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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.
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What we bought at GreenFest (and a couple other places)—Updated II
Posted Mar 29, 2010 by Loren Omoto
Updated Mar 31, 2010 at 01:04 PM
Janna, Susan, Kay and Mangoman have answered the call to show off their GreenFest buys. I’m going to add new ones to the top of this post, so here are Mangoman’s.
Like Kay, Mango was seduced by the tea olive. Both were seduced by the fragrance—Mango’s going to plant his near his bedroom window for sleeptime wafting. (That’s such a great Old Florida idea. Back in the day, before AC, fragrant shrubs were a must-have by bedroom windows.)
Mango paid $10. (Thanks for sending the price—it’s good to know when plant shopping!) The tea olive is the leafy plant on the left below.
He also got a magnolia fig tree for $20—the naked guy on the right, above. Fig trees are all the rage lately among the gardeners in the newsroom. My stepfather, here in Tampa, had two for years, and they went nuts fruiting n the summer. Prepare to battle squirrels, birds and neighbors. But you’ll still get plenty, Mango. I hope you like figs!
Last, Mango, too, has answered the siren call of the succulents. He got this one, with a couple pups, for $3.
He writes: “I really like the new succulent I got, it resembles gator skin. Only down-side: its very slow growing.”
Here’s Kay’s buys:
This is the tea olive that she made her son sniff. I recall seeing them, but not this big. Mangoman also was seduced by the tea olive, which Floridata says has “deliciously fragrant flowers” from autumn to early spring. It’s an upright shrub that gets 6 to 8 feet tall.
Kay also picked up a fruit cocktail shrimp. I’ve never seen these! I’ll be curious how yours does, Kay, because I’ve had no luck with shrimps.
This looks like gallardia just waiting to flower. I saw a bunch of wild gallardia blooming in a vacant lot near our office yesterday. I couldn’t believe my eyes. What a tough-but-gorgeous plant!
And lastly, nothing brightens a garden like old-fashioned crimson pentas.
Huge props to Kay for posting her photos in the gallery above, where it says “Let’s see your gardens.” You geek, you!
Here are my buys, though they’re not all from GreenFest. I made my very first visit to the fabled Kerby’s Nursery in Seffner on Friday. Wow, pure joy. They have tons of wonderful plants you can’t find anywhere else (like Vietnamese hollyhocks!) Some are, I regret to say, over-priced, but when you look at the place you realize, they’ve got bills to pay.
I fell in love with these English daisies. They were out in full sun at Kerby’s, and handsome-helpful guy said they’re good in sun or part shade, and perennial. The tag says they’re Bellis perennis I’m not sure I have them in the best spot aesthetically speaking—by my little pond—because they’re so domesticated looking. We’ll see.
They grow in small mounds, 10 to 12 inches across, and the flowers get 6 to 10 inches tall. I paid $4.99 each for two 6-inch pots.
Next up, spiced leaf geraniums. I met these at Epcot and fell in love with the foliage. I’ve since discovered there is a whole series, each slightly different. The two that look alike Susan Gillespie picked up at the Riverview Walmart for $3 each. The third I got at GreenFest for $7. I think they’ll look best and be safest in a big container.
I did get a Parade vintage rose climber at GreenFest ($6) and I’m really psyched about it, but it isn’t much to look at now, and I only found one photo online, which shows just a very hot pink rose (Chip and Diana may be wanting cuttings.)
Kerby’s, though, had all sorts of exotically colored gazanias, a low-growing, mounding plant that spreads fast and likes my horrible conditions. I loved these—bought two for me and one for the neighbor who introduced me to them. (The 4-inch pots are $1.49. A price I like. And they’re easy to grow from seed.)
That’s it for me. Up next is Susan Gillespie. Here’s what she got:
“One soon to be red-flowered, orchid (which I potted up today in a cute pot I found at Ross in the Fall) and 3 succulents or chicks and hens, for a bowl,” she wrote.
“Of course Greenfest MADE me go out to Kerby’s today and get some caladium bulbs, small lavender plants , fennel (love the look and smell) and two redish hollyhocks. That should keep me busy till the USF sale.”
