Tropical Gardens and Plants #106

Please join us for fun and x-citement with Tropicals!
We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1194615/

Ensete Glaucum that was about 18'' tall when planted first of May.

New of some Philodendrons Monsteras and Anthurium

Musa Siam Ruby Musa Rajpuri Grasses and such!

How did that Borneo leaf get in the way???

This message was edited Jul 14, 2011 4:49 PM

half and half variegation

Homer
As always your plants are looking quite beautiful. Thanks for sharing

Homer: Stunning! You have a wonderful tropical garden ... sure makes me envious, but I know how much work goes into tending so many plants and keeping them so beautiful ... I wish I had the patience! Great Job!

Now, tell me please, what is the beautiful plant in this photo: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8692412 The shorter plant, front and center with the awesome veining? Is that an Anthurium? I wish I could grow them but it seems like they do well for a short time and then all of a sudden fail.

Lin,

That is an Anthurium Regale. I love it too! If you would have seen this plant when I first got it.........! I think you should try one; they really are easy to grow.

I use 1/3 medium orchid mix,1/3 pine bark fines and 1/3 Miracle Gro potting mix and add a handful of coarse Agricultural Perlite you are set. The mix will stay damp but not wet! Anthuriums and Philodendrons seem to love this mixture.

Always pot up in something you think would be ridiculously small! They seem to like there roots kinda cramped!

Oh; I am sorry, I did not thank you Lin and Tina!

Drew, I'm drooling again. Love A. regale and yours is a beautiful specimen. How long have you been growing it? I also see a super nice euphorbia or is it a cacti. in the first photo. Is there any kind of plant you cannot grow well;)

Newest leaf on A. magnificum x papillilaminum.

Lin, are you still growing Philodendron congo and rojo?

Hey Rachel! I started that Regale back in May the small offsets are pretty cool looking @ about an inch long. The biggest leaf size wise has yet to be determined. That girl is growing like a weed! 16-17'' is my guesstimate!I came in
a 3'' and now it is in a clay 4''.

They're all beautiful, Drew but who's that sitting in your chair?? Does he drink your Miller Lite, too? He has that shiny glow . .

I love that shiny leaf with the white midrib.

homer and rachel and dyzzy, your plants always make me drool..

Anthuriums with the velvety type leaves have been a challenge for me to keep looking good for an extended period of time. In my opionion, they look there best as long as high humidity is a key factor. You have done very well with your Regale thus far and I honestly believe you will keep yours thriving even when you have to bring it indoors for the Winter months. Great growing Drew! Is regale the only Anthurium you are growing?

Debra, all your tropicals grow so well for you. You always amaze me especially with growing brugs.

Gorgeous plants all, but I'm drooling over Dyzzy's pool !!

Debra, From # 105. To me, the Portora in the blue pot looks like an A. Odora. In any event, I would repot and reup the soil in the blue pot with just the one large plant. I would divide the smaller ones and give to your friends.(all this if you want the plant to get bigger). You could just place them in the ground and be done with it in your zone and have a large mat. Or, you could just repot the whole lot in something 2-4'' larger!

The Colocasias will grow from root pieces(runners)! Don't know about the Queens.

Elaine, The Miller company saw my pictures on the forum and asked me if I would consider my chair being a "spokesperson for the sport of tropical gardening for them"! I told them they would have to "contact you" for any and all events. That "shiny glow" is a "Nitrogen Eaters" Grin!..... In all seriousness though; that is the Philodendron McDowell with the first "white" midrib, as all the other leaves have been a medium green.

Rachel, I am looking for the next A. but I am going to run out of room in the house for overwintered plants... some of the trials and tribulations of growing zone 10-11 plants in zone 7. A small greenhouse would be nice, but the HOA would have a conniption fit!

Thanks, folks! We do love our pool - lived in FL 5 years in a house with no pool. I get a LOT more gardening done through summer now that I have this little lap pool to cool off in. Mind you, this house has a LOT more garden than the other one, too. At the moment the pool doesn't even have any heater - just the dark finish to absorb sunlight. Stays the right temp all summer, then cools off as the weather does.

But my daughter complains that it's too cold to swim when she visits in the spring so we're looking at putting some solar panels up to keep it warmer through the winter. Just think, it will create a nice 'micro-climate' for the plants around it . .. so maybe I won't have to use quite so many frost covers this winter. Plus the cage along the east side has a flower bed right next to the pool, so I could keep some tender plants blooming along there all winter, too.

