Fall Plantings 2020

 No daffodils this year.  There are four tulips and a bonus Lily from Brent and Becky's.  Tulips are:

Foxtrot Potted up for porch bloom.  Tulip Foxtrot is a double, early spring blooming tulip bulb that has several different shades of rose color that will blend with many other bulbs and perennials in your garden. Like all tulipa, tulip bulbs are from the Liliaceae family. Tulip Foxtrot is excellent for forcing and has flowers that are long lasting. This fall planted tulip bulb requires full sun and average soil. Tulip Foxtrot blooms 10"-12" tall and is good for winter hardiness zones 3-8.  Potted on the screened porch this performed very well April 2021.

 

Virichic 

Virichic - bright and bold, this tulip with lily-shaped petals, the exciting coloration of a typical viridiflora tulip, and great substance make it a real winner and 'very chic'! 12"-16".

Caribbean Parrot This looks like a luscious flower that is grown in the tropics! It's variable as its color changes intensity as it matures, has amazing substance and strong stemmed! This is a real winner! 14”-18”.

Avignon Parrot Avignon Parrot - rich blend of warm, happy orange tones draws much attention; strong stems; amazing in arrangements; 16"-20"; late spring.

Lilium Forever Susan Forever Susan - (Asiatic) an eye-catching flower in perfect Virginia Tech colors of burgundy and orange and a great performer to boot.  Gift to Jake.

 

End of Spring Plantings

Last weekend, the Canna lilies in the ceramic pot at the end of the driveway were emerging.  I planted four caladiums (Summer Breeze I think) in an apparently empty spot in the pot.  Added two new African daisiesfrom E&T  to the planter which hosted four from last year, beginning to look alive after a winter inside.  Four red annual dahlias were planted at the foot of the heron statue by the front door.  I planted eight of the Iron Cross oxalis from Brent and Becky in the cement urn which has catmint in it.  The urn really needs to have its soil refreshed next spring or in the autumn.

I added three lantana this weekend to the heron garden--one yellow, one orange and one pink/red combo.  I also planted two of the Iron cross oxalis Brent and Becky had sent as a freebie in the front.   In a semicircle around the heron behind and to its sided I planted Apple Blossom caladium, which I think will show better than the dull red Burning Heart caladiums I put there last year.

In the hanging basket with the Begonia bolviensis the new caladiums Candidum Sr are beginning to come up.

The potted Laosy Colocasia has four leaves now, one beginning to fade.  Junior still only two.

November 21 assessment:  Laosy at Darby's.  Not looking great...

Cannas all moved to garage for winter.  Dahlias has occasional blooms, not real successful.  Iron cross oxalis were great but deer ate them quickly.  The Begonia bloomed for a while but lookedsad most of the time.  Put its hanging basket pot in garage on jetski.  Lantana still green today.  Apple blossom did work well, but now caput. 

Repotting

11 April 2020
Planted Begonia bolviensis and Caladium in a hanging pot and put in orchid area to keep them warm as they begin.

Synandrospadix vermitoxicus was sending up a leaf (r)
.  I had not repotted it since I got it as a young plant that Fred Schwab had raised from seed.  It looked good, sending out lots of healthy looking roots.  There was a second corm (left) just detached from the first, still not sending out roots, so I potted it up separatedly.  For the mix I used the Froggy soil from Fifth season with about a third Scott's manure plus humus, and a bit of the old soil. 

second corm

Both

Original

23 March  Began planting 10 April.

Begonia Boliviensis  'Bertini'          5.750 

Begonia boliviensis 'Bertini' has cascading reddish orange blossoms against serrated dark green leaves; wintered over in our winter hardiness zone 7 in a protected, well drained spot; 20/24cm; 18"-24"; winter hardiness zone 8-11.

This is a beautiful, exciting group of plants that provide terrific color all summer.  The ones we have chosen to offer perform very well - even in our hot, humid summer where other begonias wilt and suffer.

 Begonia crispa  marginata  5@2.000      10.00
                           

Begonia crispa marginata has unique crimson edged flowers with white to yellow interiors; 5/+cm; 8"-12"; best in part shade; winter hardiness zone 10-11.

This is a beautiful, exciting group of plants that provide terrific color all summer.  The ones we have chosen to offer perform very well - even in our hot, humid summer where other begonias wilt and suffer.

