We bought two of these bushes 3 weeks ago to plant in the new garden area Ron created by the garage. I was walking the grounds yesterday, checking on various areas, and noticed these things are flowering!! I'm shocked. I didn't notice any buds or anything on them when we first planted them. I guess it's possible for buds to form and flower in 3 weeks? I've been so busy with other areas of the house and grounds that I've paid no attention to these bushes since we planted them, other than to ask Ron to hit them with some water on days it was hot and no rain. They are interesting looking flowers, that's for sure!
Love the flower color in combination with the unusual leaf color. That will provide interest and variety in the garden in a multitude of seasons. Good choice.
Hi Ronni, not a shrub I am familiar with. I am guessing it needs a warmer climate than my New England garden! I too like the dark foliage and the bright flowers. How nice that you get to see it's flowers so quickly after planting ! I also like the mulch; do you have long needed pines nearby?
You only had it 3 weeks, but it had been in a pot of soil in the proper light conditions for possibly months depending on when the original nursery potted it up after the seedling stage of it's life and how long it had been sitting in the nursery growing to the proper size for shipping and selling and then at the garden center before you bought it. And not all flower buds are easy to see especially if the buds are close to the same color as the leaves.
No pines nearby. We got the pine needle mulch from the same place we got the plants. Yeah, Toni I have no idea how long it's been sitting so that's definitely a factor. My surprise is more to do with the fact that it flowered so quickly after it was planted. I'm used to plants, at least perennials, going into some degree of shock after planting, and at the least going dormant for a while if not actually dropping leaves and looking a bit like they're maybe even dying, before finally bouncing back some time later. These bushes don't act like they're dealing with any kind of transplant shock, which is what startled me....pleasantly so, but still!
You did everything correct when you put them in the ground so there was evidently no need for them to suffer transplant shock. Congrats!!
Thanks toni! I'll bet it was Ron's compost!!! He has a huge compost bin out back of the garage. It's nothing fancy..he built it himself....but it's been providing him with compost since shortly after he moved to the house a few years back. All the plants we've planted since I moved in are flourishing so well, both the container plants and the garden stuff, and I figure his rich compost has a lot to do with the success!
