Tropical Pictures and Gardens #104

Ok...so I have a while before I need to figure out digs for the Stingray.

Debra - I think it is probably just too hot for the Passi's right now. They will probably start blooming once you get a cool down. We are finally getting rain and it's cooled things down a bit also. Thank Goodness

Rita those are very nice Caladium's they are one of my favorite foliage plants.
Not only are they pretty but they are easy !!!

Debra....Ohhhhhh Debra .......
Look who I found showing off this morning
I was actually going to repot it the other day and saw the bud then forgot about it.

Oh my ,oh my!!!!! That is absolutely awesome!

Keep doing that rain dance, although we actually had 2" the other night, it came down so hard and fast it ran right off into the marsh, everything in the garden was bone dry again by morning.

Rachel; I will!

Everbody; Awesome pictures!

Doesn't that 'never rains but it pours' make you nuts! But we're glad to hear you finally got some, Ardesia. We have booming and flashing and lots of clouds today, but hardly a drop since the good rain we had on Tuesday. I am once again hauling my watering can around to keep the pots from drying out. Everything's growing so fast, they're drinking the pots dry despite killer humidity.

Here's my passi 'Lady Margaret' who has not behaved at all like a lady, especially the past few days since the rain . . . planted her on Memorial Day, and she's given up blooming in favor of galloping up the wall of the Garage Mahal since then.

The passifloras really grow like weeds! I like your description dyzzypyxxy "Garage Mahal" made me laugh.

Here is a bloom on my passiflora "Clear Sky" that opened this morning, The picture has been rotated for an overall nicer look.

OMG, I love your garage mahal.

I have to yank a Lavender Lady passi out regularly, it is growing in a shady spot and doesn't bloom well but it does take over everything, tying other plants in knots, so out it goes - all the time. I'll never get rid of it all.

dyzz.....

what, no rain.... for the last several days, it has been heavy, heavy rain, mostly at work were yesterday I forgot (I have to keep reminding myself that I'm in FL where pop up showers are the norm) to close the sun roof and by the time it finally quit raining so I could get out to close it there was 2" standing in the console of the car and both front seats soaked. LOL

Then today again, and even at the house. Work is in Sarasota, 301/Whitfield. Sorry you didn't get any rain.

Jan

We didn't get any today...for which I'm not so happy. Cause if you dig down a few inch's it's still dry. And this is after
at least 5 in. in the last 3 days...That's how dry it's been. Well I just hope we get more after the weekend, as the weather folks say.
Course I always say that just depends on what window they happen to be looking out of. I think I'm one of the few who would rather see more rain than less right now.

Yeah a really good one went by this morning, raining like crazy not more than a couple of miles north of us. We got wind, and it was nice and cool until the sun came out so I got some weeding done. But . . . nope, not a drop! Maybe tonight . . .

I got a Philo 'Prince of Orange' and a really cool Begonia called 'Looking Glass' that has metallic silver leaves with dark green veins and red leaf reverses. My camera ran out of battery when I was taking pictures, so will post their portraits tomorrow. They're really going to perk up my shady walkway area. The Prince looks a bit like a cartoon plant, if you ask me. But DH likes it, and it shore is purty. Anybody have an idea how big he's going to get?

Seems I did get a pic of my new baby Begonia rex 'Looking Glass' before the camera died. Picture doesn't do justice to the foliage which really is a very distinct metallic silver.

Went outside a few minutes ago, and there's lightning to the north of us, and lightning to the south of us but . . we got nuttin! arg.

I just came home with a Mednilla, Plumbago, and a Calathea. I really need to calm myself, I have absolutely no more room. I found myself moving shrubs that were in the ground to find places for the new hibiscus and the plants above earlier.

This is bad, I need rehabilitation asap.

Franco, did you get a job at a nursery? Hoo, boy! You just need discipline, sir, and to choose carefully. Oh, and you need to move to Florida . . .

