Tropical backyard - plumeria, banana, cannas et al

15 years ago

Wanted to share some of my efforts for the summer of 2008.

The first photo shows the pathway leading to the pool.

{{gwi:1303095}}

The second photo shows the living wall of tropicals that were planted around the pool to give some privacy.

{{gwi:1303096}}

Hard to believe that a few months from now all this will be at ground level. I plan to pile leaves around the bananas this year so I get a head start next spring. Last year I covered the bananas about a foot and a half with leaves and that kept them from dying all the way to the ground. Sure made for tall trees this summer. They are about 9 feet now.

Hope everyone else has had a good growing season. Lets see some other gardens.

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Comments (15)

nightrider767
15 years ago
Very well done. And like you said, it'll be a real shame to see that garden die back for the winter...

Don't forget to save your canna seed, if you'd like more of those. And speaking of canna,,, do you have to dig those up at the end of the year?
dpolson37
Original Author
15 years ago
I've been harvesting seeds for weeks now and have quite a few for next year. This is the first year with these cannas and I'm planning to dig them up because I love them so much and would hate to loose them. I also want to prep the bed and if they stayed in the ground it would be pretty difficult. I have kept other cannas and ginger in the ground covered with about a foot of leaves and they came back fine. I'll see how much time I have come fall and may end up leaving some in the ground.
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Hello Everyone, Joey, What a beautiful display of gorgeous pictures. I just really enjoyed the show of all of the great pics. As i was looking, i was thinking i love this one, then the next pic...and then the next!!! They are fabulous! My favorite is the royal and especially the CIDP. I would love to have one of those. What do you do for protection during the winter for them? How long had the CIDP been in the ground? Love the layout of your backyard and what you have done to the front beds as well! Great Job...the pool looks very inviting too! Thanks for all of the wonderful pictures and again, Great job!!! Take care, Laura in VB
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I am big on propagation from cuttings. As someone else said if you has a healthy banana you will get lots of pups. Dig them up and replant them as soon as they are a foot tall or trade them for something else. Taros, cannas and hardy gingers mutliply quickly. Keep thining them out and moving them around each year. Many plants like impatients,begonias, coleas,pentas,brugmansias,cordylines and sweet potatos are easy to root from cuttings in water.Just put them in a clear glass or plastic container on a windowsill. I take cuttings from my house plants like pothos, monstera,arrowhead vine, wandering jew, swedish ivy and philodentron and root them in water and plant them around everyhwere durring the summer along with divisions of spider plant. Most die in the fall, but they cost me nothing so I don't worry about it. The idea is to take one plant and make many, even if the original plant looks crappy after providing the cuttings it will grow back in time. It might be worth investing in one premium plant that a lot of people like, like the more expensive fancy leafed cannas or taros. You can enjoy it in your garden and once it can be divided you have a comodily to trade for other plants you want. I won't trade online, I have been burned many times, so I go to local plant swap meets. Look into local gardening groups, their are bound to be people into tropicals just like you even if their are no specific tropical garden groups. Many garden group members who have lots of plants think nothing of giving a newbe a helping hand with excess cannas, gingers and taro roots, banana pups, plant cuttings or seedlings. When I lived in Hawaii I lived in a house with a large garden filled many varieties of ginger,jasmine,heliconia, Ti plant, dracenea and plumeria that had been ocuppied by an elderly woman several years before me. Neighbors, told me Mrs. Tanaka never purchased a single plant. When she saw a plant in a person's yard she liked she simply knocked on their door asked for a small cutting. Aparently few people said no. I myself was given a double white brugmansia cutting several years ago and have started several new plants from it, but have given away many more cuttings to stangers who simply asked. PS roses can look great with tropicals if the colors are right. Tropicana, Circus and other combos of hot red, orange and yellow look fine mixed with gingers, cannas and taros.
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I actually saw the most amazing tropical garden at an open house down the street - so I got a lot of great ideas. They kept it less lush (the wind takes out a lot of the gorgeous broad leaved plants, but here is what they used. Giant Bird of Paradise Regular Bird of Paradise New Zealand Flax (purple) Coral Bells (Purple Palace) Horsetail Cannas Plumeria (they were small, so may be just for showing the house, but I have seen some Plumeria live up here, just have to know when to cut back on water) Papyrus Azaleas Wisteria They used a lot of blue slate and blue mexican beach pebbles... anyway, I like things much more tropical, but I think if I start there, and maybe add some bamboo and gingers I might have a start. I also am going to find a place for my night queen epiphyllum - :)
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Goodmorning Everybody ! :) I heard from my swappers last night...:))) Mariann I have a couple of surprizes for you...We love putting surprizes in our boxes Regina started it.. Chell you are so creative and your writing is so much fun to read... I bet the boys loved playing pirate.. I can see their smiling faces now...What a great idea to make a hideout.. They will always remeber their hideout mom made for them... Norma I havent traded with you but I am sure you went way above in sending her nice cuttings..I seen pics of what you send...They are awesome boxes..:)) Please dont be sad..:)) Regina howdy :) I am so sorry about Mark having to have surgery and the heart condition would just send me into heaven.. Wow I am so glad to read it all went well...Shooo My heart sank for a minute...He will be all healed for college this fall..:)) You empty nester dont go through what I went through...Stay busy and call them alot... I miss my kids so much it hurts sometimes... Dogs are okay but they cant replace our true babies...I love reading about chell and her boys... It makes me smile so much... Frances lol You poor gardener..ahhah You need a break from mother nature..Really..:)) Oh big snakes yucky... I would be screaming... I love chippies...They are so cute...Havent had many around with a cat now...Kiki has brought home two gardener snakes...He was very proud of himself... Yesterday I was getting ready to go out and play in the dirt...The crows or blackbirds were screaming...It just like a scene in the movie the "birds"... It creeped me out really bad...I couldnt see what they were yelling at.. I watched tv...Than got bored and went coleus shopping..lol The master gardener sale for the next county over is tommorow... I cant wait to see what they are going to be offering..I have never been to this one...Oh I almost forgot..I heard from the master gardener I met...Looks like we are building another gh..lol She wants to do it closer to fall since everyone is busy with their gardens...I am glad we could help her..They are a pain to build.. well I gabbed enough lol must be the strong coffee and I got a lot of sleep...:)) Have a good day everybody..Barb
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diane_v_44
15 years ago
Good stuff

