From our Family to Yours! Enjoy the Season.
Friday, December 7, 2018
Friday, October 5, 2018
Variegation!!
In January of this year I harvest 4 seedpods from our B. Shorty's variegated. For years I have heard from both Brugmansia groups that variegated Brugs seedpods will be solid color and variegation is
not carried forward.
So since I got Shorty's variegated I have not released any of her seedpods. I have planted each year and tossed many of them since I have B. Hunter and B. Jutner Peachy Cream that I keep growing and enjoying the fragrances. B. Shorty's has a fragrance that will knock you over when she has all the blooms that she puts off.
Back to the 4 seedpods for 2018. Each was planted in a pot labeled with the seedpods letter. To my surprise by March we were seeing the pots fill up with little plants. I noticed some with variegation and thought no, that isn't what I have been told. So I sat on them and not a word until now. Today
10/5/2018 I decided to strip the leaves to get ready to put them in their own pots for the winter months. I have a spot for them up under the grow lights in the Brug House.
These are from seedpod A:
Shorty's plants are huge if allow to grow naturally the first 6 months.
A little history on B. Shorty's, it was found at a local nursery. I purchased 2 and they told me
when I returned a few days later that they weren't supposed to sell them and they wanted to
buy them back. I questioned the history and they were only labeled variegated. While at ABADS I was told to purchase all the variegated plants that were known and I then started the task to compare them all to Shorty's. Shorty's out grew them all and needed full hot sun to thrive. None of the others had her fragrance either. I did share her with a lady back east and hoped if I lost ours she would be able to replace ours. I was also at Dave's Gardens and shared her with folks that wanted cuttings. I was told not to share her after ABADS found out I was as I didn't know the history. I trade lots of cuttings and after the first year we decided to stop sharing her. I will tell you I did take her down to Terra Nova to have her tissue cultured. She collapsed and they were unable to tissue culture her. I was told she was probably someone tissue culture how she reacted. I have been growing her and another tissue culture from TNN and they have matched in growth and they both throw off about the same sports. They range from Albinos to solids, even the albinos will show green on them. Here is the Shorty's albino for this year:
Yes you can get them to grow as long as they stay attached to the mother plant. Our first Shorty's had one that we were able to get to seedpods and the new babies were all albinos which lasted upward to a month after planting.
B. Shorty's is a special plant!! She is hard to start but it can be done.
not carried forward.
So since I got Shorty's variegated I have not released any of her seedpods. I have planted each year and tossed many of them since I have B. Hunter and B. Jutner Peachy Cream that I keep growing and enjoying the fragrances. B. Shorty's has a fragrance that will knock you over when she has all the blooms that she puts off.
Back to the 4 seedpods for 2018. Each was planted in a pot labeled with the seedpods letter. To my surprise by March we were seeing the pots fill up with little plants. I noticed some with variegation and thought no, that isn't what I have been told. So I sat on them and not a word until now. Today
10/5/2018 I decided to strip the leaves to get ready to put them in their own pots for the winter months. I have a spot for them up under the grow lights in the Brug House.
These are from seedpod A:
Shorty's plants are huge if allow to grow naturally the first 6 months.
A little history on B. Shorty's, it was found at a local nursery. I purchased 2 and they told me
when I returned a few days later that they weren't supposed to sell them and they wanted to
buy them back. I questioned the history and they were only labeled variegated. While at ABADS I was told to purchase all the variegated plants that were known and I then started the task to compare them all to Shorty's. Shorty's out grew them all and needed full hot sun to thrive. None of the others had her fragrance either. I did share her with a lady back east and hoped if I lost ours she would be able to replace ours. I was also at Dave's Gardens and shared her with folks that wanted cuttings. I was told not to share her after ABADS found out I was as I didn't know the history. I trade lots of cuttings and after the first year we decided to stop sharing her. I will tell you I did take her down to Terra Nova to have her tissue cultured. She collapsed and they were unable to tissue culture her. I was told she was probably someone tissue culture how she reacted. I have been growing her and another tissue culture from TNN and they have matched in growth and they both throw off about the same sports. They range from Albinos to solids, even the albinos will show green on them. Here is the Shorty's albino for this year:
