Back in September 2024, I shared my admiration for one of Austin’s most vibrant blooms, the Pride of Barbados. These fiery orange-red beauties always catch my eye during my morning walks, thanks to the lush landscaping in our community.
Well, I couldn’t resist the urge to try my hand at growing them myself! A walking buddy let me in on a gardening secret: in the fall, once the seed pods turn brown and crisp, you can pluck them off, store them in a brown paper bag over winter, and come spring, voilà! Plant the seeds.
So that’s exactly what I did! Last fall, I collected a few pods and tucked them away. Come April, I gave it a go. I planted six pods in a container, and… drumroll… two little sprouts made an appearance! Not exactly a bumper crop, but I was thrilled. Meanwhile, my friend planted a ton of pods and had much better luck, and kindly shared some of her thriving seedlings with me (gardening friends are the best!).
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Now I’ve got several happy little Pride of Barbados plants growing strong in their containers. I mist them daily and they’re thriving! My plan is to transplant them into my landscape this fall (or maybe sooner if they’re ready for their big debut). |
And you can bet I’ll be out there again this fall gathering more pods to keep the cycle going!
Stay tuned, I’ll post another update later this year and let you know how my garden experiment is blooming!
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