Messages

961

Pond Chat / Re: request for kat

« on: August 16, 2008, 04:09:28 PM »

Kat,  how many years span did it take to build all those ponds? 

962

Pond Chat / Re: Sophie by the pond.

« on: August 16, 2008, 03:59:19 PM »

Caught red handed!  (or red tongued)

963

Pond Chat / Re: new to forum

« on: August 16, 2008, 03:24:31 PM »

 

964

Terrestrial Gardening / Re: Hens & Chickens almost covered

« on: August 16, 2008, 10:34:29 AM »

Thanks Jerry, I haven't seen one since I was a kid, but there is something in my memory about my father being particulary excited whenever they flowered.  I'd like to see it from the perspective as an "adult" now.   

965

Chit Chat / Re: My Humkids made it alive!!! Updated July - Face to Face!!

« on: August 16, 2008, 09:32:31 AM »

Annette,

  I just found this post and read it start to finish.  Lucky you!  I have never even seen a hummingbird and was doing a hummingbird search on this forum for a receipe for the birdfeeder that I just bought when I found your post.  I was very excited about the pictures    Thanks for sharing.  Hope this thread will be archived for a long time. 

  What do you use in your birdfeeder when you put it up?  I guess I missed the season but I'd like to be prepared for next year.  I am guessing the season is from Feb to March around here in central Florida.

966

Terrestrial Gardening / Re: Gardening Quiz

« on: August 16, 2008, 04:45:48 AM »

How about adding:

35) Dream about plants in color for days in a row?
36) Requested an American Ponders T-Shirt as anniversary gift? 

967

Terrestrial Gardening / Re: Hens & Chickens almost covered

« on: August 16, 2008, 04:35:25 AM »

My father use to grow those when I was a kid, they are a neat plant.  He would grow them between rock crevices and they would spread all over!  When they are mature enough they send up a stalk with a flower on it.  Don't remember if it was always one color or not, but that it was an interesting flower. 

Side note:  Much like aloe plant....it too sends up a stalk with flower but its a spiral shaped flower bunch that is orange

If your Hens and Chicks puts up any flowers could you please post a pic of the flowers Jerry? 

968

Pond Chat / Re: Another Pink Ribbon Popped Open...

« on: August 15, 2008, 08:33:36 PM »

Joyce,

  Do you grow your lilies in that barrel first and then put them in that big pond of yours?  What decides if you grow them in the barrel vs put them straight into the pond?

 

969

Terrestrial Gardening / Re: Chinese Peony

« on: August 15, 2008, 06:42:41 PM »

"warm weather" peonies, now that could be interesting.  But I am with you Mikey on not wanting to spend the $30 to test them. 

970

Pond Chat / Re: Pink Ribbon and friend

« on: August 15, 2008, 03:01:54 PM »

COOOOOOL !   

971

Terrestrial Gardening / Re: Chinese Peony

« on: August 15, 2008, 02:46:21 PM »

Thanks Annette,
  I am undecided about growing the Chinese Peony down here.  I went to one of the online peony retailers recommended on Dave's Garden web site, and in their home page it said that they were hardy from zone 2 to 8.  That makes me think that even if I bought tubers from them, I might just get a mass of green foliage and a chance flower or two.  They said that the peony needs a dormant season to bloom and thrive.....rats!....

972

Terrestrial Gardening / Re: Chinese Peony

« on: August 15, 2008, 09:00:08 AM »

Cool pics!  I've always wanted a peony tree.  Apparently they are very hard to grow (they say that about lotus plants too), but if you can get it going its like an English rose bush that can grow for decades!  I mail ordered a bare root Red Peony a few years back.  It didn't survive in the container I planted it in.  I figured I would use a container until it was strong enough to transplant into the ground and survive the first winter and the harsh summers we get here in Florida.  Then I got to thinking that maybe they need a cold spell to bloom well...probably depends on the variety.  I checked out some Red ones on DavesGardens online plant encyclopedia, and found that they were hardy to about zone 9a, so I was wondering if its too warm here for them.  Normally an expensive plant I didn't reorder to try again. 

