Viewing comments posted by sallyg

Native to much of the US and Canada, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

This geranium has been slowly expanding in my shady Maryland sandy-loam garden, I have divided it into a few clumps. Not evergreen in my garden. Purple spring leaves are nice contrast to a lime green Hosta or fresh bright growth on variegated Liriope spicata.

I have good results with Jalapenos and without a lot of special effort. Whereas bell peppers here tend to be thin walled (I garden organically, don't fertilize regularly, and I may neglect watering at times), jalapenos turn out lots of really nice fruit. Small brown cracks develop as the fruit ages, while still green; they can still be used.

This variety has grown well for me in Maryland and I really like the pickling type for taste.

I planted a pack of 30 bulbs many years ago. They bloom early and faithfully. I love to see them but my one complaint is that the weather is so changeable that early, many years they get ruined or overlooked during a cold wet spell. They need a little warm sun to look good. I think a sheltered but sunny location may be best. They have multiplied gradually around the initial planting.

I think this is very pretty. It pops up here and there. Some winters it is evergreen, turning bronze-y and pretty.

I agree about its aggressive nature. Lots of runners. It is pretty through bloom, with the yellow flowers on red foliage, but then the leaf color fades and it isn't much to look at.

Use with caution. Vinca is a very popular groundcover and has been around for decades. In my garden, in one place, I have one patch very well behaved under a big tree and surrounded by lawn. In another area, it is creeping under the fence from a neighbor, and very sneakily embeds itself in my shrubs, iris clumps, etc. So it seems bright shade, where you can easily get to all the edges, may keep it better contained, whereas protection of other plants helps it to creep and invade. Once rooted in the base of a shrub, you cannot pull it and it sends runners out every year.
It is listed as a non-native invasive plant of eastern US, according to the invasiveplantatlas.org.

I first bought them to force in pots and was successful. Moved them to the ground and had blooming every year (several years) in my Maryland garden. I give no special care, but they are in a west facing bed with an overhang which tends to keep the area on the dry side in summer; I have read that helps tulips. This year, only a few blooms, my luck may have run out.
2022 sure enough, I had zero bloom this year. But they had a good run.

I've had this lovely daffodil for over fifteen years, it is hardy but does not multiply much in my Maryland garden. Because it does not multiply, it does not need thinning like some others I have, so that can be seen as a good thing.

A lovely and reliable daffodil in my Maryland garden, I have had them for decades.

This is a gorgeous plant with a reputation of being difficult. as a houseplant. I have bought small starter ones twice and not kept them alive long.

My specimen is about ten years old, in a shrubby, mostly upright shape. It makes a lot of stray roots in my sandy-loam soil, with suckers coming up every few feet; that makes it easy to share. In fact, I got mine in a box from another gardener in Tennessee. The Illinois wildflower site lists a number of insects that use the flowers or foliage, but says birds are not that fond of the fruit. Fall leaf color is nice. Note the dark purple flower color- European spindle has pale (yellow green or cream?) flowers. Otherwise, the fruits of this American native look the same to me as the fruits of the European spindle- both having the smooth pink 'shells' revealing orange "berries." (E. americanus fruits are different, having bumpy, warty 'shells.')

I grew Emerald seed from a Ferry Morse packet in a store seed rack. I was very happy with the production, flavor, and tenderness, as described by others here.

One name for this is "stringy stonecrop." Compact in early spring, after bloom it makes long stringy stray stems. Give it room, or chop it off and dispose (carefully, to prevent starting new plants.)

The taste is not to everyone's liking, according to a few users on this thread The thread "Papalo - has anyone grown?" in Herbs forum

Popular in tropical landscapes, they seem to be difficult for many when grown indoors in cold zones.

I have only seen this for sale once here. Baby plants may still have a big green 'bean' showing at the soil level, almost like an avocado pit. Quite novel.

I've been growing these since buying my first as a 3-inch potted plant about 9 years ago. From that plant I now have two multi-stemmed plants in deep 8 inch pots from which a number of pruned rooted stems have also been taken. I find it a very forgiving plant, growing well in my workplace and also able to hang out over winter in a dim corner of the home waiting for summer outside in shade. It develops tall, unbranched upright stems and strong offshoots from the base. Leaves become larger and longer on more mature plants. I like the narrow 'footprint' that can fit into a corner. As I said, I have cut off long stems, cut those into sections, and easily rooted both sections and end pieces to give away. I recommend these as easy plants.

Apparently you may grow a small date palm plant from pits out of edible dates. The pictures here show roots emerging. I have two seedlings sent by a fellow gardener. Some palm seedlings such as these have a single leaf blade, sort of grass like, and develop a fanlike leaf later.