| Author | Content |
dolphin1252
Orlando, FL
April 3, 2008
11:52 AM Post #4750972
| I've been reading alot about Roll Out mats that all you have to do is roll out and water. It seems pretty easy. I live in Florida and wanted to know if anyone has had an experience with this product. |
merpeg
Midwest City, OK
(Zone 7b)
April 3, 2008
2:44 PM Post #4751678
| I haven't tried them but have had several friends that have in the past. I'm sorry, Dolphin, but they were very disappointed in what they ended up with. Nothing as lush as the advertisement looked like. Maybe they have been improved, but I don't know. A mixed seed packet from a reputable dealer would have been a better look than what they got.
Good luck, Merpeg
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
2zeus
(Zone 7b)
April 3, 2008
2:56 PM Post #4751722
| I tried those eons ago when I first started gardening, and had no luck at all, I don't think a single thing came up!
If you are looking for easy plants, try some annuals like:
Calendula - orange, yellow
[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
Bachelor's Buttons - blue, pink, purple, white
[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
Shirley Poppy - white, pinks, reds
[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
Candytuft - white, purples, pinks
[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
Those are all easy to find, and easy to grow, and very rewarding when you are just getting started gardening. I'm sure lots of other DG'ers can suggest things I've forgotten.
|
doccat5
Fredericksburg, VA
(Zone 7b)
April 4, 2008
3:01 PM Post #4757253
| Same here, I'm sorry to say the results were very disappointing.
2zeus has some excellent suggestions, and you might want to include pansies, coreopsis, for contrast some lirope, petunias, & as a rose freak, of course roses...LOL Even one of those "cans" of wildflowers would be great, just cover the seed with some straw so you aren't feeding the birds :) |
dmac085
Greensboro, NC
(Zone 7a)
April 6, 2008
12:31 AM Post #4764465
| Along with the others above:
Cosmos, portulaca or moss roses, bachelor buttons, 4 o'clocks and alyssum are all very easy to grow also.
|
doccat5
Fredericksburg, VA
(Zone 7b)
April 6, 2008
8:05 AM Post #4765122
| Oh yes, dmac, I love the portulaca...they are tough little flowers and just produce such lovely flowers and can take the heat without much problem. |
dmac085
Greensboro, NC
(Zone 7a)
April 6, 2008
11:05 AM Post #4765788
| Yeah, they're awesome! I used them all the time when I lived in NM. We were always on water restrictions in the summer so I started finding drought tolerant plants. I'm ridiculous enough to even save the seeds from those tiny things:lol: They just keep on flowering right up until frost and I don't have to deadhead. I usually get the mixes but I noticed that I think Stokes had individual colors available which would be good if you had color combos in mind. |
doccat5
Fredericksburg, VA
(Zone 7b)
April 6, 2008
11:10 AM Post #4765817
| I actually prefer the mixes...it's like "finding jewels" where you least expect it, because you're never sure what you're going to get. :) I use them liberally all over the place, I enjoy them so much. They make me smile. |
dmac085
Greensboro, NC
(Zone 7a)
April 6, 2008
11:13 AM Post #4765828
| Ditto! The doubles are my favorites, all ruffly, they sort of remind me of little bit of crepe paper flowers like on floats. |
doccat5
Fredericksburg, VA
(Zone 7b)
April 6, 2008
11:22 AM Post #4765873
| Actually, those look very much like true big moss roses, one of my favorites. I'm fascinated with the petal structure and most of them are sooooooooooo fragrant. |
pupilpropogtr
Birmingham, AL
(Zone 7b)
April 9, 2008
7:39 AM Post #4780416
| Dolphin,
I started gardening in the middle of the summer, so not much experience. However, I was blessed with a yard that had many flowers already in it. I have to say that I have two very impressive flowers I can't get enough of. The first is the true blue Bachlor's buttons. Apparently it reseeds A LOT but the color is so beautiful, I just love it. I took this and did no enhancements to it.
[HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
I plopped this pincushion flower down before I knew what I was doing. It is a perennial and has approximately 100 blooms and bulbs on it. Both of these flowers are great in arrangements and the bachelor's button can be dried. [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com] This was a month ago. It continued blooming in my zone all winter and has doubled in size, but has maintained a nice mounded shape. I haven't applied fertilizer and only dead head it. I see more of these in the future. Also, blanket flower and trailing verbena are nice punches of color with little maintenence.
Another Bachelor's button in purple...
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
glendalekid
Tuscaloosa, AL
(Zone 7b)
April 9, 2008
7:47 PM Post #4783905
| My grandson bought his mom one of those "wildflower" mixes in a can. You do NOT want to know the trash/junk that came up. Except for two California poppies, nothing bloomed! I personally would not recommend them.
So, I agree with the others about buying the easy-to-grow flowers in the packets and liberally sowing them. Just remember, don't weed the bed until you know for sure what it is that's growing there. I sowed a variety of seeds in some of my beds several weeks ago. I have lots of "things" coming up, but the only one I can ID at this point are the nasturtiums.
Karen
|
kelli1993
Allentown, PA
(Zone 6b)
April 11, 2008
1:47 PM Post #4792860
| A rollout was one of the things that got me into gardening in the first place. The one I bought is no longer available, but it was absolutely gorgeous.
It was 3 or 4 rolls, separated by color & height. I got so many compliments, and saved seeds from each year.
It doesn't hurt to try it. |
dmac085
Greensboro, NC
(Zone 7a)
April 11, 2008
6:59 PM Post #4794473
| I haven't tried one since I was a teenager but I do see them offered on either QVC or HSN in the spring. You could search either place for them and read the customer reviews to see if that particular brand worked out.
Since you live in FL I would also search out any of the great varieties of Lantana which most butterflies love. Here it is mainly grown as an annual but they spread beautifully and flower practically non-stop. They would probably be like a perennial in FL. |
glendalekid
Tuscaloosa, AL
(Zone 7b)
April 12, 2008
11:20 AM Post #4797279
| There are a large variety of seed rolls on Amazon and they ship free with a $25 order:
[HYPERLINK@www.amazon.com]
Lantanas are one of my favorites. They are perennial here, coming back from the roots. Butterflies love them and they bloom all summer.
Karen
|
kelli1993
Allentown, PA
(Zone 6b)
April 19, 2008
10:51 PM Post #4833868
| The roll out I got contained the following: (NutraGro... via QVC): Batchelors button (pink, purple, fuschia, white); shirley & california poppy; tall, fragrant alyssum; short alyssum, baby's breath; cosmos; lavatera (fuschia, pink, & white); and marigolds (red w/ gold, gold w/ some red, and just gold... varying sizes.).
The height & color variations w/ each roll grew in an absolutely gorgeous way that everyone thought I was educated in gardening. Since then, I've save those seeds & have had invested in more than 72 varieties.
I'm uncertain which type & brand you got, but if you section off one little parcel specifically for this, you probably won't be sorry. IF you follow the directions.
I wish you the best & hope this is a great start, or a new direction.
Kelli |
dale_a_gardener
Tampa, FL
(Zone 10a)
April 20, 2008
9:32 PM Post #4838223
| Dolphin,
Your best bet is to go to a good garden center and get advice. Florida has a very tough climate compared to our neighbors to the north. If you have time go to Leu Gardens and take a look at what they are growing.
