Mandevilla Red Riding Hood

Beautiful :o)

Lori:

It's loving the spot!

I posted two Mandevilla photos for you a few days ago.

Thanks D1. haven't been on for very long in the last few days...will take a look.

Glad to see you got such nice blooms. I just moved mine indoors last night as that cold front came through.

looks like the leaves on mine aren't optimum...but she's beginning to look much better since I brought her indoors...and I think she is definitely Alice Dupont...
Grammazoo...thanks for the info on the fern..She's blooming indoors..two flowers left...and if it's anything like last year she will become dormant...I reduce watering and keep her in the brightest spot I have. Will be giving her new compost soon as well. We received about five inches of rain last thurs. Sept 30...and if that had been snow!? Yikes! hope that doesn't bode for the winter's precip patterns...

Lori:

I hate to say this...but this viny/shrub is not Mandevilla 'Alice du Pont', it's Mandevillea splendens 'Red Riding Hood' . Mandevilla 'Alice du Pont' has corrugated very dark green leaves. Also, it is a true vine, needing support...and is much more tender to cool weather than Mandevilla splenden 'Red Riding Hood' : >)

Mandevilla 'Alice du Pont' also grows about 3 times faster than Mandevillea splendens 'Red Riding Hood' and can vine up to 40 feet/ 13 meters.

Lori:

I forgot to add another very important trait about Mandevilla 'Alice du Pont' the flowers are very fragrant - smelling like strawberry ice cream. Mandevillea splendens 'Red Riding Hood' doesn't have scented flowers.

We are getting lots of rain now, with chillier temps too! That's why I brought mine inside - I hate to take it out of the light...but... it's in the upstairs east window & watered well, but it usually sheds every leaf by spring, & I always wonder if it will actually come back - so far it has, quite slowly, but still hanging in there.
I gave away lots of my houseplants to my daughters this year - many that started as 4" pots were floor plants, & I am just tired of not having the space for them. Got ambitious and replaced the old carpeting in the dining & living rooms with laminate floor, then decided to 'clean up' my indoor garden.
I'm sure when snowbound this winter I'll be bringing home more starters to nurse into mature plants again - thank goodness for Walmart, lol! Hopefully we won't have too many snowbound days...brrr!

Thanks D1.

Lori:

You're welcome. Sorry to give you the bad news. However, Mandevillea splendens 'Red Riding Hood' is more manageable as a house plant (it doesn't need the higher humidity)...it also doesn't get as many pest problems as Mandevilla 'Alice du Pont'. The is information from personal experience of growing both these plants for many years. : > )

Oh Grammazoo... Do I know what you mean?! Here I am working like a fiend to keep the house perfect and I have all my garden plants needing shelter and storage...what to do? I really didn't want to go thro this...but here I am with winter approaching and a move too! Sounds like you're very ambitious ...good for you. Isn't the laminate great stuff? Now I just have to try to keep away from Walmart,etc. (until we're settled.) I'm still dreaming about that place with the greenhouse...

Lori:

Good luck with the move! : >)

Thanks D1... Today I gave lil red ridinghood a potting on... have a lovely heavy terra cotta pot just the right size and gave her some nice fresh compost with sand in the bottom for drainage...in the last week since I brought her indoors she has put out a 4 ft. sprout and has two flowers with lots of buds! She's getting lots of TLC. :-))

Lori:

That's great! It can grow fast under favorable condition. : >)