Pushing the limits of cold hardiness..

[canadianplant]

Ive read up on them quite a bit in the last week or so. Ive read that you can propagate then by burying the stems, but I never read about burying all of the branches. I was thinking of doing it like Basjoo. Cut the top off, then, wrapping the crap out of the trunk, so I can give it a good good head start. Ill have to read up a bit more on that... thanks for the tips!!!!! Now i jsut have to try to find some seeds or some cuttings

[canadianplant]

Heres a few more pics
1- Datura Double Queen. 3 ft tall so far, in 2 months, has a flower or 2 developing
2 - Canna, 5ft+
3-Unknown passiflora (cerulea??)
4-Summer flowers on clematis "the president"
5- Unkown banana, Musella lAsiocarpa or musa velutina. Leaves look thinner, and oblong, so im assuming Musella.

[Cameron_z6a_N.S.]

Canadianplant: Try "Adriano's figs". I'll be ordering some cuttings from him soon as well

[canadianplant]

Already contacted him LOL, thanks for the lead cameron

[canadianplant]

My passiflora bloomed finaly today. I have no idea what it is, of ourse the tag didnt say anything. Looks liek cerulea......... or a hybrid of..

[lucky1]

very nice!

What kind of pollinators seem attracted to the passionvine? butterflies? hummingbirds? bees?
Tough to guess.

Barb

[canadianplant]

If i remember right, hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Probably wasps ad other pollinators too. They opened today while i was at work so i havnt had a chance to see what has been visiting them here. Ill keep an eye out though..

[canadianplant]

Ive been away from home for the past 2 weeks, and after having a heatwave, and dry spell, for 2 weeks, we get hammered with 60kmph winds and 2 inches of rain, and 13C highs to boot. Everything looks good concidering. The basjoo looks liek it migh thav gotten a bit dry, as mos tof the bottom leaves are dried off..... whatever it happens.. TBoth fargesia species are putting out their fall culms. Im wondering why those parts are swollen like that on my Canna as well. That isnt seed production is it??? Heres some pics

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4iUFJ" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4iUFJ.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4j199" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4j199.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4j3Ei" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4j3Ei.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4j68r" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4j68r.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4j8DA" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4j8DA.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4jb7J" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4jb7J.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4jdCS" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4jdCS.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4jg70" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4jg70.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4jiC9" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4jiC9.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4jl6i" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4jl6i.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4jnBr" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4jnBr.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4jq5A" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4jq5A.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4jv4S" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4jv4S.jpg" border="0" /></a>

<a href="http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Ts4jxA0" target="_blank"><img src="http://s2.postimage.org/4jxA0.jpg" border="0" /></a>

[canadianplant]

Well the season here is waning. While laces just out of town have had a few connsecuitive light frosts, i personaly havnt seen any here. Lowet temp was 2C for 2 nights, other wise no lower then 5C, usualy round 8 or 9C. Ill give the first frost in my are in a few weeks. My canna have some nice huge seed pods, everything is still growing nicely, but slower now.

My EE, and one musa is potted up, and indoors in the portch, where they seem to be doing very well. If the musa outside doesnt make it, I have a back up, and if worse comes to worse they both dont make it, ill jsut have to order a few more

The picture where theres a red wall ont he left, and the 2 fences, is going to be one giant key hole bed. Its about 15x18 feet, with a slight slope towards the right. I effectivly have multiple types of light, thanks to the fence. The side thats exposed to full sun, is a minimum of 8 hours of light in the spring/summer, and the wall and over hang, and the thing concrete walk way behind, effectivly create a nice microclimate. IT is also blocking the harsh north winds. IF my passiflora survives, i know its essentialy a zone 6 microclimate.

ITs going to be sheet multched, as best i can with news paper, some compost in spots, and all the dried leaved i can find. The back left corner is going to have a macintosh apple tree, and thers already an azalea, and wegelia. I am going to be adding some blue berry and raspberry shribs with some lower growing plants, tons of ornamentals, and vines. With the Phyllostacys located there already, I belive I can effectivly create a mini woodland edge, when I can enjoy the animals, sights sounds and smells, and all the food i can grow.

And, no matter what, I am getting mordifferent species of musa, and definetly some trachys going Its going to be an interesting yhear next year

[canadianplant]

I also bought a new camera, so I had to test it out.... Takes 720P pics and vid......

[skunkyjoe]

I grew this in North Bay ( Zone 4b ) when I lived there , it was close to the house and facing south . It was in a bed of really sandy soil and baked in the sun in summer . It was never truly evergreen ( when the snow melted the leaves got fried ) , but always came back in the spring to 2-3 feet . I also grew Gingko and Walnut trees ( juglans ailantifolia cordiformis ) and Rose Daphne with success . I think the key to zone pushing is not be afraid of what the books say , and to understand the cultural needs of the plant .

[hardyjim]

People make way to much fuss about Castor beans toxicity,
never seen anyone die that didn't deserve too

Alright,never seen anybody hurt by these,I have
handled the seeds and pulled them up and pruned
leaves and what not-no problems.

People act like a bird would die if it landed on it

I would not go around eating seeds off them though....

easy enough to cut the flowers/pollen sacks off before they open.

[canadianplant]

The thing is.... people in my area are dumb enough to think that its a giant pot plant, roll it, and smoke it. Its sad to think, but this is an area where they had to remove hand sanitizer due to kids drinking it.

[lucky1]

they had to remove hand sanitizer due to kids drinking it.

Sheesh...they've got rocks for brains.
And then they grow up and vote.
And breed.

What a bunch of morons.

One exception to the warning might be Datura, though, because it's a very attractive large flower to young children.
Definitely worth keeping that away from kids.

Barb