Messages

271

Pond Chat / Today's blooms

« on: May 22, 2010, 09:17:15 AM »

My Walmart purchase from 2 summers ago - lost the name


First Sioux flower of the year just opening - it's pretty small?

272

Pond Chat / Re: Around the pond and yard. Photo Intense....

« on: May 22, 2010, 07:31:01 AM »

Everything is so lush and beautiful!!!

What is the chartreuse plant in the 6th picture?

273

Aquatic and Terrestrial Plant Exchange / Re: Wanted Dwarf Umbrella Palm

« on: May 21, 2010, 06:27:38 AM »

I also grew 2 of these plants last year in the pond - they got to be a very nice size.  I put them in the bottom of my pond for winter - we had a heater in it for months - everything else survived except for the dwarf papyrus.

I had taken 2 cuttings - only 1 hung on for a little while but it has stopped growing.  A shame, as it is VERY easy to root them, and I had a few smaller plants going on my deck as well from the original ones.  The nursery where I had purchased them last year didn't get them in until August - pretty late to first start plants here in zone 6.

274

Pond Chat / Re: Container pond fun, how's yours

« on: May 21, 2010, 06:04:12 AM »

Thanks so much, Junie!

Here is a thread I found that I posted last August.  Of course the plants haven't filled in as much this year yet, but they are definitely on their way.  As a matter of fact, all of my plants are way ahead of schedule this year what with the very warm February, and the wettest March on record here.

http://www.americanponders.com/forum/index.php?topic=9947.msg103835#msg103835

275

Pond Chat / Re: Photos of the yard

« on: May 20, 2010, 09:25:19 PM »

Very nice pictures of some very pretty flowers and an adorable little girl!

Do you have any pictures of your entire pond?

276

Pond Chat / Re: Container pond fun, how's yours

« on: May 20, 2010, 09:21:26 PM »

Wow great shot and awesome pond!! Would love to see whole pond if I've missed the thread... That's a good size plant bet you'll see blooms within a week or two, the flowering stalk emerges from the stalk of another leaf so if you notice any fatter stems it won't be long before the flower shoots up

Thanks Michelle!  I am a bit concerned - a few of the "fans" of the plant had the center leaf stalk bent and those leaves died so I cut them back - I'm hoping I will still see more new growth from those centers?  I left as much as I could when I cut the bent parts off.

I have posted my pond pictures before - I'll do a search tomorrow when I can see more clearly - it's past my bedtime now - 12:25a.m. EST.

277

Pond Chat / Re: Container pond fun, how's yours

« on: May 20, 2010, 08:52:15 PM »

Ok - here are a few pictures of my new purple pickerel - I had to wait for the sun to go down a bit because there is so much glare on the pond in full sun all day long.

278

Pond Chat / Re: Container pond fun, how's yours

« on: May 20, 2010, 10:09:00 AM »

My pickerel is pretty small still though I did buy the one with the most fans on it.  I will get a picture when I go outside today.

279

Pond Chat / Re: Container pond fun, how's yours

« on: May 20, 2010, 09:53:38 AM »

That's great, Michelle!  So glad you will be able to help Junie!

Tell me - about your pickerel - did it bloom all summer?  I just bought some about 2 weeks ago and the nursery told me it would - when can I hope for the blooming to start?

280

Pond Chat / Re: Ariel pond view.

« on: May 20, 2010, 09:27:48 AM »

I do I do - I see it!  Very nice looking pond you have there, Jerry!

281

Pond Chat / Re: Container pond fun, how's yours

« on: May 20, 2010, 09:24:42 AM »

Hiya Junie!!!  So glad to see you posting about your container pond here!    
It looks like it's off to a great start - everything looks nice and healthy.
I really like the way the blue eyed grass looks - can't wait to see when it's in bloom, as well as your lily. 

Esther is so right - once you've been bitten, you'll keep wanting your ponding experience to expand larger and larger!

