Tuesday, May 19, 2009

happy discovery!

Portland’s 3 day heat wave has produced 3 happy discoveries in the danger garden! Two Eucomis that I had given up for dead, one E. Oakhurst (darkest purple leaves) and one E. Pole-Evans (green leaves) are pushing out of the ground.

I’d recently dug very near both of them and thought the bulbs had done a disappearing act because I didn’t dig into them (I do that far too often). Well turns out I was about 5” off in both cases. Thank goodness! Am I the only one that can never remember exactly where I planted something?

Then I discovered this! I do believe that is one of last years Elephant Ears making a come back, the spot doesn’t seem quite right to be one of the new ones I just planted this year. Now if that darn Chinese Yellow Banana would get with the program and show a little green!

Voodoo Lily update: the bud (above - if you even call that a bud?) has grown much taller over the last few days and is starting to swell at the bottom. A bloom any day now!



5 comments:

  1. Hooray hooray for the winter survivors! Yours are so much more exotic than mine, so get extra double points for returning. Are those lupines in the background of the top photo? I think the snails got all of mine.

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  2. Thanks Karen...your veggies certainly have their own exotic side! Yep, they are Lupines. I finally found ones that were tagged as white. I LOVE the leaves and don't mind the white flowers. The tutti-fruity colors are a but much for me. So far (knocking on wood) the slugs have left them alone. They have found one of my fav hostas though. The battle has begun. I am a little worried as this will be the first year I don't bust out the Corry's, since we have a dog and I don't want to risk it with her!

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  3. Hey, slugs love hostas, have you tried encircling their area with a copper band before they emerge in spring (for next year)? Also, I beg you, don't do Corry's, it's so so bad - if you can find it, try Sluggo instead, it's supposed to be safe around humans and dogs and is considered organic. I think it works great, when I remember to apply it that is.

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  4. Karen - no worries, I will not be using Corry's, once I realized how horrid it was I've banished it. It was my only non-organic gardening tool, and I have to admit when I did remember to use it I really liked seeing their shriveled up little slug bodies (bad!). I will look into the sluggo (thanks!), I have really been lucky with the hostas and they have tended to leave them alone, until now. They munch the hell out of my sweet potato vine though!

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  5. I've been having good luck just sinking tupperware to ground level next to the plants the slugs are eating, and filling them with beer. It has made a huge difference. I put a container at the foot of each plant they seem to like, and the dogs don't try to drink the beer. There are days, though, where I've had to decide who deserved the last beer more-me or the slugs.

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