If you see something you like that is in full bloom it may too late to plant. We have two seasons of flowers here, the winter flowers>
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
dale_a_gardener
Tampa, FL
(Zone 10a)
April 20, 2008
9:33 PM Post #4838232
| And the summer flowers> 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
dale_a_gardener
Tampa, FL
(Zone 10a)
April 20, 2008
9:34 PM Post #4838240
| Some folks like the year round look of colorful foilage> 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
dale_a_gardener
Tampa, FL
(Zone 10a)
April 20, 2008
9:39 PM Post #4838269
| It will take time and lots of observing other folks success> 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
dale_a_gardener
Tampa, FL
(Zone 10a)
April 20, 2008
9:41 PM Post #4838284
| I have been living in Tampa for 6 years (we have exactly the same climate) and I am still learning. I take lots of digital photos> 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
dale_a_gardener
Tampa, FL
(Zone 10a)
April 20, 2008
9:44 PM Post #4838311
| I go to places like Bok Tower, Disney and the botanical gardens (Leu in Orlando & Selby in Sarasota) those folks have decades of experience in this area.
Selby>
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
dale_a_gardener
Tampa, FL
(Zone 10a)
April 20, 2008
9:45 PM Post #4838321
| Bok Tower> 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
dale_a_gardener
Tampa, FL
(Zone 10a)
April 20, 2008
9:47 PM Post #4838334
| Disney is the best, Epcot> 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
dale_a_gardener
Tampa, FL
(Zone 10a)
April 20, 2008
9:48 PM Post #4838344
| Disney has a huge budget> 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
dale_a_gardener
Tampa, FL
(Zone 10a)
April 20, 2008
9:51 PM Post #4838367
| My advice is keep the camera handy and get a bumper sticker that says "I brake for flower beds" 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
reenygarden
Jacksonville, FL
(Zone 9a)
April 28, 2008
12:47 PM Post #4877093
| Thanks Dale!
I live in Jacksonville, FL - close to the St. Johns River so I am in Zone 9a. Most nurseries will send catalogs saying I am Zone 8 which caused me to lose many plants last year. The garden centers sell many beautiful flowers that make it about 2 weeks in our hot Florida sun. Also, my area is full of Live Oak Trees which make the soil quite acidic. When I find something that works, I stick with it! Lantana, Daylilies, Roses, Lithriope, Azaleas, Impatiens, Caladium, Hydrangea, Camelias and Budhist pine all do well here. This year I added knockout roses, gallardia and coneflowers because they do so well in the garden at my corporation. The petunias, pansies and snapdragons I planted in January are already beginning to droop in the heat. I may get another 2 weeks to a month. They were so beautiful, I will definitely plant them again in the fall (December here). This new hobby is so much fun! |
verobeachreneej
Vero Beach, FL
July 15, 2008
1:45 PM Post #5263500
| Hello my name is Renee and I'm new at this...I tried to plant a summer garden here in vero and none of my seeds sprouted...I'd like to try again for fall...my question is this...when do I start the seeds and what kind of seeds should I try...Please help any advise is welcomed
|
glendalekid
Tuscaloosa, AL
(Zone 7b)
July 18, 2008
1:12 AM Post #5277959
| Hi Renee,
Welcome to DG!
As for seeds not sprouting, I don't have much luck at that either. I get good results from cosmos, zinnias, bachelor buttons, nasturtiums, morning glories, and four o'clocks. Big seeds, you know. Unfortunately, I don't know how these would do in your area. Very fine, fussy seeds, I never get those to come up.
You might want to start a new thread to ask this question, that way it will be more noticeable to the others and you can get more suggestions.
Karen
|
reenygarden
Jacksonville, FL
(Zone 9a)
July 18, 2008
4:57 PM Post #5281350
| Hi Renee!
I am not an oldtimer by any means, but in Florida I suggest using established plants rather than seeds. Our Florida sun and unpredictable water conditions are very difficult for growing from seeds.
There are many plants listed above that would be wonderful in your area. There are also many tropicals you can grow: Gingers, Elephant Ears, Caladium (in shade), rubber plants, banana plants...I could go on and on. If you are a subscribed member, there is a forum for Florida. I also have a terrific book at home specifically designed month by month for the Flordia gardener. I read it weekly.
Good luck and happy gardening!
Doreen |
