By Marilyn on Feb 19, 2014 6:22 PM, concerning plant: Greigii Tulip (Tulipa 'Portland') 'Portland' is one of the newer and taller Greigii tulips. It doesn't have the characteristic mottled foliage of most Greigii tulips. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By Marilyn on Feb 19, 2014 4:36 PM, concerning plant: Greigii Tulip (Tulipa 'Longfellow') 'Longfellow' is an unusually tall Greigii tulip. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By Bonehead on Feb 19, 2014 12:14 PM, concerning plant: White Mulberry (Morus alba) The white fruiting mulberry will produce seedless berries without a male tree close by. The berries are edible in either the green or white stage, and they are non-staining. This tree can also be maintained as a shrub because fruits are produced on new growth. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By growitall on Feb 17, 2014 6:51 PM, concerning plant: Rainier Harebell (Campanula raineri) Campanula raineri is native to the Bergamo region in northern Italy and into Switzerland where it inhabits limestone cliffs. The rootstock is woody and it spreads by fine runners. It forms tufts of small, gray, rhomboidal, finely dentate leaves that are stemless or virtually so. Flowering stems are 5 - 7.5 cm tall with narrow, crenate (with rounded teeth)-to-serrate leaves. The flowers are large and mostly solitary and are held upturned; shape varies from campanulate (bell-shaped) with reflexed rounded lobes, to infundibular (funnel-shaped) with pointed lobes; colour ranges from dark to lavender blue, with a dark blue (nearly black) spot at the base of the petals. The plant is deciduous. Grows well in cultivation in limestone substrates and screes. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By growitall on Feb 17, 2014 5:47 PM, concerning plant: Alpine Bellflower (Campanula alpestris) Campanula alpestris is native to the southwestern European Alps in screes and rock crevices at about 1400 to 2800 m elevation; substrates vary in lithology from mica schists and granites to limestone formations. It forms basal rosettes and mats of linear-to-lanceolate, entire, hairy gray leaves. Flower stems are 3 - 10 cm and bear outsized, 3 - 4.5 cm, cylindrical and campanulate bells that are held horizontally; flowers are usually single (occasionally double) and range from slate blue and lavender to purple. It is stoloniferous; not always easy in cultivation. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By growitall on Feb 17, 2014 5:14 PM, concerning plant: Castle Crag's Bellflower (Campanula shetleri) Campanula shetleri is native to California in the Mount Shasta and Trinity Mountains areas, where it is usually found in shaded crevices in north-facing granite cliffs. Leaves are spatulate and serrated and form dense, low rosettes. The woody rhizomes prefer a cool root run. Flowering stems are 5 - 7 cm tall; flowers are small, bowl-shaped and range from white to gray blue to deep blue. It is small enough to be ideally suited to a trough. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By growitall on Feb 17, 2014 5:04 PM, concerning plant: Bellflower (Campanula saxifraga) Campanula saxifraga is native to the northern Caucasus region, where it grows in rocky substrates in the sub-alpine to alpine zones. The root is thick and branched. Leaves are up to 7 cm long, occur in a basal rosette, and are glabrous and lanceolate-to-spatulate. Flower stems are erect and from 5 - 10 cm with linear-lanceolate, sessile leaves to 3 cm. Flowers are campanulate, 2-3 cm long, deep purple-blue, pendant to erect, with a white or light blue base. The plant is deciduous. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By eclayne on Feb 17, 2014 9:15 AM, concerning plant: Voodoo Lily (Sauromatum venosum) This is another easy Aroid to grow and it's readily available. It's always fun waiting for the inflorescence to pop up, a bizarre thing. The spadices I've seen are up to 18 inches long with the spathe not much shorter. The larger the tuber the larger the inflorescence...and leaf, which emerges several weeks later. This is supposed to be a stinker, which I suppose is correct given the number of flies it attracts. So far I've been growing them in dappled to full shade, as the literature suggests, but will try a few in a sunnier location this year. