vicman2

Great forum. I'm new to bananas having just purchased a 5' green banana from Home Depot and 4' Red Leaf from a local nursery. I do not expect great advice from retail places. I come to forums like this one. I have had some success with Bamboo's and Palms thanks to advice from the various online forums. I live in Victoria, British Columbia which is on the edge of the hardiness range of bamboos, palms and bananas. The various municipal districts in this area have full time gardeners that look after their tropical plantings. These people are trained horticulturist and earn $20 to $30 per hour plus benefits. The people at Walmart, Canadian Tire and Home Depot earn around $10 to $15 per hour and are expected to know hardware, plumbing and gardening. Buy your plants at these places and search for advice elseware. Home Depot has a one year warantee-so save your reciepts.

I live near the Butchart Gardens (500 metres away but am 60 metres higher in elevation) I get more frost days than them. Much advice is very site specific and you have to have some common sense when applying advice.