Category Archives: Plants

February 28, 2013 · 12:48 PM

More Spring bloomers and trimming of the beauty bush.

More Spring bloomers are making an appearance. Daffodils and crocus but also a Iris reticulata. This species tends to putter out after a few season and this is the only one I have seen this year out of the dozen I planted a few years ago.

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A unique daffodil:

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More daffodils:

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Digging in the yard and garden of this house built in 1959 I find many unusual things.

I found this sock today in the vegetable garden. The raised beds were filled with bags of garden soil years ago so I guess it has been in there for a few years!

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A few days ago I was leveling a stepping stone a mole had disturbed and found concrete with a pipe sticking out of it. I guess the previous owner had some sort of bird feeder or plant hanger? Or she may have placed it there to support this camellia?

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I usually find a brick or a piece of pipe placed next most of the old shrubs in the yard. When the neighborhood was built in late 1959 this was way out in the country! Now it is only a few miles from the old downtown area.

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February 11, 2013 · 8:30 PM

Hardy begonia Barbara Rodgers

Did you know there are winter hardy begonias? They are root hardy here in zone 7b in central North Carolina.  By Fall, they are leggy and look like miniature bamboo plants about three feet tall!

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You can use this as an opportunity to root cuttings. This variety is Barbara Rogers and it grows about 3 feet tall and about as wide with large white flowers. This plant was added this year and only has four or five stems.

They will die back to the ground at first frost so you can make cuttings by cutting the stems at ground level.

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You may place several cuttings per pot to make a nice clump the first year.

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Each stem can but cut into several cuttings each with a few set of leaves and with a few nodes without leaves for roots.

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Remove the leaves from the lower nodes to allow for good rooting as any leaves that are underground will only rot.

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Keep them moist and in a shady location. It will take a few weeks to root. Protect them from freezing temps while they are in pots as they may be tender.

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In the Spring they should be ready to plant in the garden! There are several varieties with various colours and flower shapes. Plant Delights has a nice selection!

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January 23, 2013 · 9:00 AM

Why do leaves of most plants curl when it’s cold?

Last night was the coldest night so far this winter. It was 24f this morning. When the temperatures are this low many plants have the unusual response of curling their leaves.

This is known as a thermotropic response. There are many theories to why some plants do this: 1) Photo inhibition to reduce winter damage from radiation, 2) heat balance theory to maintain temperature, 3) freezing damage theory to prevent damage from rapid thawing after freezing, 4) mechanical theory to prevent damage to the leaf, and 5) desiccation theory to prevent the leaf from drying out are all theories as to why leaves curl in cold weather.

So many theories!

Some plants in my garden which commonly do this are:

Acuba

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Vinca major

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Wintercreeper

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The chain link fence which runs around the entire half-acre was planted by the previous owner with wintercreeper and is now covered and trimmed to resemble a hedge. The previous owner, who lived in the house for thirty years, did this many years ago and I thank her.

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