Zinnias and Strange Stuff
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GoDawgs
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- Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2019 6:38 am
- Location: Zone 8a, Augusta GA
Zinnias and Strange Stuff
On the blooming front, the zinnias are coming right along. Thanks to the MMMM, on the left are Benary's Giants and on the right Summer Pinwheel Butterfly. I've never done either one before.
Those two taller things in the middle are one of this year's toys. Called Lightning Rod (Leonotis nepetifolia), it is native to tropical Africa where it's known as Klip Dagga and it has medicinal and/or insecticidal properties. They can get 7-8' tall with round and prickly clusters of tightly packed orange flowers around the central stem. It's supposed to be a hummer magnet and needs no fertilization. I need to be diligent about pruning off seed pods though as it can be very invasive. Needs lots of water. Seeds came from John Nelson, retired curator of the A. C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina. He was giving away the seeds on a South Carolina gardening program I watch on Saturdays.
Behind the Lightning Rods there are some Blue Victory/Victory Blue Salvias (more MMMM!) in the middle with those Jewels of Opar on either side to fill the other end of the bed. The "jewels" are itty bitty red balls smaller than bb's at the ends of 8" long, hair thin petioles. So much for the jewels as you'd never even notice them unless you knew they were there. But the foliage is a pretty chartreuse. Another toy that probably won't get repeated.
Meanwhile, more MMMM zinnias are on the porch hardening off for planting in another bed.
Those two taller things in the middle are one of this year's toys. Called Lightning Rod (Leonotis nepetifolia), it is native to tropical Africa where it's known as Klip Dagga and it has medicinal and/or insecticidal properties. They can get 7-8' tall with round and prickly clusters of tightly packed orange flowers around the central stem. It's supposed to be a hummer magnet and needs no fertilization. I need to be diligent about pruning off seed pods though as it can be very invasive. Needs lots of water. Seeds came from John Nelson, retired curator of the A. C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina. He was giving away the seeds on a South Carolina gardening program I watch on Saturdays.
Behind the Lightning Rods there are some Blue Victory/Victory Blue Salvias (more MMMM!) in the middle with those Jewels of Opar on either side to fill the other end of the bed. The "jewels" are itty bitty red balls smaller than bb's at the ends of 8" long, hair thin petioles. So much for the jewels as you'd never even notice them unless you knew they were there. But the foliage is a pretty chartreuse. Another toy that probably won't get repeated.
Meanwhile, more MMMM zinnias are on the porch hardening off for planting in another bed.
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PlainJane
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- Joined: Tue Dec 10, 2019 8:12 pm
- Location: N. FL Zone 9A
Re: Zinnias and Strange Stuff
Am starting waves of zinnias, cosmos and marigolds to carry me through to September when I can consider other things.
“Never try to outstubborn a cat.”
- Robert A. Heinlein
- Robert A. Heinlein
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MissS
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- Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:55 am
- Location: SE Wisconsin Zone 5b
Re: Zinnias and Strange Stuff
I just love Zinnia's. I started planting my Zinnias in the beds today. I started 2 flats of Benary's Giants and 1 of Magellan Hybrids I have plenty of planting to get done. I usually pinch the top off of the plants when I am planting them but I noticed that a few of them already had flower buds and I just did not have the heart to do away with them.
~ Patti ~
AKA ~ Hooper
AKA ~ Hooper