'Tropicanna (aka Phaison, Orange Durban)' is creeping, crawling and turning into a garden thug in their quest to take over any available territory, be it by land or by sea. Hard to remember, but I think this was 3 - 5gal cans 5 years ago this month.
Creeping, Crawling, Crazy Cannas
And a wider view:
And 'Lucifer' appears to be competing directly with them to put on a big show of his own, although he is a mere youngster having been added to the garden very recently.
Outstanding!!!!!!!!!
I'd be happy as can be what a beautiful site!
Love them both. My tropicanna is looking great this year, but I have to dig every year. I'd love to not have all that work to do each fall. Great pictures.
My troppy came back from the ground,guess if you plant next to house foundation it keeps them from freezing.
Happy,looks like you have a plantation of them.looks great!
LOL! It is surely beginning to look like a growing field this year tropicman. I do believe that this fall I am going to have to go in there and do some dividing and digging......I'm dreading it because I know there are snakes in there.
Probably only gopher snakes since it is so wet, but a couple of years ago we had several baby rattlers hanging out around the waterfall....probably why I never go back there, scared the wits out of me when I was last back in there.
Oh Happy, your fish pond is just lovely!
Hap,seen a show this week were a man was biten by a pacific coast rattler,believe me he wasn't a happy camper,he was lucky he lived!
Oh yes they are not something you want to mess with. Just within a block of here a child spent a week in the hospital and two families had dogs bitten within the last year or so.
We've had a couple so far this year.....3' one killed by the crazy woman next door with a shovel (not crazy because of the shovel.....just crazy! LOL) ; 2' one that got caught up in the netting I put over my tomatoes to keep the ground squirrels away. He fried in the sun......
I garden the back hill wildland garden in my normal garden shoes.....flip flops. Not smart, but I am careful. Knock wood.
This guy was curled up next to the doormat at my son's home around the corner.
Northern Pacific Rattlesnake
If I was you I start packin pepper spray can,that shoots a stream up to 10ft away,I don't do snakles very good!!!!
That's a very good idea. But if I can't even keep track of my clippers, I'd have to go looking for the can just when I needed it.
I now own four pair of pruners because I can't remember where I last saw them. (Gotta have something to do with "senior moments." )
Do you ever find yourself walking across the garden to get something and find that half-way there you've forgotten what it was you were going to get?? Must be the heat.....couldn't be that I'm turning into my mother could it???!!!!
Oh My you too!
Need a garden belt ot apron with pockets to keep all the tools for the right job!!!
I lose my trowel all the time,one time found it weeks later in the compost pile,didn't even no it had legs!!!
Hey I have a helpful hint. This may work. I usually spray straight vinegar on the area I need to work in then wait about 1 hr. There usually no snakes. Someone told me this method at a reptile exhibit something to do with the smell.Then hose off your plants when you are done. I have to be leery we have a lot of coral & pgmy rattlers around here. My grandson was 2 yrs old when he was bit by a pgumy. He is now 5 & doing great.
SHellie
Candy, your Cannas are beautiful. Mine finally decided to bloom this morning, just as the Parental-units took off for the weekend with the digital camera... *sigh* They went to Oregon for four days... if I'm really lucky, they might even take a picture!
This picture was taken two days ago...
I hope the camera returns in time to get a picture of this when it opens!
Funny....I like the blossoms on the smaller Cannas, but am not crazy about the blooms on Tropicana. They usually get cut off before they bloom and I really do love the foliage.
Hey guys.. I have CRAZY CANNAS... absolutely beautiful flowers... but... my leaves are dreadful! What to do. Any suggestions are GREATLY appreciated!!! :)
By the way, Happenstance, Lucifer is a beauty of his own!!!
Missie, I can't guess why your leaves are dreadful. :-) Have you tried fertilizing them? Try some fish emulsion (I'm assuming they are in the ground).
Mine are in the ground (and in the pond, where they have crept over the edge), full sun, lots of wind. I'm not crazy about the orange flowers, so I usually cut them off.
On the other hand I love the delicate flowers of Lucifer and his brother, and especially like the 'African Scarlet Speckle' which lives in the pond.
http://plantsdatabase.com/go/37177/index.html
It looks like this might be a good thread to ask a question on my cannas. I'm in zone4b where I have to lift my tubers every year. This year, it's been cold and wet and they aren't very far along. I don't really know very much about cannas other than I really love their foliage.
My question is, do the plants have to flower before they are lifted at the end of the season? And what can I do to help them along? What kind of fertilizer should I be using?
And one more question, is it possible to start my cannas indoors or in containers for next season? If so, can they be transplanted to beds or borders? (:-) Just in case we're headed into autumn here in Wisconsin already. :-D )
BTW...I'd love to raid your gardens! ;-) Gorgeous plants!
~julie~
Oh my gosh. I thought I had it bad here in the desert but I have yet to see a rattler. I've seen plenty of scorpions and been stung several times. Extremly painful but I would rather deal with the pain of a scorpion the a rattler any day. Please be careful. I had no idea that they were so previlent there. Sp?
Julie, someone else will have to help you with your Canna questions. Mine just do their own thing and don't have to be lifted, so I have no experience to help you out.
Jan - we have more than our share of rattlers, scorpians, Black Widows, pocket gophers, California ground squirrels, and coyotes. They were all here long before we were and don't seem to be in any hurry to vacate their homeland. The bobcats didn't stick around after the first year or so.....now those are frightening and very very bold.