Comments on: Blooming Phormiums! What The?! http://thegerminatrix.com/2009/05/22/blooming-phormiums-what-the/ by Ivette Soler Sun, 28 Apr 2013 02:17:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kelly http://thegerminatrix.com/2009/05/22/blooming-phormiums-what-the/comment-page-1/#comment-3127 Kelly Mon, 22 Feb 2010 02:34:16 +0000 http://thegerminatrix.com/?p=263#comment-3127 OMG! I just bought my first phormiums today! I don't know anything about them; I just love the look. I didn't know that they could bloom. They're dark green with maroon edges and they'll go out in the front yard soon (once it stops raining here in SF bay area). OMG! I just bought my first phormiums today! I don’t know anything about them; I just love the look. I didn’t know that they could bloom. They’re dark green with maroon edges and they’ll go out in the front yard soon (once it stops raining here in SF bay area).

]]> By: ESP http://thegerminatrix.com/2009/05/22/blooming-phormiums-what-the/comment-page-1/#comment-341 ESP Thu, 28 May 2009 06:05:57 +0000 http://thegerminatrix.com/?p=263#comment-341 "Spikey Bloomers" equates to having something spikey in your bloomers, older English, referring to ladies rather large "underwear" of the time ...ahem! (not that I wear bygone ladies underwear or anything) ...anyhow, hence the "subconcious scratching" comment....oh never mind! :-) Glad you are having fun down there, how could you not! have you snorkel/dived on your visits? or are you too busy?... Oh, and I thought your photography totally captured your "bloomers"! Regards. ESP. “Spikey Bloomers” equates to having something spikey in your bloomers, older English, referring to ladies rather large “underwear” of the time …ahem! (not that I wear bygone ladies underwear or anything) …anyhow, hence the “subconcious scratching” comment….oh never mind! :-)

Glad you are having fun down there, how could you not! have you snorkel/dived on your visits? or are you too busy?… Oh, and I thought your photography totally captured your “bloomers”!
Regards.
ESP.

]]> By: germinatrix http://thegerminatrix.com/2009/05/22/blooming-phormiums-what-the/comment-page-1/#comment-339 germinatrix Wed, 27 May 2009 07:10:42 +0000 http://thegerminatrix.com/?p=263#comment-339 Petal my dear! The blooming of the phormiums is so special, because although it does happen - some varieties do it more than others - it still seems rare. I was on a site today where the client wants dozens of blooming phormiums removed (the client thought they were too big - I didn't know there was such a thing!), and it broke my heart! Well, not too much - I'm grabbing as many as I can for myself! They ARE a statement plant, and who doesn't love making a big statement? Ha! ... purple cabbage! but I must say, I've seen a couple of very sexy purple cabbage plant combos ... XOXO! ESP! Hi! I have to say, the Yucatan is STILL paradise - I can't imagine it ever getting mundane. Everybody over there is just SO LOVELY! You know how it is... I wish my photo skills were as good as yours are, because the phormiums were hard for me to shoot! I couldn't manage to get the blooms to make sense, so it is very gratifying for me to hear that you see the beauty - and they ARE cheeky! What's this about your underwear? ;-) I have to take another picture of the agave down the street - the bloom is mature and has branched, so it isn't as ... um, 'spikey' as it was before. Absolutely awesome! I am kind of sad, because I think my Bloomspikefest 2009 may be over. Sigh. It was a great experience! The spring was a great surprise - I hope we can have more. There is nothing as uplifting as what happens in those few months, and I feel cheated for not having had a spring in so long. I'm lodging a complaint! So your phormiums freeze? Boo. It seems like, with all your wonderful nooks and crannies, you would have a nice protected spot for one or two. Is it time to try again? Maybe? Do beschornias work for you? I think they are a perfect marriage between an agave and a phormium - maybe they would be hardy enough. I'm going to be in Texas next week - a short visit to family in San Antonio. I wish I could hop over to Austin for a giddy garden frenzy - so many nurseries I want to visit! But alas, it'll have to wait a few months. I miss Austin so much, and now that I know some incredible Austin gardeners, I want to visit even more! Hail to the power of the spikes! Petal my dear!
The blooming of the phormiums is so special, because although it does happen – some varieties do it more than others – it still seems rare. I was on a site today where the client wants dozens of blooming phormiums removed (the client thought they were too big – I didn’t know there was such a thing!), and it broke my heart! Well, not too much – I’m grabbing as many as I can for myself! They ARE a statement plant, and who doesn’t love making a big statement?

