My marginally hardy (if that) offerings and the climate.

Hi all,
I was wondering what anybody thinks of my latest purchase
from Lowes or Home Depot (I can't remember which).
I know its evergreen and likely not hardy here.
I couldn't resist though. It was only $4.97.
Trust me, I'm saving the receipt. I
told the cashier lady ("its not hardy here and it will probably
die, so I'll bring it back for a refund"). She just just said for me to be
sure and save the receipt and I agreed.
I have seen some success stories of marginally hardy
plants doing fine north of their zone a bit, so I thought I'd
give it a try. What the hey, it didn't cost much. I'm all
about going to try some marginals at my mobile home on the South
side of the trailer. I'm also going to try a Crepe Myrtle "Dynamite' there.
I can't find the Musa Basjoo at Lowes this year or I'd try it too.
I'd like a Banana that I wouldn't have to dig up in November.
I have 2 kinds of cactus growing successfully and overwintering fine
in pots here.
I already have a secret for a Missouri Palm tree!
If I am going to have to have a warmer continental climate then I'm going with it!
Not to steal Guy's thread, over there it was discussed too.
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/trees/msg0616405722590.html?64
Zone 7 plants look out!
By God, I aim to push the limit!
Will

Have you read David Francko's "Palms Won't Grow Here and Other Myths"? It covers a good spray of marginals to try, and keys to success, anecdotes, trials, et cetera.
I happen to think that M. basjoo is much hardier than the genus Canna.

I saw a Hedychium overwinter in KC. Palms must be doable.

This is St. Louis.

The problem you have is how big they get. Plants that grow well in warmer cilmates than yours are use to months more of growing time. Same with flowering. Give it try I grow a few true tropicals that i shouldn't beable to grow.

I'll look for that book by Francko, thanks.
I forgot to mention up there, the $4.97 plant is a Red Tip Photinia.
Speaking of Canna, I'm going to try it too. I have a TropiCanna. Although I might bring it in the house for the Winter. I don't know about it yet. It just don't look hardy. It looks like its even getting scared and worried now outside!
I see Palms around here, but I do believe that I'm being tricked. The newest, latest craze with them I see is, places supplying them for sale in Spring or so. They are only being planted thru the Spring and Summer months. I saw them at a local riverboat casino in the parking lot and all around. I went inside and asked about them and what they were. But to my dismay they were only temporary Palm trees to be removed in the Fall. I saw a thing on the news about it. "Palm trees in Missouri" it said, then went on to explain how, I thought "you dirty rats". Here is an interesting photo of a house down the street that grew
banana plants on the South side of his house. I stopped and talked to the guy, he said he wants $35 apiece for them and he'll dig them up. He says he digs them up every year and puts them in the basement for the Winter. He didn't know about Musa basjoo.
I don't know what variety he has. I couldn't believe the size of these banana plants that grew this much in one season. There was one that must've been near 15 feet tall!
Thanks, I'm gonna try some marginals, I have the receipts just in case!
Hedychium eh? I'm gonna look that up, thanks.
Will

Will,
I've seen pomegranate (P.granatum) 'Nana' flowering and fruiting, in the ground, at the St. Louis Zoo - and from the looks of 'em , I don't think they dig 'em and bring 'em in in the winter. I'm trying some of the 'cold-hardy' Russian/Central Asian pomegranate selections, to see if they can handle a KY winter and still bear fruit.

Pomegranate 'Nana' eh? I saw that somewhere for sale in the last few days, I might try it too. It was probably the species Pomegranate that I saw.
I just got done stapling together all the receipts for my purchases of all my hopeful plantings, I might have a mass return/refund come Spring. I just bought 2 more today, 2 white Crepe 'Acoma's for $12. Their supposed to be good for -20 F, we'll see.
Good luck with your Russian/Central Asian selections.
Will

Will,

There's a guy just down the road from me that has a line of Basjoo Bananas which he's been growing for about 5 years now, without problem. The largest is about 12' -14' tall or so. It's quite impressive to see the large spears of new growth come out of the ground in early May. Also, I've been growing Red Tip Photinia for about 12 years without a hitch(One is about 11' tall now). I suspect they are hardier than given credit(mine have been through about -10F) and I've seen Lowe's and Home Depot selling them for at least 5 years in the KC area. You see them around in KC, but they aren't anywhere near as common as places further South. Lastly, all of the Crepe Myrtle I've tried are doing fine. My biggest is now up into the power lines, which I never thought it would grow into. You have to look up to see the blooms. But I will say some varieties will die back to the ground in bad winters and you have to wait as late as June(or even the first week of July!) before they emerge from the roots. They leaf out probably the latest of anything else normally also.(usually in mid to late May) Lastly, I know of several people who have had Canna growing as perennials at their house in SW KC for more than 13 years now. They are all on the South exposures and planted within 3 feet of the the foundation of their homes, which probably accounts for them coming back each year. They bloom a couple of weeks later than spring planted potted plants, but otherwise perform about the same. So, I'd say your marginals have a very good chance of growing well for you. But then again, I don't know how far out your new digs are. If your in a rural area, you might have to give some of them a bit more wind protection from cold winter winds.

