Tropical Garden #124

Hello All!!
Those were all very interesting and enjoyable garden photos. Due to all the helpful tips and advice given, I feel like I have improved immensely. I have been re-arranging my plants in the hoop houses according to their needs and requirements not just because there was a vacant spot.

Joeswife, I am your #1 fan! I so enjoy all your gardening adventures and look forward to your post. I see you in my garden everyday through the plants you have sent me over the years. On a bad note, I lost the Thunbergia mysorensis vine.

mjsponies, Awesome pictures!! the Evergreen Wisteria is almost 20 yrs old. I saw your Alligator fern in the background of one of your pictures. Will you please give me a few tips on the care of it? The leaves on mine are turning black and falling off.

Alocasia Wentii
Philo.Rising Sun
Costus Specosus

floridabunnie, thanks very much for showing me your Heliconia plant, I hope it blooms for you this summer. It is similar to a variegated pine cone ginger I once had. Love your red Chinese hat plant as well and have the purple/pink that has been blooming since spring.
I have the Chocolate plant and will be happy to send you a start but need to transplant and give it a little sun before mailing. Will d-mail to let you know when it is posted.

dyzzy, It is great to see your plants thrivng!! Sorry that you had a bad experience with your bougainvillea. I don't have to worry too much about them getting that big here in Red Oak. There are a few thornless varieties that I am trying to find for my hanging baskets.
Is that a Pony tail palm in the background of your bougy. Trash picture? WOW

Naked lady
buds on Plumeria and Dragon fruit plants

Kay...re: Black Bat....l think I know someone who can send you a pup...;-)

Rita, Alligator Fern likes Bright light but NO sun, and it's not happy about drying out at all. Also I've found that it's not real happy about being pot bound in the least little bit.
I've up potted it several times thinking I was staying ahead of it...so next time I'm going to over pot. Spray with a fungicide and let sit in the shade for a few days before returning to bright light. Don't let it dry out, and it's a heavy feeder.
Rita I have Rising Sun also...seems to be a slower grower ??? I'd like to move to a basket but am worried about over potting.

Jee, it's was "Only 89º here today, and the greenhouse "only" went to 85 percent humidity....and the only things in there are the stuff that loves it...I have to
take a towel with me to go in there and work. I feel like a walking sponge.

Oh, Martha, I can relate to the humidity and heat - mine only has the Night-Blooming Cereus in it and they don't seem to mind the climate. I also have my new vanilla Orchid (thanks, Floridaheat!) in there - thought it had rotted, but a small bit came back.

Love that golden Naked Lady, they're so graceful. I planted some bulbs of the red ones a couple of years ago but haven't yet seen a flower. Is the white flower the Costus Specosus? Just lovely!

LoL, yes, that is a nice little ponytail palm that just carries on out front there with no care and attention at all. I'll tell her you noticed! It's doing much better now that there is a little bit of irrigation water going to that bed.

Yes, Rita - let me agree with Elaine - all your flowers are gorgeous! I really like the yellow spider lily, too.

Love the yellow spider lily! Elaine. don't give up..I had my first one open just yesterday and several more are poking their heads up. If you need more, let me know, just dug up some at the other house...may not bloom now, but oh well..gotta get them moved!

Deb - I just love seeing the pics of your morning glories, and the windmill is a nice touch.

MJ - your bat plant is awesome! I have admired these for a while - they look hard to grow, are they? Do you have your's in the ground or a pot?

Rita - What is the plant in your 4th pic above in the large hanging basket? We had to cut a large limb from our Royal Poincianna and it asked my husband to leave a stub so that I could hang a large plant from it. Plus I think I might place some epiphytes bromeliads in the crook.

Dyzzy - I had buttercups at our house in C. FL, they popped up everywhere. I didn't mind though. . .

bunnie, I've got the bat's both in pots and the ground. My white one is in pots but I'm thinking I'll probably put one in the ground also. They come back a little slower in the spring than the blacks do. I've got Green Bat's also, in pots and after they make some more pups I'll put them in the ground also. gotta keep snail/slug bait around them and they like good drainage and not to dry out too much.

Rita, Glad you posted the pic of the Philo. Rising Sun...gonna show it to my little guy...