Enjoyed the pictures
ryanarun07282008
15 years ago
I love it! So tropical!

Hello! I am pretty new in gardening and of course this site. I am happy to say that I'm glad to be a member! I have most of these plants around my pool as well, but not as beautiful and developed as yours!

Here are my problems and hope you guys can help me out:

My cannas, elephant ears, and dahlias have not sprouted. I planted the canna rhizomes around mid February! Does anyone have any idea as to when I should expect these guys to sprout out??? How about the elephant ears and dahlias? My co-worker said it took her elephant ears atleast 6 weeks!

I can't wait any longer! The wind has been blowing dirt and old leaves into my pool (no I don't have a pool cover thanks to my hubby). My poor pool cleaner guy has been vacuuming the pool weekly. I want to lay landscaping fabrics and river rocks, but it's going to be a pain in the neck because these guys have not sprouted! I would love to get it done asap before that Texas heat wave comes! Yes, I know, I should have laid them before I started planting. Like I said I'm a newbie:(. Does anyone have any suggestions, atleast suggestions that won't involve back-breaking???

My other problem is my plumerias. I bought these at one of the home centers last spring. They are doing well, but never have any flowers. They were brought indoors for the winter. They are just big single stalks right now. Will they ever flower?? Besides fertilization, do I need to do anything to get them started? Please help...

Thanks

Serey
dobie1029
15 years ago
Can anyone tell me what the plant in the first picture to the bottom left corner in the pot is called?

Thanks!
Jennie E
don_brown
15 years ago
Great yard! Well done!

Dobie, I believe that the plant about which you are asking is a Plumeria, which, at the time of the photo, was not in bloom.

I'd love to post the odd photo of mine in here, but damned if I can figure out how to do it!
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
15 years ago
Oustanding! Wish we had a pool!
pondmaster101
15 years ago
AMAZING elephant ears!
JohnnieB
15 years ago
Pools and tropicals go together. You've done a really nice job and it must be a pleasure to hang out there on a hot summer day!
astrl
15 years ago
What variety of ginger is that? Most of the ones I have found prefer shade, but that looks like a sunny location.
JohnnieB
15 years ago
I believe those are cannas rather than gingers, and cannas LOVE the sun.
ccckoball
14 years ago
are you SUre youre in zone 7a???
AMAZING!!!
dpolson37
Original Author
14 years ago
As far as I know I'm a 7a. The zipcode here is 22308. I live near the Potomac river which keeps it a bit warmer than surrounding areas. Thanks for all the compliments. Cannas and bananas are growing strong already. The yard is a little smelly due to Milorganite fertilizer, but it's worth it when the cannas shoot up to 8 feet.Happy spring.
flora2
14 years ago
Hi
Loved your pictures. What is the variety of elephant ears? They are beautiful and huge. I have never grown cannas from seed and I am tempted because this year I lost almost all the canna tubers I stored in the garage. I really need to get better at that. I am going to try to get some seeds on a trade or something to give them a try this year. How long does it take from seed to plant? Once again, your yard is beautiful and the little boy in the picture adorable. Thanks
dpolson37
Original Author
14 years ago
flora2: Thanks for the compliments. The elephant ears are ones I purchased from Home Depot labeled as large. Nice description, huh? I've had good luck digging them in the fall and storing over winter. The clump you see is from one large elephant ear about the size of a large grapefruit. H.D. usually sells them in northern Virginia around February for about $5.
As for the cannas, I see the seeds sprout in about a week. I believe they flower the first season too. I've just lost track once I planted them in with the others so I can't really say for sure, but once the warm weather hits they take off. Pretty sure they are the Robert Kemp variety.
I had cooler than average spring/early summer and tropicals aren't as tall this year. I'll have to post some 2009 photos soon.

Tropical backyard - plumeria, banana, cannas et al

Comments (15)

nightrider767

dpolson37
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dpolson37
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Tropical backyard - plumeria, banana, cannas et al

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