25 December 2010

HOUSE PLANTS

This is the back view of my Mirabilis jalapa. From the front, it looked like a monster to me, especially since it suddenly grew so fast and so big. Yet it has not produced a single floral bud and to me, this is exasperating because I love my flowering plants to reward me with my efforts by flowering profusely.

On the other hand, when I bought the Impatiens walleriana, there were already lots of unopened floral buds. And it has been flowering non-stop since then.

The orange tubular flowers of the Hamelia patens is so strange and is somewhat an anti-climax. It lacks the large showy petals that would otherwise make it a very attractive shrub, and at best I can only describe the flowers and small reddish fruits as interesting. Right after taking the photos, I pruned off these 2 branches, so that there is enough light for the other plants hidden under it.

The Symphyotrichum laeve (synonym: Aster laevis; common name: Smooth Blue Aster, Glaucous Aster; Family: Asteraceae) is also starting to flower after some months. Links on this shrub are attached here:
  1. http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/sm_asterx.htm
  2. http://ontariowildflowers.com/main/species.php?id=16
  3. http://www.abnativeplants.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantdetail&plant_id=86
NB on 26 Dec 10: Last night, when I went out, I saw the Mirabilis precariously toppling over in the planter as if it was going to jump out of the planter. And this happened right after I complained that it is a monster in this post. Maybe I hurt its feelings? Luckily, I was able to tie it up to the wire mesh.