Category Archives: Lantana

June 24, 2012 · 9:01 pm

PRESTO POT UPDATE

You may recall that earlier this spring I made another attempt at figuring out my patio pots.

Years of so so results had left me not at all excited about container gardening.

I’m pleased to report I think I’ve figured it out.

My theory was all wrong.

For years I have planted lots

And I mean lots of small bedding plants.

Petunias, marigolds, petunias…

I always picked a variety in case it was a bad year for a particular plant.

It had worked lots of places that I had lived and gardened.

But for some reason the theory was all wrong here.

I think it’s because the pots are so big

And I couldn’t put anything tall like a topiary basket

in the middle since it would block the view from the breakfast room.

So this year I went for fewer bigger plants.

I mean bigger in every sense of the word.

The plants were bigger when I started

and their grown habit is bigger in the end.

The center is deep red Dipladenia.

Though the one that’s in the sun all day fades a bit.

Both pots had Nierembergia that wintered over.

Mostly purple.

To that I added golden Lantana

and blue Plumbago

Those are the “big” plants.

I did fill in with Gomphrena

Impatients on the shady side

and even a few Petunias.

Initially I left last winter’s lettuce.

Bit by bit it was pulled up and the new plants allowed to fill in.

It was a very good idea.

I never had huge holes

Which made for a smooth transition.

Now chances are that because I have so many plants

that at maturity are big enough to fill the pots on their own.

That they will get way to big in the next month or so.

I’ve come up with what is, for me, a novel solution.

Pruning!

You may realize by now that I have a hard time reigning things in.

Myself included.

So as the Lantana heads across the steps to join hands with its sister in the pot on the other side.

I’m thinking it’s ok to whiddle on it a bit.

We’ll see.

Enjoy the week.

Gail

PRESTO POTS

A few years ago we re-did the back patio.

Lifting all the worn out brick,

Expanding it a bit and

Replacing it with new brick.

At the same time we bought GIANT new pots

Traditional Rolled Rim Italian clay were our choice

Rolled Rim Italian Clay

I think we were on the garden tour that first year.

So I invested in fantastic pink tropical Hibiscus.

Glorious in the green house

Not a bloom on them the weekend of the garden tour!

Thus began my years of problem pots.

I won’t bore you with year by year disaster stories.

Suffice it to say that I’ve had trouble finding the right mix.

Last fall I murdered the mile high purple fountain grass.

Last Year’s Attempt

It was great till it grew so tall I couldn’t see my garden from the breakfast room

And…the wind blew it over onto the flowers.

So out it went.

For lack of a better idea I just planted them to lettuce.

Peg Checking on the Lettuce

Made sense to me.

The pots are close to the kitchen

For easy cutting.

And with the mild winter I had terrific lettuce for months on end.

Now that it’s late spring it’s starting to bolt

And taste a little bitter.

Besides I’m having a luncheon in my garden next week

So I had to do something.

The answer came at my friend Susan’s front door.

Dipladenia Deep Red !

Dipladenia Deep Red

I found it at my favorite local nursery in hanging baskets.

Brought them home and was ready to pull up all the lettuce.

When I stopped.

Let’s try just pulling up only the lettuce I need to make room for the new plants.

Leave the rest for filler.

Great idea.

Along with the Lettuce, Nierembergia survived the winter

And is blooming wildly…more filler.

Winter Survivors: Nierembergia & Lettuce

Next I added True Yellow Lantana, plumbago, Gomphrena, and Purple and White Petunias.

White Cascade Petunia “Short-Term Annual”

I know, I swore off petunias last year.

But they sucked me in so

I did a paradigm shift.

I don’t expect them to survive the whole summer.

I now consider them “short-term annuals”!

Don’t buy very many and tuck them close to something that will live.

And again, I only removed the lettuce that was necessary.

The end result is well, great in my book.

Full & Finished !

The pots look full.

Much fuller than normal for this time of year.

As the plants grow, the lettuce will die.

Nature will take its course.

Love when that happens.

Enjoy the week.

