breezer7

Hello Breezer, WELCOME to GT!!!! :-)

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

Thank you, GrandmaT. I live in Zone 8B in northwest Florida. I am a newbie to gardening but really enjoy it. I started last year clearing out some unsightly areas of our yard and planting whatever was on sale for 50% off at Lowe’s. I made some mistakes but now I’m getting compliments on my efforts. The biggest pay-off of all was that I sweated off 11 lbs while having fun.

-- Pat, Northwest Florida

HEY!!! LOL!!! I need to sweat more!!!! :-)

I would love to see pics of your gardens/yard when ya get a moment. They sound lovely.

You are starting out just the same way I did “back in the day”. Although my Grandfather helped me begin my initial gardens at our other home. I too bought whatever I thought was pretty (and on sale), brought it home and planted it. Some plants I tossed others I kept. Great way to learn about your sunlight, soil and different plants!! How tall they get, how they spread, watering demands, etc.

I am soooo glad you are getting compliments!!! Totally makes you day, doesn’t it!!! :-)

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

Welcome, Breezer. I have to echo what Grandma said. You’d think she was my sister because our thoughts are so simlar. LOL

-- jroot

Well thanks jroot … I’ll take that as a compliment!! :-)

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

welcome to GT !!! :)

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Thanks, everybody! You are a friendly group. I hope to learn a lot from all you veteran gardeners. Right now a few of my projects include trying to start a brug from a cutting, growing calamondins from seed (have 6 growing pretty well so far), and growing some Texas Star Hibiscus…both white and red…that I started from seed. Any helpful hints appreciated.

-- Pat, Northwest Florida

Well hello again, nice to “see” you! That Texas Star Hibiscus sounds pretty. Does it look any different from “regular” Hisbiscus?? You are so lucky being able to grow alot of what we consider “annuals” here as perennials where you live. Do you garden all year around?

-- "A perfect garden is just a garden to be in-perfection. Mornings to work on it and evenings to pause and look at it." Southeast Michigan, Zone 5a/5b

I took a break last December, January and February, but I could have worked outside in the garden the whole winter had I been so inclined.

The Texas Star Hibiscus puts out some huge blooms. The leaves look like a marijuana plant. haha. They die back in the winter each year but come back in the spring. You have to cut off the old dead stalk. They grow in boggy areas so they like to stay wet, which is a challenge for me with our sandy soil. You can dig them up in the winter and divide the roots to make more plants. I haven’t tried this yet but intend to next winter.

-- Pat, Northwest Florida

How are you starting your brug? I’ve done a lot of them. Send me a message, if you feel that you want some advice.

jroot1@cogeco.ca

-- jroot

Hi Breezer Welcome to GT.I am looking forward to seeing your gardens and hearing the trials of a zone 8 gardener.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Thanks, Bon. I am surprised at how many Canadians and zone 5s are on this site, or maybe you all are just friendlier. I have visited Canada once and it’s absolutely gorgeous! Our camera broke last week so I am on ebay trying to buy a similar one so I’ll post some pictures as soon as we replace it. As for how I’m rooting my brug, JT, I broke off a stem that had an offshoot. I put it in a glass of water in my window for about a week until I saw a bunch of white bumps on the stem. I then potted it in potting soil and have been keeping it moist on my back patio. I planted it deep in the dirt, burying the “Y” and only having a few top leaves sticking up out of the soil. I saw this in an brug article online but please tell me if there’s a better way. I wish my camera were working, I’d post a picture but hopefully my verbal description suffices. Pat Zone 8b

-- Pat, Northwest Florida

No, Breezer, it sounds good to me. Being in Florida you may be able to leave it in the ground, but you know your area better than I. Here, they have to come indoors for the winter. If you leave it outside, if it comes back, then you should get flowers later in the season. If you took it indoors, and didn’t let the top story die back, and get it outside in the spring when danger of frost is past, you should get blooms earlier. Since you planted it deep, and buried the “Y”, you will get a bush format, but next year, there may be some large shoots that come up, and you can start to build the tree format. Good luck with your new addiction. Most of us who have brugmansia have an addiction to them.

-- jroot

Jroot, I didn’t make myself very clear. I put the brug cutting in a pot so I will be able to bring it inside if it freezes. I saw today two tiny new leaves starting on the stem. Yea! I got the brug cutting from my neighbor’s yard. She invited me to get cuttings of anything I wanted, so that was the first thing I headed for. I also started some of her coral vine which is leafing out quite nicely, and have a good start of a Confederate rose. They are huge bushes that put out the most gorgeous blooms. Not like a traditional rosebush at all (altho I do like roses…haven’t tried anything but the knockouts yet…they’re so easy). My neighbor also has a cry baby bush (Fireman’s cap) and I got seeds from it. They are huge seeds. I have a lot of them but don’t quite know how to get them going. Thanks for your help on the brug. I do understand how one could get addicted to brugmangsia. There are some gorgeous ones in the yards of the historic district homes in Pensacola. Pat

-- Pat, Northwest Florida