I went to LOWES today and got 3 plants..two red zebra bananas and a giant bird of paradise.$6.77 each and the bananas are about 3 feet tall with pups!!They will be added to my tropical garden outside this summer..alomst cheaper than annuals!!LOL
Tropicals for summer beds
Eclispe were they labeled with names? We don't have a Lowes here but Home Depot has had a lot of tropical plants. They only label them as "Tropical Foliage Plants". I thought there were some bananas but I wasn't sure if that's what they really were. You'd think their supplier would go the extra mile - and put names on the plants! Glad you got some good buys. It pays to know your stuff ;o)
Oh Eclipse! You are so lucky to buy Bird Of Paradise for price $$$ cheap and never see here at Lowe's sell this. I always wanted this so badly really beautiful. I was wondering what color your's?
Redrose this bird of paradise is the giant foliaged one..it gets white and blue flowers when it gets big.Grown mostly for its leaves..it looks like a big palm like banana.
man, Rose gets the goodies and Kyle does too! that's not fair, we have NOTHING at our lowe's and my SIL was just made dept manager! he fumes when I buy plants anywhere else, but they have no tropicals! argh!
Kyle,
Oh I would be in heaven if Home Depot in Canada had tropical plants like that!! I had to grow my musa laspiocarpus, cannas and Bird of Paradise from seed. I have to move...LOL. Great shopping skillz Kyle!!
Joydie
I got a white bird of paridise at Home Depot but I paid 15 bucks for the sucker!It is big though.I never see bananas for sale around here.We don't have a Lowes
For all those interested in tropicals...ask to talk to the dept(plant) manager. They can sometimes order different kinds of plants from their suppliers. Just ask..you may be surprised what they can order in.Most of the dept managers don't know one kind of plant from another..so they order the same plants every time.Some managers are great others..well they do what they know how. :-) TiG no insult against your SIL intended....sounds like she will be a good manager!
I think I will drive into Portland today and visit the LOWES there, It just opened several months ago, I have never been to a LOWES, it sounds like the place to go.
I hope that this Lowes will be like Eclipse's lowes and they carry some cool plants.
Oh Pebble, hang on to your checkbook. I could really go crazy at Lowe's. Not only for the flowers, but all the accessories that we need to grow them. Have fun, I know you will.........S
Brugie, I didnt make it to Lowes last weekend, will try to venture over there his weekend.
Pebble, I just got home from our local greenhouse. I get a great deal with them every time I go there. Today my soil was $2 cheaper per bag and I got my 4 inch pots of coleus, million bells, nemesia, and bacopa for $1.50. I do things for them too, so they just treat me like one of the employees. I'm taking coleus cuttings for them now from one that they didn't have good luck with during the winter. Mine wouldn't stop growing.
Brugie: Which greenhouse did you go to. The one in Chariton or Lucas. I have never grown million bells, it sounds like a lovely plant from what I have read about it.
Debby, I go to the one in Lucas. They have Million Bells in a pretty rose pink, terra cotta (my favorite) and a yellow. They don't have the Terra Cotta potted yet into the 4" pots. We really don't have a greenhouse in Chariton anymore. Just floral shops. You need to visit my little greenhouse some time. I always have extra stuff.
Brugie: I haven't been to Ellis Greenhouse in years. My son says they have really expanded. I am going to make the trip down, this spring for sure. Yes, we will have to get together and trade our extras. I always plant way to many. Share with family, but still have to many. I have a small greenhouse, that I open up in March. Although this year, I was about to think that it would be April, with our late show of cold weather. Did you ever get a tropicana canna, I've got some up in the greenhouse, so don't buy any. Also, a Russian Red canna. That's about exotic as I have.
Brugie and Debby..I am teaching a class on tropical Midwest gardening in May at work! If interested let me know..I'll email the details....anyone else wants to attend..let me know. May 21st
Just getting back into Cannas this year. No I don't have Tropicana. Drop me a note some time and we can work out a time for you to come down. I'm ususally home, but if not, I'm at the other greenhouse. Good thing Jim doesn't mind me spending money on plants. My greenhouse is totally full now and I still have stuff to transplant. If you need tomatoes, eggplant, alyssum (sp), lobelia, etc. I have lots that you could take home and transplant. Have seeds I can share too. Would love to meet you, so come on down.
Shirley
Shirley, when do you plant your eggplant outside? and do they do well in your climate? Here in the northwest, it never did well, and then for some reason my squirrels would pick them and only take one bite out of them and toss them aside. Is your grwoing season long enough and hot enough?
Pebble, I'll plant my eggplant outside about the middle of May. Usually the same time I put the peppers out. They do very well here. Eggplant like hot weather and lots of fertilizer. I usually have more eggplant that we can eat and get tired of it way before it is finished producing.
This is the first year I have grown my own plants from seed and they are really looking nice.
Brugie, that is great that your plants from seed are doing so well. I love eggplant. Do you make an egplant salad? it's very easy, justwrap the eggplant in aluminum foil, bake it for an hour till it is very mushy, then peel and de-seed, you are left with a pulp which you mash up with a fork. oh - right, you can let the eggplant cool down. add chopped tomatoes, chopped red onions or green onions, cukes, green peppers. salt and pepper to taste, then drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice......you will love it on a hot day, we even use it as a dip with french bread or pita bread.
That sounds absolutely scrumptious Pebble. Thanks for the quick recipe.
Hey Pebble, I'm going to try this one. We generally just slice the eggplant and dip it in egg/milk and then cracker crumbs and fry until crisp. Jim likes eggplant parmesan too. Thanks. Now I'm really anxious to get some mature vegies.
Kyle and others
Today I found a Bird of Paradise plant 3 feet tall with pups. Now I have to tell you how much they want for it-$69.00, isn't that %^$^#^
Joydie
joydie, try www.valleygrow.com. don't know how much on line, but I got one at his house for $5.
tig..thanks..
I still have not made it to Loewes. It's still too cold and wet to get motivated to work in the garden. All my tulips are up that I got at Walmart last fall, about 500 bulbs, in bags of 25 bulbs for like a buck to 2.50
Brugie, do you soak your eggplant in salt water? to reduce the bitterness?
Pebble, never had a problem with them being bitter. I do find that I have to peel and cook instantly or they turn brown. Tried salt water for that one time and it didn't work.
must be either the growing conditions, or the TLC you are giving them.....or maybe a bit of both.
Do you grow the long thin ones (japanese) or the plump ones?
i always use the Japanese eggplant. matured eggplant do have the tendency to get bitter in flavor. hth... ma vie
I have had both. Jim prefers the Japanese eggplant and I like them both equally as well. I don't give a lot of TLC, just a lot of fertilizer and water.