# FLOWERS



## lover of birds (Nov 7, 2017)

A place to share all about your flowers! Pictures, care, information, advise.

Here are some of mine:


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

No way do you live in the deep south and have flowers like that. Those pics are kind of a good reason for me to move a little further north. Things start out like that then it gets too hot and it's over. 

They are stunning. Someone knows what they're doing when it comes to planting.


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## lover of birds (Nov 7, 2017)

robin416 said:


> No way do you live in the deep south and have flowers like that. Those pics are kind of a good reason for me to move a little further north. Things start out like that then it gets too hot and it's over.
> 
> They are stunning. Someone knows what they're doing when it comes to planting.


Thanks. I thought flowers would do better in the south than the north, especially roses.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

They might have at one time but it's so hot down here it just cooks any young growth. I actually had to shade veggies from the sun to keep it from damaging the plants.


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## Hencackle (Apr 30, 2014)

I thoroughly enjoyed looking at those pictures. Thank you for sharing. Is that a Lisianthus (sp?) in the last pic? I have tried to grow those a long time ago. I just didn't have any luck. Either planted in the ground or in containers, the results were the same--sad. If you have tips for growing that flower, I'd love to know.

Now, zinnias...they do very well for me. I left too many volunteers in the vegetable garden this year. Oops! Lol. I had plenty of bouquets in the house. 

Have you tried the Queen Lime Red or QL Blush zinnias? I think you will enjoy those. 

Love your pond too. I had one at my other house and I miss it. I dug it waist deep and laid the rock border. Of course, I was a lot younger and I didn't have as many animals as I do now.


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## lover of birds (Nov 7, 2017)

Yes that is Lisianthus. This is my first year growing them, so tips I give will be limited. They grow very, very slowly so it takes a lot of patience.

I started the seeds in the house under grow lights in late December. Sow on top of soil and do not cover with soil. Keep moist until sprouted (10-14 days). After sprouting let the soil dry out slightly between watering. Do not let the green stuff that grows on top of the soil develop. As the leaves grow larger the soil can dry out more between watering.

If kept too warm they will go dormant for weeks, or months. I think mine got too warm under the grow lights and that happened.

I'll plan to start seeds again in December this year, I'm going to utilize my greenhouse more after sprouted. The grow lights only have one light spectrum, so I'm thinking they'll do better if I put them in the greenhouse during the day to get the full spectrum of light.

I have the majority of them in the greenhouse now in long pots, and I'm still experimenting with supports. Some are planted in the ground in full sun.

It's been dry here now, but earlier this summer it rained a lot, and would have been too wet for them outside. in the ground. Control of amount of water they get helps. In warm dry climates they would do well outside.

So far, it looks like I have mostly white and there's one blue one that I'll post a pic later.

As for the Queen Lime Zinnias, I don't care for their looks, and I saw they had poor reviews. I would like to try Dahlia flowered zinnias next year.

I grew Dahlias this year for the first time, and next year I would like to try dinner plate Dahlias. I've seen some while driving by some properties around the area and they look spectacular.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You said the magic word, warm. The zinnias would probably do OK down here but the lisianthus probably not. I've got gerbera daisies out front that have suffered from this years heat and probably won't survive.


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## Hencackle (Apr 30, 2014)

The Lisanthus I had were purchased plants from a greenhouse. Nice, pretty plants that I transplanted in June. Full-sun flower bed in front yard. At that house, the sun doesn't come up over the ridge until 10am. Could have been the house sat below the road level and water ran down from the road (and ridge). If I try them again next year, I think I will use a flower pot.

Dinner plate dahlias are very easy. They did well at my old house and here too. I forgot to dig them up last fall and they surprised me and came back anyway. I just have 2. They're in my vegetable garden, at the end of the tomato and bean rows. I bought 2 dwarf dahlias this year on a whim. They are doing very well in a flower pot. I guess dahlias and I get along just fine.

