died in the garage last winter.

 

This Datura was here when we bought the house September last year. It, and a short frilly one bloomed at that time, but the frilly one has disappeared. I don't know if we uprooted it when we did this bed over, or if the past hard winter did it in, as it did so many plants over here.

The one you see now was only one proper stalk during our April - July visit, so I was very surprised on this trip to see that it now had three long main ones, all flowering and with seed pods. It looks rather sprawley but since it is not in the way of anything else, I've left it.

Peter, your Brugmansia is a lovely colour and the flower has a beautiful pattern in it as well. I have you down for some of the seeds of our purple Datura.

 

Kedi - many thanks.


Leonotus nepetifolia is still looking good. Some have grown over 8 feet from seed this year.


Cyperus papyrus (Egyptian papyrus) is over three feet from seed this year. Currentky living in the kitchen and still growing.

 

How very unusual - the Leonotus nepetifolia - never seen anything like it before! A real eye-catcher. :gnthb:

I looked it up and there is another, smaller but equally unusual variety.

Thanks for sharing, Peter.

 

Bolivian Sunflower -








Hibiscus -














Hibiscus and bee -





Tagetes -





Asters -

 

Very nice Kedi, its freezing here, just to let you know.

 

Oh, WOW, WOW and WOW Sis ... bet you are pleased you are in Florida at the moment ... how gorgeous is all of that ... every one a winner .... xx

Well, I can quietly put up my Platycodon which has sent a rogue flower up this time of year ...

 

Absolutely gorgeous and beautiful colours.

 

Kedi - that's a lovely touch of colour. Those Hibiscus are gorgeous. How tall do your Bolivean sunflowers get ? In the past I have Googled them and it said that they can reach 26 feet. Sadly I never did get any of your seeds to germinate - I think they came via Victoria.

Victoria - that picture looks so sunny, and that Platycodon is a lovely blue.

Looking round my garden there are still some rogue flowers - like Centranthus (Red Valerian), Penstomen and quite a bit of Campanula poscharskyana. But a few plants are still flowering normally, such as Kniphofa rooperii, and several Salvias. Inside I now have three blooms on my Brugmansia sanguinea, which pleases me immensly. I just took some cutting today. Also my other yellow Brugmansia has grown 10 or 15 flower buds since being inside, with a couple in the process of coming out. When Brgmansia flowers indoors you get the most heavenly scent in the evening, that I never really noticed outside. The indoor plants are under two 5 feet fluorescent tubes (120 watts) and seem to be loving it. The lights were only meant to keep them alive not to make them grow.

 

Hello Peter ... I still have some of the Bolivian flower seeds which I will put in your Christmas envelope for you to try again ... or Sis needs to send us some fresh seeds! :hehe:

Lucky you with your Brugs going indoors now and blooming ... how wonderful and I anxiously await to see your B sanginuea in bloom ... I still live in hope with mine for a winter blooming ... :ntwrth:

 

Victoria - if ever you were to get any fresh Bolivian Sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) seed, I would be very interested. But I think the last lot wasn't viable. I couldn't get it to germinate, so I put some in a sealed polybag with a little moisture and copper compound, where it grew mould. Normally seeds that are simply difficult to germinate will stay in the bag or a long time, but don't go mouldy. I spoke to Bob and I don't think his germinated either.

By chance I had collected some of my own Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) very late in the season. It was kept quite seperate from the other seeds, but it too did exactly the same - went mouldy and wouldn't germinate.

 

I haven't tried to germinate any Peter but Sis seems to have had no problem. I was wondering as they are hard seeds if they were nicked and soaked in water overnight if that would help.

I don't know if this is of any interest ...

http://www.ecology.kee.hu/pdf/0301_039046.pdf

 

That was quick Victoria. I have germinated Tithonia seeds before with no problem. But I think with those particular ones there was some mould on them.

 

Thanks everyone.

Our Bolivian Sunflower is about 4 meters tall, Peter, and I grew it from clippings. I don't think I even tried it from seed as I just have no luck with such, although I do perservier and try different things now and then. Ours has lots of bloomed out flowers at the moment, so I'll keep an eye on them and collect seed for you.