PBS Forum

I have a collection from many years.  A few favorites are:

     Gardens are not made by singing "Oh, how beautiful," and sitting in the shade.

     If we persist, I do not doubt that by age 96 or so we will have a garden we are pleased with, more or less.

     The gardener doesn't make the garden; the garden makes the gardener.

Sylvia Sykora
Oakland, CA USA  - where Fog-ust is here in earnest, fog dripping like rain from the tall trees

Robert -

My Zephs (can't spell the rest of the name in any case) over many years have bloomed precisely once.  The few pots I've retained have foliage now but as for buds, nada.

What am I not doing or am doing that's counter productive?

Best,
Sylvia (in the East Bay hills without a trace of fog but cooling SW breeze)

I have multiple small pots of Nerines that also have never done a thing for years and years.   Put up leaves, leaves die, that's it.  I'm gonna try the threat of "the bin" and see it that may work on my Nerines, as well.

Sylvia Sykora
SF Bay Area/Oakland Hills, CA

I've found black labels when written on with pencil readily take erasures and can be used again.  The ones I use I've had for at least a dozen years - maybe came from England? - and none have become broken or brittle.  Don't know what I'll do when I run out ...

Sylvia Sykora in the Oakland, CA Hills
Under dense, drippy fog for the third day in a row.

 

Golly -  all of your comments make me blush to think I sent a "help" message immediately instead of giving things another try after signing off and logging back in a bit later.  I'm sorry for taking up your time.   It taught me - and perhaps others - a lesson, one my mother-in-law practiced with her car: get out, give it a kick, walk away and come back later in a better mood.   Voila, it starts up like a charm.

Thank you to all of you,
Sylvia

Renewal via PBS website took me to "Forbidden" when I clicked on Buy Now.

Happy to use PayPal directly or credit card but can't seem to reach either option.

Thank you,
Sylvia Sykora

I was able to donate years of botanical journals to the library at the San Francisco Arboretum.   I also sold some runs to a book store in Minneapolis dealing in matters horticultural.  They would have been interested in books, as well, had I offered them.  I've tried the local junior college's horticultural library but without a librarian their collection is almost unusable for students although I think otherwise that could be a worthwhile destination.  Another donation possibility would be the libraries at local universities that have horticultural undergraduate and graduate programs.  And failing that, gardening friends and used book stores.  I never toss books!

Sylvia in Oakland, CA

Grateful here, too, for the additional advice about recent BX bulb care.  Both Nerine and Cyrtanthus arrived within 3 days of having been mailed but neither had any appearance of living roots or leaves; the Cyrtanthus was desiccated.  I've potted up both, watered in, and will keep cool and shaded with fingers crossed.  We're heading into what is usually for us the hottest, driest season of  the year.

What would we do without the expertise and kindness of other PBS members?!?

Sylvia in SF Bay Area 

My query matches Ottoline: no species known for Cyrtanthus and Nerine bulbs just received from the BX.   Mine show no green foliage or root growth and I wonder whether to plant now or wait for cooler weather.  The Cyrtanthus is "ex Logee" and the Nerine "ex Exbury."   When species is not known what's the safest approach?

Many thanks,
Sylvia Sykora in the cool, slightly dampish SF Bay Area

Hi Jane,

I've been ordering tulips from commercial sources for more than 35 years and never noticed any virus transfer to my species plants or lilies.  The lilies sometimes develop virused leaves which, I think, may be a problem at source rather than from growing in my garden.  I do grow the tulips only in pots  - they're gopher fodder here -  and usually in a place not near my species or lilies.  Perhaps my success is dependent on location.  You might try a few tulip cultivars in pots kept away from your species and see if you're successful. Tulips are hard to beat for early color and indoor vases.

Best,
Sylvia in cool, foggy Oakland (California Bay Area)