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Penny Carnathan
Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.
Kim Franke-Folstad
Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.
Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.
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Giant irises (new shipment) and blue-eyed grass (in bloom) at the Home Depot
Posted Mar 25, 2010 by Loren Omoto
Updated Mar 25, 2010 at 04:46 PM
Our intrepid plant scout, Farmer Rick, spotted more Neomarica caerulea ‘Regina’, Giant Apostle’s Irises. arriving at Home Depots.
He sent this photo this afternoon. (For the record, while Farmer Rick does supply a lot of plants to Home Depot stores, he does not supply these irises. They come from a grower in Delray Beach.)
Here’s what the flower looks like.
If you wanted to get some earlier this month and they were picked over or sold out, now’s the time to buy; you should be able to find plants with three or four buds. The last bunch were 3-foot plants in 5-gallon containers, and cost $15. Most consist of several fans, so patient people who don’t require instant gratification can divide them and get more plants for their money.
These fairly new-to-the-U.S. irises are a Plant of the Year for 2010, selected by the Florida Nursery, Growers, Landscape Association for its great performance in our climate and stunning good looks.
Rick also spotted another member of the iris family, blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)
blooming in a highway median. I’ve been reading about this popular border plant on other blogs. When not in bloom, it has a nice, grassy foliage.
“Loves the environment of a Florida roadside!” Rick writes. “Sun? You betcha! Shade, not too much. Dry- heck yea! Wet- yep!
“It thrives in ditches that can stay saturated and flooded for months at a time in the rainy season.”
They usually bloom in January or February, he says—so they’re very late this year.
“Some fall bloom but not spectacular like spring,” he writes. “Wow!”
I just love it when Farmer Rick gets all excited about a plant because that almost always means it will like my garden. And, oh yea, he says it’s available now—in bloom—at Home Depot.
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Reader Comments
Posted by (Gardendipity) on March 25, 2010
Oh, I LOVE the blue-eyed grass! Thanks for the photos. I hadn’t heard about it before but I think that would be perfect in my garden.
And speaking of plants (are we ever NOT speaking of plants?) Lowe’s has an advertisement today for a plant sale. What interests me are the “Wave Petunias” on sale for .99, regularly $2.99. I stopped by to have a look. They looked healthy but didn’t have any blooms on them so I couldn’t tell the colors. Does anyone have any experience to share about wave petunias, do they do pretty well?
I updated my blog to show the new front yard garden that I am developing, http://serendipityinthegarden.blogspot.com/.
Chip, I’d really love to see your pink hill, it sounds so lovely!
Posted by (RickBrown) on March 26, 2010
Penny is right on. The Rays and Littletunias have the most heat tolerance, best mounding-spreading habit, most disease tolerance so the flowers always look clean but the biggest difference is they bloom year round. Waves only bloom in the long days of summer and that makes them the perfect petunia for the Midwest and why they are so popular up there. Home Depot stopped selling waves in Florida long ago. Some people figure it out sooner than others. Thanks Penny.
Posted by (Gardendipity) on March 26, 2010
Alrightly then, thank you Rick and Penny for the response. I will forego the wave petunia and I will stick to the Ray and the Littletunia (that’s a cute name!).
Rick, on your blog you discuss the “pot-in-pot” method of pot design/planting. That is very helpful to me and there is an extra bonus. I have some pots with Mother-in-law tongue that don’t want much water, and I’d like to plant some annuals (that need more water) in with them.
Your pot-in-pot method will let me mix plants with different water needs so long as I put a pot in with no holes (for the annuals) and water very carefully. Thanks!
Posted by (Janna) on March 26, 2010
Gardendipity, I love Rick’s pot-in-pot method. Over the holidays, we did that with with potted poinsettias that lined our front walkway. We recently pulled the pointsettias out and plopped in some pots of kalachoe. Super easy! I’ll look for the photos of your new garden. I love to see what other folks are doing with their landscape.
My white “Ray” petunias that I got last fall have been prolific bloomers and are still going strong.
Posted by (Janna) on March 26, 2010
Chip, we want to see photos of pink hill! I’ve started a mostly pink (some purple) bed that has hollyhocks, geraniums, pink cosmos, puple queen and chinese skullcap. Now that I wrote that, it sounds like a real hodge-podge, but it looks okay so far. Some hollyhocks are in bloom now and several more look like they are ready to explode with pink blossoms.
Posted by (kgardens) on March 26, 2010
Just wanted to say that the hollyhock and devil’s trumpet seeds I got at the Dirty swap FINALLY have sprouted. Everyone talked about how easy they were to grow but mine were’t doing anything. Hopefully they will catch up fast and I can enjoy some blooms. How do the hollyhocks do in summer? Kay
Posted by (Janna) on March 26, 2010
Kgardens, glad to hear your seeds have sprouted! Believe it or not, I’ve had hollyhocks since Greenfest LAST year. There was a little seed swap at The Dirt tent and I thought I came home with desert cassia, but when the seeds sprouted, I had NO IDEA what they were. Definitely not desert cassia. I sent a picture to our favorite Dirt girls and Rick Brown identified my mystery plant as a hollyhock. Turns out, they were descendants of Pumkin’s beautiful plants. She started the whole Vietnamese hollyhock trend. I started more seeds from those when they bloomed and have had some blooming year-round since last summer. Untouched by the freezes. Love ‘em!
Posted by (Janna) on March 26, 2010
Penny, last time I saw your hollyhocks they looked very healthy! You’ll get blooms. You seem to have so many different things growing and ready for their permanent home in the ground - can’t wait to see YOUR pictures!
Chip, if you and Diane want some hollyhock seeds for pink hill, I can give you some. Any other takers?? I have a baggie full.
Posted by (Chip) on March 26, 2010
I would love them Jenna! the pinker the better! Thanks see you all tomorrow….“Chip”
Posted by (Gardendipity) on March 26, 2010
Janna, I would love some Hollyhock seeds! I have never grown them before but it sounds like everyone else is having good luck with them.
I don’t have any seeds to offer in exchange, but I would be happy to give you cuttings if there is something that you are looking for (maybe I have it and can share).