Wednesday, July 30, 2008

DAY 16 - Disco Bell Rosy Red Hibiscus


How's that for the name of a flower! Our local Lowes store has a reduced plant area in their garden area where they put their perennials that have bloomed already, but still not sold. The price is 50 to 75% off normal price, so it's quite a popular area with gardeners! I bought these two little plants last fall -- they really looked no more than a little stem with a couple of leaves -- no indication of what the flowers would look like.



Well, was I ever surprised when huge buds started to form in June. And then they started to pop open in July. The blooms are huge -- over 9" across -- and the plants are loaded with open flowers and buds. I'm really intrigued by the center of the bloom -- the stamen (is that what it's called) has a tiny little red flower on the end of it.




I take alot of my Ebay pictures on the patio outside my Ebay room, so this flower has become the backdrop for quite a few pictures. The picture with the miniature Mapletree baskets came out really well.












3 comments:

Iris said...

WOW - lovely - and I love it as a backdrop. I didn't realize hibiscus would do well that far north - do you have to do anything special to them in the winter?

Z-ville said...

I didn't do a thing special to it for the winter -- it was mulched, but nothing else. One of my neighbors has a hibiscus bush with the huge saucer flowers. I think his is pink. I'm sure he doesn't do anything special with it!

Carole and Chewy said...

Our Lowe's has that same reduced corner - most of the plants in my yard have come from there or form seed. It's the perfect way to try plants that you can't normally afford, or to take care of that "new plant" urge that pops up when you're at Lowe's. I'm waiting for them to put one of those curly-q pine trees on the reduced cart.