For the record, it was a photo of Susan’s bed of hens and chicks that made me fall in love with these plants. When they start reproducing, they create amazing patterns.
And here’s Janna’s stuff (I do believe they made three trips to their car!)
These are, and I’m guessing she’s going left to right:
“Blue sky vine, angel’s trumpet, anthurium, bleeding heart vine, lancifolia calathia, fuschia, pencil plant and begonias.”
I’m excited to see Janna’s new combos. She lives really close to me, so we have a lot of fun checking out each other’s progress. It’s funny how all the gardens I see so reflect the gardener’s personality—and how much you can learn about a person just by looking at their garden. Janna is eye-popping cheerful color all over the place.
And now, the big announcement. The Riverview Flower Farm tour (the 2nd Dirty Field Trip) is set for 10 a.m. April 25. It’s the farm’s biggest month, so it will be full of flowers. We’ll get to see some brand-new, never-before-marketed stuff, and Farmer Rick will do a demo of the pot-in-pot for container gardens he came up with.
Remember, Rick can’t sell to anyone but Home Depot, so this is NOT a plant sale. If anyone asks you about it, please be sure to share that. It’s a behind-the-scenes tour of a wholesale plant farm, and maybe a little seed swapping afterward. And, yeah, FOD Rick is full of surprises, so who knows what he might have up his very long gardening glove. But one thing for sure, we can’t buy the goodies. Not at the farm, anyway.
I’m doing a body count, so if you plan to come, RSVP here or call me at (813) 259-7612. I’ll be providing driving directions in print and here on Sunday.
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Reader Comments
Posted by (Gardendipity) on March 30, 2010
Oh, boy! Please put down two reservations for me: Gardendipity and hubby Dipitydoo. We may add a daughter or two later, we have to call them.
I loved seeing all the plants you guys bought! After spending so much $$ on redesigning our front yard, we decided to just stroll around and enjoy looking, and we also took the river boat ride. Thanks to Penny I came home with two really cute cassia babies (I call them the twins).
The Native Plant Society didn’t attend GF this year, and that is what hubby Dipitydoo was really interested in.
Posted by (mangoman) on March 30, 2010
Hi, will go take pics now! I dind’t know you were going to start this thread. I love these “show-off” posts. Will have to see what Im doing the 25th. Its my brothers birthday so depends on what he wants to do.
Posted by (kgardens) on March 30, 2010
Wow. Double Dipities
Penny - I uploaded photos of my purchases at GreenFest on Snap! I didn’t really know what I was doing but they show up. Unfortunately the caption is for all four pics and so is a little confusing. Anyway, they’re there. I LOVE my tea olives. They have a very subtle scent that I only smell when the wind blows. If I stick my nose right up in the flowers I don’t smell anything. I made my 20yr. old son give them a sniff and after he got over telling me I was “weird”, he reported being able to smell them just fine. Love seeing everyone’s pics. Kay
Posted by (mangoman) on March 30, 2010
Hi, I sent the email this morning, did it go through?
I really like the tea olive I got too. The smell is light but I can still smell it if I stick my nose up to it. I’m thinking of placing it next to my window so when the wind blows I can smell it.
Posted by (Chip) on March 30, 2010
I am having problems with my P.C. that I use for my photos it was turning itself on then off over and over until I pulled the plug so no photos from me for a while. I have been taking my “Before” photos hopefully I will have something to use for the “after” photos. I picked up some of the mason bees last week and I am still waiting for them to come out of there cocoon they should solve my bee problem and since they do not make honey and do not have a queen should be safe kind of cool really watching them .....“Chip”
Posted by (Janna) on March 30, 2010
I love seeing everyone’s photos! Please keep them coming…
Don’t think I’ve seen the fruit cocktail shrimp before - it’s really pretty! I recently bought some of the “regular” yellow ones and put them in the shade. The ones I’ve had in full sun before didn’t fare well but my new ones seem happy in the shade so far.
The foliage on the spiced leaf geraniums IS very interesting! Do you know what color they will bloom? One of my canine companions recently trampled a geranium in my yard, so I took the broken stems, stuck them in root hormone and they took off! Two new plants. Easy. Lucky for Fido.
