Hi, all. My family and I are moving from NY state to Arizona this July. We almost certainly won't have sold the house before then. I want to put some colorful flowers around on the south and west sides of the house, to make it look pretty. After we leave, they won't get any extra watering or dead-heading. Any suggestions? If they can say, "Buy this house!" that would be a plus! ;) Thanks.
Zinnia are drought tolerant and wonderful splashes of color. And you could direct sow them now without a problem. And they have short ones, medium ones, and tall ones so you can make quite a display. They also have the solid colors and the striped ones. As well as single, double, and fully double ones. It sure does sound like I like zinnia doesn't it?
are the areas really sunny?? if so, then some portulaca would do well. keeps blooming and grows really well in full sun situations.
i don't water unless i've just planted something or it's drought conditions and the soil in the beds in the back is still mostly clay...the sundials did phenominal there last year (i usually put them out front & tried something different last year). i didn't even really do too much watering when i first put them in the ground either...and they kept blooming right up until october!
Ahhhh gorgeous.. I LOVE Portulaca.. My mom used to have it all the time! It is kind of hard to find around here for some reason.. but my Mennonite neighbors have a HUGE greenhouse and she stocks them for me every year now, after I requested them.
joclyn, yes, I'd be willing to trade. I have unrooted hoya cuttings (a variagated Carnosa cultivar that has yet to bloom - Krimson Princess or Queen, I think [large growing]; Lacunosa with flower spurs - smells wonderful when blooming [small growing]; a/o cv. Matilda, also with flower spurs, prettier leaves though not as floriferous as Lacunosa [small growing]. I also have 2 Aloe Fleurentorium seedlings [small and slow growing but will become large plants some year - want LOTS of sun and LITTLE water], a few Selenicereus Anthonyanus cuttings, rooted Huernia Hislopii cuttings, a few small [1/4 - 1/2 inch] Rebutia seedlings, Philodendron cuttings, Amarillus(sp?) seeds. joclyn gets first choice because she asked, anybody else want anything?
Ok. Hoya cv. Matilda I got from here: http://www.paulshirleysucculents.nl/ I just now went there and it's not offered anymore. Perhaps it is his own cross that he is elevating to a cultivar status, I don't know. For an Idea of this plant google Hoya Lacunosa (which I also got from Paul Shirley) and picture it with round leaves and flowers with slightly more pink and less fuzz. It has the same growth style and needs. All 3 of my Hoya need to be cut back a lot for the move. I would prefer not to chuck what I cut, as the cuttings are viable. My Aloe Fleurentiniorum came from http://www.aloestudies.org/ I have 2 adult plants that flowered at the same time and I crossed them. They are really quite slow growing, though the flowers are beautiful. I'd say these seedlings are at least 5 years from flowering, but I don't really know. Best of luck to all of us. The rebutia seedlings are all ~1/4 inch, no 1/2" as I thought. As to the new place, I need to be there for a while and see what grows without my input before I start importing anything. For here, I'm looking for showy annuals that will survive when I leave, look pretty and homey, and enhanse the "ooh, let's buy this house" factor, rather than "oh, it's all weeds and ugly, too much work" which is beautiful to me. I'm a "let's leave it alone and see what wants to be there" person. Let me know, anybody, if you want anything. I'd rather pass it on than compost it (will whoever buys my home even appreciate compost?). Thanks.
I would love to take any cuttings you might offer off your hands, as the hoya I have from you is doing wonderfully.
As are the fish!
I'm sorry that I don't have any annuals to share, as the animals get to all that aren't in hanging pots or up on my deck. I might have some perennials in time for summer camp, if you are still going, but they don't really give the POP that I think you are looking for?
I'm going to post a Big Goldie issue that I'm having, in the critters forum - hope to see you there!
Joclyn and Lynne- Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner - I'm REALLY busy these days. I'm taking cuttings and such today. Let me know your mail addresses and I'll get them off to you all tomorrow or Tuesday. Thanks.
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