Gail

Saturday Morning Visitor

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Filed under container gardening, Dipladenia, Gardening, Gomphrena, Impatiens, Lantana, Lettuce, Nierembergia, Petunia, Uncategorized

October 7, 2011 · 12:23 pm

LET’S REVIEW

The season is winding down.

You can feel it in the air.

It’s a slow winding but we are definately on the down side.

These endless glorious days

Our reward for the past few months.

So I thought it would be a good time for a little review.

Let’s start with pots.

Mandevilla & Lantana on the back deck

They had a tough summer.

Luckily I decided to plant lantana in many pots

Don’t ask me why

Other than I remember liking a pot of lantana years ago at my friend JB’s house.

It’s the first year I’ve used it in pots.

It loves heat

So it has done very well.

I’ll definately repeat it next year.

But… the variegated purple fountain grass is another story.

It’s simply too big

I mean waaaaaay to big.

So big that it falls over with the slightest wind or rain.

I’d thought I’d dig it up and take it in

I’m more in a “let it die mood” at this point.

Let me know if you want to come and dig it.

I did see a mix of lantana, salvia victoria and penta that was stunning.

I also admired plumbago recently so may mix all that into the pot next spring.

The butterflies and hummingbirds should really like that combination.

Now, remember when I whacked away on the roses on the arbor of the garden house.

I’m pleased to report that the black spot has not returned all summer.

To be fair it could have a lot to do with the severe lack of rain

But I’m hopeful the black spot is truly history.

Maybe it fried along with the rest of us.

And speaking of roses the blue sticky traps seem to have worked.

I’ve enjoyed fully opened gorgeous blooms from the Aloha roses.

The traps are covered with lots of little black things which I’m guessing are the villan thrip.

Then there are the zinnias.

I planted more than I ever had.

Now, I have a ton for the monarchs to feast on as they migrate south.

I am not as crazy about the Thumbelina zinnia that I planted at the front of the bed.

Somehow they are taller than I expected.

The blooms are pretty small for arrangements.

They, too, are blooming wildly, but I think I over did it.

Perhaps if I just don’t plant them as thickly next year it will work better.

Kind of a recurring theme here too much & too tall.

The fall snap pea crop would have to be considered pretty much a failure.

Sorry Peg.

My guess is it was too hot when I planted.

Or maybe that place just wants a rest.

I’m not great at crop rotation.

But I do have lettuce popping up in three different places.

And the cilantro is doing just great.

For the first time I’m growing swiss chard.

Throw in a little of the volunteer arugala

And we’re talking greens!

That’s not a review of the entire season

Just what’s in front of me now.

Frankly, I’m just grateful to have something left to review this year.

But please.

Don’t think of this as a scorecard.

Gardening isn’t a contest.

It’s a journey.

Gail

MYSTERY SOLVED

WHEN LAST WE SPOKE I THOUGHT TWO THINGS

I HAD AN INVASION OF MEXICAN BEEN BEETLES

AND…

I HAD THEM LICKED.

HOW WRONG I WAS

BUT THROUGH THE POWER OF THE BLOGASPHERE

AND A DILLIGENT FELLOW GARDENER

MYSTERY SOLVED!

KRISTINA’S MOTHER MARY IS A GIFTED GARDENER

Mary - Bug Detective

SHE LIVES IN A MUCH COOLER CLIMATE

WITH A SHORTER GROWING SEASON

SO SHE KNOWS HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF THE SEASON

WHEN I SPOKE TO HER THIS WEEK SHE WAS OFF TO PICK BLUEBERRIES

HOW FUN

SHE ALSO VOLUNTEERS AT THE LOCAL EXTENSION OFFICE

ANSWERING QUESTIONS

IDENTIFYING PROBLEMS

THANKFULLY HER CURIOSITY GOT THE BEST OF HER

SHE GOOGLED ONCE AND GOT AN ANSWER

HARLEQUIN BUGS

BINGO

HERE’S THE LINK SHE SENT ME IN CASE YOU HAVE THEM

http://www.growit.umd.edu/PlantandPestProblems/Harlequin%20Bug.cfm

TORRY, NEXT DOOR, IS A LITTLE CONCERNED I’VE CHASED THEM TO HER HOUSE

BASICALLY, UNLESS I WANT TO PULL OUT THE SPRAY GUN

I’VE DONE ABOUT ALL I CAN DO.