282

Chit Chat / Re: We had a little rain tonight

« on: May 18, 2010, 05:42:27 AM »

That had to have been scary!   I can't imagine that much water pouring into my house - sorry you had to deal with that.

283

Pond Chat / Re: The first water lily bloom is...

« on: May 18, 2010, 05:31:32 AM »

We gave in and got a UV filter last summer - it has made a world of difference in the water clarity!

284

Pond Chat / The first water lily bloom is...

« on: May 17, 2010, 08:16:55 PM »

always so exciting!

This is the first to bloom this year.  Now that we have the pond running more smoothly than the first 2 years, I am rewarded with lots of buds rising to the surface much earlier than last year when the water was pea soup for so long.

285

Pond Chat / Re: Bird of Paradise?

« on: May 17, 2010, 07:27:13 PM »

Lynne, I don't think it is going to be happy in your pond.....

Well I'm going to keep a positive attitude and see what happens.   Day 3 of being there and all is well.


Great story, Joyce!  I was afraid that you were going to say that when you pulled the flower stalk down it snapped off!

286

Pond Chat / Re: Bird of Paradise?

« on: May 16, 2010, 05:40:28 PM »

Very pretty plant, Jerry!  I wish it was tropical enough here to grow them in the ground year round!

The reason I put it here and not in terrestrial plants, is that I was asking about growing it in the pond.  I potted it up yesterday and put it on a shelf in the pond - so far, so good.  Hopefully it will bloom with more direct sun now.

287

Pond Chat / Re: Forum Restored

« on: May 16, 2010, 05:33:49 PM »

Thanks so much, Sean!

288

Pond Chat / Re: Bird of Paradise?

« on: May 13, 2010, 08:49:00 AM »

 


 

289

Pond Chat / Re: Bird of Paradise?

« on: May 13, 2010, 07:41:39 AM »

Thanks for sharing the pictures, Mikey!  That is HUGE!

I don't think I'll have the problem of it getting too large, since our outdoor growing season is only about 4 months here.  It will be a nice experiment - I will take before and after pics this summer.


Jerry - "one"?

290

Pond Chat / Re: Bird of Paradise?

« on: May 12, 2010, 07:47:35 PM »

Thanks for the great info, Joyce!  I will put it in a large pot near the pond then.

Welcome back!

291

Pond Chat / Re: Bird of Paradise?

« on: May 12, 2010, 06:38:45 PM »

Interesting plant, Jonna.  But I knew mine was a regular BOP from the leaves - they have the same long leaves as the other colors of BOP.

Can't wait to see your pictures, Jerry.

292

Pond Chat / Re: Bird of Paradise?

« on: May 12, 2010, 05:15:05 PM »

I also saw a shrub plant, but there is also a regular BOP yellow flowering plant.  Here are some links...

http://gardening.about.com/od/whatsnewinthegarden/ig/New-Flowers---Plants---Seeds/Strelitzia--Mandela-s-Gold-.htm

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/mrcwoodsman/2/1269390067/yellow-bird-of-paradise.jpg/tpod.html

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1147781300056084243DFepPy

http://www.tmseeds.com/product/Bird_of_Paradise_Collection/Versatile_Strelitzia_Seeds

Convinced yet?

293

Pond Chat / Re: Bird of Paradise?

« on: May 12, 2010, 02:00:36 PM »

I bet yours is a white BOP...they are supposed to get HUGE...Lawanna

I'm just curious why you would think that mine is white?  Not trying to start anything here really, but both tags in both plants (sold a year apart) said they were yellow, and had pictures of the blooms on them - of yellow flowers.  When I do a google search I come up with lots of images of yellow BOP, so why is everyone having a hard time believing that they are yellow I wonder?

I can't find the tags right now, or I'd take a picture and post them.  I can tell you that the reason I bought them is that I LOVE yellow flowers.

I think when the weather warms up again - we are having very cold temps. and rain this week, I will pot the smaller one up and put it in the pond and see what it does.

294

Pond Chat / Re: Bird of Paradise?

