This is a patch of petasities only about three years old.I used one of the gianhttp://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y278/fredbuster/th_075a0bc9.jpg (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y278/fredbuster/075a0bc9.jpg)
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y278/fredbuster/th_edecc63a.jpg (http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y278/fredbuster/edecc63a.jpg)
t leaves to make the bird bath in the background click on photos

Beautiful! Thanks, Ray!

Those are gorgeous! How did you make that birdbath? It's wonderful! You have a beautiful garden.

Hi Teresa, I saw a concrete leaf casting at a local nursery and they wanted and arm and a leg for it I thought it pretty neat so I tried it and first made a leaf ans stained it my second try was the bird bath it turned out good also. I just went on line and googled in concrete leaf casting and all the directions are there. It isn't very hard if you are alittle handy. I used a bag of the ready mixed concrete and fiberglass wall board tape for reinforcing and of course you need to have access to some big leaves.very imp. to let it dry a day or two before flipping it over. If you are interested in it or have any questions just PM me Thanks Ray

Ray, that was creative and something you can always take pride in that you made it yourself with your own hands!:cool:

Very pretty!

Ray,

Fantastic! I never heard of petasities! It sounded like some kind of pestacide!

thanks

Hey Ray,

Do you get flowers on these guys? I think they have the coolest (and strangest!) looking flowers.

Hi Tom,
They flower some strange looking big buds in the very early spring as soon as the ground starts to unthaw they push themsleves up.I usually mulch heavely with leafs and when I can move them the flowers have already started to come up.then the flowers die off and the leafs start.I call them Dionsaur Food.I recently saw another variety just as big but a more flat rounded leaf. I know I need to make a trip back there and get one.a mistake I often make I see somthing I want but have to get home and think about why I didn;t just get it in the first place.do you see them in Japan?

do you see them in Japan?

Hey Ray,

They are here all over the wet woods and fields. I asked about the flowers becuase I really enjoy seeing them each spring. They are so unusual and you would never imagine they come from this plant. If you don't mind, I can post a shot of them for everyone to see. There're really strange!

Tom

Hi Tom Please do I looked but I couldn't find any pictures although I thought I had taken a few this year

Hey Fred,

Since you said it’s OK, here’s the ones I’ve seen:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/tvelardi/Petasites1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/tvelardi/Petasites2.jpg

Enjoy!

Tom

WOW that is crazy! Nice caterpillar too. :mean:

OK, can I grow these in Texas zone 8? Are they shade plants? Do they die back each winter? Do I have to dig up bulbs and replant like caladiums? I would love to grow these and then I could make a birdbath like Ray's! :cool:

That is pretty, the flowers look like a bouquet of flowers, quite fascinating looking!

That's good Tom Mine wre purple where yours are green