skip to main content

New England Gardening

Patience is a virtue

17 years ago

In 1985, someone gave me three bulbs of Lycoris squamigera. They sent up leaves two years in a row but no flowers so I tossed them. Just got an email from a friend in town who planted one--just one--in 1989. It is in full bloom right now for the very first time. She sent a pic--beautiful. Now I wish I'd left mine but 17 years does seem a little long to wait for a flower. I did wait almost that long for my dogwood to bloom. What is the longest you have waited for something to bloom?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

chelone
17 years ago
5 years. For a "Nikko Blue" Hydrangea. Every single year it would get zapped by our frequently brown winters and cold spells.

Last fall I followed Hayseedman's winter protection guidelines on the Hydrangea forum. And this year it flowered! It has been in flower for nearly a month and has provided seamless bloom after the Tokyo Delights peaked. It is gorgeous and I'm so glad I invested some time "winterizing" the Hydrangeas.

I waited 3 for flowers on the Climbing Hydrangea (I think there were about 2) and it was shortly thereafter that the entire vine "took off". And 2 for Cimicifuga ramosa "Atropurpurea", and Baptisia australis. Definitely "worth it".
fgirl21
17 years ago
hhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
so that means my Nikko Blue might still bloom? I think it's been 3 or 4 years since I planted it.
Guess I'll be visiting the Hydrangea Forum to find some new tricks....
Related Discussions
April 3, 2004
Q
Comments (13)
Does patience come naturally to anyone born and raised in this country? I think it's something one must learn. April 3rd was our 43 anniversary and I know patience on both our parts accounts for a large part of being together this long...but we had to learn it. Our whole society today seems to be based a lot on "instant" this and "instant" that...thanks to the media..especially television and all the commercials. The sad thing is that when you do finally learn to be patient, and quietly wait things out,you've forgotten what the heck it was you were waiting for.
...See More
Patience is a virtue - aka never give up!
Q
Comments (2)
Congratulations and kudos!! I do believe you may be the first person to successfully harvest/sow/grow D. spectabilis from seed. I checked my D. spectabilis 'Alba' for seedpods last year but was unsuccessful when looking for any that were ripe. Did you harvest the seedpods right when they fell from the plant stems or while they were still attached & green? Do please describe your strategy so that others may attempt to learn from your success.
...See More
Patience is a gardener's virtue but when do you say enough is enough?
Q
Comments (18)
As I run out of space, so too do I run out of patience. There are so many lovely plants out there, so why put up with duds? I mean, ok, a slow grower is one thing. My Buff Beauty is growing so very, very slowly, yet it's healthy and attractive otherwise. Something like that, I can have all the time in world for. My first love was and is peonies, so it's not that I lack patience - I've waited six years for one to bloom and no sign yet, but it'll get there. I've seen other posters talk about this and it's something I used to neither understand or agree with, but I'm coming round to their point of view - there's a difference between a dud rose and a slow rose. It may be inherently dud as a plant, or that individual plant, or just a dud for the specific garden, or place, but it doesn't really matter. A dud will be a dud right from the get go and never really changes. And as my garden slowly matures, I'm seeing it hold true. Because I was broke when I started, I couldn't afford to replace things so I held onto them like grim death, moving them in attempts to find the 'right place, right conditions' that I believed would redeem even the weakest of perfomers. Because I did that I've seen that sometimes, no matter what I might do, a rose is just not going to be suited to my garden and I'm acquiring a degree of tentative confidence about identifying much much earlier which roses they are. There's still room for some sentiment of course - I'm going to be heartbroken when the cooking apple tree dies - despite the fact that it's biennial and the apples aren't that great, and the fact that it has the single largest footprint of any single plant in the garden for relatively low return - I still love it.
...See More
Sweet Intoxication
Q
Comments (2)
Ha ha, I think I will have a cookie instead
...See More
paigect
17 years ago
Wow, 14 years is a long time! She must have forgotten it was even there.

