Garden

[Lucky Charm]

MIne thrive!  I have them (crowded!) in an oblong planter on the landing of my front staircase.  They are in full morning sun, but the light is diffused by the railing all afternoon.  I always get them for this spot because I have a rug inside my front door that have gerbers on it.

One of the plants (from a local nursery) turned a little white-ish early in the season (the green leaves did) and I yanked it and replaced it with another right away.

When one flower is fading on a plant there's always another *baby* ready to pop up.

I don't even fertilize mine and leave for days sometimes and they don't get watered.  I do give them good drinks every morning and night when I'm here though.

[Allegheny]

@Lucky Charm 

You must have found that lucky spot.  I have two healthy looking plants, but they aren't producing buds.  They are potted. They get the mid morning sun and I physically move them daily to keep them out of the hot afternoon sun.  That is getting old, so I am going to move them onto our deck which primarily gets morning sun.

[Lucky Charm]

As soon as a flower starts to *fade*, I pluck it.  It helps to keep it's energy for the babies, I think.

Have you looked really good to see if anything is *eating* at the babies before they can emerge?

[Allegheny]

@Lucky Charm  I haven't noticed bugs affecting the plants.  They each had one bloom when I brought them home from the nursery.

[mimomof4]

We had the same disappointing results with ours.  Admittedly I was skeptical ordering them to begin with.  Hubby was really hoping they would take off as the presentations led us to believe.

[Allegheny]

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@Sweetbay magnolia wrote:

They have been getting established, for one, and for two, they are "short day" bloomers, meaning they bloom best in days less than 12 hours long.

Mine always cease blooming in the middle of summer, and even at best, they don't have tons of blooms, but what they do is beautiful.  I have not bought them from Roberta's.

It appears there are hybrids on the market which are trying to improve the "output", but I can't speak to their performance.

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Well you are so right!.  The plants given to my neighbor have started blooming now that the daylight is lessening.  The potted plants I have are starting to form buds.

[Fressa]

For once, mine are doing fine. At least the ones that the deer didn't have for dinner.  I'm always so pleased when I get a bloom on anything. We have clay based rocky soil so I try to do containier gardening for most things. That said, we must be in a poor location because either I have too much sun or too much shade. 

[Dan M]

A group of six were almost DOA - the post office kept them over a 3 day week-end; my replacements arrived in good shape. I immediately planted them and a couple of the originals came back; it ook a while though. My plants are in full sun and have produced many flowers; I cut the flowers back when they begin to look woeful, but they produce flowers all summer long.

My question to anyone who knows, what do I do with them when the cold weather sets in. Do I cut them back all the way? I live in Metro Atlanta in Zone 8 - close to Zone 7