Oh, and that's amazing someone managed to grow Hedychium outdoors in the KC area, but then again my Brazilian neighbor managed to grow Pineapples outdoors here in Eastern Kansas!(Lots of loose mulch on them in the winter)

Oh, Will, you are discovering what is in the pages of worn textbooks for some folks. (Like myself) Don't go it alone- The tropcicals forum is a madhouse of it. Just look at all of the zones five (or four) and warmer.
But Francko's book is, in my opinion, the best place to get a foundation.
Kenton

Will,
Check out this site for info on some of the cold-hardy pomegranates; you might also want to consider jujubes.
http://www.oakcreekorchard.com/index.html

Thanks for the encouragement on planting the marginals.
My mobile home is about 15 SE of KCI airport. I don't know if thats considered still urban but its crowded like it is!
I went to OakCreekOrchard and checked out their wares, interesting.
I'd garner even more interest if I could get some of those growing on my lot!
Here is a shot of my mobile home. This was back before I acquired it, (note the for sale sign). This photo was taken on the West side, you can't see the South side. The place for all these marginals is between that shed and the front porch on the South side.
Although I dislike that metal shed. It reminds me too much of my current home!
J/k, but its an awful old metal shed and I want to replace with a better one eventually.
The side of the trailer that you can see is the North side, thats where I'm gonna plant regular stuff, like Yews and flowers. Maybe some Prickly-Pear beneath each window to discourage crooks!
I got the textbooks, if I could afford I'd have a library of them. Alas, I get them slowly, I have 11!

Will

p.s. I have to cover up and obscure that green cable tv box thats in my yard also.
That small tree thats in the foreground of the photo was dead and I've already removed it.
Now, if I ever get serious with a lady and she wants me to re-locate, then all bets are off.
I'll have to re-locate the mobile home, perhaps, but there will be a South side where-ever I go! I don't want to leave that location though, that will mean some serious thinking on what to do with the deck the previous owners had constructed. I love the treated wood deck, it is huge. Its bigger than the community's laws allow, but since its already there, they won't say anything. It is on my lot, but not by much. I plan on having some serious decorating on it, plants, chairs and stuff.
If anybody wants to come over and chew the cud as they say, we can, and sip tea. I plan on having it furnished well enuff by next Summer.

Hi Will,

Congrats on your new property. The landscape looks like a blank canvas for you to paint a picture. It'll be interesting to see how quickly you transform it with your plantings. Remember to take pictures! Our place was pretty much barren of plants when I bought it 20 years ago, and I wish I had more pics of how it has changed over the years.

Bob

"15 SE of KCI airport" I'd call that border line rural/urban. It's probably more protected than the average rural area, but not quite as protected as the more urban parts of KC. But I'd also agree with Lucky on trying Jujubes. There are several large ones growing in the suburbs of Johnson County, KS(SW side of KC) and I've never seen any winter damage on any of them. It's quite an interesting unique "fruit" and I like the flavor. The plant itself is also ornamental to me.

Good look with your new place!

Jujubes eh? I'm gonna look into them. Sounds like an interesting plant and fruit. I left out a word, I left out the word "miles", 15 miles SE of KCI Int'l airport, sorry bout that. Its 3 miles West of the intersection of I-435 and Cookingham on Cookingham, on the North side of Cookingham.
If any travellers want a place to stay for free, look me up!

I am proud of my collection of digital photos! I have managed to keep all the digital pics from the last 5 years. Now, finding the ones that I am looking for is a different story!
Its not much trouble if I know about when I took the photo I'm looking for, they are in dated folders. I like taking photos, it helps to remember the occasion and also to inspire thought and education on the subject I photographed. I literally have thousands on my 2 computer's hard drives. Making sure they are always backed up takes a little effort.

Thanks, I could be moved into that mobile home in less than 2 months, not sure yet.
I go there on my days off work anyway and find something to do now.
I'd like to get started on this landscaping before cold hits terribly.
Will

Will, you're a super guy, and I hope you have a great first Thanksgiving in your new home, and many more! Best wishes, bud --

Guy S.

Thanks Guy, I'd sure like to be in the mobile home by Thanksgiving.
If I'm in it I can keep the heat on and the water dripping so the pipes don't all freeze up again.
Sorry to hear about your ankle giving you trouble.
Will

I may be the one JamesCO is speaking of and yes, I have gingers in the ground year around and this is about their 5th year.

Hi KayJones, small world, I live in Independence too.
The day of planting at my mobile home is near!
I have new photos if anyone would like to see the area that I'm planting in.
I may be moving in up there in a month or so. Someone near there got a job where I work so we can carpool the 40+ miles one way to work.
I have 3 Crepe Myrtles, a Red Tipped Photinia and other stuff to plant up there right away.
I hate to go with so much non-native stuff but I can't plant any of the larger native trees that I like. Unlike the trailer, the lot isn't mine and I will be challenged as to what I can do with the landscape there. Until I have my own property and can plant as I wish, I may be limited to some things that are pretty and somewhat disposable (on the other hand, I might have the chance to get a little landscaping crazy on this lot). Also, I need to go with some landscaping that will be conducive to having a fledgling landscaping business (which I'll start in the Spring if all goes as planned).
Not at all to be a sell-out, I'll certainly recommend native plantings whenever possible.
The South - facing green space between the porch and that dumb looking metal shed is where my marginal plantings will go.
I must plant to give my landscaping skills a knowledgeable "wow" factor, I sure hope any marginal plantings work out.
I don't have much space to work with as its just a mobile home lot, but it does have some green space. It will be tempting to just plant every square inch of the lot, but alas, I don't want to come off as a nutty landscaper!
Personally, I don't like the look of wall to wall plants, I like some green, open, sunny space too. Many of the desired plants (trees, shrubs, flowers and other landscaping facts) I'll just refer to in books, I don't have to have everything on display. I just want people to see my yard with Palm trees, cactus and other not often seen central Midwest plantings and be somewhat intrigued in my future landscaping business.
I have many photos here of my mobile home under progress if anyone would like to go to my photobucket album and see them. -
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v243/w4i0a/mobilehome/
The thumbnail photos in posts are very small in file size. It is inserting of full size photos in a post that would terribly slow a thread way down for dial-up users like myself.
Will