973

Terrestrial Gardening / Chinese Peony

« on: August 15, 2008, 04:37:21 AM »

Has anyone tried growing Chinese Peonies?  What was your experience?  Can they be grown in zone 9b or 10a with success?

974

Pond Chat / Re: Overwintering Options for Tropicals ? ?

« on: August 15, 2008, 04:34:11 AM »

I too am curious to hear the answer.  I just got my first tropical Blink from Tranquility and was wondering if I could just leave it in my small pond/tub for the winter.  I am in Florida which can range from zone 9a in the north part, to 10 something in the south part.  I think I am either in zone 9b or 10a.  (Depends on what book I am consulting). 

Incidentally, how deep does the pond need to be at a minimun to overwinter it as long as the water doesn't freeze (which it doesn't in FL)? 

975

Terrestrial Gardening / Re: Stargazing, One, Two Three....

« on: August 15, 2008, 04:19:17 AM »

Annette,

  Can you tell me when to look for the Stargazer bulbs in the store?  I think I will try it again next year.  I have tried planting them in the shade but they didn't take, probably didn't water them enough.  Then I tried to plant them in full sun but the flowers burnt in the heat.  So, I'm thinking they do better in partial shade and I have to be better about the watering as they are not quite maintenance free like some of my other plants. 

976

Wakin, Shubunkins and Goldfish... / Re: Baby GFs!

« on: August 14, 2008, 05:21:50 PM »

Can you get pics? 

977

Chit Chat / Re: Packing for Alaska...

« on: August 14, 2008, 05:13:01 PM »

Nice family pic 

978

Aquatic and Terrestrial Plant Exchange / Re: Lanai Plumeria (Frangipani)

« on: August 14, 2008, 04:58:56 PM »

Tami,

  How is growing the seedling different from say growing a cutting of a branch?  I am familiar with growing it from a dried cutting; just put it in the sand and keep moist.  Is the seedling from the seedpods that they grow?  I've seen the seedpods but never tried to grow one from seed.  I have some white plumeria seeds (from the seedpod) if you are interested in an exchange. 

   Here's what the parent plant looks like:

PS:  If your seedling is a little large, I'd be glad to pay the postage to ship it safely. 

979

Chit Chat / Re: What a day, can it get any worse? Got locked out of my house

« on: August 14, 2008, 10:58:22 AM »

Green Thumbnail - where do you live?  You don't have neighbors??

They all work during the day....nobody home. 

980

Pond Chat / Re: First Lily Bud?

« on: August 14, 2008, 08:42:14 AM »

Yay! 

It finally bloomed today.  The bud hit the surface yesterday, and it opened to my surprise today.  It took a total of 10 days to bloom from the first sighting of a "turtle head" at the base of the crown.

981

Terrestrial Gardening / Re: Stargazing, One, Two Three....

« on: August 13, 2008, 07:18:51 PM »

Stargazer Lillies are my favorite flower.  You have to watch out for those powdery puffs though...they stain your clothes pretty bad.  I bought a 5 gallon size of them last year but they failed to come back after the winter.  Of course I have a problem with squirrels constantly digging up my tubers and bulbs to eat them.  They also pick my hibiscus flowers and leaves to munch on, and the bottlebrush flowers to drink the nector off of.  They sure are pesky critters.  Hopefully they will not attack water plants.

982

Pond Chat / Re: Lotus, Lilies, Pods and more!

« on: August 13, 2008, 06:50:03 PM »

Lovely!  Is the first pic a Chawan Basu Lotus?

983

Chit Chat / Re: Tee shirts are here

« on: August 13, 2008, 06:44:52 PM »

here is the lovely Francesca modeling one.
Click on the link and you too can be an owner of an AP tee. Art work by joyce

Ah...where is the link Jerry?