B. Shorty's is a special plant!! She is hard to start but it can be done.
Thursday, October 4, 2018
2018 B. Shorty's Variegated
Here is B. Shorty's placement in her big pot for the summer months. October 3rd she was removed and placed on the driveway so she can be stripped of her leaves before being placed in the greenhouse for the winter months. She was in full bloom, with 8 seedpods and way to big to go in the Brugmansia house. I had a few other brugmansias that I was going to over winter in the tropical house but they had to be moved so she could go in. We now can say all the Brugmansias are in their winter spots. We now can start the huge cut back of the yard and this weekend if weather permits we will be putting on the tarps for added protection. Right now the fragrance is really strong and so I limit my time in there. More over the winter months.
Datura seeds
I have these Datura seeds and here is what I have:
2007 Datura inoxia, small B pod from a small plant.
2009 Datura ferox
2002 Datura tatula 'La Fleur' Lilac
2009 Datura 'Sugar and Cream' from Europe Pods 1 and 2
2010 Datura that is Wild in the PNW
2007 Datmansia X Reverse Variegated Pod B and C-----Pod A sent to Cheryl
2007 Datmansia X D. MM Pod with dark seeds and the other with lite colored seeds, Pod C & D this seed were huge
2008 Datmansia x Datmansia Pod A normal size, Pod B pale seeds, & Pod C were light colored
2008 Datmansia X open Pollinated Pod A dark seeds, Pod B normal color, & Pod C light colored
2008 Datmansia X open pollinated, darkest seeds off pod D
2009 Datmansia self-pollinated Pod A
2009 Cheryl's project Datmansia X Jamaica Yellow gift pod #2
2009 Cheryl's project Metel cross X her Brug looking Datmansis Pod #1
2010 Datmansia X ferox
2011 Datmansia X Datmansia Pods A and B light color seeds, Pod C normal
2011 Datmansia self-pollinated Pod A and B normal
2011 Datmansia X Shorty's Pod A cream colored, Pod B whitest seeds
We have not saved seeds on any of the pods since 2012 but the plant returns, we just enjoy her. She smells of peanutbutter.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Closing The Gardens For The Winter Months!!
It is that time of the year to put all the plants away. So we are closing the gardens
until next spring.
Come visit us next April 15th when we reopen. Watch for our spring plant sale.
Thank you for your support and we hope everyone enjoyed our gardens this year.
until next spring.
Come visit us next April 15th when we reopen. Watch for our spring plant sale.
Thank you for your support and we hope everyone enjoyed our gardens this year.
Saturday, September 15, 2018
Old Rocker
I found an old rocker a lady on CL was going to toss and thought it would make a great
plant chair. I had the right plant for it!
plant chair. I had the right plant for it!
Sept. 14, 2018
Friday, August 10, 2018
Gardening 101
So you think you want to learn how to garden?
I have been asked many times to start teaching gardening on my blog. Knowledge is the key to having a great garden and every one is different so this is what makes gardening fun! To see what folks select to put in their gardens is what makes life interesting. I tell folks to just drive around and look at the gardens in their area.
I am not a master gardener nor do I have a Horticulture degree. I have a love and passion for nature, I have learned by asking questions, reading books and listening to what nature is telling me. Plants can be forgiving if you notice what they are saying to you. What is your goal for your garden? These are questions you must ask yourself. Do you have time to give to what you grow? Start small and watch your garden grow!! You can do it!!
When folks come to me and ask where to start, I advise them to purchase the Sunset Garden book for their area. It is a great resource for any gardener!! Then there are libraries that have lots of books for one to read and do research. Remember, gardening is about timing and knowing where plants will thrive.
10/5/18, finally rain!! It will be a great day to play in the cyber garden today. At least one won't get wet in here?
Do you know the last and first dates of frost for your area? How about the gardening zone you are in? Do you know your property has many micro climates? A sheltered area can either provide shade or warmth, it depends on the location. It's about education of your own place and what will work best in that spot. Do you know what type of soil and do you know how to test it? Just some of the basic questions a gardener should know. Watering is another important part of growing plants. How much, when and not to over do it. Do you know the signs of over watering or not enough?
