Subscriber Comments for
Daisy-Induced Laryngitis

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ROGER DODGER	2010-08-28 10:19 AM
Doug Knapp nursery saved my....A few times I never had the touch for gardening but I am touched. I used to do building maintence years ago and Doug Knapps kept me in work even though I had no idea what I was doing. The proptery I live on many years ago had a resident that worked at Lotasland and there a few old cuttings still hanging around. I'm also told that the Solstice parade was born on this proptery as the the man who's birthday was celebrated lived here. My neighbor the Balistic one is pretty knowledgable with plants and flowers also. Thanks
COMMENT 101174	2010-08-28 10:39 AM
There must be a special rung in Dante's Hell for the ubiquitous "Freeway Lily" which when trimmed loosely and in bloom is quite nice for its all too short duration but the rest of the time it just heavily clumps, looks weedy and takes up a huge space as it propagates ad infinitum. Doesn't need much water- yeehaw. It does have a virtue.
COMMENT 101182	2010-08-28 11:14 AM
The plants I really loath are fortnight lilies. They are everywhere Because they spread seeds far and wide and the seeds stay viable for years ! 2 years ago I planted a red penta. If you need a large shrub that blooms all the time with no care, It's the plant for you ! A little pruning of the dead blooms helps, but it seems to do without. It's in morning shade with afternoon sun, and gets along just fine ! I don't know about the other colors.
SEEDLADY	2010-08-29 07:20 AM
Great picks this week Billy--though I'm not in the Euryops camp; too short-lived. In the best scenario, it would get replaced after 5 years, but often people hang on to them far too long.Same goes for the woody lavenders. After 4-5 years, replace them, I beg you. Clivias are SO attractive with their strap-like leaves, but deserve a chelated mineral mix application to keep a rich vibrant green rather than the burned-out yellow often observed. If you can find 'Citrus Growers Mix' by True Green, it's a good one for most garden yellowing problems, from bleached-out Queen Palms to peaked gardenias. For years K&M nursery in Goleta was the only supplier of the gorgeous and stately 'Royal Princess' Nandina. Now other appreciative growers are offering it and it's easier to find. It can elevate Nandinas to "specimen" status. Feathery, open and tall--topping 6'. flower clusters . Plants I'd nominate: 'Gold Mound' is a favorite Lantana variety; it keeps a compact shape and doesn't take over the world as montevidensis does ultimately. Rich yellow gold color. Another begonia deserving of 'hackneyed' status is the stunning 'Irene Nuss' with it's chocolatey brown and green angel wing foliage, upright stems and dangling light pink Originally introduced locally by HiMark Growers in the late 80's, I think. Now produced locally by San Marcos growers. Stem cuttings root easily for sharing. Likes partial shade and grows well in porch containers. Sort of the Vegas Showgirl of begonias with it's long legs and large...blossoms. Daylilys, for ease and beauty; they bloom over a long period, the varieties are endless, and they are tough! They are a light chore to keep tidy, and may need some snail control, but a glass of wine and a bed of daylilies to clean is a good Zen activity after a hard day out there amongst the English!
COMMENT 101263	2010-08-29 09:00 AM
Great info seedlady, thanks very much!!
HATTIE	2010-08-29 02:39 PM
very interesting, billy, as always. thanks for your great columns. the only thing i didn't see you mention about the purple lantana is that it also has a lovely fragrance--at least i like it. there's also another kind of lantana that comes in different colors mixed together (pink, yellow, orange) & it smells very different...
COMMENT 101351	2010-08-29 03:33 PM
As far as the statement "Icebergs are as close to bulletproof as a rose can be." I would definitely second that. I had them around a fountain in my driveway, planted by the former owner. My house was totally destroyed in the Tea Fire. After the fire they looked like goners, then the builders dumped dirt, debris, wood, drove over them, etc. But after the driveway was torn out and rebuilt, guess what - all of the roses came back with a vengeance. They are as prolific as they were pre-fire. And the deer still love to stop by to eat them... :-))
COMMENT 101402	2010-08-29 07:25 PM
Oh ho ho. The plantings are so beautiful. Oh ho ho. The planing designers should be more highly respected, but most people don't understand their endeavors. Green is good, brown is bad. But many planting designers are so arrogant and stuffy. They treat you like you are an idiot. Some are good though. The quieter ones who are not female.