KEEP PICKING THEM OFF AND SQUISHING THEM.

IT IS SLOWING REDUCING THE POPULATION.

I’M NOT SURE WHAT BROUGHT THEM MY WAY

I’M GUESSING THE LEAVES THAT I USED AS MULCH

FOR A BIT TOO LONG

BUT NOW I KNOW

THANKS MARY

SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ABOUT KEEPING POTS ALIVE DURING OUR SUMMER FROM @#$%$#@#

BIG POT ON PATIO IS PRETTY HAPPY

SO HERE ARE A FEW SURVIVAL THOUGHTS

IF POSSIBLE MOVE THEM INTO AFTERNOON SHADE

IF THERE ARE SITTING ON CONCRETE TRY TO FIND THEM A MORE HOSPITABLE FOUNDATION

IF YOU CAN’T MOVE THEM INTO SHADE

TRY BRINGING THE SHADE TO THEM

MARKET UMBRELLAS ARE GREAT FOR THIS

MY MARKET UMBRELLA

CLUSTER YOUR POTS TOGETHER

PUT THE UMBRELLA STAND IN THE MIDDLE

AND WHEN YOU STAND THE UMBRELLA UP

YOU HAVE INSTANT SHADE

AND YOU THOUGHT THEY WERE JUST FOR COOK OUTS!

I’M USING MINE TO PROTECT OUR YOUNG DOGWOOD TREES.

WE PLANTED THEM AS UNDERSTORY TREES.

LAST FALL THE UTILITY COMPANY CAME THROUGH AND TRIMMED AWAY THE “UPPER STORY” SHADE

MARKET UMBRELLA PROVIDING DOGWOODS SHADE

SO THE GREAT THING ABOUT MARKET UMBRELLAS WITH STANDS IS THEIR PORTABILITY.

LOOK AROUND AND SEE WHAT IN YOUR YARD MIGHT LIKE A LITTLE AFTERNOON BREAK.

THE OTHER THING YOU CAN DO FOR POTS IS TO ADD MOISTURE RETENTION GRANULES.

I KNOW – IT’S BEST DONE BACK IN THE SPRING

BEFORE YOU PLANTED THEM

BUT IN CASE YOU FORGOT

OR THOUGHT YOU WERE LIVING ON CAPE COD

YOU CAN STILL ADD THEM

TAKE A SCREW DRIVER OR PENCIL AND MAKE A DEEP HOLE

FILL THE HOLE WITH THE GRANULES

AND WATER

THEY WILL SWELL UP AND HELP TO KEEP THE SOIL MOIST

YOU CAN DO THIS SEVERAL TIMES

DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE POT

AFTER YEARS OF TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT PLANTS FOR MY BIG POTS

I THINK I’VE FINALLY FIGURED THEM OUT

THE VARIEGATED PURPLE FOUNTAIN GRASS IS GREAT IN THE CENTER OF THE POT

HAPPY VARIEGETED PURPLE FOUNTAIN GRASS

GOOD HEIGHT AND IT CAN TAKE THE HEAT

SEEMS TO THRIVE ON IT

YELLOW LANTANA INTER-PLANTED WITH PURPLE NIEREMBERGIA

GOLDEN LANTANA AND PURPLE NIEREMBERGIA DRAPING OVER THE EDGE

IS HAPPY ALONG THE EDGES

THIS, OF COURSE, MEANS I’M DONE WITH PETUNIAS

I KNOW – IT’S HARSH

BUT REALLY…

THEY BUILD YOU UP IN SPRING

JUST TO DIE

AND LET YOU DOWN COME JULY

HELP ME REMEMBER

I’VE SWORN OFF PETUNIAS

FOREVER

PROBABLY

STAY COOL AND ENJOY

GAIL

HERE ARE A FEW FLOWERS THAT SEEM TO THRIVE ON SUNSHINE.

TALL GARDEN PHLOX AND GLORIOSA DAISIES

THE SEASON'S FIRST SUNFLOWER