Great Cascade Wine Red: Report #3

It has been over a month since I reported on the Great Cascade Wine Red plant and the progress it is making as a container plant for my balcony. Why you ask have I not blogged about Great Cascade?  Well, there has not been much to report.  Otherwise known as Creeping Gloxinia Lofos Wine Red, I received these as very small plants in early May.  They have spent the last month and a half growing in size, but no cascading flowers.

In the Great Cascade Wine Red Information post I mentioned that a grower stated that it would have prolific red flowers after the vine had filled the container and I worried that using a three gallon container was too large?  Well, I was right.  This vine has continued to grow over the past month and a half, but has not started to flower:

This might be the first Great Cascade Wine Red flower for the summer:

What has your experience been?  Were you lucky enough to have purchased a mature Great Cascade Wine Red from a nursery or garden center?  Are you getting flowers late June?

Growing Chives

Growing chives is easy, chives are a prolific spreader in zones 4-8.  Chives recipes have never tasted so good as when you are cutting the chives in your back yard to use in the kitchen immediately.  The only caution is to plant the chives in an area where they can be contained.  Consider making an herb container garden and growing chives along with other herbs. 

Here is a an early morning picture of garlic chives in full bloom. The chives have been planted in a container garden on the back porch and are a showing off their Allium heritage with the Dr. Seuss style flowers.  These flowers can be cut and used in arrangements.  Blooming once a year, it is best to cut and remove the flowers before they broadcast seeds to the rest of your garden.

Chives are hardy in USDA zones 4-8, this member of the Allium family is a rapid spreader.  Control Chives from spreading by removing flowers before they go to seed and planting in containers. Plant multiple varieties to extend the blooming season.  These purple flowered chives bloom in late spring while white flowered chives will bloom in late summer.

Enjoy your favorite chive recipes with chives from the backyard.  Add a bowl of chopped chives to the table every time you serve chilli, tacos, baked potatoes, stew and your other favorite chive recipes.