MJ - do the bats prefer sun or shade?

Martha, is the culture of the bat comparable to kangaroo paws?

Good question Kay - Martha, can you compare it to another plant and how to grow? This might give me an idea of what I should expect.

Kay/Bunnie
I can't compare to Kangaroo Paws has the 2 times I tried to grow it I killed it...won't try again..( as tempting as they are when I see them)
The Bats grow mostly in morning sun/afternoon shade, some get a sun/shade/sun/shade kinda thing.

Hey everybody!

mjsponies, I thank you very much for the info. on the Alligator fern, I will definitely have to re-pot and relocate.
I can tell that you are getting the Philo. bug. lol. You have shown some of my favorites. My Rising Sun is planted in the ground. I admire anyone that can get those bat plants to thrive, I love them but after several years of trying, I have to admit failure.

dyzzy, that is a costus Specosus. Would you like a start of it after blooming?
The Bromeliad, like mj's from you, is doing great. It is not as pretty as her's but has a few pups.
That is quite a big Ponytail plant, can we see a picture, pretty please?

KayJones thanks, that is only one out of six bulbs planted. Darn squirrels, they must be tasty because all the red ones are gone as well.

GAgirl 1066, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! and many more.

floridabunnie, that is a Bromeliad Aechmea Alvarez. It needs to be in the sun where the colors would really pop. It is variegated green and yellow with a pink line down the center, the flowers are cool looking, very unusual!

Happy birthday, Paula!!!!

happy birthday Paula! beautiful bat flower, MJ. I love the Daturas, Rita. I am glad the Lilac de Fleur bloomed for you in an earlier post.
Hi, KayJones.. hot here and dry.. hope you all have a safe weekend.

Hi, Debra!!! I sure wish you and Sherry were here - it's BEAUTIFUL!

Here's the pic of the Ponytail, Rita. It's nearly 8ft tall now, could not get the light very well, but ..

Alice, here's my bigger of the two Begonia Don Millers you gave me - this one sort of 'flopped' over after all the hard rains we had last week, and despite my best efforts to stake it up again, it is sprouting from the horizontal stems. So I gave up and just put a couple of handfuls of potting soil over the exposed roots. I think it's going to be a monster - but wasn't this the one you said stayed nice and small for you? Just joshing you, I love it and the bigger it gets the better.

Speaking of monsters, third picture is B. Alba Odorata still growing and blooming and refusing to be photographed.

oh my gosh.... I shall hide as my donmiller is still in a pot and still kinda small.. and my pony tail palm looks like a tiny flea compared to yours Elaine.

Hi All -

Relaxing after a long day working in the yard (what else, right?) We had to cut a large branch from our Royal Poincianna last Sunday before the storm came. It was hanging over our roof a little and we were worried that if we got high winds we would see it up close and personal. We had to do it on Sunday because my husband (who travels for work) cut his trip short and arrived Saturday night just as the airport closed. Needless to say, I thought I was "helping" and went to pull a limb he trimmed that was laying on the roof and a larger one came tumbling down right on my arm. I'm OK, just a little bruised. Anyway, we finished cleaning up our mess today.

Dyzzy - love the pic of the ponytail. I just love these when they get bigger. How long has your neighbor had this one in the ground?

Happy B-Day Paula!

Rita - thanks for the id on the bromeliad. I had my husband leave a nub on the tree so that I could hang a big basket from it. I think I'll get a big basket like you have with a brom as it is a part sun area.

Here are some pics from this week.

Epiphyte bromeliad in bloom (again, it's bloomed like crazy this year!)
Varigated devils backbone
Gold Rimmed Swallowtail buzzing my Jasmine Tree
Blue Pea Vine

y ephiphyte brom blooming (again, it's bloomed like crazy this year!)

y epiphyte brom in bloom (again, it's been non-stop this year!)

LOL Elaine, you do have a way with begonias. My Don Miller is in a pot up on my deck and it has a nice shape, it never droops over like some of the other begs. What I have noticed however is that if a piece breaks off and falls into another container, it will root all by itself within days. I can't tell you how many cuttings of that one I have given away.

A very happy belated birthday to you Paula. Hope you had a wonderful day - maybe you went to the coast???

