I guess you'll keep the water moving all winter so it doesn't freeze? Wow, I might have to give this a try, on a smaller scale of course. That's so cool!!
Roxanne
How many cold climate people have a lot of tropical plants?
Roxanne many people have the misconception that plants will die if they freeze this is not entirely true. Many plants have a built in antifreeze in side of them and many plants can be found from Florida all the way to Canada growing on rocks and waterfalls in very extreme conditions. The problem I find is that many of these unique plants are suited to these micro-climates and many are not easily found in the nursery trade. Once you have this odd micro environment built you can duplicate it's natural look in the garden. I picked up small patches of mosses and other plants from similar environments to grow on the wall. As well as did some research as to other plants from around the world that would like this situation. It was interesting to find that Hosta's can be found growing this way in parts of Asia as well as day-lilies and irises. Huechera's are found native here in Kentucky growing around rock waterfalls as are many ferns. It is a bit surprising to find so many plants can handle this situation and how different they look growing vertically compared to the ground.
Here is a picture I have of a native rock covered in multiple plants here in Kentucky.
I have quite a few and getting more each year. We haven't had frost yet and I have been gathering the plants and moving them to the back patio. I have 100's of caladiums At least they are easy to over winter. Just store the bulbs. I am lucky to have a solar home with a lot of glass that helps me overwinter many of my plants and an extra room on the second floor that I use for plants as well. Of course moving all those pots up stairs isn't any fun. Right now I'm trying to figure out how I want to overwinter my tropical pond plants. Trying to figure out what I can let go dormant and what I can't. I have these huge Port Odora's that I will be digging up very soon. Last year they weren't near as big. I can't even imagine what size the bulbs will be. This was taken more than a month ago and they have grown quite a bit since then.
bwilliams, What a great wall and water feature.
Gordon, Beautiful garden.
Steve, I have seen pics of your gorgeous Rainforest and I am so hoping to one day have a smaller version of my own.
Here is a pic from last winter of one of Bougainvilleas in bloom in the middle of winter.
always inspired by your inovations brian!! and love plants i get from you..thanks!!!
this yr my bananas/elephant ears were huge.. we had a super summer.. so im sure that helped that they had longer
growing season..
i already have ideas for next yr.. and many more tropical additions to the backyard..
love your living wall brian.. i plan to put up a really tall pillar next yr filled with wire/coco coir and put up
ferns,aroids, philodos.. hopefully it will take ... one thing with gardening..and working with plants..its never boring..
and really fun learning... it is addictive.. lol
thanks to all for your experiences..
Here is a pic of my living area from last year. This isn't even all the plants I bring in some of them are in an upstairs room.
I turn my unfinished basement into a green house to keep my tropicals here in zone 6
just beginning to get them in here.. I use east to west lighting.
Joeswife, Looks like you have some very large plants there. What all do you have?
I counted my pots the other day there are 70 pots sitting in the living room right now.
My Prince of Orange Philo is about 3ft tall now, it was just a little 4in pot a few years ago.
Joeswife - I just had to show that basement picture to my husband. LOL - he constantly teases me about how many plants I have. When I showed him your basement he laughed. I have a ways to go to catch up with you. My indoor "greenhouse" is a small extra bedroom with lights and fans and our garage is half full in winter with dormant plants.
That philo is pretty. mstish, my DH is really supportive of my addiction to gardening. I am totally into it while he is totally into football. My garage is old and not heated and it freezes out there. No one lives in the basement, or the now empty spare room down there.. so that spare room houses all my brugs, and the tropicals get the big space, and the vines have their own space, and well.. the list goes on. .
LOL. My DH doesn't give me to bad a time about my obsession with plants. He doesn't have any room to talk. If he's not watching football he is fishing. Sometimes I wish he would show some interest in gardening but then I think about it and I like the idea of being able to do anything I want with the yard. Just wish he's help with the heavy lifting sometimes. He is the love of my life but truely lazy when he's not interested in something.