Ha! … purple cabbage! but I must say, I’ve seen a couple of very sexy purple cabbage plant combos …
XOXO!

ESP! Hi! I have to say, the Yucatan is STILL paradise – I can’t imagine it ever getting mundane. Everybody over there is just SO LOVELY! You know how it is…
I wish my photo skills were as good as yours are, because the phormiums were hard for me to shoot! I couldn’t manage to get the blooms to make sense, so it is very gratifying for me to hear that you see the beauty – and they ARE cheeky!

What’s this about your underwear? ;-)

I have to take another picture of the agave down the street – the bloom is mature and has branched, so it isn’t as … um, ‘spikey’ as it was before. Absolutely awesome! I am kind of sad, because I think my Bloomspikefest 2009 may be over. Sigh. It was a great experience!
The spring was a great surprise – I hope we can have more. There is nothing as uplifting as what happens in those few months, and I feel cheated for not having had a spring in so long. I’m lodging a complaint!
So your phormiums freeze? Boo. It seems like, with all your wonderful nooks and crannies, you would have a nice protected spot for one or two. Is it time to try again? Maybe? Do beschornias work for you? I think they are a perfect marriage between an agave and a phormium – maybe they would be hardy enough.
I’m going to be in Texas next week – a short visit to family in San Antonio. I wish I could hop over to Austin for a giddy garden frenzy – so many nurseries I want to visit! But alas, it’ll have to wait a few months. I miss Austin so much, and now that I know some incredible Austin gardeners, I want to visit even more!

Hail to the power of the spikes!

]]> By: ESP http://thegerminatrix.com/2009/05/22/blooming-phormiums-what-the/comment-page-1/#comment-338 ESP Wed, 27 May 2009 04:29:18 +0000 http://thegerminatrix.com/?p=263#comment-338 Hi Ivette...and welcome home, from paradise...which I am sure equates to work to you by now. Look at them all blooming...cheeky monkeys! You are having an LA riot over there with all your spikey bloomers this year! (subconsciously scratches underwear.) It sounds like you are very similar to central Texas in terms of having a very short, if non-existant spring. Glad you got one this year! I always envy zones that can grow flax, it really would be something I would really get into, being a foliage fiend and all...but alas I have had no luck with it, although I have to admit I only tried it the once. Great shots of everything blooming their butts off! ESP. Hi Ivette…and welcome home, from paradise…which I am sure equates to work to you by now.

Look at them all blooming…cheeky monkeys!
You are having an LA riot over there with all your spikey bloomers this year! (subconsciously scratches underwear.)

It sounds like you are very similar to central Texas in terms of having a very short, if non-existant spring. Glad you got one this year!
I always envy zones that can grow flax, it really would be something I would really get into, being a foliage fiend and all…but alas I have had no luck with it, although I have to admit I only tried it the once.

Great shots of everything blooming their butts off!
ESP.

]]> By: Heavy Petal http://thegerminatrix.com/2009/05/22/blooming-phormiums-what-the/comment-page-1/#comment-337 Heavy Petal Wed, 27 May 2009 03:55:11 +0000 http://thegerminatrix.com/?p=263#comment-337 Oh, how lovely! How tropical! I didn't know they bloomed. I, too, cannot design a garden without a phormium, even though they're only borderline hardy (I lost mine this winter). They're such a statement plant. The Pacific Northwest's answer to California's agaves. (Or wait - is that the purple cabbage?) Oh, how lovely! How tropical! I didn’t know they bloomed.