COMMENT 101473	2010-08-30 09:00 AM
Billy ... loved the column as usual! Also fun to see you with the band up at Cold Springs Tavern on Saturday evening. Go King Bees!
SEEDLADY	2010-08-30 09:20 AM
why, thanks grammy, it's always fun to talk plants. I envy you SB'ans and your clubs and plant exchanges. Sorry 101402 that you've run into designers/plantspeople who intimidate. A good designer not only knows plants, soils, pests, irrigation and design principles, but can impart that knowlegde in an easily digestible form that makes a client feel part, rather than an observer, of the process. It can be too easy to get carried away with 'plantspeak'; after all, gardening is a set of skills and knowledge that takes some time to accumulate, so it's easy to lapse into the accompanying jargon and not keep the conversation more relaxed. Try to engage your designer in a bit small talk about plants. Tell them right off the bat what your aims are, what you like (cite concrete examples), what you hope to avoid, and ask what you can do to make sure the process is going in directions that makes you comfortable. If the designer uses too many foreign terms, ask them to explain as they go. You can dictate how the sessions go. You can 'fire' them at any time. It's your $$$ after all. Good luck. If you like your designer and the outcome, make sure others (your nursery, friends, neighbors, garden clubbers, plant exchange participants, edhatters) know!
BILLY GOODNICK	2010-08-30 10:13 AM
SEEDLADY: Come out, come out, wherever you are. Who are you? Where are you? Maybe we should link up and co-write an article one of these day? I'd love to collaborate. You know where to find me. E-mail me, wouldja? BWRIGHT: Glad you enjoyed King Bee. We were buzzing Saturday, weren't we? As much as I love designing gardens, I always say that drumming with King Bee is the most fun I have without disrobing. Billy G
COMMENT 101626	2010-08-30 03:08 PM
Well, I like to have some Dusty Miller in my gardens, either as a border, or a few huge clumps. The are so lacy, especially when young. And they will continue after flowering and old stems cut back.
COMMENT 101780	2010-08-31 10:08 AM
Re: Clivia. Could you be thinking of the Belgium hybrids? Reliable bloom in shady areas. I tried to tissue culture the really good hybrids back at the dawn of plant tissue culture. While I could do Gerberas practically in my sleep the Clivias eluded me. On Marguerites, I grew tip cuttings on into 4's then gallons and eventually 5's. Bring them out from the growing area in full bloom put them into a larger decorative container, shear them once and take them away to be replaced on the patio. Rudolf Ziesenhenne, was Mr Begonia back in the day. Does anybody know what happened to his lath house in front of the Bowl? Some of the fortnightly lilliy hybrids are spectacular. Best planted along winding pathways for slow speed enjoyment.
BILLY GOODNICK	2010-08-31 10:45 PM
101780: My oooops. Indeed, BELGIAN, not French. Getting my chocolates and wines mixed up. Thank you.
COMMENT 102501P	2010-09-03 07:13 AM
101780--I remember that greenhouse! It had some HUGE staghorn ferns in suspended baskets. I visited with my boss who owned a cool little nursery in downtown SLO (where Takken's is now) way back in the *gulp* 70's. I believe that Mr. Z was the reason Hi-Mark Growers got into begonias in the late 80's. San Marcos Growers of SB and Suncrest Growers in Watsonville also grow these and others. Such striking and easy plants for the shade garden.
SEEDLADY	2010-09-03 07:18 AM
101780: Have you ever seen or grown any of the English hybrid Agapanthus? They seem from photos to be superior in size and color to those sold here. Why are our commercial growers still growing the same stock they did 80 to 100 years ago?? Other mild climate areas of the world have superior cultivars but we are stuck with older, less reliable ones. Where are our modern Luther Burbanks? (--Billy?)
COMMENT 121412	2010-11-14 05:40 PM
I've had a Clivia in Cambria for years, with no bloom. Finally dug her up and put her in a pot so I can control feeding, watering and exposure. Loved seeing them in Santa Barbara. Maybe now...

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