Re: A new perennial in my garden

     Hi Bob,
     
     I aquired an Agapanthus in a teracotta pot when we moved my husband's 
     grandmother into sheltered accomodation.  By the time we got round to 
     clearing the garden, it was dark, so the men just grabbed a few of the 
     pots & off we went.  They had all been outdoors over several years 
     with no care by then, so I top dressed them & waited.  I had no idea 
     what it was until it flowered the next summer & the agapanthus has 
     bloomed impressively ever since.  Its the standard blue variety & in a 
     pot with a top diameter of 15" and in the winter I leave it outdoors 
     in a sheltered part of the garden with the other pots.  We have very 
     wet winters and the lowest temps are around -10 for a few days, which 
     is pretty serious for plants in pots.  If yours are in the ground, 
     then maybe the frost level didn't get down that far, & I think they go 
     totally dormant in the winter.
     
     I enjoyed the potted one so much, I have now bought some white 
     agapanthus and will be leaving them in the ground in the front border 
     which is the closest I have to well drained soil, so fingers crossed 
     they will not rot over the winter.  I don't expect them to flower this 
     first year, but I'll let you know if they do.  I think they originate 
     from South Africa & I've found by experience (ie neglect) that many 
     plants from SA are pretty hardy as long as they don't get wet in the 
     winter.
     
     The South African plant I am totally in love with is Rhodohypoxis.  
     Slightly fuzzy snowdrop like leaves with lots of strong pink or white 
     (or variations) star petal flowers about 3" high.
     
     Lets hope your agapanthus flowers this year.
     
     Cheers
     Karen in Cheshire (UK)


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: A new perennial in my garden
Author:  Non-HP-rbcamp (rbcamp@neptune.on.ca) at HP-UnitedKingdom/o2=mimegw3
Date:    13/06/99 04:55


Today I was down weeding the bed I normally plant with dahlias and gladiolas 
about this time of year.  I was busily pulling out the usual huge collection 
of dandelions, plantains, crab grass and thistles when I noticed something 
nestled among them.  It was an agapanthus plant, complete with tag still 
stuck in the ground.  I had not bothered to dig it up and bring it in last 
year because it hadn't bothered to flower, and I thought turn about was fair 
trade.
We had minimum temperatures here of -27 C ( a warmish winter for us), but 
far colder than agapanthus of any species (wouldn't you know that the tag 
was broken off just where the scientific nomenclature was supposed to be) 
should be able to handle according to my books.  There was no snow cover to 
speak of at the coldest time of the year, and no mulch over the plant beyond 
the inch or so I usually use to keep down the weeds.  Pretty strange 
survival, isn't it?
     
Bob Campbell
southern Ontario
USDA 4-normally anyway.
     
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