Jade Vine

Jade Vine
Strongylodon macrobotrys
(stron-GY-loh-don) (mak-ro-BOT-rees)

Wordless Wednesday

Clematis ‘Diamantina’

Clematis ‘Diamantina’

(KLEM-uh-tiss)

Clematis is one of the vines we always get requests for but not many people know how to grow it.  After 30 years of trying I have to admit I am still a bit stumped but have developed some general rules for success. One thing that these plants seem to like is a ‘hot top, cool bottom.’ Which implies exactly that, the roots like to be shaded by other shrubs or mulch but the leaves need a lot of sun to flower properly.

Each type of Clematis seems to have it’s own likes about flowering on new wood or getting cut back completely. Often times the varietal names are lost so you have to guess what they want. My way is to wait until spring and see what part of the plant has been killed by winter and prune to that spot. It is also a plant that I install slightly deeper then most other plants. Covering one or two buds under the soil seem to help it establish stronger.

This 2010 introduction is from Raymond Evison, who has been breeding and introducing Clematis for over 50 years now. They have some very distinctive and showy types. Raymond seems to be one breeder that doesn’t rush varieties to the market, which is a welcome change.

Clematis is generally a pain in the butt to grow but is one of those plants if it likes the conditions it grows very well. If it doesn’t like them it struggles and eventually peters out. They are also subject to Clematis wilt, which often takes the plant out just before it flowers. The only way I have found to slow the wilt down is with a couple of well timed fungicide applications early in the season and that doesn’t always work. In general you can help the plants by watching your watering timing and keeping the area around the stems clean (good fall clean up). The fungus kills the top but usually leaves the roots alive.

Clematis

Clematis
Clematis triternata 'Rubromarginata'
(KLEM-uh-tiss) (try-tern-AH-tuh)
Synonyms: Clematis flammula var. rubromarginata

This is a slightly different twist on Clematis compared to the large flowered garden cultivars. It seems to make its mark by having a huge shower of smaller flowers. The vine is also more aggressive and larger growing. A good end of dormancy shearing will keep this plant in check and still provide good flowering. The group shot shows how pretty a big group of the flowers are.

Boston Ivy Fall Color

Boston Ivy

Parthenocissus tricuspidata

(par-then-oh-KISS-us) (try-kusp-ee-DAY-tuh)

Synonyms: Japanese Creeper

Not a flower but Boston Ivy never fails to deliver in the fall color department. This is a plant that a lot of people find undesirable but here on Long Island it is a popular Estate plant that is used to cover both large and small masonry structures. It has taken me a little getting used to but it has won me over with its energetic growth in sometimes very tough areas. I personally don’t like to grow it on painted wood surfaces as it can degrade them fairly substantially. This picture was taken in Brooklyn.

This is a clinging vine that can grow without support. The roots secrete calcium carbonate on the adhesive pads and that allows it to stick to walls. Now one problem I used to have was the damage it caused removing the roots from surfaces but I have learned that by cutting the vines first so they die the process is much easier. There are several different types available now but I like the species for best growth. The gold form ‘Fenway Park’ is striking and a DNA match to the ivy on the walls of the ‘Green Monster’ at the ballpark.

Just to keep things honest here is a rose covered with dew. Roses are great this time of year as they bloom very late. I just keep deadheading them and hope for the best. Quite often there still some flowers and buds on the plants when they get heavily mulched and covered for the winter. I am not sure of this variety but it looks familiar can any one guess?

Blue Passion Flower

Blue Passion Flower
(pass-iff-FLOR-uh) (see-ROO-lee-uh)
Passiflora caerulea
Synonyms: Hardy Passionflower

Wordless Wednesday

Morning Glory

Variegated Morning Glory

Ipomoea purpurea

(ip-oh-MEE-a) (pur-PUR-ee-uh)

Red Passion Flower

Red Passion Flower

Passiflora caerulea

(pass-iff-FLOR-uh) (see-ROO-lee-uh)

Synonyms: Passion Vine

Wordless Wednesday

Variegated Potato Vine

Variegated Potato Vine

Solanum laxum 'Variegata'

(so-LAN-num) (LAX-um)

Synonyms: Solanum jasminoides

I often hesitate when recommending vines to people as they can become bullies in the garden and often require a lot of maintenance. This vine can grow enormous but the winter usually keeps it in check. Hardy to USDA Zone 8 it is best grown as an annual in Connecticut. We have grown it in a container in other years and it did exactly what a vine should do in a container, which is grow and fill its support and then to continue growing down around the edge of the pot and even on the ground. The foliage of this vine makes it worth having and the smallish flowers are a nice bonus. Since this plant is in the nightshade family all parts of the plant are toxic.