Let's talk lawns for a minute here. Is you grass green or do you allow it to go brown in the growing season? Do you mow it once a month? My bet is you just don't care!! It's work, right? NO!! It is important to have it stay green but again I hear it's work. Do you know what it means when your grass is blue in color? That's okay, brown is beautiful, right? With this years heat, why not just allow it to stay brown. The rain will bring it back, right? Think again!! Dandelions are great? NO!! They will spread like wild fire and if you think they only stay in your yard, think again as you have just caused issues for blocks away. How about thistle, you grow it because it's beautiful and I'm betting you think it's worth it. Ask your neighbors what they think of it? This year I can tell you I have dug up more dandelions and thistle than I have the past 30 years of living here. Now I know why folks use chemicals!! One flower bed alone had over 40 of these plants!! Thank you neighbors for being so lazy in caring for your lawns!! But again it's only your property values we are talking about, right??
I was talking to someone that googled our area and they were telling me about all the brown lawns! Yep folks just google or look at the photos online of your property. You are hurting the whole area with your lack of care. Ya never know when photos will be taken. Mother Nature isn't going to help you out either.
As a young child I can remember one valuable lesson. People will talk and if your yard and home isn't a reflection of what you are, you probably don't care about the foot print that you leave on life.
For those that read the Bible, we are the care givers of the world we were placed on, right?? If someone important would knock on your door what would they think of you? I have been told many times it's nice to come to a home that is well taken care of, it does reflect on you! It also tells folks that you care and know how to take care of what you own. So are you being a good neighbor?
Back to gardening and caring for the planet. Another pet peeve I have is those that put plants in that they do not care for or they allow it to cause issues with neighboring properties or even the County or City you live in. Let's talk trees here as that is another topic folks scream about. It's become quite clear that trees have more rights than you might know. Especially here in WA with the Supreme Court ruling, the lack of knowledge of said trees or the placement on one's property. Why do folks think they don't cause issues with adjacent properties when they are stupid and plant them on property lines due to they want to enjoy their property and are told they need to plant trees? Should the laws be looked at and if you allow smaller lots do you honestly think a 80 foot tree is going to work? Where are the roots going? Do you have a septic tank and how smart is it to plant a tree on top of the drain field?? If you plant close to the house how smart is that? Roots will seek out moisture and destroy your foundation. See education is important when planting any thing that grows and one needs to know just how to maintain the said specie of plant. Then there is the weather and knowing how deep the roots go. If you have shallow rooted trees and high winds, don't ya think they will topple over?? Do you know you should prune or wind sail trees to make sure this doesn't happen? But again it's comes back to knowing what you are buying or what is on the property before you move in. Did you know you can do research on any given piece of property?
Which brings me back to knowing the soil conditions and what you are buying. Don't leave it to your neighbors to clean up what your trees leaves. Be a good neighbor and don't hide behind, "Oh I had no clue our trees were an issue." You are responsible for your trees! The county's own website will tell you if you blow your leaves into the street you are littering. Plus if you do nothing to pick them up and allow them to blow all over the neighborhood, are you truly being a good neighbor? Here it's folks just don't care and will tell you Mother Nature will do her thing. It now costs us dearly to do the cleanup as we see them put it into the Stormwater fee. You are also liable if your leaves cause an accident, so think about it.
More to come!! Time to water the greenhouses..........
I have been asked many times to start teaching gardening on my blog. Knowledge is the key to having a great garden and every one is different so this is what makes gardening fun! To see what folks select to put in their gardens is what makes life interesting. I tell folks to just drive around and look at the gardens in their area.
I am not a master gardener nor do I have a Horticulture degree. I have a love and passion for nature, I have learned by asking questions, reading books and listening to what nature is telling me. Plants can be forgiving if you notice what they are saying to you. What is your goal for your garden? These are questions you must ask yourself. Do you have time to give to what you grow? Start small and watch your garden grow!! You can do it!!
