Hi Guys :)
I'm new here and I LOVE to garden, I'm trying to create a tropicalesque water garden, I have a newly purchased house with a complete blank canvas :)
ANYWHO,
I want to know of ANY tropical-esque plants that you've got growing that is hardy in our area, or you have DISCOVERED is more hardy than most think, what comes back year after year that shouldn't?
So far I've got some
Basjoo Banana
Bamboo *rufa*
Needle palm
"Frost Proof" Gardenia...
I need some more :)
Thanks so much
Josh
Zone Pushing!
Callas might be worth a try. They're hardy for me but I'm in 6b.
My callas come back.
So do my cannas.
Zone 6a
I'm sure 'Henry10' will have lots of suggestions. He's quite a zone pusher!
And there's a fellow in Louisville that grows all kinds of tropicals.
Zone Pusher? Moi? LOL!
Welcome Josh!
Do you have a photo or photos of what you've done?
How deep is your pond?
Do you want to do a totally hardy or winter over indoors a few goodies?
I have plants that are hardy in 36" of water.
Rufa is good.
Needle palm you're pushing but it's doable.
Basjoo perfect. (We have a few tricks to pop it larger and faster in the Spring.)
Thalia dealbata is hardy w/ a deep pond.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1005/
Petasites japonicus is very hardy and will give a good tropical edge look.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2758/
Acorus in any form but I really like 'Ogon' and 'Variegatus' (much better than Variagated Cattail.)
Saururus cernuus and it's not a push for you
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/627/
Then water lettuce and water hyacinth.
Just toss them at the end of the season.
Water Forget-me-nots are hardy for you for sure.
The list is endless if you want to do Aroids and don't mind a little storage work.
Welcome!
Ric
Mind sharing the Musa basjoo tricks?
Not at all.
Start about a week before heavy frost or light freeze.
First build a cage around the Musa as high as you can or feel like.
We use 2 x 4 welded wire and make a cage about 3' across and 4' high.
Just get about 10' of the wire and bend it around the plant attaching it to itself.
Wait for a dry period if possible as dry soil and leaves work best.
Next fill the cage w/ leaves to about 1' from the top.
Don't pack them too tightly but do fill and lightly tamp.
You don't want big air pockets.
Then whack the Musa off at the top of the leaves.
Lay the Musa leaves over the top or compost them.
Finish filling the cage w/ leaves mounding them up.
Cover the whole thing w/ plastic over the top and to the ground.
Black plastic if you can but when we use clear we get about the same results.
Bungie the plastic down.
(Mounding the leaves will cause a dome top and stop water from standing on the top.)
You are done for the winter.
What kills the rhizomes is cold damp water.
The plastic stops the water causes a slight GH affect.
The leaves insulate and many years the plant doesn't die back to the ground.
Come Spring and last frost start uncovering the plant.
Some wait until the plant pushes up the plastic, we don't.
Ric
Thank You Guys, I really appreciate all the responses :)
I haven't any pictures yet, I'll work on that this week :)
As for the pond, I haven't put one in yet but will here soon. I'm not talking too deep, more like a water feature pond and some "tropicals" around it. Calla always come back here as well! I went through a lot of your pictures Ric and saw some pretty interesting stuff, such as the poinsettia? Do you overwinter those inside?
I'm setting my basement up with grow lights and a mini greenhouse for the winter months for a few potted plants I have *tacca, passiflora seedlings*
Anymore ideas? I really would love to experiment with some plants and pushing the zone, our usual winter the temp doesn't dip much below the mid teens or possibly higher!
Thanks Again :)
I grew up in Kettering Ohio so I'm very familiar w/ your weather.
Poinsettia we used to grow year round.
Lately we've not bothered, but they are fun.
To REALLY push you need to do a few things.
Have a South facing area, near a building or wall and most important limited water or rain shadow.
We have an overhanging roof that creates such an area.
We added a hedge in front.. south of the house.
So the plants and area are protected from winds.
Our yard is fenced w/ a 6' tall solid wood fence and on the north side we have
15-20' tall bamboo. Phyllostachys aureosulcata.
In the yard we have many water features and have added 10 tons of rock.
