Freesia

I love Freesias.  They are one of the first signs of Spring in my garden arriving in late winter and are fragrant.       Being a bulb they disappear in hot weather(about June here) and foliage comes back up in winter.  You can't keep them down.  I once had some bulbs in a pot and transplanted them somewhere else so I could put a Pelargonium in that pot.  I thought I got all the bulbs out.  I did not. Freesias came up the next year and even flowered squished next to the Pelargonium.  

















                                                                                                                 




























Freesia is a bulb native to Eastern South Africa.   They are named for German botanist and medical practitioner, Friedrich Freese in 1866 and are inexpensive and easy to grow.  Spring blooming bulbs come to the nurseries for planting in Fall.  Buy them any time between September and as late as January.  I hate paying full price and water more Freesias so this year I hunted for late sales. I did find some half price in early January this year.  

They're said to be great cut flowers. But I don't usually cut them because I enjoy the bright color in the garden.  You can tuck Freesia bulbs just about anywhere in the ground or in pots.  Sometimes the foliage makes the plant want to flop.  I find planting them next to other plants helps hold them up. 

There are many named color varieties and some species.  There are singles and doubles  Although a couple years ago I bought some that were said to be doubles(that would be a trumpet inside a trumpet or hose in hose as sometimes said) that came up as mostly singles.  I have red, white, yellow and purple.  I think there's orange out there but I've yet to find it.  Color order first to bloom for me is white then yellow, purple then red last. 

                                                            












Try Freesias in your garden. I'm sure you'll like them. 

Happy Gardening! 

Stellar Geranium

Most people think they know Geraniums.  The plants people know are most likely Pelargoniums.  They used to all be called "Geranium". But Pelargonium and Geranium were separated as plant classification back in 1789.  But everybody still calls them all Geranium.  I know, it's confusing.   

Most popular are Zonal and Ivy Pelargoniums. Zonals are the scalloped edged leaves with clusters of red, pink, orange, lavender or white flowers. Ivies are cascading plants with pointy ivy shaped leaves and red, pink, white, purple, or lavender flowers.   

Then there is this OTHER type of Geranium/Pelargonium called Stellar.  They came from Australia in the 1970s and we're lucky to have them! They have a fan shaped leaf and jagged edges flowers.   I grow many Stellars. But this red one whose tag is lost is blooming like crazy right now looking super vibrant and beautiful! 

Stellar leaves

Stellar leaf

Do you grow Pelargoniums or Geraniums? You might want to join the Los Angeles Geranium Society.  https://www.geraniumsociety.org/  

Happy Gardening! 

Happy New Year!

Just a quick pic of my garden to wish you all a happy New Year! I can't believe it'll be 2020! What are your gardening plans for the new year? 

 I have so much work to do. We've had about 5" of rain in the last two months. And even though I have a ton of mulch in my flower beds, the weeds have come up with the rain. And then there's all the rose pruning to do. I did my first pruning job of the season today. But I have so many jobs lined up I usually get to my own roses in Feb. 

I'd like to put a fence around the front garden, just two horizontal PVC slats to delineate our two walkways and maybe two small gates. We live on a corner. Sometimes people can't see the arches we put up over the walkways and they walk through the flower beds to the house. I have Zinnia seeds and Chrysanthemums to order.

 Ooh, today I found Freesia bulbs for 70% off at Armstrong Garden Center. I bought 4 packs and planted them. It's not too late to plant them if you can still find them.

Happy New Year! Happy Gardening!

Tree Daisy

I'm still learning about this plant called Tree Daisy or Montanoa arborescens. Say Mont-an-oh-uh. I saw it blooming a few years ago at the Quail Botanic Garden in Encinitas that is now the San Diego Botanic Garden. 

It took awhile for me to find out what it was. Then I found it in Lincoln Avenue Nursery 2 years ago in full bloom in a 5 gallon can. I'd never seen it in any other nursery. And I've learned that you have to snap them up when you see an unusual plant because when you go back it won't be there. That goes for things other than plants too :-) 

You can see how our fence needs painting here.  I had a pink Brugmansia in front of it that was beautiful at first, then slowly declined and I removed it recently.  

Montanoa is native to Mexico and will grow to 20' tall. I love that it blooms in fall and winter and that it is scented. The foliage smells sweet like Dr Pepper. Oddly enough my friend Louise says that in her native Maine, Montana blooms in Spring there! Wow! And it has crazy fast growth! The first year it got as tall as the fence. Unfortunately I cut it back too late and it didn't bloom in 2018. This year it is taller than the fence and is bungeed to a fence post. I was so happy to see flowers this year on it. I know that a plant should be cut back after blooming. But it grew so much that I want to prune it twice. I'll cut it back soon when there are no more flowers. 

 Have you grown Tree Daisy?

Merry Christmas and Happy Gardening!

Pipicha who?

Back in April I was at a nursery looking at herbs and found this strange plant with blue bud/flowers. I bought it because I'd never heard of it and like blue plants. I say flower/bud because those little buds never really open further. And they stay on the plant for awhile until they look like a small fuzzy Dandelion. The tag said PIPICHA. The botanical name is Porophyllum linaria. It's a short lived perennial or grown as an annual. 

Along with those cute little blue buds, the plant has a robust scent! It's difficult to describe except it's not unpleasant. The scent smells up(cant say "stinks" or "perfumes") my backyard. Research says it smells and tastes like Cilantro and is used in Mexican cooking. But I'm not a big cook so I don't know. I did plant it in my vegetable garden.

We'll see if it makes it through winter.

Have you grown Pipicha? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Gardening! 

Yellow Brazilian Plume Flower

Most people know the pink Justicia carnea or the Shrimp Plant, Justicia brandegeana.  There are so many different kinds of Justicias.   They all grow well for me in my garden.  I've seen J. carnea(the pink one) in many gardens.   I first saw this yellow version, Justicia aurea at The Huntington Botanical Gardens and have never seen it available at a nursery. Then I was lucky to see it in a friend of a friends garden and I got 3 cuttings from him about 4 years ago.   All 3 rooted. Today one of them is blooming gloriously! 

Justicia aurea is native to Brazil(San Marcos Growers says Mexico). It likes partial shade and is said to grow to 8' tall! Mine have only grown about 4' tall on the east side of the house. So, they do get morning sun. It does well in frost free areas. We do get some frost in SoCal. But my 3 plants have not been affected. As said above, it is easily propagated from cuttings. So why is it not more widely grown? 

Do you grow Justicias? I also grow the common pink J. carnea and several other completely different Justicias.  In my research for this post, I just found out about a beautiful one called Justicia americana that is new to me.  Now I'm on the hunt for it!  

Happy Gardening!

Gourds vs. Sweet Peas

I planted Birdhouse gourd seeds this year back in May. They grew up and over the arch and had about 4 pieces of fruit growing through the heat of the summer. I read that you're supposed to pick the gourds when the leaves start to turn brown and wither.  It is now October and time to plant Sweet Pea seeds. I want to rip out the gourds. But NOW they're making more flowers AND more baby gourds! They must be liking the cooler autumn weather.    Ugh! What to do?

Some of the leaves are turning brown. 

New babies! Ugh! 

Now is not a good time! 

And more?  No! 

What would you do?  Should I wait until November to rip them out and plant Sweet Peas?  No! I ordered a bunch of Sweet Pea seeds in August in anticipation of Sept planting.  But then we were getting ready for a trip and I didn't want to burden my friend Joe with watering them every day while we were gone.    These Sweet Pea seeds are burning a hole in my pocket!!!!  

Happy Autumn!