Don't waste your time trying to grow bananas in the wrong climate. I live in California where it is rare to ever drop to freezing, and after waiting two years finally got one bunch of tiny terrible tasting bananas. I sold all my plants and will never try them again. On the other hand in a place suitable for them, like my backyard when I lived in Sri Lanka, a banana plant can grow three feet in a week and get twenty feet high and make a large bunch of great tasting bananas.BTW, a banana plant will only make one bunch of bananas, after that you cut it down and one of its pups will sprout up and make the next bunch.

Hello Everyone!! Mona.. Had to chuckle over the slipping with the snippers... He would like to snip more than the leaves..LOL!! I didn't wait for him to help, so i pulled those large trees out from the corner and still have them in the center of my deck. They are so pretty and so tall. I think they are about 10 feet tall. I'm worried about them fitting into the house when i bring them in. So.. i might have to prune just to get them in. "VW's needs new roof..." ;-) Bonnie Fox is a beautiful cutting. This is a huge cutting and i love how it has branched out. I still need to pot up... The pool is closed.. I am happy about that. YES!!! I do the maintance as well as take care of the hottub. We really do enjoy the pool during the summer, but it is nice when it is closed for the winter. One less thing to worry about!! I was also the caretaker for the palms as well. I used to put up Christmas lights and wrap them around the trunks for the holidays.. I gave that up. To much work.. : ) Now it is my son's duties to help cut dead fronds from the Palms in the spring. I don't climb those ladders anymore. The small palm.. ok. But the 16 footers..NO! LOL.. I like the count down of the days to spring.. Maybe if i have another glass it will be even less days to count!! : ) Hi ANdrew... I was busy cutting and bagging leaves. Labor of love alright!!! I am tired of this ritual, but it will be a nice time to relax and focus on other things ;-) Sounds like you have been busy as well. Watch your back!! LOL... Making liquor out of blooms? Ewwww!!! i would worry about that!! Maybe next year!! LOL.. Gifts for the family!!! : ) Hi Mike!! I left my inflos on my trees too! I wish i had a little helper to collect leaves!! SO nice to let her help you and im sure she enjoys being just near you!! : ) It is such a sad time to cut the leaves, but i know it will be soon before they are out again and we are all talking about how they are opening for the season.. OHhh how time is flying by... Nice to hear from you as always!! Hi Peg, SO nice to have lunch today!! Always fun to see you!!! I went and sprayed all of mt trees with Bayer 3 in 1 to help get rid of any unwanted critters. I will start the "march of the Plumeria" next week.. sigh. Hi Emily.. That is a Ponytail Palm and it is a huge tree! Good eye!! It is almost to large to bring inside too! I had to give away my other Ponytail Palm because it grew so big and tall. I guess it will find its way inside somehow. Someone else noticed on the C & S forum and said it was the biggest on they had seen in a container.. LOL!! Hope you are well and i cant wait to see some pics from your trees . It is a sad time of the year, but we have to do it!! Im surprised that you have seen a change there already.. i would think you would have a few more months than us. Thanks again!! Hi James!! Than you so much!! I do think of the time with the family and the new Grandson!! That makes me happy.. i also love to mess with other things this winter, so i will keep busy. I will still look in on the trees, and also keep others plants growing. Cactus, and some other little trees. As far as 5 years.. i will have to do a full cut down of the VW's and start new. The big trees now will probably be cut back this spring and i will let the big trunks go. There isnt space for these huge bases here. Sad... We do get snow sometimes and frost. The city will shut down when it snows here. It is rather funny! Kind of like when it rains in CA. People dont know what to do and how to drive.. LMAO!!! Hope you are doing well.. i have more pics to share with you. I need to send an email and catch up. thanks for the kind words.. Hi Bill!! I would keep the leaves on too if i could. But having as many as i do, i cant. I have to cut and send them to the backroom for the winter. It is the best way for me and i dont worry about them. They do great with my method. You do have a great wife!! : ) SHe is a good sport and im sure she loves the looks of the tropical room! Always nice to hear from you too! Thanks for everything!! Hi Dave.. You are so right. We can go on with our lives.. YEA!! had to laugh at the way you described the seedpods on the DR's. They do look funny!! Good news is that they dont take as long to open as Plumeria. Mine have slowed down since the cool air had set in, but some have opened. I would say about 2 months they will open. It may take longer since it is the fall.. Hopefully, they willl continue to grow. If you want some seeds, let me know. Take care, Dave!! HI K... i agree with you. I am ready to see the new emmerging claws getting ready for the new season too! Makes it all the better.. I have seedpods on Leela, Wizard, Psycho and "hopefull VV" . They are huge right now, so im wondering if they will open this winter.. or spring? Hmmm..Time will tell.. i still have Miami Rose, Divine, Kimi Moragne, Noid white blooming.. so sad to think about cutting off inflos.. so i dont.!!! Did she receive a new bag? ;-) LOL.. You are a good hubby!! Have a great night everyone!! Laura