Posted by (Janna) on March 30, 2010
Susan - nice new hens and chicks! I never had succulents before the last Dirty field trip to the flower farm, but now I really like them. I’ve sectioned off a small area in my yard where I’ve placed pots with different types of succulents. I put lots of perlite in with the soil and hope they will be able to survive summer rains. If not, guess I’ll be moving some pots
Posted by (Janna) on March 30, 2010
Chip, mason bees? To solve a bee problem? Did I miss a post? Never heard of mason bees…I’m curious!
Posted by (kgardens) on March 30, 2010
I only had one regular shrimp plant before I bought the fruit cocktail. It WAS huge and bloomed all the time in dappled shade. It is coming back after the freeze and actually fared better than most of my other blooming plants. It is putting out new plants around the base.
There are actually 3 different shrimp plants in the pot I bought from Colorfield Farms at GreenFest: a regular, a yellow and the fruit cocktail. I plan to divide them up and plant in different locations. I think they do appreciate some shade.
Posted by (Chip) on March 30, 2010
Janna Shells sells mason bees and gives out a fact sheet with them. According to the fact sheet mason bees are 120 times more effective than honey bees or bumble bees at pollinating since they do not have a hive or trying to make honey and are not prone to the mite that is killing our honey bees. since they do not have a queen or a hive or honey to protect they are not going to swarm any one. they just go about there business and that is just what I need. We have noticed a real decline in bees in our garden and I am hopeful this will solve our bee problem. ...“Chip”
Posted by (Chip) on March 30, 2010
May-Bee Penny! If you e-mail me your fax no. and tell me what time to send it I will send you the fact sheet they gave me. { I have had this fax mach. for a year and I have used it once] I think a lot of gardening problems are due to lack of pollinating just not as good as it should-Bee. I know I should just leave them alone but I cant help myself and keep peeking at them I think it is cool to watch them come out of the cocoon. ...“Chip”
Posted by (Gardendipity) on March 30, 2010
Double-dipities? That is TOO funny! Actually Chip named the hubby!
My daughter would love to attend the nursery tour, can we add a 3rd RSVP for the Dips? What should we call her - Dipitydee? Also, can a well-behaved 2 1/2 year old little boy come too (Dipitywee)? If not we’ll get a babysitter (and don’t hesitate to say no because we understand).
Penny, my fraternal twin grandchildren were with us on the day that I got the fraternal twin cassias.
I LOVE the fruit cocktain shrimp, thanks for the pic because I was curious to see what it looked like! All the photos are fun to see!
Posted by (Chip) on March 31, 2010
To-Bee or not to-bee that is the question! [had to say it] I guess I am just easily amused. We have a lot of stuff growing like crazy. Diane started a bunch of things from seed last November and I had to not weed in those spots but that is paying off now. That is the thing about starting things from seed some things hit the ground running and others take there on sweet time then become a garden surprise! ....“Chip”
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on March 31, 2010
The mason bee thing is fascinating. I must go to this Shell’s place sometime. Are they the one’s with all the roses too? I saw two roses I loved at Greenfest and didn’t indulge thinking Keby’s would have them. They didn’t so I’m still looking.
Janna——love all your purchases. So pretty. About those succulents and the rain. They don’t like being too wet. They are a desert plant so like it on the drier side so might want to put them under cover when the rainy season starts.
I was looking at that shrimp cocktail too Kay. Great looking plant. And congrats on the “riders”. How big does that tea olive get?
Posted by (kgardens) on March 31, 2010
Hey Mangoman, I have a turkey fig that is just leafing out. What is a magnolia fig? It looks like it grows more vertical than mine. (I’m assuming the leafless tree is the fig?) I have mine in a huge pot and hope to keep it containerized.
I was surprised to see so many tea olives at the GreenFest. It sure has become a popular plant. A friend planted one last spring that perfumes her patio area. That’s what started my desire for one. Susan, I’ve been told to expect 6-10 feet in height, but I probably will keep mine in the 6 feet range. Although, I want it to grow with a natural shape.
Chip, I have four “sugary” grape tomato plants putting out flowers!