Don't know about the Medinilla, but Plumbago is a big landscape shrub here. It takes well to being pruned so you can keep it just about any size you want it. In winter it does go dormant if the weather gets cold here. So I'd imagine that's one you could give the 'cool basement' treatment along with the banana. Calathea will love it in your bathroom alongside your ixora. They like humidity and fairly low light. I know a DG'er who has grow bulbs in the light fixture in his guest bathroom for winter - they'd boost your mood, too!

Suggest you think about tropicals that go dormant for your future purchases. eg. these gingers in the pic die right down to the ground, but just keep 'em cool and barely moist, they'll jump right up again in spring. (with pot, they're 7 feet tall right now) They can be outside until frost threatens, but then you can let them go to sleep in the basement, and not have a crazy greenhouse in your living space all winter. You might get away with this with the hibs, too. But they would need a little water and a little light each day even in dormancy. One Gro-Bulb on a timer in the cool basement would do it.

Um, do you have a neighbor with a nice sunny window who would 'board' some of your plants over winter? Relatives or friends? Local nursing home?

Update on Borneo at veg. garden

Update on borneo

The latest leaf is 49''x 29".

Some of those gingers would look stunning behind my pond ... hmm. (Not that I have room in the ground there either).

The Calathea crocata 'Tassmania' is in bloom right now. I have it sitting on an end table in my room. I've never seen anything like it before, just had to have it.

I have overwintered lantana in the basement in the past. There are windows where I can cluster the plants by that give dappled light for a few hours a day. So I don't think that will be an issue. I'm not as bad as I thought I was - my only issues are one of the gardenia standards, the mednilla, and my allamanda (everything else has a place). I'm thinking about buliding a small (6x8') greenhouse. With the sole purpose of overwintering some of my larger tropicals. I should be saving for a car though ...

Greenhouse stuff can sometimes be had pretty cheap if you shop craig's list. People get the idea to have a greenhouse, but don't know how much work it is to grow stuff in one. You wouldn't have that problem - just overwintering, keeping it relatively cool and dry would minimize insect and fungal activity.

Let's see a pic of your Calathea, Franco?

Pinecone (or "Shampoo") ginger - usually the cone turns red before the little white flowers start popping out.

Elaine, Verrry Nice!

Thanks, Drew. Hey, if your Borneo keeps growing at that pace, we'll be able to see it from here by September.

Here's my new neighbor the 'Prince of Orange'. (I still think he looks a bit like he escaped from Disney . . ) The color is great in my mostly-green shady border, but I do need a hint or two if any of you have one, as to how big he's going to get, so I can put him in the right space.

Around 2- 2-1/2' in dia.,I would say,in your neck of the woods.Give or take a few inches Elaine!

Drew, great growing. You continually amaze me with how well you are growing your Aroids. You definitely have a green thumb and are very passionate about growing them.

Dyzzy, nice Philo. I do not grow 'Prince of Orange' but even though it is called a self-heading type of Philodendron from TC, it most likely will eventually be looking for something to climb as the years go by and if so, you can always take your machete and cut it back as much as you like. A Gainesville Fl. DG'er use to post on this website and I read she had good results with getting some of these "selfheaders" to eventually start vining out and climb.

mjs, I am looking forward to seeing a bloom from my Stictocardia from Debra too. It sure is pretty.

dzzy, here's the PF info it may help.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53147/

Rachel-you'll love the Stictocardia....and speaking of Debra....where is that girl ?????

Yellow Gloriosa lily I grew from seed 2 years ago...first blooms getting ready to open

Here's the calathea!

And a flower closeup:

Franco, Very nice Calathea with beautiful blooms!

That's a gorgeous calathea, Franco!

Mj, thanks for the link, I had already checked out the Prince on Plant Files, but all it told me was "24 to 36 inches". Presents a dilemma because if it stays 2ft. high, I'll need a couple more to make a nice feature in the border. If it goes to 36" it might stand alone. I think I'll have to just pot it up in a big pot and sink it in the border, to see how it grows. That way I can move it as needed. If it wants to climb, as Rachel's info suggests, I'll have to move it back near the fence.

Still have a nice space for some BIG feature plant . . . any suggestions? I'd like variegated foliage or something striking, but maybe not quite a Borneo Giant that's going to wave its 4ft. long leaf out into the walkway . .