Mine has given up on me as a lost cause. :>)
My dear Ric is a Gardner as well. It fun to share the interest and the work.
Joe does like to help me with the garden, he just likes his football a little more .. he has been a great help getting the brug tubs in for me. And down the stairs. And in the garage.. LOL.
during game time on commercials.
if he wants me, he comes down to find me..
JW,
Hope you're well --plants look great!
What do you mean by "east west lighting"?
Also, meant to tell you LariAnn corrected me on the name of one plant I sent you: it's not Alocasia portora, it's Alocasia gageana. I posted a pic of the bloom her: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1112794/
Hi! ;D I have sure enjoyed the plants you sent me, even the duranta is still kicking! East to west, is how our sun comes and goes, and so I turn on the lights as the sun moves. These have all been in the back yard, in mostly shade on the south side of the yard, so mimicking the sun seems to keep them happy.
I have been breeding Colocasias to with stand colder climates. This spring 3 of my new hybrids are being released. I believe more test are being done before they will push the cold hardiness of these plants but here is my track record with them.
Colocasia Madeira is a dwarf black elephant ear with light pink stems. It is a clumper and will be very dark if not black in full sun. I have grown it for 9 years in Kentucky zone 6 with and with out mulching protection. Plants must be well established in a full sun area with good winter drainage. I recommend mulching it up in zones colder than 5. I tend to rate this plant about the same as a Musa Basjoo on hardiness. I recommend you care for it similar to how one would care for the Musa Basjoo banana.
Colocasia Sangria is another one of the new hybrids. Dark green leaves slight purple veins in the older leaves and a bright red to neon pink petiole. Grows to 5 feet tall. Has over wintered in Kentucky zone 6 for 3 years. I recommend only leaving out mature plants in well drained soil for winter. Mulch up in colder climates. Treat similar to Musa Basjoo.
Here in the tundra zone 4a-b......I don't think I'd even attempt to leave anything like that out, even with prodigious mulching. LOL
I am sure they would not survive alone but it is surprising what 8 inches to 1 foot of organic leaf compost can protect. Of course non have been tested in your zone so I have not idea how they would preform. You season may be to short and some areas never really get hot enough for them to take off and do well.
Very pretty and interesting plants. My yard tends to be pretty wet in the winter. This clay soil we have hold the wet.
sounds like a challenge for me, will have to plan this for next winter.
I just came across this thread while browsing around DG. I am in love with that Colocasia Madeira, it really is beautiful! That's my kind of plant if it will survive cold weather!
I lost four very large Philodendron's, along with many other plants this past winter. I lost plants that I'd had 25+ years, but it was the coldest winter in Florida history and I sure hope I never see another one like it! The plants that didn't survive were all container plants but we move all plants to the deck by the pool and cover them with blankets whenever temp's are predicted to dip below 40ºF. Our deck is very large and is protected on the east by the house and on the west by a large shed. The south side is open to the screened pool area and the north side is screened but open to the elements. My husband hung tarps on the north and south sides and we crammed the deck with plants and covered everythingl with blankets ... but it was just so cold for so long, many plants couldn't survive. We had temp's in the low to mid 20's for many nights and some days that didn't make it out of the 30's!
Those of you who live in zones 8 and below sure are an inspiration! It amazes me at the tropical's you grow ... and move in and out with the weather! If I lived up north I probably wouldn't have many plants because I just can't imagine all that work and the older I get, the lazier I get, LOL. I sometimes wish I had a large home with lots of windows so I could keep plants inside but our house is quite small and dark so most things have to stay outside year round.
I'm hoping to do some new landscaping next spring and I will have to keep my eye out for that Colocasia Madeira! Is it going to be on the market next spring?