984

Chit Chat / Re: What a day, can it get any worse? Got locked out of my house

« on: August 13, 2008, 06:42:11 PM »

I have done this twice.  I use to think "how do people lock themselves out of their house or car?"  Until last year it happened to me for the first time.  Locked myself out of my house and car and was stuck in the sweltering hot garage!  Called in to work that I would be late as I had to wait for my better half to leave work, after just getting there, and let me into the house.  Second time was just this last month.  Again locked out of house and car...and no spouse to the rescue.  I tried to break into my own home....only succeeded in denting the doorknob out of shape, and almost knocking off my thumb.  Called into work to say that I could not make it at all that day, and spent the rest of the day out in the sweltering heat and drinking water from the garden hose!

Made spare keys after that...not something I want to repeat. 

985

Chit Chat / Re: Packing for Alaska...

« on: August 13, 2008, 10:26:30 AM »

What in your opinion is the best time to go visit Alaska to explore the wilderness and hike the mountians?  Someone once told me that the mosquitos were "super aggressive and huge" i.e. they chased their target (although they kind of do that here in Fl too, but they are not huge).  Are you seeing any up there now?

986

Chit Chat / Re: We set a record today for most on line

« on: August 13, 2008, 10:21:23 AM »

That record is only how many people are on line at the same time, we have many more who visit the site daily and multiple visits are not recorded. This time of year we have approximately 140 - 150 individual people visiting the site per day and many who return several times per day. If each hit was calculated we would show thousands of hits per day, this does however include spiders that crawl the site and update the various search engines with information that we all post.

Cheers,
Sean

So that's what a SPIDER is...I always wondered what that was.  But why would there be something like 20 spiders or so?  Are there truly that many search engines?

987

Pond Chat / Re: new ponder

« on: August 13, 2008, 04:59:13 AM »

  I am new to ponding too.  I originally stocked my small pond/tub with plants that I bought online from online ponding retailers since I did not have any local nurseries near me that sold aquatic plants.  I later discovered this great site from a link mentioned by possibly another member answering questions on another site.  Since arriving here I have learned many a great thing about ponding and also discovered a  lot of members that offer their plants for sale , trade, or postage.  If you regularly stroll throught the plant exchange forum you can often pick up some great deals!  Or, if you don't want to wait and want some plants NOW go to my thread in the plant exchange forum called " general inquiry to lotus and water lily sellers".  There you will see the website links to some of the member sellers here who have websites for you to look at plants and buy if you so wish.  Hope you have fun, I sure did!

988

Photo Album / Re: Weekend Project

« on: August 10, 2008, 07:51:36 PM »

Iriscottage,

  I sent you a PM....

989

Photo Album / Re: Weekend Project

« on: August 10, 2008, 04:57:09 PM »

I know...I think about all the flowers and trees I have planted here and the thought of leaving them all behind and starting over is hard.
There was nothing here when we moved here four years ago. Not to mention the $ spent.
When we go, I will take starts of many plants and a few things like the hibiscus & peonies that were stars from my mothers bushes and my snowball bush from my grandmothers bush. This was a bush she has when I was a child, so it is 40+ years olf and my dad took a cutting off of it and it grew in sand in back bed for probably 7-8 years and never got very big, it was a mere sapling...poor conditiions probably. But in one year at my place, it big and gorgeous when it blooms.

[img width= height=]http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j163/iriscottage1/008-4.jpg[/img]

Wow, your snowball shrub is doing great.  Maybe if it gets any stray "shrublings" you could send one my way?  I lost my snowball shrub start (it was a mail order plant), never got started.  I would be glad to pay the postage. 

990

Photo Album / Re: Michigan pond 2008

« on: August 10, 2008, 12:42:02 PM »

Very peaceful....I like the flagstone perimeter around the pond and the flat steps the water rolls off before falling into the pond below.