2/17/2007

Did you get your Annie's catalog today?

I got mine.

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I see on page 3 Annie's selling the Fuchsia boliviana 'Alba' that I've been growing from seed. She's selling them in 4" pots for $9.95 each. Hmmm. Mine are in 4" pots right now. Let's see...I "donated" three of them to the Botanical Garden this morning, I already put one in the ground, and I've got four more ready to go. That's $80 of economic activity! I should go in to business for myself. I do still have hundreds of seeds in my refrigerator...anyone wanna order Fuchsia boliviana 'Alba' from Whoreticulture?

She's selling a bunch of native and native hybrid wildflowers. All beautiful. She's got Asclepias speciosa. I haven't seen much activity from my Asclepias yet. I put seeds in pots in November or December and left them outside, checking to keep moist. I know it's a late starter, but I'm inclined to order a couple from Annie just in case mine turn out to be duds. I'm really committed to having Asclepias this year.

I love Annie's product, but, boy, is her catalog super-girly. There needs to be an Andy's Annuals. That what I should do. Not Whoreticulture. Plus, I like the name Andy. Four of my greatest unrequited crushes were all on guys named Andy.

She's hawking Verbascums, and I could definitely use that vertical element in my garden. I bought that Ursinia anthemoides from her last year, and it was beautiful. Hard to deadhead tho', and there was always some deadness going on. Deadness is fine on some plants, not so much with others. Still, I might order this plant again.

The one plant in here I am for sure going to buy, and I'm going to buy two, is this Ageratum corymbosum. I need something tough for shade. I have two tough, shady spots. The flower looks look a lot like Bartlettina sordida which she's also selling and which I already have. I wonder if they're related.

SCRATCH THAT. A day later and I've changed my mind about Ageratum corymobosum. But I might try Rosa 'Lyda' for one of my shady spots.

That Passiflora membranacea's at the Botanical Garden. Lots of people like it, but I'm not that into it.

And she's selling my Dahlia imperialis 'Double White' too. That was a good plant, but it got ragged toward the end, and it was a hard drinker too. I can relate to that.

Anyhow, I could sell you D. imperialis 'Double White' too! I've got tons of it left over. (Anile, your landlord likes to water. Tell him you've got a tree dahlia dealer...)

Here's the picture I took of the tree dahlia before I chopped it down last month:

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This was it at the half-way point in August:

Dahlia imperialis

And here it was when it went in in April:

Dahlia imperialis


Bye-bye, tree dahlia.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was particularly excited by some of those perennial impatiens in the back. Trying to come to grips with a shady corner.

chuck b. said...

I don't think impatients could survive in my garden. For shade, I recommend natives. Gaultheria shallon, Vaccinium ovatum, Symphorocarpus. Even Rhamnus californica. I have some Symphorarpus already growing in the spot where I was thinking about the Ageratum but Symphorocarpus functions more as a filler than anything else. And, I'm thinking maybe I want more variety.

Anonymous said...

Hi, happily stumbled upon your very informative blog while researching Fuchsia Boliviana.
I was wondering if you have any of those seeds left?
(Alba). Would love to get some if it's possible.
I live in the Mission.
Thank you,
Christine
tinepo@cyberonic.com