Same as Chelone, except it was 4 years for my Nikko Blue. The only thing I did different that year was mulch it really high up. That added protection was all mine needed. And to think I almost moved it thinking it wasn't getting enough sun! It's my favorite plant/shrub now. Here it is with it's late summer/fall colors:
diggingthedirt
17 years ago
Oh, I'm really sorry to hear this about Lycoris squamigera, because I planted a dozen or so last year. The idea of them blooming after the foliage died away was too much to resist, but I didn't realize it would be ... 17 years after the foliage died. I was thinking in terms of months.

I've been waiting for about 10 years for a mockorange to bloom, but this doesn't really count because, in fact, I've given up on it and just have been too lazy to dig it up. Maybe it will surprise me one of these years and actually produce a flower... probably not.
ego45
17 years ago
It's something very strange about L.squamigera not blooming for so many years. Yes, they don't particularly fond about being moved and may skip a year or two, but 17 years...
Tina brought a banch of them to last year spring swap and some people reported blooms in the same year's fall.
Mine skipped the last year, but finally just finished blooming.
There are basicly three reasons for them to become a non-blooming plant:
a) overcrowding (which is definitely not the case with the fresh planted bulbs),
b) too good soil + too much water, though neither one of those conditions singularly could prevent them from blooming,
c) leaves had been discarded consistently for several years before they ripen off or planted in a very shady location.

For me the longest non-blooming plant WAS a lilac.
After 4 years it was given to a friend and I'm hoping that his grandkids will see it blooming.
ginny12
Original Author
17 years ago
To clarify, my friend's bulb sent up leaves every year but no flowers til this year. I don't know what growing conditions she supplied.
martieinct
17 years ago
Hmmmm. My bloomed at three years in my old garden. Think the success was fertilizing in fall when I put other bulbs in. They are worth the wait. Did not bring them with me as they HATE to be moved. Good mine from Wayside Gardens if that helps.

Martie

Related Stories

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: A Lakeside Home in Vermont Spreads Its Wings

By Mary Prince Photography

Patient renovations and additions make a family home a nurturing place for working and relaxing

PLANTING IDEAS Great Garden Combo: 9 Plants for an Intriguing Entrance

Layer trees, flowers and shrubs around an archway to create the feeling of a year-round doorway to adventure

MORE ROOMS 14 Bedrooms That Grow With Kids

By Samantha Schoech

You won't have to start from scratch every three years with these modern and eclectic kid's bedroom designs

PLANTING IDEAS Designing With Conifers: How to Unite Your Landscape

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Create a landscape full of intrigue and artistry with the right placement of conifers and their supporting players

GARDENING GUIDES 4 Reasons Not to Rush the Spring Garden Cleanup

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

There are many positives to staying out of the garden, especially for wildlife

DECORATING GUIDES Houzz Guides: 12 Ways to Decorate for Less

By Laura Gaskill

Who says you need wads of cash to have loads of style? With these skills under your belt, you can get amazing results on a budget

DECORATING GUIDES Budget Decorating: How to Decorate Smart and Slow

By Laura Gaskill

To make the most of your decorating dollar, forgo the disposable stuff, think vintage and free first and give yourself a splurge

REMODELING GUIDES Survive Your Home Remodel: 11 Must-Ask Questions

By Mitchell Parker

Plan ahead to keep minor hassles from turning into major headaches during an extensive renovation

COFFEE WITH AN ARCHITECT Mike Brady Lied to Me

By Jody Brown Architecture, pllc

Why "The Brady Bunch" is a terrible guide for the architectural profession

LAUNDRY ROOMS See an Amazing $400 Laundry Room Remodel for a Family of 8

By Mitchell Parker

Budget shopping and DIY spirit create folding space, smart storage and better organization for a couple and their 6 kids

Sponsored

More Discussions

Planting under deer eaten rhododendrons

2

Show Us Your Landscape and Gardens - A Photo Thread April 2024

14

Swamp Milkweed Seeds or cuttings

3

Anyone notice there is a freeze warning tonight?

7

Show Us Your Landscape and Gardens-A Photo Thread - May 2024

17