You know damn good and well that nobody sleeps this time of year :-) We've got the small greenhouse crammed full and ALL the tables in the big one are loaded, mainly w/ over 600 baskets that need to be hung up before we can start filling more flats--starting on some of the veggies now, mainly peppers. We got busy planting and now have to catch up on putting the hangers on the baskets but I don't lack many now. Got 2000 strawberry plants coming by the end of the month so there is another little planting job. We've decided to start a pick your own to go along w/ the blueberries. Had a slight disaster in the big g/h when four large tables that were hooked together crashed [loaded w/ plants, of course] so we lost a few hours rebuilding them. They are NOT hooked together now :-) We've gone 3 times [I think> to your neck of the woods for bales of dirt. Picked up 30 on a Friday and went back for 30 more on the following Monday. The guys at the FB couldn't believe we'd gone through that many so fast but it was even more than that counting what we had on hand. So, as you can see, at least "I" am awake. The other 2 houses will fill up quickly enough. Hope you can make it over sometime. Best, Tom

There are several more close to us (I live in Rockbridge County too): My favorite and the most reasonable is the Mennonite nursery (Milmont) in Stuarts Draft. Right now they have a sale on trees, shrubs and perennials and fall annuals. They have a beautiful selection of fall mums too. Just follow Route 11 north to Greenville and take a right across from the Pilot station onto Route 340 to Stuarts Draft. Stuarts Draft is a small town and is about five to eight miles from Route 11. Milmont will be on your right approximately 3/4 mile after you have passed through the intersection of Route 608 and 340. You can also make a day of it and visit Waynesboro. Just continue on Route 340 (after taking a right from Milmont) and you will shortly be in Waynesboro. Follow 340 all the way to Route 250 and take a left at that intersection. About 1/2 mile on the left you will find Waynesboro Garden Center where you will find large trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, a nice garden shop with two levels. Farther west on Route 250 is Fishersville with a place called I think is called the The Village Garden Center(just look for a big red barn on your right) with more trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. Ask for directions there to Viette's (it's not far from Route 250). From Viette's you could then go north to Shreckhise (sp?) Nurseries in Verona for trees, shrubs, p's and a's which is not too far off of Route 11 and from there to Harrisonburg (also on Route 11) there is a nice placed called Hess Greenhouse which sells mums, pumpkins, perennials, annuals, grasses, etc.(look for the huge windmill). And by the way, in Harrisonburg on October 6th at the arboretum at James Madison University there will be a bulb sale (Brent and Becky's Bulbs)! The web site for the arboretum can be found at the web site for JMU. That ought to keep you busy for a while. I know of more but they are farther away over Afton Mountain. Just email me at sylpatterson@earthlink.net and I will give you better directions and details. Happy plant hunting! By the way, you are in Zone 6 so don't get too many tropicals before you figure out where your microclimates are.