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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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More from Monica’s garden (nothin’ but stuff to love there!)
Posted Nov 17, 2009 by Loren Omoto
Updated Nov 17, 2009 at 10:33 PM
I may be slow, but I’m good on the follow-through! Here are some more of the plants in Monica Brandies’ Brandon garden.
If you missed the earlier post, these are from Monica’s Open Garden, held two Saturdays every year in November. Monica has written or co-written 11 books, and they’ve helped many a newcomer—and old-timer—learn what works and doesn’t work here. She is the nicest woman, mother of nine, grandmother of .... more than that ... and holds her Open Gardens with help from her husband, David, kids, grandkids, and our own personal fav kid, Mangoman.
Janna and I fell in love with her orange cosmos.
A fellow visitor, Marla Clites of Brandon, told us she grows these and they are wonderfully hardy. They re-seed themselves and come back every year if you don’t mulch the area. (Yes, weeds are a problem until cosmos crowd them out. ) She was popping off dozens of little seed pods for Janna, who I hope plans to share!
Interesting note—Marla says the orange do much better than any other cosmos color.
Turk’s cap was one I’ve heard of but never seen. The plant is tall and covered with blooms, which all had this sleepy look. Not sure if they ever wake up more than this, but I got a cutting!
The rare white plumbago! I’d never heard of it, so it was a thrill to see. But I think the thrill was all novelty. For flower power, I’ll stay with the blue.
Last but not least, how’s this for fun? Chinese hat plant. Also called cup and saucer plant. It’s named for the funky little blooms. Monica’s was about 10 feet tall, a climbing shrub with lots and lots of blossoms. You’d want to put this—as she did—near a walkway so people can get a load of the flowers, which are less than an inch in diameter.
Monica says the cuttings people ask for most often are from her butterfly cassias, which are in fully neon yellow bloom right now. (If you’re not familiar with it, I’m very proud of mine and I plan to post a picture this week.) Second is probably flowering maple, which I’ve never heard of and failed to get a photo of (sorry).
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Reader Comments
Posted by (Chip) on November 18, 2009
What a nice garden you have Monica! and yes I looked and we do have a few of your books on the book case. Diane and I will do our best to make it to your next open house….“Chip”
Posted by (mangoman) on November 18, 2009
Hi, thanks Penny for the extra pics! Did I forget to show you the flowering maple? I’m so sorry. I’ll get a picture of it the next time I go help her. For everyone else out there: The flowering maple looks like a yellow and red striped hibiscus flower with small maple leaves. Buetiful flower!
Those comsos were gorgeus!
Eric
Posted by (Janna) on November 18, 2009
Penny, I will definitely save you some of the cosmos seeds so kindly plucked by Marla. It was good to hear that the orange ones are hardy, because the white and pink ones I planted from seed last spring were pretty but very short-lived.
Posted by (kgardens) on November 18, 2009
I have some of the forsythia sage which is blooming its head off right now. I got this from Monica’s garden tour a few years ago. It seeds itself so I will look to see if I have any babies I can pot up to share. If not, I will take some cuttings to root. The DIRT has access to my e-mail right? Just contact me to arrange pick-up or delivery.
Kay
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on November 18, 2009
Penny, Thanks for sharing more photos of Monica’s garden. I see we have a new blogger and I would love some of her seeds or cutting from the sage. Welcome kgardens to The Dirt. Janice
Posted by (Janna) on November 18, 2009
Good to see you here, kgardens. Monica’s sage was beautiful, so I’m certain that yours is too! Like Janice, I’d love to have a baby or a cutting from it. I have seeds for Vietnamese Hollyhock or Datura if you’d like either of those. I planted both from seed in March of this year and they’ve done really well. I’d love to hear more about your garden.
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on November 18, 2009
Kgardens, We live for photos of other gardens. Send them to Penny at the Tampa Trib and she will post them here. Janice
Posted by (Janna) on November 18, 2009
I think that a winter cuttings/seeds swap would be great!
Posted by (kgardens) on November 18, 2009
I think a winter swap would be great! I do have some forsythia sage babies ready to pot up and I can take some cuttings that should be ready by swap time. I’m available any Saturday in December or January except for the first week-end in January. A Sunday afternoon would work for me too. UT’s Plant Park sounds like an excellent spot for it. I can get some other things started rooting as well. I may have some spring veggie seeds as well. Kay
Posted by (Chip) on November 19, 2009
I am transplanting a few nasturtium’s for you into pots Penny. there has to be a reason they are not starting for you. once you get them going they will give you all the seed’s you will ever need for a life time, unless you misplace them like me. A seed and a cutting exchange sounds like fun to me and Diane. .......“Chip”
Posted by (Janna) on November 19, 2009
Plant Park sounds like a perfect place for a winter swap! A Sunday is good too - so Susan can make it. I’ll start some cuttings this weekend. (I’ll also try microwaving my YT&T seeds.) Oh, and Janice - if you still want devil’s backbone, I’ll be sure to bring cuttings for you and anyone else who might want it…
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on November 19, 2009
Janna, Yes I would like more Devils backbone and any date for a plant swap is good for me. If there is anything I have that anyone wants me to start let me know.
Penny, Did your chalice vine bloom yet? Janice
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on November 19, 2009
I love you guys. I was salivating just at the thought of a seed/cutting swap. And for you to even consider a Sunday warms the cockles of my heart. Anybody got any cockle seeds? What in the heck ARE cockles anyway?
Welcome from me too Kay. We do love to expand the group and get new flowers and garden pics to share. As you can see this is an eager and welcoming group of friendly folks.
Posted by (Janna) on November 19, 2009
Susan, you crack me up! One thing’s for sure though, if cockles had seeds, we’d try to grow them! Lol. Yes, Penny - I think January would be good (except for the first weekend - right, Kay?)
Penny, you’ll find a kinder name for nasturtiums when you get some from Chip that are actually growing:-)
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on November 19, 2009
My bad——-love to find the meaning behind things though. Here’s what it says at Wikipedia about cockles.
The phrase warm the cockles of one’s heart may refer to the similarity in shape of the heart valves to the cockle mollusk.
I have company for most of January but may have some time to slip away for a seed exchange.
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on November 19, 2009
Penny, I am saving the whole yellow datura seed pod for you. If any one wants a cutting of the chalice vine after Penny posts the picture let me know. Janice
Posted by (kgardens) on November 19, 2009
January 10th sounds great to me for the swap as long as it’s afternoon. I took some pictures of my garden and will try to e-mail them. I’m not very tech-savvy so, bear with me. Kay
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on November 19, 2009
Penny, I am so glad you got a cutting of the chalice vine.It is so nice to have fall blooms in the garden. After you post the bloom I will take orders for the cutting exchange. Janice