Red Passion Flower

Red Passion Flower

Passiflora caerulea ‘Grace Ann’

(pass-iff-FLOR-uh) (see-ROO-lee-uh)

Synonyms: Passion Vine

Isn’t this an amazing flower? The color alone was so striking and when inspected closely it had all of the otherworldly shapes and bits that a regular passion flower has. This specimen was growing in the water garden/fountain area of the New York Botanical Garden. I have to admit at marveling at their ability to grow this plant indoors. Mine always do poorly in the greenhouse and usually lose vigor completely after a couple of winters. This seems to happen even with an adjustment of the growing conditions and while I haven’t given up hope completely it is close and this year’s specimen will probably be sacrificed to the frost gods.

Coelogyne Orchid

Coelogyne
Coelogyne flaccida
(koh-el-LAW-jin-ee) (FLA-sih-duh)

Very rushed morning here today. Over nothing really but we are trying to get out the local fair. This picture is from one of the two flash cards that are now found. This one has been missing since spring and was presumed lost a long time ago. Among the photos are the 2012 New York Orchid Show so there will be some Orchid pictures coming up this week.

Today's Orchid didn't have much information about it on the Internet but it was remarkable in the long, pendulous spikes that were just loaded with flowers. I don't remember it but these flowers are fragrant. What I do remember thinking was the petals kind of looked fleshy and alive. Coelogyne flaccida is native to mountain forests in northern India through south China. It enjoys cool to cold growing conditions.

Since it is Sunday here is another tropical flower. This flower seems more truncated then the outdoor growing types. This particular vine is a year round resident in the NYBG Conservatory.

Red Jade Vine
Mucuna bennetti
(myoo-KOO-nuh)

Gilded Grape Wishbone Flower

Wishbone Flower

Torenia fournieri 'Catalina Gilded Grape'

(tor-EN-ee-uh) (for-NEER-eye)

Synonyms: Bluewings, Dancat266

This was a new flower for me. Of course I am familiar with Wishbone Flower but this looked so different that didn’t even cross my mind until close inspection. Its not new to the market (introduced in 2008) but Torenia has never been real popular around here. I have very limited experience growing Wishbone Flower and only in containers. The velvety blue and purple are eye catching and fun to have.

This color combination was a little odd to me at first but the more I looked at the several flats sitting together the more I liked it. They have a trailing habit and were trying to exhibit that in the pots. It is a nice flower for shady somewhat moist locations. It is heat tolerant and gives good color throughout the summer.

Since I feel a little guilty about not posting yesterday (out late rehearsing) here is an extra picture. Normally I wouldn’t have taken this picture because the plant is just a wild growing weed but the light was nice and the super washed out color attracted me.

Morning Glory

Ipomoea sp.

(ip-oh-MEE-uh)

Mandevilla Vine

Mandevilla Vine

Mandevilla x amabilis 'Moonlight Parfait'

(man-de-VILL-uh)

Synonyms: ‘Monite’, Mandevilla x amoena

For the first time in many years we are not growing any Mandevilla. The spring stock just didn’t look good and I am slightly happy to be free of the maintenance that this vine takes. From my experience this pink one is not as easy to grow as the red flowering one with glossy leaves, which is actually a different species of plant. You can see the fungus already setting in on this one and it hadn’t even left the nursery yet. To be fair to Mandevilla I have never grown one in the ground just in containers.