Yippee, another garden project for me!

Debra, Queen palms should do fine in the heat - I'm pretty sure they grow in AZ and the hot deserts in CA (with irrigation) too. BUT they also get huge! How about a picture to show us how big they are now? Maybe they were "sent" to you for the purpose of supplying some of your lost shade along the fence line? Then just pull the pots in against the south wall of the house for winter and they might survive. If not, they'll have served their purpose anyway.

I'm using Monster White brug to shade my clivias, and would you believe Cherub has a sucker coming up from the base, a 3-branched Y and a dozen buds?? They'll all be in bloom next week when I'm away, but I have my neighbor coming over to take pictures so I won't miss them. (except the perfume)

My variegated Dr. Moy bud is coming along - wonder if the flowers will have streaks??

A mounted Dendrobium Chrysotoxum this past spring.

Did not mean to step on your toes there LariAnn!

That's a killer plant there Tommy! Will you give us a couple more pictures to get a better idea of what the mounting and flower together look like?

Hello Everyone!!
It is so very nice of homer1958 to start a new thread for us.
It has been very hectic around here for the past couple of days, trying to get the roof back on my greenhouse that was destroyed by the spring storms. I keep checking on the carpenter to make sure that he has not passed out from the heat in the GH.

Thanks to everyone for sharing the stars of their gardens. The Philos. Gingers, Alocasias,Orchids and mangos were all perfect.
I am happy to read that joeswife got a little rain, maybe it will be my turn next.

Heliconia starting to bloom.

This shingle plant made me happy today. Not being good at getting cuttings to root, I wrapped a piece of sphagnum moss dusted with rooting powder, wrapped in plastic about 6 ins. from the other end of the vine. This is what I found.

Tillandsia

Nong Nooch vine still blooming!

Alocasia Lutea

Rita,
Wish I could get my Nong Nooch vine to look as good as yours. Maybe next year, it's been blooming, but it's still not so impressive.
We got almost 3 in. of rain today...whoooooo whooooo !! But with that there is not even a puddle, it's all being sucked right into the ground.
Rita, I will do a rain dance for you !!
No pics cause there's not much new to show..but tomorrow !! Milk N Honey Brug is struttin her stuff !!! Finally a Brug is blooming for me !

What is the soil concoction you gals use for your Nong Nooch vine? I have had mine almost 3 years - the first year, it was gorgeous. Since then, it has totally died back, come back from the dead, grown barely from the root ball about 6", and now, has lost all its leaves. I have it in a hanging basket in regular potting soil - what's wrong with this silly plant - what does it WANT?!!!

Kay,
Don't know about Rita, I've got it in Jungle Growth potting mix, and keep it where it get's a good deal of morning sun, then afternoon shade. I probably need to move mine a bit again as with the change in the sun's path as we get into summer it's not getting quite as much as it was. Seems like it takes off again when I give it a shot of Fish Emulsion also. And they don't like to dry out.

Rita what do you do to yours ?

Also Rita, Love that Tillandsia ...

Nice prop. Rita!

Burle Marx starting to root well!

This time of the year I love it because my garden transforms into something new. the perennials are taking a break with all the heat and humidity, and the elephant ears, lilies, and gingers are the stars of the show. Having just a few large leaed tropical type plants can change your view when other things are fading or needing a little deadheading. I have actually added more things that will supplement the large foilaged things at this time of the year, like perennial hibiscus, a very tropical looking Loquat, and a varigated rose of sharon...This is the time of the year I dread with the work needed and the heat, having things look a little more inviting helps get me past the initial ugh of the souther summer season.

Hi guys, checking in and saying hi!
Rj

Hi, Randy!!!

Sup RJ!

homer1958, here is the whole plant last spring:

Tommy,That's sweeet! Is it some type of Orchid?

Speaking of orchids, I am a total novice, but seem to be acquiring them - my daughter gave me this one 18 mo. ago for my birthday. It has not bloomed since I've had it although it had buds when I got it, and two opened, but the rest fell. The other Phal I got at the same time bloomed wonderfully again this spring, they have been side by side and had the same care and conditions.

This one has had a few new leaves this spring, and just lately, these two 'appendages' have appeared and seem to be growing very slowly. I'm wondering what the heck? Surely the little fella can't be putting up a flower scape now?? Insights anybody?



This message was edited Jul 16, 2011 3:33 PM

Those two appendages would be roots! A good sign, although I am a bit curious about the variegated leaf blade margins.