Sunday, June 14, 2009

Pretty picture: Nicotiana NOID

(Picture is likely to be better full-size, in its own window.)


The outdoor containers I did earlier are all kind of, well, not really turning out like I had envisioned, especially the all-Osteospermum one (they're still flowering, but they've also flopped sideways -- apparently when I planted them, they were tall enough to be in their last week of upright growth already). I keep meaning to post pictures, but the first set of pictures didn't turn out great, I haven't had enough time to do a second set, and anyway I've been hoping that I could hold off doing a second set until some of them looked a little better.

Not a lot to say about the Nicotiana (which, like the Osteospermums, seems to want to lay down instead of stand up); I think the flowers on this one are a very cool shade of velvety red, which I like, and there are a lot of them. Not so nuts about having to pull them off when they're spent, but even so. We'll see how they hold up through the summer.


4 comments:

Sue Catmint said...

Hi Mr S, that red is very beautiful. Photography is a challenge in the garden because it's always changing. My osteospermums are floppers too. cheers, catmint

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Mr. S .. I have used these annuals in past years .. they are great .. but there are different kinds that give off a beautiful scent .. the white ones in the evening .. I can't seem to find them any more .. darn !

Anonymous said...

Hey, is nicotiana an annual or not? The seed packets and the books say its an annual, yet the same plants (the white, strongly scented ones) have come back to life for me for 4 years running now (and I don't even have a garden, just a balcony). Has to be the best value plant ever - 1000 (tiny) seeds in a packet, and they regrow every year! But I'm puzzled why they are doing it, when the descriptions say they shouldn't!

mr_subjunctive said...

I'm not sure who told me (WCW?), but I think Nicotiana are annuals, but they self-seed.

It's also possible that they're irregular germinators, and the original 1000-seed packet is still sprouting for you, year after year, but I'd bet what you're seeing is self-seeding.