I know we all love tropicals and push our zones. After digging up and potting plants forever to bring in, I am wondering what you grew this year that you won't grow again next year?
If I can get a tropical to bloom for me in a season then it's a keeper. My ee's and hibiscus are keepers for sure. Clerodendrum's are not a keeper for me I love them but they won't bloom in my season. Gingers I love but we don't have along enough season for them.
What tropical will you not try again next year?
Zone envy
confederate rose.....and a bunch of the other hibiscus from seed.They all set buds just as we get a frost....
I don't think I will do the EE's again. They just don't like our water here so I will trade them out.
My DH doesn't want me to do any more cannas but I love them so much. He is the one who ends up digging them so we shall see.
I have never tried any of the others you two talk about.
I love the clero's "Bleeding Heart and Ugandense" but the others don't do well for me so I won't be growing them again. Ears do well here Ponditis, so they are keepers. I'm not sure about some of the passifloras though. They seemed to start blooming just at frost time. Another plant that didn't do well for me was the Pandorea vine. It's a gonner. Cannas are dug and waiting to go to the basement. Not sure why when I can buy them so cheap in the spring.
Brugie, Cannas here are usually $10 for a one gallon pot with only a couple of starts in them. Of course I like the variegated ones and not the plain ones.
Lani, didn't you do Horns canna last year?? I don't think I paid more than $2 for anything and ended up with around 40 named ones. The only one they substituted, I didn't realize til later and it ticked me off! LOL I didn't end up with Pretoria, which was the one I wanted most. They mostly did very well though and are still blooming. :)
That is where I got mine and most of them are only $1.50. I need to check and see if they will have any new ones. I'm enjoying starting cannas from seed too and have had a couple of nice ones born.
I guess I have never heard of Horn's. I will have to look them up and try them next year since I love these plants. My cannas don't get a chance to set seed since my DH tends to deadhead them before they set the seeds.
BS, your cannas are still blooming??? We have had at least two nights of 11 degrees and daytimes in the low thirties. BRRRR We didn't even have much of a fall.
edited for spelling
This message was edited Nov 4, 2003 10:18 PM
The lowest we have gotten so far was the low 30s for a couple of days. It was back in the low 80s on Mon and Tues. Now it is rainy and about 40-50 again! Heck, I gardened in a sports bra and shorts this week! LOL Now it's time for sweats. No wonder everyone here is sick! Yes, most of my canna are still blooming. I have been waiting for a light frost to knock them back. No such luck. They sure look nice out there with all the naked trees! hahahaha I think it was Eyes in the spring, that posted a link for Horns.
I like my canna's too. I got mine from horns after eyes posted the link last year. Mine are still blooming but I figure this weekend will be the last of them. Then I can dig them and store for the winter. I still have dahlias blooming,this weekend will finish those too.That should end my season and I can get everything put up.
Except I still have a box of bulbs to plant!
Lupines, delphiniums, tulips, columbine and Peony...just to name a few..you see, we zone 9ers and 10's do have some zone envy! Ya'll have the upper hand though, greenhouses help yall out! I am always so impressed when I see yall tropicals do so well, takes determination!
I too live in zone 9b and wish I lived nearer San Diego where it's a 10a. There are SO many palms and tropicals that do better there than here... but those I know there wish they lived in Miami, a zone 11.. .but those in Miami I know wish they lived in Hawaii.. and I know many on Hawaii who have zone envy over the other guy who lives just a 1/2 mile closer to the beach and can grow about 200 more species because of that... and those living right at sea level wish they lived in Cairns, Australia, and even better climate for tropicals.. and then those there dream of living in Singapore... no one is ever happy... those in Singapore say it's too hot and humid and want to live in California. Oh well.
Really PalmBob, I would hate it where it is hot!
Though you guys who have to dig every fall, I do not know how you do it. I would have to stop growing tons of what I do grow if that was needed!
I never worry about cannas. I would never think of digging them up. Or my banana. I do not have any big EEs yet. The only thing I do dig are my special brugs. And I am not even sure I have to dig those.
There is nothing I wouldn't grow again but I sure am going to grow more coleus and more MGS!!!