« on: May 11, 2010, 05:35:28 PM »

Interesting - I hope it doesn't take 7 years - again... I've read on a few sites that they are supposed to bloom when they get 10 or more leaves.  Hmmmm?


IKEA gets in some very nice and healthy plants from time to time, and their prices are usually very good.  I'm thinking it's more my northern location that is preventing the blooms, which is why I wonder if more direct sun might do the trick.

295

Pond Chat / Bird of Paradise?

« on: May 11, 2010, 01:17:57 PM »

About 4 years ago, I bought a plant at IKEA that was labeled "Yellow Bird of Paradise".  It has grown well in my kitchen but hasn't flowered yet.  I had read that they don't flower until the plant gets 10 leaves - it has more than that.  A year later, I bought another one at IKEA - I do like the foliage, so I figured IF I get any flowers that would be an awesome bonus!

I was wondering if anyone has grown these plants IN your ponds?  The leaves are similar to the pickerel I just bought - fleshy and shiny, so I was wondering if it could be grown in my pond in full sun?  Would that encourage it to bloom?

296

Pond Chat / Re: Just what you wanted to see

« on: May 10, 2010, 08:54:09 AM »

I love seeing your pond esther!  Its beautiful.  I wish people would post pictures daily of their ponds, I think that is part of the allure to the forums.  When I was first starting to build my pond, I searched for sites with photos to look at and the ones that had them is where I stayed.  KEEP A POSTING THEM
tink

I agree - I love seeing others' ponds and getting ideas from their wonderful creations!

Your set-up is so clean and pretty, Esther!  Can't wait to see more pictures as the season progresses!

297

Chit Chat / Re: credit car fraud!!!

« on: May 07, 2010, 08:05:49 PM »

We can't be absolutely sure it was compromised at Home Depot, but that was the only place he used it the day before it was compromised.  However... it could have happened days or weeks before and the thief decided to try it that day.

Here's another situation that bothers me - I recently called our health insurance provider about ordering prescriptions through them - turns out that I would get 3 months for the price of 2 for one of mine.  BUT... they want me to send a letter with the prescription and include in the letter, my name, address, social security number, phone number, birthdate - WTF???   I am soooooooooooo NOT sending all that information in one letter through the US postal service!!!  I asked if I could fax the info and they said no - my dr's office would have to fax it and include all that info as well.  Well I don't got back to my dr. for 2 weeks, but I will see if they will take the time to do that for me while I am standing there.  I felt like saying tO the insurance rep - are you kidding me?!?!?!?  Send all that in the mail - I DON'T THINK SO!!!

298

Pond Chat / Re: My pond

« on: May 07, 2010, 06:38:44 AM »

I didn't know that toads excrete something that kill the fish?  That's not good at all!

That said... last year we had so many frogs calling out to each other at our pond during the mating season, we couldn't hear ourselves think!  For such teensy creatures they surely make a racket!    I've only heard 1 so far this year - I don't mind them, but that noise was incredible!

299

Pond Chat / Re: Pond coming alive...

« on: May 07, 2010, 06:32:43 AM »

LynneNY may the plant you are reffering to is pontedeira..it also appears in the las pic..those are 2 pontedeiras...

Howell - I've not heard of that plant, and a google search doesn't bring anything up - might there be another name for it?

From searching pontederia is pickerel so I think he's not seeing the one you mean. Edit ... Ooops, he posted as I was typing this. LOL

If it's the one I think you mean .... you can also see it in the 5th pic, top right corner .... it almost looks like water primrose to me but probably isn't.

This is all so funny and getting confusing!  The funny thing is... I just bought a pickerel 2 days ago!  And yes, I was asking about the other plant - the one that looks like it vines?  I just looked it up and it is pennywort.  Thanks everyone!

300

Pond Chat / Re: Pond coming alive...

« on: May 06, 2010, 08:10:30 PM »

LynneNY may the plant you are reffering to is pontedeira..it also appears in the las pic..those are 2 pontedeiras...

Howell - I've not heard of that plant, and a google search doesn't bring anything up - might there be another name for it?