Re: Phormium and Heuchera 'Amber Waves'

Marge,

Interesting about your seedlings with no clorophyl. I hope those babies take off and show their true colors soon! :) Do you think that is normal for them to start out white? It seems it would be if all of them are white.

I haven't had any large ones in containers and they certainly aren't as large as they get in the ground. I don't cut them back but clean up any dead foliage in the spring.

The prices here aren't too bad although not cheap but many will overwinter here. I haven't had one get frosted to the ground although I hear they will re sprout. Marilyn I see mentioned they don't do well if cut to the crown. Since I haven't had the experience I can't say. They certainly are plants worth lusting after. And every year there are so many more new ones to lust for. I can't keep up! Oh and your web page doesn't help cure plant lust either, but feeds the addiction! :)

Deb



At 03:44 AM 4/14/2003 -0400, you wrote:
Well, Debbie, now 'Amber Wave' has come up in conversation, I hope I
do see it again:-)

I got seed, purportedly of Phormium cookianum ssp hookeri 'Tricolor',
 from the NARGS exchange...It  is supposed to have yellow and green
foliage with a red margin and San Marcos Growers page says it is
stable, so I'm hoping.  As I said, the seedlings are pure white.  I
was amazed that I got germination - have tried seed before and had
nothing - now, if I can only grow them on.  They just seem to be
sitting there contemplating their little navels.

Do you cut yours back for wintering over in the greenhouse?  I'm
thinking huge plant...where to put it?  Or, do they not get as large
when grown in containers?  Of course, I'm dreaming on here as mine
are all of half an inch tall:-)

San Marcos says most of them are hardy to 15-20F...almost, but not
quite for me as we can and do get lower than 15F some winters and
definitely lower than 20F...

Thus far, these are not easy plants to find in this area, and the few
I've seen have been so expensive I just can't convince myself to
invest tho' I've lusted for them for some time.  There is,
supposedly, a nursery up county that carries them and I mean to try
to get there one of these days and see if they do and if they are at
all affordable, but they have not hit most nurseries...maybe because
they aren't generally hardy around here.

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
Editor:  Gardening in Shade
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----------
> From: Debra Teachout-Teashon <teachout@tscnet.com>
>
> I know what you mean I passed it by last fall, but this spring I
had a
> different view of it. This might be one of those plants you either
love or
> dislike.
>
> Ah phormiums yes they are creeping into my garden too. I have one
in the
> garden that is getting too big and I must beat it back with a stick
(ok
> shovel) as it is trying to take over a golden leaf fuchsia. I
planted P.
> 'Amazing Red' last year with much brighter tones. These so far have
proven
> hardy here in my neck of the woods. I have a few less hardies I
winter over
> in the greenhouse with stripes of pinks and greens and cremes. Aye
ca rumba
> they are beautiful. I even like the plain green ones. They are very

> architectural in the garden. At our marina in town there is a
burgundy one
> that is six feet wide and as tall that is just stunning. The salt
air
> doesn't seem to bother them. Mine have yet to get that tall or
wide.

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   * Debra Teachout-Teashon
       * Kitsap County
       * Washington state USA
       * USDA zone 8b possibly 9a
       * 22F (lowest in seven years)
       * <http://www.rainyside.com/>http://www.rainyside.com

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