Brugmansia ( Angels Trumpets)

One of my favourite 'exoticas' ....you wouldn't think something as lovely as this could be highly poisonous ..... M-L

 

Lovely!!

 

Ooops think I've put this in the wrong place :rolleyes: !! I'm sure someone will move it if necessary ... M-L

 

Hi, M-L. I've answered this once but it kept saying the subject didn't exist so I'll complain in that category !!! As to your Brugmansia, I'm jealous as our white one is not even showing the slightest sign of budding but the pink one immediately next to it is heaving with flowers and buds (pictures up on my Algarve Garden site). I agree with you, how strange something so beautiful could be so deadly ... a bit like us women I guess! :D :D :D :rolleyes:

How is your weather at the moment? We are lucky here with day temps only 31oC and nights down to a pleasant 22,5oC with a breeze, so no air con in the bedroom ... windows open catching the breeze! In saying that, I have the air con in the dining side of the kitchen where my computer is keeping things cooled down!

Are you near the coast? We are about 20 minutes inland.

 

Great flowers M-L, I gave up growing them due to red spider mite, yours looks very green and healthy.

 

Hi LOL ...my fault I posted in the wrong place, but now all clear ...... we are inland from the sea about 40 mins away, ....totally surrounded by vineyards.. it's an idyllic situation and even after 17 years, the last 13 permanent, I still pinch myself sometimes. Our weather continues to be very warm... 32�° today and the forecast is set for the high 30's again this week .... I've just been checking the pots on the terrace, it's almost midnight and a balmy 25�°. Have in the last couple of days cleared the pots of petunias as they had burned badly and old faithful geraniums de balcon are in their place .. .. I've shielded the tomatoes and have been able to pick quite a lot ..they were actually 'cooking' on the vine last week ..... which made some good tomatoes sauces !! I'm certainly not complaining about our weather I LOVE the sunshine and heat ..and as you will know, we simply alter our lifestyle timetables to accommodate the extremely hot conditions ..... M-L

 

Must be a Kent thing Pete. I have tried so hard to beat it, but red spider mite has left mine all so desease ridden that they will have to be destroyed.

I had buds on mine when I went on holiday but returned to a few yellow leaves.

On the other hand, the daturas are OK so long as I treat them as annuals and get them out into the garden as soon as I can.

 

Perhaps it's something to do with :-

Brugmansia ( Angels Trumpets)
Datura (Devils Trumpets)


:eek: :eek: :D :D

 

That makes sense. The mouth pieces of the trumpets would be at the top on a brug and at the bottom on a dat.

 

I think its the fact that red spider has no natural enemy in the UK and the preditors that you can buy dont seem to overwinter, whereas the red spider do when we bring the plants in for the winter.
One thing I've not seen for a few years is white fly, they used to be my No1 pest, but not around much anymore.

 

My worst nightmare here, really big time! :eek; How did you eradicate them, Pete? I'm only using water and spraying with soapy water .. but not really good results! :(

 

I believe that the white fly is attracted to the colour yellow ! so dig up all your yellow flowers !!! :D get some of those sticky yellow fly papers and hang them about the garden ... :eek: or get yourself a pet preying mantis the white fly's natural predatior .... We have a few praying mantid in a couple of bushes ....and I've not seen any white fly ! (otherwise I'm afraid it might be a pesticide job) M-L

 

I haven't got any yellow flowers, M-L, not my favourite! I have two types of Euryops which are covered in yellow daisies all winter ... but I don't have any whitefly then. I have the dangly yellow sticky fly things but I tend to get them stuck in my hair more than flies get stuck to them! :eek: I also have lots of praying mantis here but this lot obviously don't fancy whitefly! Rich is going to send me some Shoofly seeds which is supposedly lethal to them! :D :D but that's for next year! :(

 

I have a minor whitefly problem and use the Encarsia wasp predator to keep it down but I don't think it is hardy enough to use outside.

 

I think its hardy enough for Potugal, but I think the problem is stopping it flying away, they recommend it for greenhouse use over here.
Years ago I had so many I used to use a vacuum cleaner to suck them up.
But then one year they just stopped, cant explain why, they always overwintered on Lantana but now I keep them so dry they lose all their leaves, which I collect and compost.
Also I dont grow tomatos in the greenhouse anymore, I think they attracted them.