Lin
Lin, We were down in Fl. a couple of times this summer. My FIL had some health issues so were were there for several weeks. I so love to work in his yard such fun gardening in Fl. Much different than our rocky clay soil. LOL
I noticed that he lost a lot of plants last winter, too. I remember a few years ago when some really beautiful Calif. gardens were severly damaged by some unusual cold weather. We had some extreme snow in our area and my large Juniper Hedge had serious damage. I was in tears last spring as we were cuting back the damage, but it is filling back in. It will take years to recover.
Hi HollyAnn,
What area of Florida does your father in law live? I hope he is doing better, it's difficult when our parents age and begin having health issues. I bet he appreciates your help working in the yard when you visit! Gee, the older I get the more I dislike working out in the heat of summer here in Florida, especially when the temp is 90+ with humidity to match! This past winter was one for the record books around the country and many folks don't wish to see another one like it, especially here in the south ... we just aren't used to such cold for so long. It will take years for many gardens to recover. I have a huge Schefflera actinophylla in my backyard that I planted too close to the pool deck years ago and I was hoping the freezes would kill it completely. I really thought it was dead and my husband took his chain saw and cut it back as far as he could ... and it's growing back again! Geesh, some things down here you just can't get rid of! The Philodendron bipinnatifidum's/"Tree Philo's" in my side yard were covered in ice a few times this past winter. They always turn to mush when it gets cold but they always re-sprout in spring ... I love the Tree Philodendrons!
Colocasia Madeira is out and can be found for sale at a few places now. In the spring I am sure it will be available a bit more.
I googled and saw that Agristarts has it but their business is wholesale only. I will definitely be on the lookout for it in the next few months, it's really gorgeous!
We dig up our cannas every fall and store them in my son's basement since our house doesn't have a basement. The whole back of our Explorer was filled. I think next spring I will be giving some of these away.
Lin, Those Tree Philodendrons sure look interesting. I think that maybe what this is. We saw these at Bok Tower in Fl. Man I would love to have something like this.
HollyAnn: Yep, that's the P. bipinnatifidum, the Tree Philo's! I forgot they had them at Bok Tower gardens ... it's been years since I've visited there.
I will say that my trips to Fl. just make it too easy for me to pick up more tropical plants. My first bougie was bought from a catalog, just a 4 in pot at a premium price. My second Bougie was bought at Lowes in Fl. in a gal pot for close to the same price as the first. LOL
I'm getting quite a collection of succulents, too. On the spring trip to Fl. I came home with a Milk Bush, Hawaiian Portulaca and pancake Kalanchoe bought at Lowes. A Monstruosed Hedge Catcus and a Spider Lily that I dug up from my FIL's yard. I'm thinking that I could or should let the spider lily go dormant for the winter. Just stop watering it and let it rest. Doesn't anyone have these and what do you do with them over winter?
i have dug all my tropicals now ..they are safe inside..either planted or in storage.. but funny..
my m.basjoo plants..which took a pretty good frost ..i have them planted up..in a sunny window..and they are taking off
again.. lol go figure.. im thinking..next yr.. of just mulching them really heavy and see if they make it thru the
winter here.. go figure.. im amazed.. :)
tropicalnut777,
m. basjoo are hardy to zone 4 so go for it.
They do not like to be wet in the winter. I tried here but our winters are very rainy and they rotted.
Rox
That is why I haven't tried a basjoo. I think it would be fine in my Zone 6 but our yard is very wet in the winter.
Ti plant blooming in the pool bubble greenhouse!
JP, you have got to see this plant I think you sent me..
Wow, the alocasia gageana pup I sent you, right? But yours is now variegated --never seen one do that!!
Maybe a virus or something? I'd love to have LariAnn or bwilliams comment here.
Well, I made a mistake, that one is from Rita and it is a philo, wrong picture. Will post the one you sent, it is HUGE.
It looks to be true variegation. Virus looks more streaked and these blotches look more healthy than what I usually seen in virus plants. Their is a form of gageana variegated that has been on the market like this. Will have to see if this was from you or another source.