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Siwsan

(26,173 posts)
Sat May 29, 2021, 11:45 AM May 2021

I broke my hard and fast rule about not buying any more annuals.

Why? Because I foolishly wandered through that section at my local nursery, when I went to pick up some chili pepper plants. There I saw this Gazania, and I fell in love. I actually bought two varieties because, well they are just gorgeous.

Oh, and about those Red Snapdragons. That one I can justify because they speak to my Welsh soul and I can never guarantee I'll get Red volunteers from previous plants.

Unfortunately, it's going down into the 30's, tonight, so I'm not going to put any flowers or veg in the earth until tomorrow. HOPEFULLY we are through the last of this year's freakish weather. Ok, I'm in Michigan so that's pure fantasy, on my part.

Happy Planting, everyone!

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I broke my hard and fast rule about not buying any more annuals. (Original Post) Siwsan May 2021 OP
Beautiful! bronxiteforever May 2021 #1
Oh Siswan... MontanaMama May 2021 #2
My wife grows hers from seed RainCaster May 2021 #3
Snaps are still my favorite blm May 2021 #4
It was 36 where I am in Wisconsin last night. Ziggysmom May 2021 #5
It is a bit silvery Siwsan May 2021 #6
I have flat after flat of annuals and perennials to plant but the rain won't stop. Frustratedlady May 2021 #7
We got some MUCH needed rain that delayed my starting to plant the veg garden Siwsan May 2021 #8
The flowers are very pretty, but... Fritz Walter May 2021 #9
I think they are just 'run of the mill' chilis Siwsan May 2021 #10

MontanaMama

(23,238 posts)
2. Oh Siswan...
Sat May 29, 2021, 11:58 AM
May 2021

I can’t say no to a Gazania. Also, I cannot turn my back on an orange osteopernum....with the purple center.

RainCaster

(10,673 posts)
3. My wife grows hers from seed
Sat May 29, 2021, 12:04 PM
May 2021

Many trays of them begin life in our greenhouse, then go out later. The last few trays will go out this weekend. She still plants every seed in the packet, then regrets having so many to divide & repot.

Ziggysmom

(3,374 posts)
5. It was 36 where I am in Wisconsin last night.
Sat May 29, 2021, 12:17 PM
May 2021

I put a lot of my precious Hoya plants on a sheltered deck for the summer, and had to bring them all back inside a day ago. Crossing my fingers it warms up and stays near “normal”.
Is that Gazania foliage silvery? They are lovely.

Siwsan

(26,173 posts)
6. It is a bit silvery
Sat May 29, 2021, 12:22 PM
May 2021

The other I bought, that hasn't bloomed yet, should be a white petal with a reddish center.

I'm thinning out a BUMPER crop of grape hyacinth in a couple of my flower beds to make room for these. I might try putting a few in hanging baskets, too.

Frustratedlady

(16,254 posts)
7. I have flat after flat of annuals and perennials to plant but the rain won't stop.
Sat May 29, 2021, 12:44 PM
May 2021

We have tried to get them in the ground only to throw up our hands because it rained enough each day to mud things up. This last batch was bought nearly a month ago. We got half of them planted, but the rest sit with good intentions of making it into a hole. At least they are still growing.

Siwsan

(26,173 posts)
8. We got some MUCH needed rain that delayed my starting to plant the veg garden
Sat May 29, 2021, 02:32 PM
May 2021

As it turns out, that was a good thing, since our temp was in the 30's, last night, and will be, again, tonight.

I just did a whole lot of flower bed weeding, made much easier to do because of the rain. I'm calling it a day, early, so I can save my energy, and my back, for tomorrow's veg planting. THEN I can go back to laboring in the flower beds.

Time for a glass of Chardonnay, and to give some thought to food.

Fritz Walter

(4,281 posts)
9. The flowers are very pretty, but...
Sat May 29, 2021, 02:37 PM
May 2021

...as a "pepper head," I gotta ask: is there a specific chili pepper plant you were seeking?

Eight years ago, my local nursery offered "Hawaiian Peppers" so I bought a couple of starters. Hawaiians -- or Capsicum fruitescens – have a unique combination of heat and sweetness. On the Scoville Heat Unit scale, they clock in at 50,000 – 70,000 SHU. By comparison, Jalapeños are rated at 5,000, and Habaneros top off at 150,000. They seem to do very well in this Northeast Florida climate.



And each and every generation is hotter than the one before. Plant evolution, where the strongest survive and adapt to produce seeds? Maybe, but they're my favorite, and Generation-8 plants should be producing very soon.

Siwsan

(26,173 posts)
10. I think they are just 'run of the mill' chilis
Sat May 29, 2021, 03:17 PM
May 2021

I make a lot of curries during the Winter so I dry the chilis. I am also planting some Red Scotch Bonnets, along with sweet banana, sweet red and orange, and green bell. The Scotch Bonnets are for my 'nephew in law' who LOVES really hot peppers.

One year I planted ghost peppers but I haven't had much luck in finding them, lately.

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