A greenhouse--wow, you're lucky. I have a 3-tier LED grow light shelf to start my most of my vegetable plants. Anything that I can't direct sow. 

Gerbera daisies were temperamental for me. I like their cheerful looking blooms even if they didn't like me.


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## lover of birds (Nov 7, 2017)

The top is the blue Lisianthus. It looks purple to me though. 









I love the color of Morning Glory that grows here.









The Benary's Giant Zinnia are nice, but don't attract many butterflies, and I haven't seen hummingbirds on them.


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## lover of birds (Nov 7, 2017)

I like these Scabiosa Zinnias. There are usually butterflies in the bed where these are planted.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I agree, even in the pic it looks purple. I wonder what would happen if I tried these in a pot so I could move around to avoid the worst of the heat here.

I would think the color of the giant Zinnia would have the hummers checking them out. I had one fly into my garage to check out a bag of potting soil because of the color red on the bag.


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## lover of birds (Nov 7, 2017)

I have most of mine in pots. It can rain a lot here, and it's preferable to control the amount of water Lisianthus get.

I've read a review on the Queen Lime Zinnia that butterflies and hummingbirds wouldn't touch them. So, it seems they avoid the Zinnias that are bred certain ways. I always have lots of hummingbirds and butterflies on my smaller flowered Zinnias, which I think just adds to the flower garden.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I've seen my hummers at my irises and they check out my orchids if they happen to be blooming at the time. Most of what else might be blooming they ignore. This hot dry Summer has meant not much bloomed this year.


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## Hencackle (Apr 30, 2014)

Love the color of the giant zinnia. I wrote that name down on my Seed Wish List. LOL
I do have a few of the Queen Lime zinnias which I like to mix with the brighter colors in a bouquet. Just personal preference. 

The other zinnias in the garden haven't drawn hummingbirds. Loaded with butterflies though. I've had hummers coming to the purple garden spray nozzle that I had hanging from the wrought iron hook outside the kitchen window. Bizarre. Had it not been for that, I wouldn't have known the birds were here. Yes, I have a real hummingbird feeder up now.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I was wearing a spring colored flowered shirt once. The hummers loved it until they figured out they weren't real flowers.


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## Hencackle (Apr 30, 2014)

That’s hysterical, Robin. Had to have been one disappointed little hummingbird.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

They're very color oriented. Seeing the one in the garage checking out the potting soil bag was a hoot. Which led me to check my feeder. It was empty.

Oh, I don't think I ever told you guys this. When we still lived in TN our hummers would come to the living room window to announce there was an issue. Like when they returned in the Spring, they announced their arrival by flying in front of the window. If it was empty, they would fly in front of the window.


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## lover of birds (Nov 7, 2017)

In the house I put a bottle with flowers in two windows, until I saw it was teasing the hummingbirds who couldn't get to them! They're no longer a decoration.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That's funny and sad at the same time. 

I know, the little buggers can break your heart when you realize you did something to confuse them. It's a good thing my orchids bloom in winter when they're no longer here because they'd be going crazy at the window with all of the blossoms.


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## Hencackle (Apr 30, 2014)

I don’t remember that story, Robin. Funny, how a creature can get it’s point across to humans willing to figure out the body language. When I filled that feeder the first time, one of the hummers drank and then hovered at the window and looked at me for a few moments.
Was she saying, “Thank you, but it’s about darn time, woman! Which one is your car?”

I’m guilty for moving the vase of flowers to the window sill above the sink. Currently, my only orchid isn’t blooming. It’s near that window too.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Just wait, HC, most of mine bloom in the Winter because of the cooler night time temps. The only one I really have bloom in the Summer is my Vanda which is hanging outside blooming as I type.


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## Hencackle (Apr 30, 2014)

I like the one Dh got me that was short enough to fit under the kitchen cabinets. It liked the LED strip lights there. Sadly, I killed the pretty plant when I repotted it. And I followed the instructions in an orchid book I bought. I’m an orchid killer I suppose.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

What potting medium did you use? Because it's really hard to kill an Orchid by repotting.


