Passion-Flower Grower’s Paradise
The canarybird tree, Crotalaria agatiflora, allows makers of new gardens and revampers of old ones to again use this 9-foot African shrub. One bush sometimes carries over a hundred 2- to 3-foot spikes of large, beaked flowers in chartreuse, which blend nicely with the sage-green leaves. It belongs to that useful group of shrubs which can be used as large bushes or as semi-vines. So decide on its place, the effect you require of it, and the necessary nature of its pruning before planting. It is a very fast grower, likes sun and not too much water, and it blooms for most of the year. If frost lays it low, it will shoot up again, and it can be kept bushy if you cut it back.
When choosing your canarybird tree at the nursery, don’t fall for the largest plant, which may have been forced into soft growth by over-watering and is probably pot-bound. A small, well-formed plant will, when it gets into the garden, outstrip it in no time.
The California coastal fog belt is the passion-flower grower’s paradise. These vines do particularly well on the Monterey Peninsula where they are used a lot on fences and walls. The three passifloras usually grown are the coral pink P. jamesoni, the rose-pink P. mollissima and the scarlet P. manicata. P. jamesoni, a prolific bearer, blooms most of the year, though it sets few seed pods. The heaviest blossoming period comes late in winter and the flowers continue through August. It is a quick grower and soon covers its wall, and from there, if it has a chance, it moves off into the pine woods to envelope-lilac and cascara bushes and form a ground cover between the pine trees, spreading itself for 75 feet or more. The luminous color of the 3-inch-wide flower bowl varies from salmon-red to carmine.
P. mollissima is even more rampant, climbing the tallest oak or pine and leap-ing over to the telephone wires, from where it dangles an even fringe of pink. It does not bloom as luxuriantly as P. jamesoni, but every flower seems to be followed by an oval, golden seed pod.
Passiflora, manicata has rich, glossy, green foliage which makes a splendid background for the scarlet-vermilion flowers. These begin at Christmas and continue through March, and after a rest the vine blazes forth again in summer. This is the most tender passion-flower of the lot, but it grows up again even after very severe frost.
In the fog district, give your passion-flower vines all the sun you can, rich soil and some summer watering. Now is the time to plant them, and they are beginning to dribble back into the nurseries.
Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. September is a good month for Valleyites to be tending their climbing roses. Those which had only one season of bloom were presumably pruned after the flowers faded, but now is the time for pruning the other climbers. Take out very old wood from the base and tie the remaining three or four strong young wands securely to their places Climbing roses should be fed now by making holes a foot deep with a crowbar or similar instrument and into each hole putting half a cup of fertilizer. Three or four holes should be enough for a medium-size climbing rose.
Pacific Northwest. This is the time to lift the tender tuberoses and tubers such as cannas, tuberous begonias, tuberose bulbs, dahlias and gladiolus, and to plant the hardy bulbs such as hyacinths and narcissus. Dry and clean the tubers of cannas, dahlias and gladiolus, but do not shake the earth from begonia tubers until all the foliage is dry. Store all tubers in a cool, well ventilated room. The begonias, however, are best stored in dry peat or sand.
Bulbs of new narcissus varieties are so expensive that they should be given every opportunity to do their best. Do not plant them where they will have to take a lot of wind, and give them good loamy soil. They show to the greatest advantage in a setting of grass and deciduous trees, or near evergreens with foliage that is not too dense.
For more details on the topic of tuberoses. Drop by today at http://www.zone10.com/tuberoses-reliable-and-delightful-if-their-few-needs-are-met.html.
