I don’t know what it is about this year, but not only am I branching out into plants I’ve always wanted but didn’t think I had the space to keep, but it seems I am also turning to plants I have never shown past interest in. In fact, I have previously held my nose up at some of these plants.
I am scaring myself just a little bit.
This spring, my eyes fell upon this double calibrachoa hidden among petunias and single calibrachoas at one of the garden centres I frequent. The next thing I know I have bought it and am growing it on the roof where I can visit it most often. I went back and bought one for a friend, too.
What is happening? Nearly halfway into 2010 and my Year of the ID, is devolving into the Year of WTF?
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p.s. I was just about to hit post when I received an email from Derek Powazek about his newest piece about gardening: They Don’t Complain and They Die Quietly. Great story that made me tear up.
It’s hard NOT to fall in lust with such wonderful performers! Be-eau-teeeee-ful shot!!!
The calibrachoa is beautiful…but Derek’s story made me cry…and miss my own father who taught me the love of plants and animals and anything outdoors! Thanks so much for the link.
I bought this too, and I love it. But I have it in 2 different pots, the one gettimg more sun is doing 100% better than the other one.
I’m enjoying mine as well! It is doing much, much better than the single one I bought earlier this summer.
Thanks for sharing Derek’s piece. I spent the morning weeding my dad’s garden because he’s too sick right now. Nice to read about someone else bonding with their dad over plants.
Lovely photo. I’ve been waiting for a close-up of this plant ever since you featured it in your Roof Garden Tour post at the beginning of June.
After I read that post, I bought two dozen (!) Calibrachoa in a various colours including yellow, apricot, and purple and planted up hanging baskets for my mom and me. She got the cool colours (and the doubles) and I kept the warm, bright, single ones.
So thank you very much for introducing me to Calibrachoa and making me rethink my gardening philosophy. For the past three years, I’ve been diminishing the value of any plant I can’t eat. But now I realize I’m wrong to do this as carefully selected inedibles (as in right plant/right place) provide benefits above and beyond nutrition. I’m now going to reserve part of my balcony for pretty and/or interesting plants that are resilient and have low water needs.
(I’m saving Derek’s story for this evening when I read it in a quiet, private place. Thanks for this, too.)
What a wonderful punch of colour! I would have had a hard time walking by it too!
It looks especially charming in that sky blue pot.