 Caladium 'Candidum Sr.'   5@    2.850      14.25
large white leaves with green veins; medium tall; adds light to a shady garden; 10"-18"; whz 10-11.

Spectacular, colorful South American native, suitable for full shade, but also performs very satisfactorily with a constant, TINY bit of drip irrigation in our full-sun garden (zone 7, Tidewater Virginia). New hybrids (Florida series) are being bred with more substance and thicker leaves to help withstand the hot summer sun so they can ultimately be planted anywhere! We've also found that the leaves work remarkably well as filler material in flower arrangements and make a right proper 'cut and come again' plant. The only finicky thing about them is that they HATE being planted in cool soil, but should be planted right away when you receive them. So you need to start them inside in 2"-3" pots, giving them bottom heat. Once the ground warms up to ~65°-70°F at a depth of ~4", it's a good time to plant them outside. Gives lasting color ALL summer everywhere and is less expensive per sq. ft. than many annuals! All caladiums make excellent container plants by themselves or in combination with annuals, perennials or other bulbs. Sizes of leaves vary depending on cultivar. These tubers are from tissue culture stock so they should be more vigorous and give superior performance. Top sized #1 tubers are about 1 1/2" - 2 1/2" in diameter; plant 1 per sq. ft.; overwinters in whz 10-11; super summertime performer in any area that has summer heat; leaf color can vary depending on climate.

     Caladium 'Apple   Blossom'            2.850      14.25

 Caladium Apple Blossom - lots of bright pinks, reds and greens decorate the leaves of this fabulous caladium; this one caught much attention in our summer trials! 8"-16"; winter hardiness zone 10-11.

Caladium 'Summer  Breeze'            2.850      14.25

 - pale green with vibrant pink mid veins; an alternative for 'White Queen'; 18"-24"; whz 10-11.
                

          
    Caladium 'Party Punch'        3.100      15.50
Caladium Party Punch has a bright pink background with dark pink veins and green margins; striking! 10"-16"; winter hardiness zone 10-11.                                     

Pantops Spring 2020

From Plant Delights 8 March: Primula 'Belarina Lively Lilac' is another in the superb English Kerley strain of winter and summer hardy primroses. The 7" tall x 1' wide rosettes of green leaves emerge in winter, and are topped, starting for us in late March with impressive clusters of amethyst flowers, each with white eye zone. Average to slightly dry woodland soils are best. You'll love tucking these around the woodland garden for an amazing spring show.

Arisaema fargesii Arisaema fargesii is a Chinese cobra lily, discovered by French plant explorer Pere Farges in the early 1900s, that has turned out to be one of the easiest to grow and most spectacular arisaema species in our collection. In late spring the giant, glossy green, trifoliate leaves (similar to Arisaema candidissimum) emerge from the nicely offsetting tubers. Alongside the leaves emerge the flower stalks, each topped with a large wine-red pitcher with dramatic white striping. The tip of the pitcher ends in a narrow, congested, alien-like red thread. From inside the inflorescence of Arisaema fargesii emerges the spadix, resembling a tiny red lizard peeking out of the pitcher...an absolutely stunning aroid! Did not overwinter.

We spotted this amazing form of Arum concinnatum in 2010, near the Crete town of Omalos at 2,915' elevation. The heavy silver spotting on the dark green leaf is something we rarely see in this typically green species. The 10" long x 5" wide foliage emerges in November (NC), and remains looking great until it flowers and goes dormant in mid-spring. The green spathe and spadix adorn the clump for us in mid-April. It's taken a while to bulk up enough to offer, so this will probably be it for a while...if it sells well.

Our 2015 Plant Delights Nursery introduction is another in the line of giant forms of Leucocasia (formerly Colocasia) gigantea, this seed strain from a 2011 Alan Galloway collection from Laos. Leucocasia gigantea 'Laosy Giant' forms giant upright leaves that are one third larger than Leucocasia gigantea 'Thailand Giant', although the overall clump size is about the same. The clumps are adorned in late summer with amazing clusters of pure white flowers.  Zones: 8a to 11

Dormancy: Winter

Height: 108" tall

Culture: Sun to Part Sun

Origin: Laos