Kay
Posted by (Gardendipity) on March 31, 2010
Penny, thanks for encouraging us to bring the littlest Dip, we promise he’ll be a good little boy. There is nothing he likes better than machinery and he loves to talk about his own little garden. Please put us down for an RSVP for a total of FOUR Dips. This is a really nice thing for Farmer Rick to do, and we can hardly wait!
I passed the Tea Olive and probably wouldn’t have noticed it except that Mangoman had posted about it on Friday. It did have a beautiful fragrance like tea.
We bought an Almond plant at Bok Tower a couple of years ago. They have many of them and the scent is just heavenly. My first one didn’t make it, but I think that was my fault. I am going to try it in the garden again soon.
Posted by (Gardendipity) on March 31, 2010
I wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU to Janna for sending me the Vietnamese Hollyhock seeds. I’m so excited to get these planted!
Can you guys give me some tips? I was going to plant some in starter-pots and try some directly in the ground.
Janna said they need full sun. How deep do you plant the seeds in the soil? How tall do they get?
Thanks for any tips you can give me!
Posted by (Chip) on March 31, 2010
I just love this part of spring when most of everything is blooming things given up for dead showing green seeds started oh so long ago decided to make it to the show! Susan Shells do not have rose’s they do have hard to find fert. some really healthy veggie plants and seeds of all kinds and Mason bees. I will send that fax at noon Penny I guess I started “A Buzz”....“Chip”
Posted by (Gardendipity) on March 31, 2010
Chip, how much do those bees cost? Do you just buy them and set them loose in your garden, or do you need to have a hive or something to put them in? There are several hives within a few miles of our house and we usually have bees in the garden, but I wouldn’t mind having some of my own.
The bees seem to like the same plants that the hummers and butterflies like. My milkweed is all blooming down, I have only seen one monarch in my garden so far, but I sulpher butterflies every day.
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on March 31, 2010
Dipity, I got some of Janna’s hollyhock seeds last spring and started them in starter pots. They got big enough that by July, not knowing it’s “season”, I stuck them in the ground, full sun. They were blooming by Christmas and made it through all the freezes (although I lost the blooming top on one of them). They have buds on them again and are about 2 feet tall. I have high hopes to have flowers soon.
I bought two more hollyhocks of a different color at Kerby’s the other day. They are very full with buds at the top.
Posted by (Janna) on March 31, 2010
Gardendipity, glad to know that you got the seeds and thank you for offering to start a bleeding heart cutting for me! Susan, good to hear yours are doing well, too. Starting them in pots is a good idea - that’s how I started mine. After I got a bunch of seeds from the first plant, I cleared out an area in a bed and put down a couple of inches of Miracle-Gro garden soil. I sprinkled the seeds, then put another inch or so of soil on top and most of them sprouted and flourished.
Posted by (Janna) on March 31, 2010
Thanks, Chip for always bee-ing so willing to share your information, tips and tricks!
Penny and Kim - I WILL be attending the field trip to the flower farm. Looking forward to it!
Posted by (Gardendipity) on March 31, 2010
Penny I read on Farmer Rick’s blog that our FL monarchs are not the same as the ones that migrate, we have our own monarch breed. Hope they did better than their cousins!
Janna I sent you a “thank you” e-mail and I hope you got it. I was overjoyed with the seeds, and you sent such a generous amount! I’m THRILLED!
I just planted 26 HH seeds in pots. I will plant more tomorrow. I was thinking of putting some right in the ground, so thanks for saying to start them in the pots first.
Susan thanks for telling me your experiences. That is a great reference for when to put them in the ground and what to expect. I can hardly wait!
Posted by (mangoman) on March 31, 2010
Kgardens, yes, saddly, the leafless tree is the fig. I’m hoping it will leaf out soon.
I had never heard of a magnolia fig before either but the guy that we bought it from recomended it much higher then brown turkey or mission. Yes, it does look pretty vertical. I don’t know if thats a good thing or a bad thing… Tell me how yours does.
Posted by (Chip) on March 31, 2010
Thanks for bee-ing patient with me I just sent the fax! I had to read the directions first. lat me know if you got it “Chip”