Monster Flower

[Gary Max]

We have a bunch of flowers growing everywhere in our yard. But this is the center piece---it is a Lord Baltimore--- Hibicus. The flowers get as big as 14 inches----large dinner plate size. She bloomed today and will keep it up until the first freeze. I know this is way off topic but I just am amazed every year by her beauty. I managed to talk the LOML into standing with the flowers so you can get some ideal of scale.

 

[redfishsc]

Either those really are some giant flowers... or your LOML is a hobbit.

I have an aquatic green thumb. If it grows in water, I can grow it (a shame I had to sell off all my aquarium stuff to buy a pen making setup, no time for both!). I've had all sorts of aquatic plants to send up shoots and bloom.

But nothing like those! My landlubber thumb is all dry and wilty. You got it going on!


But I HAVE to ask, does the stalk make a nice pen? I'm sorry, but one of those stalks would have to get sacrificed to the lathe gods just to see....

 

[leehljp]

That brings back memories of our home of the farm home when I was a kid many years ago. Beautiful flowers!

 

[Gary Max]

We cut it off at the ground in the fall. I had never really thought about pens but I will this year.

 

[terry q]

Gary

Those are beautiful. What planting zone do you live in? Wondering if they would survive in central Illinois.

Terry

 

[johncrane]

nice plant mate flowers must be very heavy looks like you have used five stakes to hold it them up.

 

[woodwish]

My first thought was that someone had playing with Photoshop again, but from reading what you wrote I guess they are real. Just showed the picture to my wife (the flower lover), her response was simply "Holy sh*t, those are some big flowers!" Our hibiscus here in the tropical south are maybe 3-4" across and I used to be impressed with those. Good job!

 

[Gary Max]

Terry we are 120 miles north east of Nashville Tn. The trick we used was making a huge bed for them. I dug out a 4 foot by 6 foot round hole for them. Or the other way to say that is--The dang bush that I dug-- up was in the ground about 4 foot so I had to dig a 6 foot round hole to get the whole root system removed. When I filled the hole I used good top soil.

 

[redfishsc]

A lil horse manure every year under some good mulch will give you some flowers you could likely use for a shade tree.



When you cut it down, cut it into 7-8" long blanks and soak them overnight in denatured alcohol or methanol, and wrap them in newspaper for a few weeks. Then a couple weeks in the open air and they should be plenty dry. The extra length is to cut away any checks that develop on the ends since they will all contain some pith.

 

[cozee]

In the past i have for the most part had what some consider to be a sterile yard. Growing up on the farm we had an unwritten motto. If ya can,t eat it it isn't worth growing!! As I grow older, I am learning to appreciate the beauty of plants and flowers. Even have some in the yard now! And that plant, my friend is a beaut!

But I HAVE to ask, does the stalk make a nice pen? I'm sorry, but one of those stalks would have to get sacrificed to the lathe gods just to see....

I am beginning to look at everything that way!!

 

[huntersilver]

Now those are some awsome flowers!

 

[redfishsc]

Just had a thought, can those beasties be dried and/or pressed?