a few pictures of my work

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:50 am

some pictures of my backyard from August 2007.

a picture of my pond. Its about 3 years old and gets better every year. always doing something new to it. the fish are year around residents.

this is a picture of my new border I dug up this spring. already making plans to enlarge it this fall or next spring.

Hope all your plants are doing great this year.

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:18 am

Nice work oppalm! Looks like a lot of work also in the Autumn, moving all the container plants. Nice to see green grass too. Around here summer drought turns lawns brown. No one wants to spend money watering lawns especially the size most of them are.
Any plans for more around your deck? Cheers, Barrie.

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 5:49 am

thanks Barrie. Plans for more plants around the deck .......... all I have are plans. I keep trying to figure out how I can accomidate more palms/tropicals in my yard. I have about 200 palms in containers in my yard, front and back. I try to keep it from looking too crowded and too tacky. I have been collecting plants now for about 3 years. Some of the stuff is starting to get bigger so I am slowing down buying stuff a bit and just this summer have started thinking of a master plan for the backyard (as opposed to just throwing plants wherever I want). Takes a bit more thought, but in the end I think it will be worth it.

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 10:52 am

I almost immediately thought of a nice grove of Musa basjoo bananas planted in ground near your deck. I believe with good mulching they should make winters in your area and look awesome in summer.

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 2:56 pm

oppalm, I'd trade with you in a heartbeat!
Beautiful.
Barb

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:59 am

thank you Barb. If you have a place in the Carribean (sp?) I'll trade you.

Barrie - I am going to start a grove of bananas in the birm behind my pond. It currently has a couple of Wash Robustas and 2 bananas planted in it. I'd like the height there and it is a full sun spot. You are on the right track. Keep up the good work

Bgreen · Post by **Bgreen** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 2:43 pm

Hey Oppalm,

The yard is looking great!
What type of bananas are you going to plant, musa basjoo, or something you will have to dig up?

I just started 140 Musa sikkmensis "daj giant" seeds and 20 M.sikkmensis "red flash" seeds
If several sprout you are more than welcome to one. They are supposed to be hardy, but will need to be kept dry over winter, because they seem more prone to rot.

Here are a few banana's grown down the road from you:

This is a second year grove started from 1 plant and left in the ground this past winter.
The main pseudostem rotted over winter, but as you can see a lot of pups lived.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:11 pm

Nice grouping, Ben, they look really healthy.
No distress evident on leaves.
You're doing something right.
Barb

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 6:47 am

very nice grove you got there Ben. I'll take as many banana plants as you want to give up. I'll trade you something. I bought a sampler set of banana seeds back in Jan 2007 and have 1 seed germinate out of about 50 seeds. I know that banana seed germination is eratic and slow, so we'll see how long I can let this go on. I do have 2 musa basjoo that I dig up and overwinter inside. I have a couple of pups growing this year so I may leave the larger ones in ground and cut the pups off to brings inside. Too early to start planning my winter though. I'll enjoy summer and fall first.

macario · Post by **macario** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 8:26 am

oppalm everything looks so great. Do you over winter anything in the ground or take everything inside? Everthing looks so clean and neat. My yard is about full as well and Im only getting 2 more palms and I think im done. Taking care of the yard is a full time task now. Looks like your at that point also

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Thu Aug 09, 2007 9:05 am

Macario - you exposed me, the secret is out, I am anal retentive when it comes to my yard. I spend lots of time in the yard, but it keeps me off the street. I coached my sons baseball team for 10 years and my spring and summers were spent on or near a baseball field and now I enjoy the yard (is that goofy or what) . I bring most everything in for winter. Believe me that will be a process this fall. The bananas and elephant ears I will dig up and overwinter in a dark area of my basement. They don't take up much room, but digging ain't easy. Most of my palm trees end up in a make shift greenhouse in my basement under flourescent lights. The special palm trees get to spend time in our great room and kitchen which face the west with a big bank of windows for sunlight. My wife is growing tired of my hobby but she tolerates the palms inside until she sees the first bug then she screams. I have seen pictures of your collection and am impressed with your efforts. keep up the good work.

Wes North Van · Post by **Wes North Van** » Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:51 pm

Your yard looks great. Nice green grass and the nanas and palms looks awesome.

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 6:01 am

thanks everybody for the nice comments. It is amazing what a difference 10 days can make. Our temps have been close to 100F or higher for the last 7-8 days and the plants are taking a beating. Its cooling down to 80F at night. My plants, palms and nanners have had enough. Shut off the furnace. My Kansas friends will know what I mean. How's your stuff doing ?

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:53 am

I feel for you and your plants. Here on the West coast it's been pleasantly warm 75 - 82 with nice fresh ocean breezes. Some periodic rain thrown in for good measure and all the plants are responding with great vigor.
Hope the heat breaks for you soon.

Cheers, Barrie.

Bgreen · Post by **Bgreen** » Thu Aug 16, 2007 7:25 pm

Hey Oppalm,

The banana pic I posted are at a friends down the street from me. His out grew mine by far this year. I kept mine in pots over the winter, but they are spending this year in the ground. The heat is really trying to do a number on my plants. Hopefully we can get some cloud cover tomorrow to give them a break.

