Saturday, September 12, 2009

Angel's Trumpet
















My Angel Trumpet is blooming!
Isn't it pretty? There are many buds, but I couldn't wait to take a picture. The fragrance is wonderful. I see many of these when in New Orleans, not so much when we return to South Carolina. So this year I decided I had to try my hand at having one in my yard. It is still in the ugly plastic pot from the nursery. I cannot decide where to put it permanently and I am really afraid that if I actually get it in the ground it will die. Meanwhile, I am really enjoying the blooms every evening. It makes me happy like my little Buddha.

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful! I see them around my neck of the woods a lot. I really like this pink color - most of the ones I see are yellow. We also grow purple and white multiple layered ones that come as annual bedding plants.

    As for the plastic pot, you can always plant the pot in the ground (sounds odd, but we do it all the time so we can pull it out when winter comes), and then if it starts to look poorly, you can pull it back out without damaging the root system too much, and put it in a different spot. As long as you water it a lot, especially when you first plant it, it should be fine. I don't imagine your freezes are too bad up there?

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  2. GGG..... Thanks for the info, I haven't even thought of planting it in the pot. We don't have too many hard freezes here. The nursery gave me a paper with instructions that said to cut it back to about 6 inches (at season end), mulch heavily and cover with an inverted pot. I have also read about cutting back and overwintering in a pot inside in a cool dark place. (I don't really have a place to do this.) Since this is my first try, I am in a quandary on what advice to take.

    I found last year after coming back from NOLA that one person in our neighborhood has an Angel Trumpet. I think they cut theirs back, but leave it in the ground. It came back this year but is not blooming yet. I suppose the lack of blooms so far is due to having to re-grow from the ground up for a new season. I'm kind of watching what it does for guidance on mine.

    I also saw the purple ones in NOLA and want one of those also. The nursery I went to called the purple ones Datura. Maybe if I can get this one to live, I will try adding purple next year. I used to be good at growing things outside, but don't give me a houseplant or it will be a goner!

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  3. Ha! Yeah, I kill houseplants incredibly easily, for some reason. But outdoor plants are my trade. I will ask my colleagues for advice on your angel trumpet.

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  4. Thanks....any advice welcome. I have also noticed that something is eating leaves on the angel trumpet, but I do not see anything. Must be during the night. I don't see any slimy trails of slugs or snails, no tiny critters under leaves, no caterpillars that I can see. Any advice on what to use to prevent this? I usually avoid pesticides (My husband hates them and also fears them for our dog who does not live outside!)

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