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By NEILMUIR1 on Feb 17, 2014 5:52 AM, concerning plant: Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) An essential culinary herb. Used in egg dishes and with potatoes and salads. Used extensively in Europe for its mild onion flavour. It also dries exceptionally well, with little loss of flavour, for culinary use! Very easy to grow, but must be used and cut a lot for thick, luscious, full-flavoured growth. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By gardengus on Feb 16, 2014 11:25 AM, concerning plant: Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo 'Alexandria') I agree that it's a very nice-looking vegetable, but I have found that the light-skinned zucchini don't seem to keep as long as the deep green type. Maybe a thinner skin? [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By gardengus on Feb 16, 2014 11:20 AM, concerning plant: Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo 'Americana Tonda') Rather unusual looking winter squash/pumpkin, with green and orange stripes and deep ribs. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By Marilyn on Feb 16, 2014 2:50 AM, concerning plant: Darwin Hybrid Tulip (Tulipa 'Orange van Eijk') Another fairly new tulip is 'Orange van Eijk'. A sport of 'Van Eijk" and introduced in 2004. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By Marilyn on Feb 16, 2014 1:13 AM, concerning plant: Tulip (Tulipa 'Mystic van Eijk') This tulip doesn't seem to be widely available to home gardeners through mail order sources, so the ones that are available obviously get scooped up early and quickly. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By Marilyn on Feb 16, 2014 12:11 AM, concerning plant: Tulip (Tulipa 'Lady van Eijk') 'Lady van Eijk' was introduced in 2009, so why doesn't it seem to be widely available?! I don't remember seeing it last year when I was looking at a lot of mail-order websites. I'll have to keep it in mind when ordering tulips. It will be added to my order right away whenever it's available. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By Marilyn on Feb 15, 2014 11:40 PM, concerning plant: Darwin Hybrid Tulip (Tulipa 'Van Eijk') Van Eijk is one that I'd love to grow. Looking at pics of it, I see it's one gorgeous pink! It's been described as a watermelon pink. I'm sure I'd be staring at it and drooling over its beauty the whole time it's in bloom. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By Marilyn on Feb 15, 2014 7:16 PM, concerning plant: Tulip (Tulipa 'Belicia') The more I see and read about this gorgeous tulip, the more I want to grow it in my garden. It's stunning! It starts out as creamy yellow with the reddish pink outline and as the flower matures, it becomes white with the reddish pink outline. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By Marilyn on Feb 14, 2014 8:41 PM, concerning plant: Darwin Hybrid Tulip (Tulipa 'Red Impression') This is an exciting sport of the famous Pink Impression. Well known and a great choice to add as a Darwin Hybrid. Even though I started ordering tulips late last fall, I was able to find 49 to grow. I'm surprised I hadn't grown this beauty before, as it's been out since 1994. Another popular one to add to the spring garden. Can't wait to see the flowers. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By Marilyn on Feb 14, 2014 8:15 PM, concerning plant: Darwin Hybrid Tulip (Tulipa 'Pink Impression') I hadn't grown 'Pink Impression' before, and was thrilled to find a source that wasn't sold out. I added 30 to my order last fall. Not only is it beautiful, it's also very popular, so order early. It will be a standout among the other tulips in my flowerbed. Looking forward to seeing it in bloom this year. I know I'll want to add more after it blooms. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By Marilyn on Feb 14, 2014 6:47 PM, concerning plant: Tulip (Tulipa 'Oxford's Elite') I've planted 'Oxford's Elite' (also sold as Oxford Elite) before. I had picked some up at my local Lowe's sometime within the last 10 years. I don't remember the flowers looking as beautiful as the ones I see in pics of it now. I ordered 50 of them this past fall and I'm so excited to see the blooms this spring. [ | Reply to this comment ] |
By Marilyn on Feb 14, 2014 6:09 PM, concerning plant: Tulip (Tulipa greigii 'Zampa Parrot') Zampa, a Greigii tulip, looks gorgeous! A short, darling little parrot tulip. It has the leaves of a Greigii tulip, so you know that's what it is. I was stunned when I saw pics of the beautiful tulip. I didn't see it offered when I was ordering tulips last fall, but I'll be on the lookout for this gem this year. [ | Reply to this comment ] |