A walk around the place 2007 worst year ever!!!

Well as many of you know this has been an extremely dry and hot season. Most the plants can take some heat but the lack of rain has really taken it's toll. I cannot water during the day due to all the other watering going on here. So every night I pull hoses trip fall curse and can never seem to find the other sprinkler. We had some of the hottest weather in years which was good but no rain for months. It has been around 8 weeks or more with maybe one bref shower. This type of weather makes me want to move to some distant jungle and start over. Either way I was still able to get the place to look halfway decent. I have been a bit reluctant to show the place around and have taken far fewer photos this year than any other year. My breeding program is also put at an almost complete halt. I am trying hard to keep the seedlings I have growing alive so no time to really work on anything new.

Colocasia black magic and Colocasia elena

Variegated Ensete

Colocasia Black Runner variegated

front walk way

back area

back walk ways

Canna hybrid neon pink flowers dark foliage

New hybrid Colocasia

Hybrid Colocasia seedlings

Canna hybrid

I know exactly what you mean, Brian. We are and have been in the same situation concerning drought and high temps here too. Since I have started the pansy crop, the tropical beds are lucky to get 20 mins with a sprinkler every few days. I have totally let my annual beds go, and the back tropical bed, that has gotten the least amt of water this summer really shows it. Stunted growth, yellowing leaves, aborted ginger blooms. I hate even going back there to look at the plants! The one good thing (I think) is that the tropicals in the beds that get some watering-look ok, so they must be putting out a heck of a root system which may help them get through the winter better. This is the worst summer that I can remember in 20 yrs here.

I think your gardens are amazing even in the dry heat. I live in N.CA no rain from April until Oct or Nov so I understand the challenge. (you should see my water bill)lol. I only wish my tropical beds look half as good as yours.
Linda

Brian, they look great for all the heat and no rain. They say this has been the hottest, driest year in history for our area. My elephant ears leaves are fried along with everything else.

I think it is 100% eye-popping gorgeous! It's grown up so much since I saw it in June. I love the new colocasia hybrid and of course the variegated black runner.. look at that huge stand of variegated canna (stuttgart?), NICE! And the bananas, the neon bloom, oh! the black canna and how cute are those seedlings in the "baby bed"! lol It does reflect all your attention was NOT in vain, Brian. I'll keep my fingers crossed for a better weather year in 2008. We've been lucky up here this summer, except for the heat, but it has finally cooled a bit so I can work outside or even just water without wiping sweat, I mean perspiration every 5 minutes. If you must move to a distant jungle, can I take over the one in Kentucky? Thanks for posting all the pics Brian, they'll help me get through the winter!

I was trying to find that huge amorph you had coming up in back towards where you had the water plants, maybe? It was behind one of your buildings... you said you leave it in the ground. Is it just hidden by a banana? Of course I was excited to meet you and so totally in awe of your jungle, I didn't even take any photos, but it had pushed through the ground enough I could tell it was going to a monster. I thought it was around the blue pot somewhere, maybe. I'm having great fun with the voodoo's I brought home. But they will winter in the basement, here. I'm not brave enough to leave my new ones in the ground. I do have some volunteers from where I had one planted in the ground 2 years ago, so next year I will plant a few not-so-special ones and leave them to winter there in the same area I want to experiment with Pink China. Gee, I need to turn in, it's late! I can oogle more tomorrow. It's just amazing, Brian!

That walk is AWESOME! Lucky guy! VERY nice job!

It has been a hot, dry summer and my 'ears' aren't as large as they were last year.

Brian, I wanted to tell you that my 'Brian Williams' is doing very well, it's probably my favorite.

Great to hear. I would be interested in seeing a photo if you have it.

Me too, Linda. I noticed Tony Avent is offering your Pink China on PD website, his description stated it is possibly hardy in warmer zone 5..... maybe I'll get it out of that pot and into the ground now.... south side, near the foundation, part sun, mulched well. What do you think, Brian? I could (will HAVE to) get another one from you if it doesn't come back next spring......

