If I had a favorite cactus flower.....+ afew more pics

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Jun 13, 2013 1:13 pm

I think this might just be it,right now(wink)

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Purple Shamrocks coming back 3rd year in a row at least.

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Finally warmed enough for the Banana plants

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My largest Purple Castor )-; Mike?

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E.Princeps is putting out some new $$...I mean fronds.(wink)

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Bill are you out there (-;

more flowers-Red hot pokers are late this year but getting bigger every year.

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Hercules Calla lily..

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Little different angle on this "blue form" A.Parryi...this Agave has already put out 11 leaves.

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Hesperaloe bloom stalks...over 7' this year?

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New one

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Y.Gloriosa is really taking off.

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Largest green Castor

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Can you tell I really like this T.Princeps?

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Trimmed off some of the behaggered...

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Haircut...he looks more responsible now.

B.Eriospatha

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M.Maculosa really pretty yellow flowers that turn maroon with age...

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Whats left

This Sequoia is going nuts right now!

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Thanks for looking...again.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Jun 13, 2013 4:52 pm

That is a nice one, love the peach color.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jun 13, 2013 5:55 pm

Beautiful cactus flower, Jim.
But I still think the red one is the winner.

I'm also thrilled to see that Princeps, what a beauty with the color variation evident.

That agave and sequoia have never looked better than now.

Well done, Jim.

Barb

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · Post by **Cameron_z6a_N.S.** » Thu Jun 13, 2013 8:29 pm

Great pics as usual, Jim! You're lucky to have consistent summer heat in your area. Do you protect those Kniphofias in the winter?

marceli · Post by **marceli** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 1:20 am

Wow! What a great collection of plants!

How is H. parviflora doing? I'm planning on purchasing one, but dunno if it's not too much rain here.

miketropic · Post by **miketropic** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 4:49 am

I am always so jealous of that princep..I just have to get one ..or 5.. If its a castor bean war you want..challenge accepted

I will go out and take some pics later today its suppose to be low 80's today so they should look good in the sun. Where did you get those yellow pokers. Mine are blooming but there more of a light red/peach color. Ive seen pics of tri color ones but never any for sale around here.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 5:01 am

Jim your sequoia recovered really well! It must love the rains youve been getting..... Ill join the castor war as well, mine are roughly the same size as your smaller ones...

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:19 am

Cameron_z6a_N.S. wrote:Great pics as usual, Jim! You're lucky to have consistent summer heat in your area. Do you protect those Kniphofias in the winter?

Nope

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:21 am

marceli wrote:Wow! What a great collection of plants! How is H. parviflora doing? I'm planning on purchasing one, but dunno if it's not too much rain here.

HP has done well every year,it flowers(as seen in pic 12)and puts up new shoots every year.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:26 am

miketropic wrote:I am always so jealous of that princep..I just have to get one ..or 5.. If its a castor bean war you want..challenge accepted I will go out and take some pics later today its suppose to be low 80's today so they should look good in the sun. Where did you get those yellow pokers. Mine are blooming but there more of a light red/peach color. Ive seen pics of tri color ones but never any for sale around here.

Mike,they will turn red as the flowers age.

My Castor beans are about 3' behind where they were last year.

The Princeps should really take off-its getting to that size where it throws up multiple spears-all the Trachys really,as we are in
a stretch of perfect Trachy weather-warm temps....and heavy rainfall is forecast over the weekend.

BTW

On June 16th of 2012 the Castor beans looked like this...

Green ones.

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New Zealand purple...

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miketropic · Post by **miketropic** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 12:47 pm

its a bit warm and Im tired so a nap is in order then I'll get out and take some pics..I got a few new things today that needs to go in the ground.

Beny · Post by **Beny** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 2:41 pm

Cool pics as usual...im so jalous, id like to have cactus garden like yours....

Ben

miketropic · Post by **miketropic** » Fri Jun 14, 2013 6:04 pm

i see that philo "hope" in the orner of that pic you posted Jim..did that return for you this year? if so I def have to get one.

sashaeffer · Post by **sashaeffer** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 3:52 am

Would LOVE to have a Sequoia! Just no room

One day I'll do a road trip to your place and drool over your garden and Sequoia!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 6:37 am

sashaeffer wrote:Would LOVE to have a Sequoia! Just no room

One day I'll do a road trip to your place and drool over your garden and Sequoia!

Sounds good!

Mike

I really didn't give the P."Hope"much of a chance as it was not
protected(not well even then)until Dec,it looked "almost"
alive when when I uncovered it but the spring/late winter were so
wet/cold that I think some plants were finished off by it,I know there
were still Canna roots alive in the ground in March but they didn't make it after that.

I removed a nice sized pup last year and replanted it this year,it may be better for them to
have some size before they are tried out too as there would be more that would have to freeze before mortality.

miketropic · Post by **miketropic** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 9:37 am

well knowing that and considering I am almost 2 zones higher than you Actually a zone 6B..we had a 7B winter the last 2 years I think it might just make it. I have seen it for sale at one place but didn't check the price so I will be on the look out...those castor bean pics are comming I'm just lazy

miketropic · Post by **miketropic** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:39 am

alright I went out in the heat to get these

reds then purple

miketropic · Post by **miketropic** » Sat Jun 15, 2013 10:43 am

greens

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 6:26 am

They look good Mike

Yours are (structurally)right in the middle of the 2 I like to grow.

Reddish coloration like the New Zealand and slightly smaller leaves than pure Zanzibar.

Where did you get your seeds?

Anyway....nice looking plants,look forward to seeing how they turn out.

PS

What are you fertilizing them with?

miketropic · Post by **miketropic** » Sun Jun 16, 2013 11:22 am

I wish I knew more of the exact type they were. the new zealand purple is correct but the "red" and "green" have names im sure I just don't know them. A friend gave me the red and purple seeds after a bumper crop last year. the greens were from a plant I found in southern KY in a public park. There are alot more planted out but they vary in size due to light restrictions. the ones in full sun are leaps and bounds ahead of the others. I gave away alot of my purples and wish I hadn't now. I will go get the seed from them when there ready though since there just up the street. I have been using 20-20-20 once a week and it seems to be doing good. might switch is later in the summer. the soil there in was amended with lots of humus and manure before they were transplanted there which might help.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Jun 17, 2013 5:46 am

Beside the New Zealand Purple probably one of/or some variation of these 4.

http://www.seedsandmore-store.com/catal ... s_SAVE_45_

miketropic · Post by **miketropic** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 4:56 am

somthing very weird on my way home from work...there was an old lady who had some castors last year..almost a blue tint to the leaves. she said I could have some seeds and i took some and she said "be careful they keep comming back". I thought oh well shes old and a bit crazy..its a zone 6B but it gets down to single digits even in good years. I drove past today and sure enough there back same spot as random as they were before. no way she planted them again there just all over. IDK what seeds that I have were from here plants but if there some rare genetic hardy breed I need to figure it out!

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 7:31 am

I have had some Castor plants come back in the lawn on the west side of the house
where I had some monster Castor beans growing-came up by itself and even took some frost.

Also had some New Zealand purple come back one year from seeds that dropped.

Henoh_Croatia · Post by **Henoh_Croatia** » Tue Jun 18, 2013 2:42 pm

Nice colors and nice garden