whirling butterflies
By Rusty_shovel
3 Aug, 2011
5 likes
Something I really like because it looks very Asian, and fits well with the Japanese theme pond and fits the style and color of the pot. It's an perennial according to the ticket, but I've never been able to get it to make it. We have transplanted it from the pot to the garden, and put one directly into the ground. This year we are going to transplant it into the raised beds before we mulch for the winter.
Comments on this photo
most of them came from the neighborhood, the yard and a guy at work who had an old stone fence that he was taking down slowly. He would bring me as many as his car could carry each week until I had my pond fixed. Best part was he would bring me stones with lichen and other 'things' marking them, so I had instant aged pond.
My by figuring there must be close to 2 tons of stones and rocks there. maybe more. ALL carried by hand by me or Dan. I wonder how I did it!
4 Aug, 2011
Your Plant is a Gaura - Whirling Butterflies...I lost both my White and Red last Winter...:((( Not going to replace them though...Are you planting it in the ground...!!
5 Aug, 2011
I'm going to put it (No, the hubs will!) in the ground in the raised bed probably late August. We need a few good soaking rains before that happens. One or two hurricanes along the eastern shore will bring all the water necessary. After that the plant can grab into that soft dirt all fall and winter. I will mulch it with leaves and compost all winter and hope it makes it to spring. Then repot it if I can break it into two plants. Move one to some other part of the yard and one by the pond. If that fails, back to the garden center.
A thought, how would it look against the persian shield in a large pot? White on purple... might be a too close to size problem.... I could stand that!
5 Aug, 2011
The thing about Gaura is, they get very long stems with the little Butterflies on the top...I think its better to grow it behind or in between another shrub like plant, to hold those long stems up...I must admit I got fed up with my Red one, it was self stand ing and was all over the place, while the white one was at the back and was held up by everything growing around it...and that did look nice...Not sure about splitting, it seems to have a very woody root base, though it may grow removable shoots as it develops...Hope this helps...
5 Aug, 2011
LOL!
sometimes it's better NOT to know about the plant and just divide it. I still think I will give it a try if it makes it thru the winter in the transplant area. Time will tell!
5 Aug, 2011
Hi Rusty...it's quite delicate looking...It's not unlike Gaura
Love those big chunky Rocks you've got there...
4 Aug, 2011