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## lover of birds (Nov 7, 2017)

Here are some of my Lisianthus. I think it's interesting how the buds of the dark blue/purple look as if they're going to bloom as a white flower.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You must have a lovely yard. 

Are the Lisianthus attaching themselves to the mesh or do you have to tie them up? Are you saying the ones that look white in the last pic will turn purple in time?


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## Hencackle (Apr 30, 2014)

robin416 said:


> What potting medium did you use? Because it's really hard to kill an Orchid by repotting.


"Special Orchid Potting Mix" by Better-Gro. Sold by a local greenhouse that is overpriced, IMO. Nice things there, but still more than my budget allows.

Those Lisianthus are so gorgeous. If I could reach through the screen and snip one....well, I'd ask first.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

LOL I wouldn't. They would be too hard to resist.

Well, I guess I would need to see the plant to have any clue what went wrong. Orchids get sick slowly so sometimes they're in big trouble by the time we notice it. 

I "killed" my oldest one a couple of years ago. I couldn't make myself throw it out and now I'm glad I didn't. One day I spotted a green spot, now it's back and may bloom this Winter. What I did wrong was take them outside and instead of watering them like I should, I used the hose. Turns out getting the crowns wet is a no no.


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## lover of birds (Nov 7, 2017)

robin416 said:


> You must have a lovely yard.
> 
> Are the Lisianthus attaching themselves to the mesh or do you have to tie them up? Are you saying the ones that look white in the last pic will turn purple in time?


I have to tie them to the mesh. I mean the buds are the same color whether they're a purple flower or a white flower, unlike a rose that the bud color is close to what the bloom is.

I'm trying to get a lovely yard, despite the geese who pull up newly planted flowers and put them in the pond, chickens always digging wherever I'm working and not working, and weeds quickly overgrowing.


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## lover of birds (Nov 7, 2017)

Here's a closer image. all of the buds are the same color, but some belong to the white flowered plant and some belong to the purple flowered plant. I just think it's interesting.


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## Hencackle (Apr 30, 2014)

lover of birds said:


> I'm trying to get a lovely yard, despite the geese who pull up newly planted flowers and put them in the pond, chickens always digging wherever I'm working and not working, and weeds quickly overgrowing.


I have a mole problem here that I didn't have at my other house. I gave up having flower beds. There will be more exterior work done to the house next year or so. What I did to prevent the chickens from scratching up my flower beds I used to have: lay chicken netting on the ground, on top of your mulch and anchor with rocks. The black netting isn't visible from the distance. That might not work for your geese antics. Probably about the same as my turkeys poking around in the flower pots. I'm spraying the turkeys with a hose pipe as I shoo them to the back yard.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Sorry, I had to giggle at the birds antics. It's just like having little kids, you can't have anything nice because someone would do something to ruin it.

That last pic is really very pretty with the buds and contrast between the white and purple. 

HC, I did the same thing in TN to keep my birds out of my flower beds. No geese to deal with though.


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## lover of birds (Nov 7, 2017)

Hencackle said:


> I have a mole problem here that I didn't have at my other house. I gave up having flower beds. There will be more exterior work done to the house next year or so. What I did to prevent the chickens from scratching up my flower beds I used to have: lay chicken netting on the ground, on top of your mulch and anchor with rocks. The black netting isn't visible from the distance. That might not work for your geese antics. Probably about the same as my turkeys poking around in the flower pots. I'm spraying the turkeys with a hose pipe as I shoo them to the back yard.


I've thought about doing that, as I did for a time when I had my Doberman, but gave up. Turkeys poking around in pots sounds cute (I know it's not!).


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## lover of birds (Nov 7, 2017)

A solution is having perennials and rose bushes where birds are, since they're more difficult to destroy. The annuals will go out front where there are none of my own birds. I started another area enclosed with the vegetable garden just for roses and some flowers that is fenced.

I have one one flower bed all caged in, and would love to let the plants hang over the border.


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