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Re: Plant Snobs, common plants used poorly


On Tue, 2 Jun 1998 01:32:37 -0700 Barry_Garcia@monterey.edu (Barry
Garcia) writes:
>I too have been a plant snob. For a while i detested
>Agapanthus........i thought it was common and coarse......but i have
>changed. Ive seen how pretty it can be in summer ( when most plants in
>peoples gardens are done blooming.) Mine are starting to bloom. 

Yes,   Agapanthus in general and Headbourne hyrids in particular are
striking, although the Headbournes are deciduous. And Agapanthus are
superb in containers or as cut flowers. 


>   however im starting to like plants i too have snubbed. Like
>Nasturtiums. What changed my mind is how easy to grow they are, and 
>how
>big the plants can get. The foliage is nice, and in my neighborhood im
>the only one with these plants :). Another thing is it will quickly
>cover up this bare sandy berm i have in my yard :), and they come back
>without having to buy new seeds ( even though seeds are cheap). Im
>trying something a little different. I planted some free gladioulus
>bulbs i got in the mail ( i know theyre probably not the best but the
>bulbs looked just fine), and the naturtiums will grow amongst the
>gladioulus'.


Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) are indeed another great flower. The
poorer the soil, the sandier the soil,  the better the bloom. And these
days they come in so many colors that you may find a riot of burgundy,
orange, yellow, and creamy white at your feet. They're an effective cover
for your sandy berm or bulbs like galadiolus, and also make excellent
companions for the California poppy. And  nasturtiums will reseed
themselves, naturalizing in Sunset Zone 17 areas like Monterey.

I took a plant photography course this last semester and found that some
of my best shots were close-ups of nasturtiums and poppies on Fuji Velvia
35mm film, which captured the backlit brilliance these flowers can
display.

By the way, plant "snobbery" can be a good thing. How else are we going
to discriminate when there are thousands upon thousands of plants that
will grow in a Mediterranean climate? You might as well grow what you
like!


Victoria

Benicia, CA

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