Tropical Garden #75

tobee, which of the coleus gardens is yours? I see three families displayed. They're all nice. You know, I love coleus and I always get 1 to 6 to put in patio plants. But I always forget that you can do shrub displays and when I think about it, it's too late in the season.

I have some Thai Giant EE's coming along nicely; can anyone tell me if they are invasive? I would like to put them in the ground but I have had such bad experiences with some colocasias.

This is a large faux flower at Riverbanks Botanical Gardens, it is made from painted aspisistra leaves with a lotus pod for a center. You can't imagine how long I looked a this before I figured out how they did it.

voss...i designed all the coleus gardens i posted......my personal ones...well here's one from last year up north...it's one of the smaller gardens. there is actually a stone path...but not from this view....

ardesia...nope.....the alocasia are not invasive..and if they begin to multiply, you just dig them up and either gave em away or place there somewhere else in the garden...wht problems did you have with the colocasia you had??

you can see some of the giant alocasia in this pic as well as coleus...and the alocasia stay pretty much in their own spot...

The C. esculenta is absolutely the worst thug in the south. I started pullling it all up almost 10 years ago and it is still popping up everywhere it shouldn't.

vossner, the leaves on theThai-Giant are definately much bigger than the Portadora
I am very glad that your Siam Ruby is doing well, mine are covered with bugs right now. I finally killed my third AeAe banana. I will not be geting another, they are too finicky.

Tobee43, We are enjoying your pictures! thanks.
Phughes got me hooked on coleus. I find them very easy to overwinter and will be using a lot more of them in my garden I like the look much better than the Onamental sweet potato vines.
The plant posted above is variegated pinecone ginger.
I have the Costus Amazonicus, it will take a couple of years to look as full as your plant.


This message was edited Jun 15, 2010 7:23 PM

Mjsponies,That is another beauty, and one that is new to me. I will have to look it up. thanks


Joeswife, Why is your plant at Bonnies house? It would look very nice next to those big EE you have going on there.
I wish that I could get some of your rain, we missed our last chance for a while this morning.

Yellow Bell Orchid Tree

ardesia, I have only one Thai-Giant, it is two years old. I would love to have a few more popping up. Everyone that sees it, would like to have one.

You know it has rained too much when a train bridge collapses while a train is going across it, thank goodness no casualties.. 80 percent of our bridges around our state were built in 1920.. gee, I would collapse too if I were that old..
all the photos posted are gorgeous! I sent the cleo to Bonnies last year because it was not being too happy in the basement Garden.. when I went to see her, it was a whole different looking plant.. she is very good with plants.
you can barely see the tea kettle now , in this container planter..

I really like to crowd plants in all around me, too. My hubby loves the lawn, I think it is wasted space.. oh well.. can you see the rootbeer plant in this shot? It has really gotten happy..

Rita, good to know the Thai Giant doesn't spread and in your climate you would know by now. I got mine as seedlings from a kind DG'er. According to TOny AvAnt at Plant Delights they bloom and set seeds easily. I know the little baby plants I received a few weeks ago now have leaves that are about 10' to 12" so they are fast growers too.

ardesia, I have cast iron plant and as you all know, foliage gets ratty. Maybe I will go to Hobby Lobby and see what kind of safe paint they have. It wouldn't be much effort to give the ratty leaves a quick spray and improve the looks. This is item 22,433 in my to do list.

I think I will get Thai Giant. I have just the spot. I have a very dramatic corner w/ phillo selloum which got pretty obliterated this past winter. The Thai Giant would go great there.

Rita, is that a hardy hibiscus (red). which one?

Debra, rootbeer likes KS, yeah.

almost time for mangoritas..

this is a cutting of a varigated tapioca that is starting to get leaves

heliconia

Well after seeing how big that this red canna would get I moved it to another spot which is where I have some tomatoes there and my red castor bean from lazlo.

Joeswife, I will have to send you a machete for your back yard if it keep raining like that! Good news that no one was hurt in the bridge accident.
That is a nice full tea kettle, you are giving me all sort of new ideas for pots. Do you still have the purse pot?

This is usually a ugly plant, but when blooming, it is beautiful.
Epiphyllum/Orchid Cactus.

Vossner, the red hardy hibiscus is a noid. (sorry)
You can find the Thai Giant at Brians Botinicals on e-bay.

This was just a temporary place for the Rex Begonia, but it seems to be thriving. I will leave it there for now.

candela, as always it is good to see what's happening in your garden!
Those mangoes are also good with a little hot pepper and salt when green.
Good luck with your tapioca, they are scarce, along with the caladium Florida Beauty. I can not find them anywhere this year.

Erythrina- Crista-galli

pensacolagarden, your canna is very perky for just being transplanted. That castor bean plant will tower over your tomatoes by the middle of summer, they grow very fast. These were volunteer seeds, they came back even after the bad winter.

This is a new plant Mandevilla splendens- 'Burgundy'

prita...very nice...is that the type that vines..or bushes??

prita your a bad influence, I love vines, have them everywhere ! and several mandevilla's as it is. and now want another one.

oh, I hope my epis bloom like that, gosh they are just growing shoots everywhere..
My new mandevilla is dark like that. I love it, it is with the passies and the chalice vine out front, all of them climbing the trellis rose.
I was hobbling around the yard tonight and found the seeds I planted from last years pods of nicotania and petunias had come up and are blooming.. I am so happy I saved those seeds. I am waiting for the impatiens and begonia seeds from last year that I saved and planted to come up next.
Salvias from seed and penstamons from seed are popping up everywhere.. I have no clue how I got so many EEs and caladiums, they are popping up in almost everypot all around the fron
t and back.. how does this happen? I swear I did not plant 20 bublets or what ever they are called!

Rita, pretty color on the Mandevilla

I went to look at mine, it is a lighter red..That darker colour on yours is much prettier I think..

monardas .. pink supreme

Iochromas

butterfly milkweed is blooming all over the place.. now where are the butterflys?

I can't remember what this is..

Looks like Queen anne's lace Debra...

tobee43, it is a very well behaved vine, unlike the blue sky vine that was taking over the hoop house. I had to whack it back and dig the roots out.

The Dwarf Singapore pink plumeria is starting to bloom. (my favorite)

mjsponies, I love vines as well, that one is a new color and it was half price(yea). Do you have a favorite vine?

patootie, thanks. I love your name.

joeswife, I have seeds that you sent me, popping up everywhere as well. I am not familiar with all of them, so I am not pulling weeds until they bloom!
Your purple lochroma is very pretty, and I think that pensacolagarden might be correct with Queen Ann Lace. I googled it.

This is my second banana plant to bloom, the first was a Ice Cream and this is a Saba banana.

Does anyone recognize this alocasia?

prita, holy cow, asking me to pick a favorite ! I don't know that I can, but I really really love my Passion Flower nephrodes..( I have I think? 12 different Passion vines.) .and my Red Jade vine, and my red mandevilla, and my Corkscrew vines...( note the plural there) and my Butterfly orchid vine and my....
and I'm on the hunt for Chilean Jasmine now...I'd rather get a plant but have found seeds....

Passion Flower nephrodes..........

This message was edited Jun 17, 2010 2:13 PM

oh my mjsponies, you better hide that pink passion from Patty!

mjsponies, that would be my favorite. What a beauty!!
I googled the Chilean Jasmine. That is a beauty as well.


Rj, what lovelies do you have blooming at Jungle Heights?

I got the Passi nephrodes from another DG'er. I about fell off my chair when I saw it. One of those...I MUST have it !