Morning Glory

Morning Glory

Ipomoea purpurea 'Grandpa Ott's'

(ip-oh-MEE-a) (pur-PUR-ee-uh)

I have to admit the color of this flower is very enchanting to me. Truly a sight to see in the morning when the vine is covered with hundreds of flowers each reflecting the sun in their own way. It has seeded itself but not in a malicious way just enough to keep enjoying it year after year. Some control was used on the plants last year but that was more to keep the size in check. There is some wild Morning Glory in the garden some of which is allowed to grow, I have found it to be an onerous and formidable opponent and realize that we are just going to have to live with it.

Our wild and whacky weather continues. Lucky most everything bounced back from the freeze of a couple nights ago. We had a cold night last night but not freezing. When I got home from work on Wednesday I noticed my front and back yard was covered with something white. Turns out we had about an inch of gravel sized hail.  Have to add it’s supposed to snow tonight with a dusting by morning. What a roll coaster!

Blue Sky Vine

Blue Sky Vine

Thunbergia grandiflora

(thun-BER-jee-uh) (gran-dih-FLOR-uh)

Synonyms: Bengal Clock Vine

This beauty was waiting for me in the petting zoo at Gatorland. We usually see this vine blooming when we get to Florida and this year was no different. Gatorland has really upgraded since I was last there 15 years ago. It truly is one of the few old roadside tourist attractions in Florida. It was the only place I saw live gators during the whole trip. Another interesting about these photo is it was shot using the 18-70mm zoom lens. Technically it's called the Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IFAF-S DX Nikkor Zoom Lens.

On the D700 camera (full frame) this lens auto crops down to 5 megapixels (instead of 12) since it is built for the smaller sensor cameras. In the view finder you can see where the edges of the photo will be but it still is a little tricky to remember to use those lines instead of the whole viewfinder. The lens came as a kit lens with my first DSLR a Nikon D70s. I almost didn’t buy it to save the $99 but said what the heck. Since getting that camera I have switched over to using fixed or prime lenses almost exclusively. It was fun to have some zoom and you can see that the lens is sharp with good color rendition and you can’t ask for anymore than that.

Karen put a big scratch in this lens by accident. It didn’t show up when taking most pictures but I didn’t like it being there. After using the lens as a paperweight for a time I took it down to the repair shop and asked if they could fix it. They had the part in stock and did the job for $58, which I happily paid. They also check the lens for specifications and adjust as needed. It is a very nice lens that I am happy to see it in my bag.

I am always a little irresolute in recommending vines in tropical climates. This one was beautiful and seemingly under control and gets good reviews from people growing it. Of course I am a sucker for any blue flower.

Morning Glory

Morning Glory ‘Heavenly Blue’

Ipomoea tricolor

(ip-oh-MEE-uh) (TRY-kull-lur)

Even though many people consider the Morning Glory vine to be a pest I think it is a great plant to have in the garden. This white one has grown from seed the last five years and has steadily become more and more beautiful. Its getting to the point where I may start pinching it a little more and remove a few of the seedlings.

The composition is a little different than most of my photographs. I have found the front of the morning glory flower to be difficult to photograph so I switched to the back. The gentle striping and luscious curves were enchanting.

This is a link to Today’sFlowers. I really hope it doesn’t throw the formatting off. Sunday means a bonus snapshot. This week it is a Wax Begonia.

Wax Begonia

Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum

(be-GON-yuh) (sem-per-FLOR-enz kul-TOR-um)

Synonym: Fibrous Rooted Begonia

Large-flowered Clematis

Large-flowered Clematis

Clematis 'Nelly Moser'

(KLEM-uh-tiss)

‘Nelly Moser’ seems like a very nice variety of Clematis. It has performed well as a perennial and is a strong bloomer. The color is nice with the red adding a nice touch to the white background.

Clematis is one of those plants that I have never really captured what the ideal growing conditions are. Basically I use my secret gardening sense of what it needs and go with that. It is mostly luck but things seem to work out in the end. Currently we are trying to get a purple one to climb over a metal arch in the garden and the vine is being uncooperative. It seemed to grow about 4 inches and had about 4 flowers on it last year. Oh well better luck next year.

