Solitare Palm

Passion Vine growing really well. This is the second summer in the ground and the best it has ever done

My trachy is finally getting some size to it! Its really cool to see how much it has grown since just last year. The growth rate from my trachy isnt as impressive as other people's trachys but its better than it has been in past summers.
Here it was in late June 2011

Now here it is tonight

Here's some of the pool plants! Still so much growing that has to be done but ocne the cannas, elephant ear, banana, and gingers get taller and fill out more, it should look nice again!

My newest banana, Musa Bordelon!

I thought something really bad happened to my ice cream banana because it wasnt growing, but here it is now making its first leaf. This has got to be a record for the latest 1st banana leaf in my yard. All my other bananas are at least onto their second leaf, some are on their 3rd. I hope this banana grows well this year, I plan on fertilizing very well to get it back to where it should be

The Alocasia right next to it is doing well (Sorry that this pic is a little out of focus)

Trachy going into its 4th summer and some buttefly ginger. The cannas in the background survived the winter with no protection and are growing pretty well now.

Purple heart that survived the winter

My newest palm! I couldn't resist it for the price!

My majesty palm looks kind of short in this picture, but the light is 9 feet tall for scale. This is it's 3rd summer now, it has not given me problems indoors during the winter time.

This area still needs a little bit of work, I haven't had the time lately to get as much done as I would like. Thinking a few more annuals in this area. Once the Plumeria and Oleander begin to bloom, this area will look much nicer! Both have buds coming up and the plumeria in this spot is my favorite one for blooms (the flowers are 4 inches in diameter!)

This area still has some room for the little tropicals that I get along the way, but I'm happy the way it looks.

Plumeria "Divine" never disappoints, it has lots of flower inflos coming up!

My tallest plumeria is in a need for a pruning, but I like the fact that it's so tall!

My favorite elephant ear. This one got so huge last year and it looks like it will be even bigger this year. Its just a plain elephant ear but it has great genetics!

A view of the yard

I really like scheffleras. I got this one for $10 last spring, now its taller than me!

Finally have an agave in the ground!

Lots of figs coming from this tree this year!

Saw palmetto looking the same as always

I really like the color contrast of the bluish Sabal Minor and the red Ensete

Kopper King Hibiscus was the last plant to emerge from the ground this spring. Cant wait for the blooms!

Front yard bed

Foxtail palm growing very slowly. I think its time for some superthrive and seaweed extract to get it growing really well. It might not be consistently hot enough yet to open up those new spears.

Med fan palm growing well this year and it even bloomed!

Plants in the front yard. The Musa Saba leaves were really weight down in this pic from the rain so thats why it looks so droopy.

Lots of ginger!

Brugmansia flowers coming soon!

Ensete, Brug, and sprial ginger

I definitely do not regret ever planting this oleander in the ground. They do much better in the ground then in pots for me, but they all bloom well!

This oleander will be taller than me by the end of the season

Pineapple lily survived the winter with no problems and the crinum was planted out this spring. An animal ate one of the crinum bulbs, but it seems to have recovered and is growing as well as the undamaged one. I am hoping for some blooms this year on all of these plants!

Butia growing fast

Frostproof gardenia has lots of buds and should be blooming soon!

Does anyone know when Madagascar palms are supposed to flush out? Mine has not made a single leaf yet and it's in a very sunny spot.

Here's a few daylight pictures taken a few days ago...

Musa basjoos growing back much healthier than last year

Lantanas are definitely one of those plants that just dont stop blooming for me. They should get really big by the end of the season!

Pansies still going strong but getting a little leggy

Oleander in the daylight. I think its kind of ironic that my oleander in the ground is blooming weeks ahead of my oleander that spent the winter indoors.

Mexican petunias

Mandevillas

Passiflora in the daytime

White and Red Mandevilla growing together on the pool fence. I think they look really nice together.

I have 4 palms in my yard that I would consider "tall". From order to tallest to shortest they are my Adondila, Solitare Palm, Spindle Palm, and Majesty palm. Here is the Adondila and Solitare palm...

Thanks for looking everyone! I'll update again soon. Cant wait to get rid of this cold weather since none of the tropicals want to grow unless it's hot outside!

-Alex

Thanks Tropicalbreeezent! What area to you live in? Im near NYC and they are really commonly sold at the nurseries here, they are one of the more commonly available bananas. They are usually really expensive but I got mine early in the season so it was an okay price. The same exact plants that are the same exact size as the one I bought are now being sold at the same nursery for more than double the price!

Thanks for looking everyone!
-Alex

My Saba looks the same but is tearing it up right now,so
it should be fun to watch from here on out.

Nice variegated Agave!

Your P.geayi will need about a week or more of 80F + highs to break loose.

We were lucky to get exactly that in March and that did it for both the P.Geayi and P.Lamerei.

I like the deep color of the Ensete,they are one of the fastest "Banana" plants IME and don't seem to require as
much heat as other Banana plants to get growing.

Great pictures!

Click for weather forecast

Thanks Dennis! I wont get a chance to check my email until later tonight, Ariemas had some nice things last time I was there!

Thanks Central Cali! It definitely takes up a lot of time in the spring and Fall, then when summer comes its just water and fertlizer!

-Alex