When folks come to me and ask where to start, I advise them to purchase the Sunset Garden book for their area. It is a great resource for any gardener!! Then there are libraries that have lots of books for one to read and do research. Remember, gardening is about timing and knowing where plants will thrive.
10/5/18, finally rain!! It will be a great day to play in the cyber garden today. At least one won't get wet in here?
Do you know the last and first dates of frost for your area? How about the gardening zone you are in? Do you know your property has many micro climates? A sheltered area can either provide shade or warmth, it depends on the location. It's about education of your own place and what will work best in that spot. Do you know what type of soil and do you know how to test it? Just some of the basic questions a gardener should know. Watering is another important part of growing plants. How much, when and not to over do it. Do you know the signs of over watering or not enough?
Let's talk lawns for a minute here. Is you grass green or do you allow it to go brown in the growing season? Do you mow it once a month? My bet is you just don't care!! It's work, right? NO!! It is important to have it stay green but again I hear it's work. Do you know what it means when your grass is blue in color? That's okay, brown is beautiful, right? With this years heat, why not just allow it to stay brown. The rain will bring it back, right? Think again!! Dandelions are great? NO!! They will spread like wild fire and if you think they only stay in your yard, think again as you have just caused issues for blocks away. How about thistle, you grow it because it's beautiful and I'm betting you think it's worth it. Ask your neighbors what they think of it? This year I can tell you I have dug up more dandelions and thistle than I have the past 30 years of living here. Now I know why folks use chemicals!! One flower bed alone had over 40 of these plants!! Thank you neighbors for being so lazy in caring for your lawns!! But again it's only your property values we are talking about, right??
I was talking to someone that googled our area and they were telling me about all the brown lawns! Yep folks just google or look at the photos online of your property. You are hurting the whole area with your lack of care. Ya never know when photos will be taken. Mother Nature isn't going to help you out either.
As a young child I can remember one valuable lesson. People will talk and if your yard and home isn't a reflection of what you are, you probably don't care about the foot print that you leave on life.
For those that read the Bible, we are the care givers of the world we were placed on, right?? If someone important would knock on your door what would they think of you? I have been told many times it's nice to come to a home that is well taken care of, it does reflect on you! It also tells folks that you care and know how to take care of what you own. So are you being a good neighbor?
Back to gardening and caring for the planet. Another pet peeve I have is those that put plants in that they do not care for or they allow it to cause issues with neighboring properties or even the County or City you live in. Let's talk trees here as that is another topic folks scream about. It's become quite clear that trees have more rights than you might know. Especially here in WA with the Supreme Court ruling, the lack of knowledge of said trees or the placement on one's property. Why do folks think they don't cause issues with adjacent properties when they are stupid and plant them on property lines due to they want to enjoy their property and are told they need to plant trees? Should the laws be looked at and if you allow smaller lots do you honestly think a 80 foot tree is going to work? Where are the roots going? Do you have a septic tank and how smart is it to plant a tree on top of the drain field?? If you plant close to the house how smart is that? Roots will seek out moisture and destroy your foundation. See education is important when planting any thing that grows and one needs to know just how to maintain the said specie of plant. Then there is the weather and knowing how deep the roots go. If you have shallow rooted trees and high winds, don't ya think they will topple over?? Do you know you should prune or wind sail trees to make sure this doesn't happen? But again it's comes back to knowing what you are buying or what is on the property before you move in. Did you know you can do research on any given piece of property?
Which brings me back to knowing the soil conditions and what you are buying. Don't leave it to your neighbors to clean up what your trees leaves. Be a good neighbor and don't hide behind, "Oh I had no clue our trees were an issue." You are responsible for your trees! The county's own website will tell you if you blow your leaves into the street you are littering. Plus if you do nothing to pick them up and allow them to blow all over the neighborhood, are you truly being a good neighbor? Here it's folks just don't care and will tell you Mother Nature will do her thing. It now costs us dearly to do the cleanup as we see them put it into the Stormwater fee. You are also liable if your leaves cause an accident, so think about it.
More to come!! Time to water the greenhouses..........
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