Mandevilla Vine

Mandevilla

Mandevilla splendens

(man-de-VILL-uh) (SPLEN-denz)

Synonyms: M. boliviensis, Dipladenia

This staple of the tropical vines seems to get a few new varieties every year. We enjoyed the light pink on this one this year and it is still blooming in the greenhouse. The cultivar was not marked when it was purchased but is a nice one. The flowers seem to get a little pinker as the flowers age.

The naming on this plant seems to be a little mixed up. I will always call it Mandevilla. This Brazilian native used to be called Dipladenia but I believe that is no longer considered correct. To reach its full glory the plants need full sun and adequate moisture, although it will tolerate some dry spells when established. Since it is tropical we usually grow it in containers where it reaches up to 6 feet tall. It does need a little training and support to look neat but the work is minimal.

"A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines."

Frank Lloyd Wright

American Architect

(1867-1959)

Hardy Hibiscus

Hardy Hibiscus
Hibiscus moscheutos 'Luna Blush'
(hi-BIS-kus) (mos-KEW-tos)
Synonyms: Swamp Mallow, Rose Mallow

Wow the Hardy Hibiscus were amazing this year. They all returned from the winter and had a show stopping month of flowering. ‘Luna Blush’ was leading the charge and is still throwing out a couple of flowers. The foliage got a little ratty but that didn’t matter as all eyes were upon the beautiful floral display. The compact habit of this plant combined with the large flowers was hard to ignore.

Sunday of course mean it is time for Today’s Flowers. Take a peek at flowers from all over the world.

Sunday also means a bonus picture here. Another of the rainy day flowers. I must profess ignorance about the species and name of this plant. It has to be hardy since this was taken in a bit of a wild area of a parking lot. The vine was big and well entrenched among the native Cedar Trees. The yellow was pretty and the whole vine only had a few flowers on it. Normally they bloom much earlier in this area. It was pretty to look at and I was glad that I didn’t have the responsibility of removing it from the trees.

Yellow Honeysuckle

Lonicera

(luh-NIS-er-a)

Royal Creeper Vine

Royal Creeper
Oxera pulchella
(oks-ER-uh) (pul-KEL-uh)

These are archive shots from last winter. Taken at Fairchild Tropical Garden just south of Miami, Florida.

Since we are under a Hurricane Warning my thoughts have briefly drifted down to Florida and the devastation we saw when driving through Homestead, Florida after Hurricane Andrew had a direct hit there. I know it won’t be as bad as that but it did teach me a little bit about how bad these storms can be. The most recent forecast has the eye of a Category 1 Hurricane coming right over our little town/city. We are directly in what I call the “Cone of Doom”, which is the projected path of Irene. I was laughing and telling my friend from the west coast we will probably be wiped off the map just as we were in 1777 when the British troops burned the town to the ground for supplying that pesky Continental Army of the Americans. All kidding aside we have made some preparations and are keeping up with forecast although I have severely limited my intake of the coverage of the storm. It’s not really telling me anything and quite frankly is depressing.

About the flower for today. It is a quite attractive vine that blooms in the winter. It is very tropical and looks distinct and classy. Vines in general are not my favorite types of plants. While there is a time and place for them they usually end up going somewhat out of control.

Pincushion Protea

Pincushion Protea
Leucospermum cordifolium
(loo-koh-SPER-mum) (kor-di-FOH-lee-um)

I hope this flower is identified correctly. It was in amongst a virtual forest of King Protea (Protea cynaroides) so that is what I based the ID on. Both of these photos were taken on the upper reaches of Maui last year. It was pretty amazing walking around the shrubs and seeing them erupting into the giant and radiant flowers (a little volcano humor there since this was in the shadow of Haleakalā). Here is a good reference page @ plantz Africa.com on the plant.

Since it is Sunday come join us at Today’s Flowers .

Bonus Picture!


Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Thunbergia alata
(thun-BER-jee-uh) (a-LAY-tuh)

This is always a fun flower to see especially in the tropics where it can become a huge tangled mess of flowers. It does well for us an annual but doesn’t quite have the vigor of its tropical cousins. This pure yellow version was a nice change from the usual orange type.