Well with hardy tropical plants its all about the situation you have it in. This Colocasia pink china is by far one of the toughest hardy tropicals I have ever delt with. I have had it outside for over 10 years and it has survived over 7 years with out mulching. I believe the main thing is to have an clump that has had a full season to mature. This helps due to the sure numbers of survivors. The plant does best in rich organic soil this is also the best soil to over winter plants in due to it decomposing even in winter. Pink china is much different than most forms. Most forms produce tubers that grow next to each other or runners that crawl across the top of the soil. Pink china does both and also produces what seems to be runners under the ground. I have dug up a few clumps of pink china to find tubers as far as 1 to 1 1/2 feet down in the dirt. This keeps the tubers well below the frost line here. I have told many people if you grow Musa Basjoo you should also try Colocasia pink china. They will grow right next to each other and when you mulch or protect your basjoo you also protect the Colocasia. This is one of the very few other hardy tropicals that I find growing like a weed in places I did not plant it due to some small tuber exscaping. On another note I have yet to produce nice large plants in pots. It seems it never really does well in a pot for me.

Mine doesn't look as good as it did earlier in the season, probably due mostly to being in the pot.... I think I want to plant it in the ground next spring... and hope I can sustain it in the basement this winter... and dream of it growing like a weed in my back yard. LOVELY pic! Of the model and the ears! ;) Nice hosta, too!

Here it is, happily in a pot (my soil is so sandy, I can control the organic matter better in pots, or at least all of my ones in pots are doing better than the ones I put in the ground.

It's even putting up babies

Beautiful Linda, congrats on the babies. (nice bowling ball too, lizards? dragon flies?)

Good to see it doing so well. Have the backs shown a lot of maroon coloration. I find it usually shows up best in bright sunny areas. It may be hardy for you if Macrorrhiza is hardy for you also. Maybe worth a try once you get a few going. Did you pick this up at a local store?

Hi Brian, no I got this one from you. The backs aren't as maroon as yours, just a bronze color

The new growth is bronze too.

Aunt B, the bowling ball HAD lizards until the little neighbor boy pulled most of them off. I didn't use the right adhesive, will redo it this winter.

Maybe you have something new and exotic, Linda! (yet to be named? Brian?)

I think it's the same as Brian's, just doesn't get as much sun so it doesn't get the deep maroon color.

Yeah I think it just needs more sun. In the shaded areas mine get less coloration like this.

Here is a picture of my Brian Williams EE. I think it may need a little more sun as will. I got it last summer and it didn't do very good where I had it. Dug it up put it in a pot and moved it to the GH. This years moved it outside where it gets about half a day of sun and it is doing very nicely. But the backs of the leaves aren't as dark of maroon coloration as they could be. I had a pup and traded it to a DG member last week. Now it is blooming.

Here is the mother of all of your guys plants. This is the original plant and I have been growing it in full sun for the last 5 years. This was last years pick of it before taking it in for the winter.

Proud papa LOL.

I think the problem is most people are trying to treat it like a Amazonica when its more like a Macrorrhiza. Most hybrids are stronger tougher growers. This one seems to do just fine in full sun for me in KY. They have started growing trunks I am thinking 8 to 9 feet maybe possible.

Brian do you keep yours in a pot all summer or did you have it in the ground and just potted it up to move into the GH.

Tomorrow I move mine out to the sun.

It was in the ground all summer potted up to move inside.

This has been an extremely tough year in KY. We have been so try my grass looks like toast! We have a deep well and I have water my dls deeply. Some of the hosta and other perennials just take a beating. I love all of your tropicals B.
I lost my Ilustris and Blk ees. I am not storing them correctly I guess.
Teresa

MMMM.. I need to blow the rainstorms from here to ya'll..I am on the verge of building that ARK boat!! Getting rain everyday....waddle waddle(growing webfeet here)...lol..

Moodene please do. We are getting some very light showers. Not enough to do much good. We got a light shower Wed. morning and I was out in it watering my plants. My husband asked me what I was doing because it was suppose to rain off and on all day. TG I did water cause that very light shower is all we got that day. So any rain sent my way would be very much appreciated.

Linda

Brian...Thank-you so much for the walk in your Garden. Even though you're experiencing the same lack of natural water we all seem to be having this year, it's still "breathtaking". I can see the care, soul and thoughtfullness you put into things.

I'm also sure that you feel truly rewarded for your efforts, when you see such beauty.

Thanks again

Kat