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 6:07 am

I hear ya. I lost track , but it seems like its been two weeks of 100F days and my plants and yard are taking a beating. I've moved most of my potted stuff to some kind of shade , but when I go out to water at night its just brutal. Its still 96F at 9:00PM. My pond loses about 2-4 " of water each day with this heat to evaporation. I have to fill it back up each night. I feel like I'm living on a farm as I do my chores each night. The heat is supposed to break today and be 94F for the next day or two.

PALMETTOMAN · Post by **PALMETTOMAN** » Fri Aug 17, 2007 4:14 pm

oppalm: I love the mixture of your hardies and native trees and shrubs..(blended in)

Now thats something to look at now and in mid January...

Palmettoman Z6-Ajax, On

Post by **Jay-Admin** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 3:26 pm

Looks awesome.

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 6:28 am

as Elvis would say, "thank you, thank you very much". He is the king, he should know.

PALMETTOMAN · Post by **PALMETTOMAN** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:51 pm

here are some summer pics of some hardy palms etc..

palmettoman Z6-Ajaz, On

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictu ... 2088381655

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:50 am

palmettoman, your hard work has created a masterpiece.
From the really neat mulch beds and sculptural gravel, to the excellent use of plant varieties, hope
you enter a garden contest. You'd win!
Really nice use of plants in your sideyard, well designed. The datura is at its prime, nice choices of plant combinations.
The banana variegation makes it really stand out.
And your palms! Wow, they're thriving...

Now the tough decision -- where will you plant the rest of your purchases?

Your neighbours must be thrilled!
Barb

PALMETTOMAN · Post by **PALMETTOMAN** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:29 pm

Thanks Barb..

Well I guess you can tell I'm a bit of a neat freak (only in the yard)...

There's always lots of room for those hardy palms etc.. (somewhere in the gravel)..

I'm already planning this fall..

Palmettoman Z6-Ajax, On

tropicman · Post by **tropicman** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:03 pm

Oppalm,your plants really look great,what are you feeding and how often?
Heat and the 40mph winds today is really taking toll on my plants,hoping for the rain coming in tonite and tomorrow.

Don

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 6:32 am

first off -palmettoman your landscaping looks great. I'm a bit of neat freek myself so I can appreciate your efforts. I'd love to come by your place and mess it up just so you can put it all back together, LOL. just kidding.

Don - (aka tropicman) - I am a huge Rolling Stones fan (you know Mick and the boys). I blast Stones music out to plants 24/7, they respond very positively to Mick singing or playing the harmonica, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood on guitar and Charlie Watts on drums. lol.

Actually I took pictures at just the right time, because after that day we had like 2 weeks of 100F temps and winds and as you know everything gets beat up. I do stay on a regualr feeding schedule. I use Peters 20-20-20 fertilizer and fertilize once a month. My stuff in pots I ususally fertilize twice a month at 1/2 strength. Once a week I water everything with fish poo from my outdoor pond. Usually take about 10-15 5 gallon buckets of water out of the pond each weekend and water all my plants.

Your place looks great too. Hope the wind and heat don't damage your work.

tropicman · Post by **tropicman** » Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:20 pm

Thanks for the info,the pond water must be the trick in the greening of the plants.
Wind did just about everything in last nite,leaves really tattered now.
Like you I use to be a neat frweak,but after rainforest gardening,I gave that all up,I just crowd everything together to get the lush green look!!!!LOL

oppalm · Post by **oppalm** » Sat Aug 25, 2007 4:23 pm

I crowd alot of stuff together too. I figure if a palnt is growing there it won't be a weed. I mulch like crazy with grass so that helps keep weeds down and moisture in. Got a big old compost pile in the back yard that I work over all the time. I even grab bags of grass from my neighbors but I especailly like the leaves in the fall. Hope you got your mess cleaned up today. Too bad about the shredded leaves. Just when things look goos, mother nature has another lesson for us.

PALMETTOMAN · Post by **PALMETTOMAN** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:34 pm

Thanks oppalm...

I've got a raccoon hangin around turning things upside down and such so maybe i could you some help after all...

Palmettoman Z6-Ajax, On

Wes North Van · Post by **Wes North Van** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:39 pm

Great pics and really nice garden.

What method do you use to protect everything?

PALMETTOMAN · Post by **PALMETTOMAN** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:01 pm

Hi Wes,

Here in my Z6 hardy garden-I use massive amounts of pine mulch and have sat the hardy palms in raised beds and out of the winds...I tarped and plywooded off a few of the tender hardies and added heat and heat lamps (when needed)..

I am basically trying to create a Z7 climate through raised beds, heat etc... when needed..

This year I will protect my hardy palms with a new plexi material called "Suntuf" (Home Depot)...I will be making the enclosures nxt month...

The enclosures are hopefully going to be less work than the previous..

Some of my hardy's (Cordyline trees'-Oleander-Yucca Elephantis) that are permanently potted are garaged from early Dec to April...

Palmettoman Z6-Ajax, On

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