Thanks to those very strange widely outer bands of Isaac that went up the east coast we finally got a few inches of much needed rain. All of a sudden the plants are getting that lush look they should have by this time of year.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes. Yes I am at the coast visiting all the nurseries.my family left me yesterday to do other things but they are on the way down to take me to lunch.

Bunny, that Ponytail palm is actually on our property in an odd spot I would never have put it. It gets neglected and ignored because I drive by it when I go in and out of the garage, but hardly ever go near where it's growing. I have literally done nothing in the way of landscaping in the front yard since we moved in nearly 5 years ago. Most of the space is in full sun all day long, so it's a weedy "mow what grows" road easement that my neighbor mows for me in exchange for well water. It's very hot and dry especially in spring and fall when there's nearly no rain. We finally put in a well last winter, so I now have enough cheap water to irrigate that area, and can afford to plant it and make it look pretty. Yay!

The ponytail has only survived (and not grown much until this year) because it's in the shade of the big oak tree on the "other" side of the driveway. It's one of those plants that you sort of walk by and never notice, until suddenly it's grown 2ft, and looks really nice. I do sometimes take off its yellow leaves, but I've never fertilized it or anything.

Hi Dyzzy - For some reason I thought it was a neighbor's plant, I'm sure I read something wrong. Anyway, I love it. I don't see ones that large very often and always think they are so neat. It's something that you've never done anything to it and it's grown that large! That's a positive in my book!

Good morning, everyone! I hope your Labor Day holiday is fabulous! Take a moment to remember all those who make this great nation what it is - freedom, enterprise and blessed!

Let's post recent pics of ourselves again - it's fun to know to whom you are 'talking':

Here is a pic. of me on Mother's Day, this year:

I always knew from your posts that you are a beautiful lady. I was right.

Christi

Christi, thanks - that's nice of you to say, but I look every one of my 62 years!

Hello All!!

Kay Jones, I would like to second what LouC said, you are a beauty! I will have to find a recent picture to post later.

dyzzy, thanks very much for posting that Ponytail palm, you are a lucky lady to have it in your front yard. I tried to win a variegated poneytail on e-bay but it got too expensive for me. I am amazed at how much your begonias have grown!

floridabunnie, thanks for posting your garden pictures, love that Bromeliad. Will you please post it again when the bloom is open? I have a jasmine from Rj that is starting to bloom, maybe you can id it for me.

GAgirl1066, that sounds like you are having a wonderful birthday. Show what you found at the nursery, we might want to send you back to get us one. lol

1-4 from rj
#5 from dyzzy


NEW THREAD!!!!!! please join us on the new thread #125
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1278419/

Great idea, KayJones. That's a lovely picture of you.

Wish I had a nice picture of myself, but I'm always the one behind the camera. All I have are pictures where I'm covered with hats and sunglasses like this one taken at a concert up in BC a couple of weeks ago. My DH just turned 60 the day before this was taken. I am also 60, last March. Redheads must keep the sun off . ..

Rita, those are all lovelies, esp the frilly Hibiscus. Glad your red hib is doing great, you should have some flowers starting pretty soon on there, and if the winter's not too cold it will re-seed. Don't be afraid to prune it to make it whatever shape you want. This one shot up a single stem to about 9ft. tall while we were on vacation. I cut it down to 3ft about 3 weeks ago and here it is going crazy again.

ps. OOps, I should have put this post on the NEW THREAD! will copy it over.

This message was edited Sep 3, 2012 3:39 PM

ooo, Elaine those onion rings look yummy! LOL

Thought I would share this...I was shocked to see the blooms and so big! I posted it on the cactus forum, but thought you ladies may want to see.

Can't wait for it to open!!

Oh, it's gorgeous! Please post it on the new thread, if you haven't already done so.

oops, thought I was....

Elaine, you two sure look like you are having a great time, sending belated birthday wishes to DH from us.

Jan & Richard

Jan, go to the new thread and post a pic. of you and your husband, please!!!!

Oh Elaine, you have got to be kidding, I hate having my picture taken, (those pictures have a way of looking just like me.....LOL)

Jan

TeeHee, Jan - ain't that the truth!

for sure KayJones


Jan