Gee what a plant! I'll have to do more research on this, I can hardly believe what I'm seeing. Do you mean that the lotus stayed in the ground over winter? I'd be smiling too if I had one of those, I'm gonna get some from Chilterns.
What else can you tempt us with? This is like a magician keeps pulling new tricks out of his hat! Great stuff bwilliams.
How to make a tropical jungle 101
Brian, you are an inspiration. I wish more people that live here could see what you are able to acomplish in your climate. So many here have just lawns with nothing growing. I'll bookmark this page and show it to everybody that I know. Maybe it will inspire them to grow something other than just grass. Thanks for your tips.
Thanks for the great comment. I try to keep the place as tropical as possible. I can see why a lot of people don't do the things I do it is some trouble and work. But I think everyone should grow something tropical in their yards even if it is just a few things. They are so much faster and more interesting than our local stock of plants. Not to mention a lot of them can survive our winter. As for the people in Florida and warmer states I don't think they have much excuse for not having amazing yards.
No, we sure don't. I have just gotten a few tropical plants and hope they take off soon.
I've got mine growing in pots in my greenhouse, and in a friend's yard in Puerto Rico. Come springtime, if I can get my yard to look half as good as Brian's looks, I'll be happy.
looking for cyathea medullaris spores or plants...any ideas?
(black tree ferns or Mamaku)
Brian....After being hit by 3 of the 4 hurricanes last year, I thought this Floridian would never get her yard back in shape. The work it takes is never the issue, but the dollar amount of collectibles lost is sometimes a bit overwhelming. Bananas usually bounce back , palms don't, smaller tropical annual/perenials, well, you just never know. I know if you can do it up there in Kentucky, we can give it a mega try down here. I have to admit, after number 3 went through, my yard was the last thing on my mind. Number one, sure, yardwork the next day. Number 2, wow, ok, let's clean-up again.....number 3 went through, and sheeesh, what's left to even trim and rake at that point? This year, we didn't get them, but unfortunately the other DH-ers in Florida did. I'm beginning to think we all need to look around and see what has grown here naturally for all of these years, it seems to be the strong getting stronger, and they have remained in the natural landscape for a reason. Of course, I will also add as many colorful tropicals as I can, because I'm a Merry gluton for punishment! :)
Ironically, Florida sun, especially in the summer/fall, can be too brutal for many tropicals. After seeing my brother go through ordeals with Charley dropping two trees on his house and several others in his yard, I am leary of massive trees. Thankfully, he was unharmed, and his house was mighty tough. (After Ivan hit Pensacola, my future son-in-law saw a tree that had split a concrete block house in two.) And the ones that hit the gulf coast this year were just unbelievable. I've been looking at dwarf trees a lot since then, and the last two I bought are dwarfs. When I found out the live oak I bought was really a scrub oak I was upset, but now I love it because it won't get massive like a live oak. It's no fun waiting over six months for a roofer. I do have a couple of tropicals growing on the west side of my porch where I put a new fence that casts shade. Now if a hurricane doesn't take down the fence, along with my plants. . . .
It seems every place has its problems. I have thought about moving to a more tropical climate many times. I have a few ideas I want to chase here first but if they fall threw I will probably end up in a much more tropical area. I will share my ideas later but I have been called crazy for even thinking it up LOL. Of course the people who are considered crazy at one point are considered a genus later. Walt disney was called crazy till he built it.
At least hurricanes give you plenty of warning--unlike earthquakes and tornadoes! With all the beautiful tropicals you grow, you definitely have a heart for the tropics.
Brian, we'll welcome you with open arms here in the Sunshine state!
Brian,
Do you grow all of your plants in the spring and summer, even the smallest ones, then dig them all up and keep them in the greenhouse until spring, and then plant them again? I could do something like xeriscape does and grow them in pots, growing them outside in the spring and summer, and then put them in a small greenhouse to keep them safe in the winter, and then replant them in the spring. I also live in a rental and will probably will be moving sometime around June of 2006, so pots would be the best solution for me. Thanks.
JesseK
Well I live work and play here at our nursery. I grow tons of plants the ones forsale are in pots. I do displays in the ground this helps me because the plants get large I can breed with them and propagate them at the same time. Then the large greenhouse holds my collection of rare unusual aroids. These are manly odd house super tropical plants and stay in year round in pots. Most are philodendrons anthuriums orchid things like this. I suggest people to grow things in the ground if they can specially cannas elephant ears and bananas they do so much better in the ground than in pots. This is the main reason I do it and it looks good. It s not that big a deal digging for me I can rip out a whole bed in one day just pop them out of the ground..
Brian,
Do you have plants for sale? Right now, I'm interested in gingers, philos, and dwarf bananas.
Do you have a web site?
I have a Daisy Tree I'm looking to trade. I posted it in the Plant Trading forum. They come from the rain forests of Puerto Rico, and I'm told they're somewhat rare. Interested?
Steve
Steve,
Brian is prohibited by Rule here from advertising or promoting his business.
For his links just click on his name or Email him.
Ric
Will do, Ric. Thanks.
Steve
I am disabled so digging them up and planting them over and over again would be really hard on me. But I will try growing them in pots. I have a few tropicals growing inside in one of those miniature greenhouses that Big Lots sells. I might try moving some of them outside this coming spring. Right now I am trying to learn as much as I can about tropicals. Hopefully by this spring I will be a little more knowledgeable. I know that this site is a great place to get information and learn so much.
JesseK
I can see how that can be a problem with tropicals JesseK. In the winter I still go out to the greenhouse and work on my plants but my attention to my fish tanks and miniture plants grows when I cannot work on my larger plants as much. You should look into some small aroids their are a lot of amazing smaller plants that are not looked at very much due to their sizes. But I personally love Anubias crypts and other aquatic aroids. They do not have to grow underwater but do very well in terrariums or similar type areas. You should check out this website on them and similar aroids. I am growing a few in my house and greenhouse they are very odd and very unique looking. Yet most people rarely know of them.
http://132.229.93.11/Cryptocoryne/index.html
AMAZING, BRIAN
Thanks for sharing.