updates on the patio garden

Here are some July updates.

After almost losing my deep, dark red Plumeria this winter, I've been pleasantly surprised with its growth. Here is a reminder of what it looked like after I chopped off the top.

And here is what it looks like today! It has three branch tips, although only two are actively growing. I need to start fertilizing it so that it might bloom next year.

Here is a succulent I ordered off of Etsy. I think it's Senecio mandraliscae. I like its cool, chalky blue color

Next is one of my most prized plants that I almost killed when it didn't get any water while I was on my cruise. It's Quisqualis indica - google it. BEAUTIFUL flowers

This plant is really neat, I'll be sure to take pictures of its flowers once it blooms. It's Snail Vine, Vigna caracalla.

Two new additions, boxwood basil (front) and lemongrass (back)

Unknown gladiolus. Beautiful peach color

Purple basil. Most recently used in a delicious pesto I made last night :-)

Ornamental Black Pepper. you do not want to eat one of these. Here are the leaves.

Windowbox planter. From left, Shasta Daisy, petunia, some type of chrysanthemum

First post of 2010 - my Scott Pratt plumeria is not dead!

It's been a pretty uneventful spring, flower-wise. I moved to Houston last June and have been working on my patio garden. I just now have anything to blog about! I had a TON of seeds left over from my 2008-2009 seed-buying spree. I was starting to get a little anxious that some of the ones I'd never germinated would no longer be viable, so I planted about 20 different types of flowers. Here are the results so far!

I don't know what kind of Zinnia this is, but I started these in April and I got my first bloom this past Monday morning!

Here's the dwarf Pomegranate tree I ordered from Gurney's in about 2007(?) It's doing alright - needs some more sunlight to really take off, but I'm just glad I've kept it alive for so long. The pink things are flowers. If you've never seen a pomegranate flower, I suggest you google it!

THIS is the HIGHLIGHT of my post!! I ordered a cutting of Scott Pratt Plumeria in 2008 or 2009, can't remember. A cutting is a clone of a plant, if you will. It's basically cut off the mother plant and sent with no roots. Cuttings range from $7-$30(!?) and the ease of rooting depends on the variety. Scott Pratt has a deep, red flower, and are known for their difficulty to root. They often rot before they can send out root. I decided to send the cutting to Florida Colors nursery, where Luc, the owner, will graft cuttings to a stock plant for only $4! Of course, the sender is responsible for shipping to and from Florida. However, some find the almost guaranteed success worth the extra ~$20 for shipping and grafting.

Anyway, since it gets a little too cold here in Houston for young plants to survive the winter, I brought this plant inside and it sat in my living room all winter. When spring came, I put it outside and it started showing signs of exiting hibernation, then...... nothing. I poked the plant with a thumbtack to see if it would start oozing white sap which would tell me that it was alive, and....nothing. In a drastic decision which might shock Plumeria enthusiasts, I cut the top off the plant to check for rot. Results were inconclusive - the flesh didn't look pure white, but it wasn't black . I sought advice on a Plumeria forum (yes, I'm a nerd) and was told to water it - perhaps it was dehydrated. At first, the water just ran through the soil, but I watered until the soil stayed slightly wet. I waited. And waited. When I got back from a trip out of town, I saw this!

Can you see it? A teensy, tinsy, little growth starting from an old leaf scar!!! I'll post updates later about what it looks like!

This next one is a Torenia plant I bought at Houston Plants and Garden Center

Here's the pot the Torenia is planted in. To the left is flowering tobacco, Nicotiana, the rest are Zinnias

Here's a little of everything. On the left, Sage. going clockwise, basil, then Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost', next is Purple Melic grass. In the middle is Rosemary.

Here is one of the two planters I bought at Ikea, Starting from the left, sage again, then purple Basil, then Calibrachoa.

Lastly, ornamenal Oregano. Interesting flowers

Plumeria Pot Buddies. A.K.A. Companion plants for Plumeria

There was a post in the Garden Web Plumeria forum about companion plants for Plumeria that inspired me for this post. Enjoy!

Lupinus texensis 'Alamo Fire' This plant has been sort of shaded out by the Laurentia and Petunia in the pot, but it's just starting to bloom and should look nice

Yellow Petunias. I know that many people hate Petunias because they are so common, but I just love how bushy they are. These yellow ones are nice.

Calendula 'Zeolights' I can't wait until these take off. Right now, I just have one lonely bloom.

Laurentia This plant has blown me away. From one seed, I got a huge bushy plant that would look wonderful alone in a container. You can see in the first photo how prolific it is. I wish the flower color photographed a little better. It's more purple than it looks here.

White petunias. Crisp, clean and white.

Linaria I don't know the cultivar, but this is an interesting plant.

I also have Statice and Centaurea in the pot, but they aren't blooming yet. For the most part, everything has been really drought tolerant and I only water when they are looking wilty. I bet this pot would look wonderful just filled with colorful petunias.

Rodents + garages + Plumeria = disaster

I brought 3 of my plumerias to my parents house for overwintering. I knew we had a mouse in the garage we were trying to catch, but I did not put two and two together. At least now I know that rodents like to eat plumerias? We were having trouble catching it, and kinda of hoped it would die from eating the plumeria sap. That did not happen.

When we caught the 'mouse' we actually realized it was a rat that was over a foot long. ew.

Here is the damage:

Hey, maybe at least it will branch now. I have no idea how a rat that big could climb up this plant without breaking it. Somehow, it completely left the growing tip. Miracle of miracles

Diseases!

I am sad because my plants are sick :-( Here are 8 pictures of 4 plants with possible nutrient deficiencies. I'll post what's wrong with them as soon as I figure it out. Any input is of course appreciated

Plumeria seedlings - the one on the right has yellowish leaves. Could be too much water - not sure

Coral Tree(?)

Plumeria cutting that rooted - 3 of the leaves are curly

Vigna Caracalla. This plant his mystified me since its day of germination. It grew fast for a couple weeks but S L O W E D down after that. It wasn't doing well outside, so I took it inside, and it still wasnt doing well. I've since put it back out side in the shade, and it seems to be actually growing from the tip - the leaves still fall off with the slightest pull. :-(

Allamanda - Cherries Jubilee. All the websites online mention a nutrient deficiency in which the veins are green surrounded by yellow, but here the veins are yellow surrounded by green - What gives!? It's still flowring beautifully right now though!

My grandpa's plumerias