I, too, cannot design a garden without a phormium, even though they’re only borderline hardy (I lost mine this winter). They’re such a statement plant. The Pacific Northwest’s answer to California’s agaves. (Or wait – is that the purple cabbage?)

]]> By: germinatrix http://thegerminatrix.com/2009/05/22/blooming-phormiums-what-the/comment-page-1/#comment-333 germinatrix Sat, 23 May 2009 21:18:16 +0000 http://thegerminatrix.com/?p=263#comment-333 Yay! Megan and Loree! You guys have such passion for your plants, and it is so inspiring ... it makes me love gardening even more, seeing your outdoor spaces and watching them develop into unique, magical gardens - despite the zone! it brings to mind a favorite quote: "We are the magic makers, we are the dreamers of dreams..." - Willi Wonka When we push our zones, we are WILLING our gardens into being - we have a dream, and we tickle nature here and there to make it happen. People do it all the time to grow tomatoes in cooler climates, so why can't we do the same with our ornamentals? The 'Natives Only' segment of the gardening world may not be on board, but I think they don't know how to have fun. I love that you guys dream big, and I LOVE the magic you make! Blooming Phormiums in Portland! RIGHT ON!!! Yay! Megan and Loree!
You guys have such passion for your plants, and it is so inspiring … it makes me love gardening even more, seeing your outdoor spaces and watching them develop into unique, magical gardens – despite the zone!
it brings to mind a favorite quote:

“We are the magic makers, we are the dreamers of dreams…”
– Willi Wonka

When we push our zones, we are WILLING our gardens into being – we have a dream, and we tickle nature here and there to make it happen. People do it all the time to grow tomatoes in cooler climates, so why can’t we do the same with our ornamentals? The ‘Natives Only’ segment of the gardening world may not be on board, but I think they don’t know how to have fun.

I love that you guys dream big, and I LOVE the magic you make!
Blooming Phormiums in Portland! RIGHT ON!!!

]]> By: Loree - danger garden http://thegerminatrix.com/2009/05/22/blooming-phormiums-what-the/comment-page-1/#comment-332 Loree - danger garden Sat, 23 May 2009 04:54:09 +0000 http://thegerminatrix.com/?p=263#comment-332 Wow, I am so honored Germi! Early in my flax growing 'career' I read that they would pretty much never bloom here in Portland. Then when one of mine did I felt like I had won the lottery! The hummingbirds couldn't stay away, it was fabulous. Thank you for all the wonderful photo's...and the dedication, I am honored! And I hope to see your garden in person someday. I love your new stalagmite design idea! Wow, I am so honored Germi! Early in my flax growing ‘career’ I read that they would pretty much never bloom here in Portland. Then when one of mine did I felt like I had won the lottery! The hummingbirds couldn’t stay away, it was fabulous. Thank you for all the wonderful photo’s…and the dedication, I am honored! And I hope to see your garden in person someday. I love your new stalagmite design idea!

]]> By: Megan http://thegerminatrix.com/2009/05/22/blooming-phormiums-what-the/comment-page-1/#comment-331 Megan Sat, 23 May 2009 03:49:43 +0000 http://thegerminatrix.com/?p=263#comment-331 Whoo!! A dedication, thanks for the namecheck! Yes, I have zone envy. I don't know if phormiums bloom at all up here. I didn't even know they bloomed until I saw one in California last year. I had to dash out of a business dinner to get a look at the plant in the restaurant parking lot (I'm smooth like that). I just had to pull on it to make sure it was truly attached and wasn't an illusion. Whoo!! A dedication, thanks for the namecheck! Yes, I have zone envy. I don’t know if phormiums bloom at all up here. I didn’t even know they bloomed until I saw one in California last year. I had to dash out of a business dinner to get a look at the plant in the restaurant parking lot (I’m smooth like that). I just had to pull on it to make sure it was truly attached and wasn’t an illusion.

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