This adds about a 1/2 to a full Zone in areas back there in most winters.
I've got a southern facing area, I am just blown away about the poinsettia, and how beautiful that picture is that you've showed! I would love to move to a 9b or 10a zone but as of now it isn't possible so I must bring those zones to me.
Did your poinsettia's die to the ground? I would love to have more of a timber bamboo, what would you suggest? I like the clumping sorts but it isn't technically the look I'm going for?
That is awesome, Ric. I've just started to attempt to push my zone with some Euphorbia, but 2 out of 3 died when I planted them, so only one to test the winter :(
Tabasco, do you do anything special with the Callas? I grew them in NC, but haven't tried it in Ohio.
Thanks, Henry. I've been growing Musa basjoo since '07. It's been through 3 winters so far. The only protection I've provided was a big mound of hardwood mulch year before last. I like the plastic idea. Maybe my black taro would have made it this time if I had used the plastic. I have some small plants left though and will try it again this time using the black plastic in the winter. Good tip!
The Callas I have never protected, they're planted in sparse locations and they faithfully pop up for me! It might just be my area, here in Anderson we get very little precipitation, it's said that the Indians made a village here because of that very reason, an old wives tail is that the Indians also put a "protection" over the city to avoid too much rain, snow or sleet :)
Callas should be hardy there.
Black EE's no way.
I just planted some Opuntia compressa, pretty plants, beautiful flowers! My yard is certainly becoming a jungle :)
Josh, I love the whole transformation process! I'm just getting my yard going, too, and I'll definitely be getting some callas - I just never thought to try them in my zone!
Callas are those flowers that just have that simple beauty, they're amazing :) I'm going to try and overwinter some gladioli too!
Here's a few ideas to add a 'Tropical' punch.
First is Colocasia esculenta 'Big Dipper'.
Not hardy in your zone but an easy winterer, plus multiplies like crazy.
It combines well w/ Black Bamboo.
I love the black bamboo, I'll have to find some to buy! Does it die back to the ground every year? I love taro, besides, it's super cheap at the market and I find a lot of nice taro in the veggie section!
Email me as I can't discuss the selling of anything on here at Dave's.
rnranimals@zoomtown.com
In your zone it's probably not going to be hardy w/o help.
Mulched heavily it would die back to the ground I'd say.
And your best color is after a couple of years.
But Phyllostachys aureosulcata is definitely hardy there.
Limbed up it makes a great tropical statement.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/81044/
Setting makes a bit difference too.
Trick the mind.
Annuals can make a nice statement if slid in w/ true tropicals.
Here's Purple Oxalis, begonias, basjoo, the light orange flowers are 'Apricot' Trumpet Vine
Campsis radicans 'Flava'
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/78853/
Pardon the mess we're still potting up RU Plants and finishing some construction.
Josh, I have my glads in a protected spot by a fence on the south side of the house and they faithfully return every year. I thought for sure after this last winter that I'd never see them again but they are happily growing like crazy. I'm halfway between Dayton and Cincy, on the line of 6a and 6b. When I first planted them years ago I knew nothing about gladiolas and everyone told me they'd never come back. I've never planted another one since.
I love gladiola, my problem is digging up 30-50 bulbs plus all the new pups, I'm going to let them overwinter in the ground and see what happens :) I have a bunch of Peruvian Daffodils I'm going to give a shot as well :)
What about Thalia dealbata?
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1005/
It's beautiful and hardy for me.
I mentioned that above and think it is one pond plant you can't do w/o.
We wintered ours in the pond for the first time last winter.
Did great and is already throwing seeds.
You do though have to make sure it's well anchored if in a pot.
The leaves are like kites! lol
Here's the flower scape
I sent you an e-mail for the black bamboo :)
Just answered you Josh.
Busy Busy Day...lol!
Ric
What kind of cannas are you all growing that survive in 6a? I'm technically 5b but I can fake it.
I don't have any south wall left...
No ID Celene.
Our neighbor works at the Cincinnati Zoo and gave them to us.
7-8' tall, green leaf, red.
Colocasia esculenta winters there w/ it.
We'll try C. 'Big Dipper' and C. 'Pink China' there this winter too.