My coleus has a flower! Who says you have to grow these just for the foliage.

Hello Everyone!!
It seems as if everything is at a standstill in my garden, I have been putting up more shadecloth for the last couple of days. The Texas sun is brutal.

dyzzy, I can tell from your photo that you are enjoying your garden!! That is a well behaved Lady Margaret passion vine you have there. I love your ginger blooms and that new Philo will be a nice colorful addition to your garden.

How about Ti plants?

new variegated impatents

homer1958, those are fabulous, I wish mine were as lush as yours.
This is a bulb that I overwintered bareroot in the GH, now I have tiny offsets instead of a huge beauty like yours.

Maybe by Fall it will recuperate from the beating it took from the high wind and hail last spring.

mjsponies, first blooms are always so special.


Franco24, those are all great plants you brought home. I have never seen a Calathea like that one before, everything about it is beautiful. I want one!

New nice size Caladium bi-color (Rudicundum) from B. Williams

Joeswife, I have quite a few of the four o'clocks that you sent me blooming right now, they are the only perennial doing well. I would appreciate a few white seeds. Thanks.

Blooms are few and far between lately, this is a Plumeria Dwarf Signapore pink, if you look real hard you might see a little color to the right. lol

RachelLF, What sharp little eyes you have! You caught that little Philo. Billietiae in the Atabaponse basket.

Noid Philo, with Red Powderpuff booms.

as always, your pictures and gardens continue to move me..love them all.
I am here, will post pics later.. Hope all your dreams of Blooms come true and Have a Happy Independence Day.
We had a quick very short with winds rain storm. I held an umbrella over Joe while he cooked my steak.

I had to cut most of my oriental stargazers off before blooming, since the heat is so intense. Time outside is so short right now.
I am glad you have the cloth to use for your hoop houses, Rita, your Garden is so special.
dyzz, yours is dazzling right now. I gave three spiral gingers I grew from seed to my sis in law, Dana, and I am house/plant sitting for them this week, and saw one of them has a bud. her bouies are astounding, her hibs all fantastic, and I am always impressed with her gardening abilities, since she works full time, too. I have a ? I have those EE's and Acolasias and colocasisas out on the south fence, mostly full sun, should I move them ?

Ok Rita, Now I have to go look for this Caladium" Caladium bi-color (Rudicundum) from B. Williams"
I love them and they stay in the ground all year round here...just some extra mulch in winter for a "blankie"

I'm trying hard to resist the urge on some of these tropicals...but they are calling ...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Mj !!! You know you want us !
LOL


Yellow Glorisoa open

Elaine, You are too funny! I never new they flowered; I thought they were foliage plants!

Rita, Maybe you can take the big one out of the offsets and place it in a much bigger pot. It should get fairly large by September!

Debra, If you keep the Colocasias wet and the Alocasias very moist (if they are in well draining soil) you should be ok! If they start to get sunburn then place some of the shadecloth up. The Colocasias will be fine IF you keep them wet! Take some photos and some more next week and check out the difference in color; if it is minor, Rock On!!!

Mjs, that is a neat looking plant!

Rita, I just love that variegated impatiens! Think I'm going on a quest for that one. Did you trade, mail-order or find it locally?

I wish I could be out in my garden more, but it has just been brutally hot and humid lately. So I must apologize for being on the forum so often - I go out and get overheated in the garden, then come in and sit at the computer to cool off and re-hydrate. Yes, I'm doing a lot more 'computer gardening' these days than the real thing. Although, strangely, my fingernails are still always dirty . . .

This caladium looks fairly similar to Rita's new one - both ardesia and I got them locally, (mine was at Home Depot, surprisingly!)

Prita, I'm intrigued by the red powderpuff you have there. The blooms remind me of mimosa. If you don't mind me asking, where did you get it? I have been wanting one for quite some time, though haven't been able to find a nice one for a decent price.

Update; Variegated Philodendron Giganteum

I have got to stop looking at these therads, that phil is amazing as is that blooming calathea and everything else that has been shown. Sigh, so many plants, so little room and $. LOL

This message was edited Jul 4, 2011 11:16 AM