RE: Phormium and Heuchera 'Amber Waves'

Marge,
	No I've never tried Phormium from seed.  Are your Phormium seedlings under
light?  If not, I wonder if that would green them up? And yes, Apricot Queen
is a sturdy grower - I'm afraid if I don't divide this year, it will be more
than I can handle. ( Here's where my Japanese root saw is going to come in
handy!)   But we haven't had a real winter in several years....no temps
below about 26F and then only for a very few nights.  I don't know what
would happen to it if we got a "real" winter.  Flamingo and Platt's Black
seem slower growing, but they are young plants.

Marilyn Dube'
Natural Designs Nursery
Portland, Oregon


-----Original Message-----
From:	owner-perennials@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf
Of Marge Talt
Sent:	Tuesday, April 15, 2003 8:53 PM
To:	perennials@hort.net
Subject:	Re: Phormium and Heuchera 'Amber Waves'

Thanks, Marilyn, I was wondering about this.  Ooooo, I do like that
'Apricot Queen'...

So, no cutting back.  I have my doubts about being able to protect
them outside over our winters, which get a bit colder than yours do,
I think, so I will just either have to oust a couple of other guys
out of the green house or....get a bigger greenhouse (laugh of the
year, but a nice thought:->)

'Platt's Black' sounds most interesting...well, so does 'Flamingo'...

If your 'Apricot Queen' is huge in 4 years, sounds like they grow
faster than I thought they did?

Have you ever grown any from seed?  Am wondering how to treat my 6
inch high children...should I prick them out and pot on or wait and
if wait, for how long?

Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
mtalt@hort.net
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----------
> From: Marilyn Dube <mygarden@easystreet.com>
>
> Hi Marge,
> 	I don't think you would be happy with your Phormium if you cut it
back for
> the winter.  Cut blades never regrow and look ugly.  You would have
to cut
> all the blades off at the crown.....a scary proposition!  I have a
very
> large Phormium 'Apricot Queen'
> ( http://www.thegardener.btinternet.co.uk/apricotqueen.html ) that
started
> from 2 blades with a single root.  It has been on my deck for 4
years
> without needing winter protection.  My strategy for protecting it
in case we
> were to get a very cold winter is that it is planted in a very
large pot
> which is sunk into a 3x4x2.5 cedar box planter on the deck.  I can
lift the
> plastic pot that the Phormium is planted in and move the whole
thing into
> the GH for a few days if need be.  The good thing is that the "pot
in pot"
> also gives the roots some extra protection.  Or, you might want to
start
> with something petite like 'Jack Spratt' that is only 18" tall and
would be
> very easy to move inside for the winter.
> I am going to attempt to divide Apricot Queen and pot the divisions
for the
> nursery.  I want to save a good sized piece to put back in the
cedar box.
> It is a beautiful focal point and would be worth the trouble of
moving it in
> winter if I had to.  I am also growing 'Flamingo' (outrageous pink
with
> orange/green/purple) and 'Platt's Black' (small narrow blade of
darkest
> purple) in mixed containers in part sun.  And yes, Platt's Black is
> beautiful with Heuchera 'Amber Waves'.  :)
>
> Marilyn Dube'
> Natural Designs Nursery
> Portland, Oregon

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