A Visit to Cistus Nursery
I rarely go to nurseries anymore since I work part-time at one and another reason being that I don't have much room for additional plants. When a garden fanatic runs out of room, the brain goes into overdrive, dreaming up ingenious ways to incorporate more plants. And another thing happens - a burning desire to obtain rare and unique plants. I've been moving plants around, a tricky process that has a domino effect. A plant is unhappy - it is getting too much shade or perhaps too much sun. There is a plant that did not get as large as you thought it would or it is just a slow grower and now it is hopelessly hidden behind a taller plant. Sometimes a plant is just a dud for reasons unknown (Rhododendron 'Golden Gate' anyone?). I find the plant in question a better home, but it means that another plant will have to be moved. And the merry-go-round continues to turn... However, for those plants that are to be discarded, a space opens up for a new one! I decided to move a Mou...
Wow that first one is a stunner! The 2nd I've seen in person here and there--if you can grow it this year and strengthen the bulb for next spring it might be quite impressive. 3rd--is the bulb soft? Sometimes they take forever here. But--much different climate, of course. Could you grow them outdoors in your old garden in the South?
ReplyDeleteThe bulb is not soft so perhaps I should be patient. We could not grow them outdoors, except during the summer, but then they had to be brought back inside. I've pretty much given up on trying to get a repeat out of them. I've never had success with that.
DeleteI've never had an Amaryllis/Hippeastrum fail to bloom at all until this year. I bought 3 'Estella', 2 of which I gave as gifts, and none of them has even shown signs of life. I had a few bloom earlier but most of the others (excluding 'Estella') are actively moving in that direction. I grow all of mine outside so, even in our mild winter climate, they bloom later here.
ReplyDeleteI'm in NE Alabama but a little south of where Phillip lived. I've planted the bulbs outside and they have survived and bloomed in the spring. I planted the bulb so it doesn't show at all, unlike when it is in a pot.
ReplyDeleteInteresting!
DeleteI too potted up 3 bulbs at the end of November, figuring that way when I took down all the Christmas decorations I'd be closing in on fabulous blooms to cheer the space. Wrong. One is just finally open (Evergreen Cybister, it's fabulous), one is starting to bust open (white) and the other, La Paz', is still just buds and lots of leaves. It's been fun watching them develop though.
ReplyDeleteI've learned that it takes much longer for them to bloom than the usually stated "6 weeks".
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