Here's whats been going on!! BANANA!!!!!
Tropical garden #10
Rita,
Yoda blooms!
Rosalind
My ears coming back to life!
Dutchlady1, I am green with envy. You have one of the best collection of plumerias that I have ever seen.
I can just imagine the fragrance in your yard at eveningtime. They are so perfect, thanks for showing them to us.(I saw your pictures on the plumeria forum too)
I did not know for sure if there was even a purple plumeria.
Truetropical77, I would have you know that I am going to be having bananas too, maybe we could have a ice cream banana party.
Your yoda hibiscus is strange looking, but I guess that's is why she is so appealing to us.
What is the name of this banana plant? I would like to purchase a few more of them from you and also a few more Siam Ruby bananas. I will D-Mail
Rita - there are a few 'purple' (purplish? violet? lavender?) varieties that have come out of Thailand in the past few years. I have not seen any of them bloom in person to say how purple they really are... But maybe later this summer I'll have some of those blooms...
Thank you for the nice comments about my flowers and yes, it does smell heavenly. I was severely bitten by the plumeria-collecting bug a few years ago... and this is the result. Anyone who comes by my place is urged to take a plumeria plant home with them.. I am rapidly running out of space!
Rita, I thought you picked up some mussaenda's at Waynes...that's where I got mine. He said the same thing..very cold sensitive.
The bidwilli, is not the firemans cape, the Erythrina crista-galli is.
This is the Erythrina crista-galli, they are alot more cold hardy than the bidwilli
Randy, do you think that is the same thing as a 'cry baby tree'? I was told it was called this because of the thorns. The bloom looks similar to what I saw at out local plant sale. I didn't know anything about it at the time and have had some regrets ever since for not getting it.
Hmmm..seems that I've heard that name associated. There are alot of varities
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/search.php?q=erythrina
rj the mussaenda i have has always been in the ground under a huge coral tree so it gets quite a bit of shade in the summer but winter alot of sun. they really don't need any thing special as far as care. i so usually prune them back after they flower because they get kind of scraggly looking.the red cloak fowers all year here. it just started flowering again because it was at least 12 ft.tall. i took a bunch of cuttings but only seem to get about 50/50 luck with cuttings.
i love erythrinia. i have a huge old coral tree in the back. i have heard they take easy from a cutting (like a gumbo limbo). have you had luck with cuttings.
what beautiful combination ashley kelly
Okay thanks..and normal watering?
Oddly enough, I've never tried propagating the Erythrinia's. I grow the cristi-gali by seed, and the other I might have tried sticking a branch in the dirt when I break them, but nothing every came of it.
Rita the Musa is called Thompsonii. I'm glad you like it! And you can come by and get the siam ruby's anytime!
Dutchlady1, I will be looking forward to seeing your pictures of the purple plumeria later this summer.
I was bitten by the collecting bug, but I can not seem to get it down to just one variety.
Is there a dwarf orange plumeria?
Rj, I guess that it was just wishful thinking on my part that the Erythrina Crista-galli was the Bidwilli.
You are right, the Crista-galli will die back every year here in zone8a. Right now it is fixing to bloom.
I was not fortunate enough to get a mussaenda at Waynes', I got this plant insted.
Ruellia colorata
Ashleykelly, Is that a bog garden? I love the combination. I have tried papyrus grass before but could never get them to look like that. Beautiful picture.
TrueTropical77, I will come and get those Siam Ruby bananas only if you get rid of that snake, lol. How many more of those do you have for sale?
candela, I finally got a orchid to re-bloom for me .
Dutchlady1, would you please give me the name of a mail order nursery for me to windowshop? I have a birthday in September and I would like to be prepared.
can't get enough of those beautiful blooms...plumerias are awsome.
We'll have to work on the museindas!
Clematis and clerodendrum blue butterfly ugandense..and how many other names?
Ashleykelly, I LOVE you combo of ee and papyrus! If you don't mind I even saved your picture on my desktop for inspiration! Is that colocasia illustris?
Great pics everyone!
O.k. guys and gals. I am new to this forum. Have decided to do a tropical theme in my backyard this year. Have cannas, elephant ears, black magic elephant ears, hardy bananas, rice paper plants, and even got a persian palm. Anybody have any suggestions as to what else I can plant that is tropical? Would prefer something perennial to zone 6a. Will have to dig up the elephant ears this fall. Am getting older (40ish) and anything that requires a shovel is beginning to be a real drag! Anybody got anything hardy to sell?
What a compliment, robcorreia! I do the same thing all the time, and it's nice to know my yard's being enjoyed. It's a good thing I love the black of illustrus because it could definitely be classified as invasive in my yard at this point. They are EVERYWHERE! (I have more pics on my other computer. I'll post later.) These plants work well for me because I have a tendency to overwater and neither of them really care. In a few weeks they will be much taller and provide a great visual/texture.
Ms. Rita, this is kinda of a boggy area...only because when i'm watering the plants or cleaning the back porch all the water runs straight into these...so everybody's happy.
Welcome to the forum bubba. Hopefully somene here can give you some suggestions. It sounds like you have a nice list of plants going for you.
Clerodendrums are an interesting and very mixed bag of tropical looks that seem to be capable of growing in colder climates. Cut alot of them to the ground in cold season and alot of them reportedly come back.
You can check out the different types I have for reference
http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/t/rjuddharrison/3078/
Definately Rita is the one that can point you in the right direction. !
Rj
oh wow...I'm at work...and have the temperatures for all the flight departure cities...DFW 99F!! hot
I have it in part sun right now. It's about 4 feet wide by 6 1/2 tall right now...
Oh wow..nevermind..I just looked up the hardiness in PF...it doesn't even have my zone listed...it's a heat lover
Beautiful hibiscus!
Bubba I wouldn't know what to recommend since I'm not familiar with your zone...I gotta say something though..I really admire you guys's patience, for every year digging in and digging up your plants...I'm not sure I would be able to keep up!
Hi bubba1, There is a thread started on April 15 by Brian Williams that will help a great deal.
The hardy tropical look for me includes some Windmill palms and cast iron plants for backbone .
I would plant castor beans. They will not come back , but grow very quickly for the tropical look. Crinum lilies, Brugmansias Texas Star Hibiscus ,Amaryllis,shrimp plant, Hardy hibiscus that will come back for me depending on how much mulch is on them.
Hope someone else can give you a little more help.
I already have several hardy hibiscus. Just got a new blue variety this year. Can't wait to see it bloom. Just planted the castor bean plants too. Have both the red and green varieties. Am excited to see them grow. I know they are not hardy here, but I have also read about saving the bean pods for next year. I bought them because I noticed in the Henry Fields catalog they said moles tend to avoid them and I am having a terrible mole problem. I also have some rose of sharon Hibiscus shrub planted along my south property line for privacy. Does rjuddharrison know where I could get a Minnahasse? I am looking for tropicals to plant on my west property line for privacy. There is a chain link fence there, and its in the shade.
Bubba, you should try some annual vines on that chainlink fence. They grow fast for coverage, and you can replant every year...I planted a Chilean Glory Vine in part shade this year and it grew like crazy! Very tropical looking red flowers.
Yes, I got mine at
www.zone9tropicals.com
For some reason, it does not propagate well from cuttings...and it most cases not at all.
Well. The fence is not mine it belongs to the neighbor house. It's only 4 ft. high, so I am looking for something that will grow 5 to 6 ft. high so they can't see in my backyard. Someday I hope to have the money to get my own fence, but it would cost $5000.00 for a privacy fence and I currently paying for new windows.
Wow! LOL!!! That's a heck of a privacy fence. How big is your yard?