I realize I'm 54 years old...and maybe older than you, but would you adopt me! I just think your garden is amazing.

petpalikali.... Thanks! Don't worry... I'm older by 6 years! So I guess I can adopt you!

Excellent job! Always love your pics, the idea of a palm tree in z4 is just so wild! What is the last pic, the yellow flowers? Looks like they might smell good.

purpleinopp, the last pic is of plumeria, the Hawaiian lei flower. It has the most amazing fragrance, my absolute favorite! Different varieties of plumeria have the most varied fragrances on earth! Some examples: rose, jasmine, gardenia, lemon, fresh peaches, grape, clove, coconut, suntan lotion, and it goes on and on. This plumeria is called Celadine, and it has a fragrance that makes you think you have died and gone to heaven!

Oh my. This Plumeria thing keeps coming up. Sounds VERY addictive, hope I don't see some to buy soon! LOL! The coconut one sounds especially intriguing.

purpleinopp, yes, plumeria is VERY addictive. I have about 25-30 that I grow under high intensity grow lights in a basement room during the winter. They are only outside about 4 months of the year. They mainly bloom during the cold months in my basement.

O scented winter flowers inside. I feel so enabled. If I see one, my wallet's in trouble!

This is just amazing! this just made my day very nice flow too, everything is not just randomly spaced it looks so professional! I loved the purple bananas :D

Hi delreytropical. My wife might not agree! She calls my circular raised flower beds in the lawn.... crop circles! Thanks.

You certainly have a gift at what you do and a talent as well!
I never get tired of your pics or of your posts!

I have yet to do some of what you do. I have just one question for you Arctictropical if I may?

If I were to plant a Musa tree, living here in Massachusetts, zone 5, where do I begin other than to buy a tree? Where can a get a good one and what do I do to protect it? What do you do? AMAZING man!

What I would do to take a walk in your back yard. I wish you would make a video of it and take us for a tour:-)

Mike

Thanks Mike! I prefer Ensete bananas over musa banana plants. Ensete grows much faster and look dramatically better than musa in landscapes, in my opinion. You don't have to protect them if you do what I do.... my 15' ensete plants get chopped off to 4' stumps, stuck in 15 gallon nusery pots, and stuck in a basement food storage room with no heat or light. They eventually go dormant until you bring them out in the light and heat in the Spring. Oh, and I don't even water them during winter. It's wonderful! Here's another pic with my 6' tall son to show you how big they get.

{{gwi:409200}}

Well, those are majestic! They are colorful and amazing. So that means I can plant one of these in the ground and just dig it up come the fall?
Do I have to get all the roots?
Do you leave them in their pots and just pull them up?

My mother wants one badly and I am hoping I can do this for her.

Did you get my e-mail?

Thanks so much and have a great day. Awesome pic! By the way, my niece says your son is cute.

Mike

what kind of palms are those? the smaller looks like a fortuni and the larger a 'stonia. there arnt many I try here in zone 6 so bravo for getting some large ones in z4. how old are those 2?

The tall 16' palm is a Trachycarpus Fortunei. It's been outside for about 16 years. It grows a foot each year. The shorter stocky palm with the lavender petunias growing around it is my oldest outdoor palm (about 22 years). It's a Mediterranean Fan Palm. It's a much slower grower, but has a thick trunk.

what kind of low temps have these seen. I have a needle palm, sabal minor and fortunei ( not anywhere near the size of yours) If the fan palm can survive in zone 4 I should be able to grow it here in z6

Miketropic, the only way they have survived is by placing large Styrofoam boxes over them in winter, with 3 screw-in florescent light bulbs at the top of each box for some heat. I have no idea how low the temperatures get inside the boxes when it's 30 below zero outside.

30 below LOL Ive never seen temps like that. if it gets to -5 people are really in a freak out. I think next spring I'll try a nice size med. palm and see how it fairs outside. we have had VERY mild winters the last 2 years so if it gets established I think it will hang on. thanks alot

Artictropical, how are you? I have bene kind of sick and taking care of my sick Mom.

I just wanted tas you a favor. Can you link me to a thread that shows how you cover your plants? I think I remember this a while back but don't have the time to look it up.
I wish to see it again and thank you in advance.

You certainly know your stuff and I am quite impressed with people like you who care that much for their plants. I can say you and I have this in common and it's a great feeling.:-)

I just had to look at these Banana trees again. So beautiful, so majestic.

The palms, well don't get me going. I have always wanted to try them too but I think it owuld be too much work to keep one going up here.

Mike

I tried Windmill palm, Saw palmetto and Needle palm unprotected in zone 6 this past winter 2012- 2013 season. I have a Musa Basjoo that did great. The palms don't seem too happy. Can Arctic-tropic tell me how he or she powered the fluorescent or other kind of lights in the Styrofoam shelter? I have bought a new Windmill palm. I want to protect it after the season is over. I'm zone 6, surely I can accomplish this if zone 4 with shelter can show unblemished palms in spring for arctictropical. The palm with the purple Petunias, do you cover or lift? Sorry, you must get these questions all the time.

Hi poaky1. There are three screw-in florescent light bulbs in the top of each box. I simply run an extension cord to the box from an outdoor outlet at my house. My 16 foot windmill palm died this winter. I did not protect it with a box. It got too tall. I didn't have the energy or will power to deal with covering it. I still cover my Mediterranean Fan Palm with a box (the palm by the purple petunias) since it grows so slowly. It's been outside over 20 years. I lost all of the young fronds on the Med. Palm, but it's starting to push out new fronds now that it's warmed up.

It's sad to hear about the Windmill palm. I will try to cover mine next coming winter. I want to try needle palm again. I have one that still has one green spray left. I bought a Bird of paradise today from Lowes. I wonder if it could be covered and be inground in zone 6. I have a basement where my house plants overwinter, in case I can't put it sheltered outdoors. We are getting a freeze (30 F ) tonight. It's rare for this to happen this late here. I brought everything in that was tender. I saw some crates behind our KMART that look useful for future shelters, I am going to try and snatch them up. They are not your run of the mill wood crates. Arctic tropical, what do you fill your raised beds with? Cactus soil mix or a blend you have made?

Hi Poaky1. I have a potted bird of paradise plant that's been in bloom since March. I've never tried protecting them outside. I don't think they are as hardy as the palms. I just have regular garden soil in the raised beds but I have added soil prep, dried manure and peat moss now and then. Frosts.... I see frost almost every month of the year here in these mountain valleys. Not a killing frost, but frost non-the-less. I remember it snowing three inches the day after memorial day once. Joy....

Well, I hope you can continue to do what you need to in winter for as long as possible to keep up what you've got, it's all really beautiful.

Its been awhile since this has been active, but I would love to hear everyones updates :)

Arctic, I noticed that on your hibiscus especially the one potted, the stem looks very smooth and is almost white in color. My hibiscus stem looks nothing like that and I was wondering if that is something you can do for appearance.

BTW I love the way it was pruned into a little shrub/tree. It reminds me of a mini crape myrtle but more tropical looking.

Beautiful!

I will be trying to employ some of Arctictropicals methods on 2 palms that are in the ground. They are both Windmill palms, IF I am correct. I know anti- fungal (sulfur) is important. I have extension cords already, and will hit Big Lots for some lights, and will play around with some cover ideas. I have some clear mini, or umbrella-type small greenhouses. Maybe a light draping of natural burlap, lights and unzipped umbrella-like greenhouse pinned down will be ok in zone 6? Any ideas? Can anyone forsee any problems in my idea for winter protection of Windmill palm, which seems to do better when rain/watering is minimal?