Oh Hello

I know I know, its been a while. I totally flaked last summers tropical and veggie gardening pics .

I’ve collected pics from last year for the tropicals.

After the summer of 2015, I stored my Ensete Maurelii Red Abyssinian Banana treein my closet under stairs (i stored in the the closet under stairs again after a cut back down to about 6″). It was incredible. This plant grew while in the closet at least 2ft. I didnt touch it all winter. No water, no light…nothing.

I purchased some cool color Cannas, winter hardy banana plants, and bird of paradise before the summer last year. This is how they were delivered

I collected a lot of seeds from my Cannas and started them inside again for 2016 summer. They did great too! I have sooo many Canna seeds, Ill never have to buy plants again, which I’m trilled about since they are around 30 bucks…each. But if you do buy them, remember, at the end of the season, you’ll have many more tubers in the ground to separate for the next year.

After last season, I stored all my tubers, elephant ears & cannas, and even some planted in pots right in closet. Hopefully they will make this winter, we will see! Again, no water, no light.

Anywho, back to last season, here are pics of my tropicals as the season progressed

Ensete Maurelii Red Abyssinian Banana tree (while in the closet)

Progression Over the Season (images on go up to Aug. These tropical stay out until around your first frost date)

Ensete Maurelii Red Abyssinian Banana tree (planted in the ground at beginning of season) Dont kill me, I cant find any pics of this plant grown. It was about 6 ft tall by the end of summer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHiKLxhD6Mc/?taken-by=seasidebeachhomedecor

Bird Of Paradise & my new banana plants, cannas, and some hostas for fill in

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHD0x4BjYkh/?taken-by=seasidebeachhomedecor

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHiHup3jUKp/?taken-by=seasidebeachhomedecor

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIG6wPjAfJy/?taken-by=seasidebeachhomedecor

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIG7Ot8ABCB/?taken-by=seasidebeachhomedecor

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIG7wHAACuf/?taken-by=seasidebeachhomedecor

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIWAcDDj3yn/?taken-by=seasidebeachhomedecor

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJgNxfQDuVL/?taken-by=seasidebeachhomedecor

If I find more pics, I will certainly post them and remember, you can grow tropical plants too!

Changes are comin’

The winter weather is coming to an end…thank god. And I am starting my flower/plant list for 2016. I will post my list when its complete.

Here are some updates to the plants I tried to save last season.

I managed to save my Ensete Maurelii Red Abyssinian Banana tree

After the first frost, I cut it down to about 4-5″ ( that was brutal cutting down a 9′ tree) I think I posted summer 2014 year that when I tried to save this plant but cutting it down, wrapping the planter and plant with burlap, and storing it in my garage, which is not heated, the plant basically froze and died. It also had mold on it. Banana plants hold a lot of water in their stems and trucks. If you have ever had these banana plants, you know what Im talking about. If I could explain it, the inside  of the stems and truck look almost like a beehive and tons of water get stored in there. I would imagine that my plant frozen and thawed quite a few times during the winter that year. Here is the pic from that year after I brought it back out of the garage. It is soaked and soft and super mushy but you can see what the inside looks like.

So…new strategy. Last season, I cut the stem down to about 5″ and brought the container inside, still in the dirt. After discovering last year how much water the plant held, I didn’t water it at all. I put it inside a closet and within the past I’d say 2 months, its been growing, Yeah!!

You can see where I cut it down to and the new growth is a good 8″. Next year I am going to cut off the leaves and only cut the stem down to where it can still fit in my closet and has room to grow as this one is. If I can keep this plant going, once outside I can add Miloganite to it and it should take off. I’m hoping to get some height on it this year, but I did cut it low so well have to see.  Now that I see I can store it inside, I would have liked to have a bigger stem to jump start the height, but oh well. Live and learn.

I also brought in my Ensete Glaucum Snow Banana tree. I didn’t cut it down because I had the ceiling height for it. It was doing so well inside, then it started to die. I kept watering it, which in retrospect I shouldnt have and I think I killed it. It died pretty quickly. I cut the leaves back and stopped watering it. I am hoping that whats in the dirt is still health enough to grow. Im pretty upset because I bought this plant at only 7″ and it grow to about 7’…ugh. Heres what it looked like around July.

I also have a Musa Siam Ruby banana tree in the garage, yikes! I don’t know yet how that faired so Ill keep you posted.

 

I covered my Colocasia “Black Beauty” elephant ear plant and a Curcuma zedoaria ‘Pink Wonder’ (Pink Wonder Hidden Cone Ginger) that is in the ground with mulch and coconut plant liners so soon Ill remove that and see how they did

My garden and my dog

So until next time, Think Summer!!!

 

Tropical-August 2015

I know I haven’t posted in a while but it is summer after all and been quite busy camping and boating, the usual fun stuff.

Anyway, I do have some updates on my tropicals . I ordered some tropicals online and because I the heat, they shipped to me in July instead is June, which put me at a significant disadvantage this year. My one banana plant (which is the biggest to date.. About 10ft tall), tropical black cannas, and some assorted dwarf cannas I bought at my local farm market. 

i bought this banan a plant at about. 6ft. in fromt of the banana is an elephant ear plant in ordered online and it was about 7″ when i got it

 

the the left are dwarf cannas. ithe taller cannas nezt to them are my cannas grown from seed.

 

this canna was about 6″ tall when i got it. behind the canna is my hibiscus bush which is cold hardy and comes back each year

 

i bought this plant at about 8″tall.

 
 

planted fron bulb

  

Red Yucca from Seeds May 19th

My Red Yuccas have sprouted and growing. Only half of what I planted can up so if you want 4 plants, have 8 seeds in the container. You may get lucky but better safe then sorry.

Canna Lily May 19th

Canna Lily from seed May 19th

 

I put my Cannas I started from seed outside permanently to get the most sun possible, remember these are tropical. I may plant them some time next week either in planters or directly into the garden.

 

Over wintered Cannas, elephant ears, banana

We’ll, today was the day. I went through all my stored tubers and such….  I opened 12 nicely wrapped burlap sacks I made and Bad news. Nothing made it. Everything was moldy. Not a happy camper today. 

So .. what I’ve learned. Can’t store in my garage. Too damp and cold.

This year everything comes inside at the end of the season. 

I guess I’m buying new again. I do have my cannas I grew from seed. I should be able to put them outside soon. Finger crossed they make it

So here’s my disaster

   

   

My Mothers Day Hibiscus

I love my My Mother’s Day hibiscus bush . I had a planter just right for her. Here she is in her new home. I mixed a bit of Milorganite in the soil for a quick feed. Grow baby grow

  

Canna Lily from seed May 6th

Canna Lily from seed May 6th

My Cannas are doing wonderfully. Once these babies get out in full sun, I think they are going to be strong healthy new Canna Plants. I cant wait to see what they do. I’ve given a few away already…I mean how many plants can I have. I also have all the tubers in my garage from last year that still have to be planted…when it gets warm of course.

 

 

Red Yuccas seed sprouts May 6th

So… much to my surprise, my Red Yucca seeds have sprouted. So far I see three sprouts. Remember I planted 3 in each pot. Here are the pics and if you look closely you can see them.

Its a beautiful thing!!

Red Yucca

Red yucca Plant April 29th

I took my Red Yucca out of the garage and Im not really sure whats up with it yet. They are pretty cold hardy so it should have been ok over the winter. I cant quite figure this one out yet. These plants are new to me and I guess I just have to wait and see what grows