Now “That’s” what I call a House Plant !!!!

Let’s see what you have hiding in the corners of your rooms.
This is my Daughter and Son In Law’s house. This is their houseplant a Banana Tree.

It was about 2 1/2 ft tall when it was given to them just a couple of years ago. Now it is over 10 ft. and starting to have babies of it's own.

That's my Daughter sitting and her husband standing up. They live here in Pa. The plant is looking a little limp today but it will pick up. They keep it in the house all year round planted in half a wiskey barrel.

WOW that is so cool !

Yea, I think it’s great couldn’t wait to get a couple of pictures of it to post. In the first picture you can just see their Giraffe and in the third picture you can just see the baby banana peeking over the edge of the whiskey barrel. Holly

Holy Cow!!!! What a great plant!

This is Christmas of 2005

This is the year it was given to them Christmas 2004. They don't have a lot of plants just a few but with this you don't need alot. Holly

Awesome fun plant ! They have beauriful tall ceilings and windows to go right along with it !

Yes they do have a beautiful house. It was a family project. My Son-in-law did most of the work himself with some help from my husband, sons, and several friends. He only had a little professional help for the Masonry work for the 3-story chimney and a friend of my sons did that. It’s a modified A-frame home. It sits up on a hill and has a wonderful view. This was taken on the day they set the rafters that's my Dad giving the crane directions and my SIL catching the beam. Take a look at that view.

Here's the finished house. Andy never did anything like this before he started this project. As I said he did most of the work. Friends and family came and helped with or showed him how too. and this is what he did. Not bad for a first time.

I was hoping you guys would show me some pictures of what is hiding in your corners. Doesn't have to be this big just something you have that you really like. Holly

Hi Holly- that's a heck of a houseplant!!
trying to think of what I love, but life hasn't been catering to my houseplants lately. I have a peperomia which I've found to be a great tough plant. forgot the variety name- not exciting but still new to me.

and my baby may be this asparagus fern cuz I grew it from seeds- sorry the pic a bit dark- and it's a favorite pot my hubby picked out all by himself

That's good....'cuz I doubt that any of us have anything *that* big!! LOL!!!

I have a couple of Musas myself, but I keep them restricted by growing them in smaller pots, as I'd never have room for a pot that size!

I have a few plants with what I call funky trunks....I'll have to get a couple of other photos of some of my favorites tonight.

Rather than posting them again, I'll just link to that post from last year, HollyAnnS.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/603849/

Holly- nobody thinks they can even compete with the banana! including me.

Well, it wouldn't fit in my house either. I have a good bit of space in my great room but not enough for that Banana Tree. Sure wish I did. I'm impressed starting asparagus ferns by seed. I have one and have been thinking about hacking it up into pieces and see if I could get some more plants that way. I love putting them in window boxes and if it works it would give me something else to take to the swap.

got the seed from Pinetree Gardens- slow to germinate but got about 4 out of 5 the first try and 3 of 5 the second. go for the hacking and let us know. Have you noticed tho it gets little thorns? so take care.
I have a spathiphyllum with small leaves, that kept making a fatter clump but drying out. Moving up the pot size made the pot look too big for the plant. I hacked it into three, they recovered great and look so much better!!!!! in proportion.

Oh yea, I remember the thorns. Two years ago I bought several very little ones and tucked them in the corners of one of my window boxes and they really looked good and grew beautifully. Come fall I started to tear them out of the window boxes. That's when I remembered that they had thorns. OUCH. I divided them into several plants and potted them all up and gave all but one away as extra Christmas presents. I kept one and put it out last summer it looked pretty good. I’m thinking about really doing a job on it. Cut it in half and repot half of it. Then take the other half and cut the stems off short about 6 inches long and cut it up in pieces small enough for a 4 inch pot. It would be just like starting a young plant and a good size to start for window boxes. Wonder if I’m being too hard cutting it down that far? Never tried anything like this but I think it should work????

I would try it. I think with any decent lookingroot ball you'll get resprouting. Did I tell you I saw it used in landscaping in Las vegas? shade but obviously hot dry air. that makes me think it's very tough. Good luck!

I definitely can't compete with the size of that banana (it's really impressive!) but here's my Nandina...not, technically a houseplant, but rather a porchplant for me.
Since it's hardy to zone 7, it lives on my porch during the winter, where it stays green and leafy, and even colors up a bit (see 2nd photo).
It's kind of cool to have a 'green plant' on the porch during the dreary leafless winter!

I put it outside during the summer.

It's about 5' high and growing in a 14" pot, I think.
I've had it about 5 years.

Here's a close-up of some of the 'colorful' winter foliage.

Oh, I love Nandina, Does yours get berries. I have a friend with one in her yard. I wouldn't have thought of putting it in a pot and it really does look nice and I love the colorful leaves.

It does get berries, though my tree has none right now. I think this weird weather we've been having has something to do with it.
It may still get some, for all I know, though.

I forgot to take a shot of the 'gnarly' trunks on this....I'll try to get that tonite.

excellent plant

I have a good-sized Musa Bajoo growing in the Greenhouse, along with a small Blood Banana. Here they are. I'm not too far from Dover, being in Carlisle. But your kid's banana sure beats mine.

This message was edited Feb 17, 2007 10:06 AM

Ahhhhh, A greenhouse, (sitting here with glassy eyes). I have all the glass I need to build a greenhouse sitting in my barn, just waiting for the day....... What is that in the lower right corner?

It's an Aeonium. I got it for $ 15.00 from Lowes a couple years ago.

Did you see this thread? I'd love to have some like this.

http://davesgarden.com/forums/fp.php?pid=2304636

Such a lovely lot of Aeoniums. I have been giving away pups but now I am down to two and I want the plant to grow more branches before I share again.

Yours is very nice. I think I will have to start looking for some. I'd really like some of the rusty, burgundy colored ones they would really look nice with your bright green. Do you know are they related to Stonecrop Sedums?

No, I don't know that. A friend of mine in Florida sent me one that was nearly black but since it has wintered over in the GH, it is more red & green leaves. When I put it outdoors this summer, it will probably turn black again. Ashcombe farms has Aeoniums, I believe. Did you check them out?

Think I'll go over there tomorrow, and check out Country Market too. I'm finally going to put my terrarium together this week. I can just see me coming home with arm loads of plants.

Holly, what are you using for a terrarium? Just curious. I made one out of an eclipse 3 aquarium that developed a crack in the plastic. I have moss (I collected outside) and terrestrial orchids and also a paph orchid in it.

I have a round hand blown glass jar about 12 inches high. Very thick and rough It's very old I used it as a terrarium in the 70's. Bought it at the Williamsburg Pottery Factory. I was cleaning out before Christmas and dug it out of the attic. Not sure what I will put into it. I was thinking of the old winter gardens that my neighbor use to do. She would gather moss from the woods and there was something else but I can't remember what it was. I remember that we use to do sand paintings in the bottom of our jars. Made it look like mountains, oceans and little birds flying in the sky. Man we were cool!!! LOL

Oh is that cool or what????????? You go, girl!

I thought you might be interested in an up date on my daughters Banana tree. You may remember that it is growing in her living room. It's got 2 baby trees comming along and now it's producing fruit.

Jul says that there are flowers on the ends of the fruit.

She took these pictures and brought them down today. I have got to get up there and see this.

WOW!!! Does she know which Banana this is, and if the fruits will be edible?

I'd do almost anything for windows that would allow a Banana to grow and fruit like that in my house!!

I'm going to try to find something 'hiding in my corner', (lol!) over the weekend to post a photo of, though it'll certainly be nothing compared to this!