Nate74

Its early I know, but this basjoo has pushed out 2" of GREEN leaf today. It has me rather excited and optimistic for the coming spring.

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JP

Congrats! Today we've got 9 inches of snow here! Not even close to taking the nanners out!!!

Longwoods Tropicals

Sweet! Despite seeing Temps in the 60s twice so far this February I still won't even peek at mine for another month yet...if I'm lucky...lol

OT, damn all those friggen bot spamers to hell already.

exovetek

What is the flowering bush that is next to your Basjoo? I just moved to Tacoma,WA in September and I have two in front of my house. They are everywhere here, but I don't know what they Are.

Nate74

It's a Rhododendron of some sort. It was planted by the builder 13 years ago. It has great red flowers but they are very early in the season.

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exovetek

Thanks. I'm thinking of planting some Basjoo this summer, but afraid they might clash with the coniferous/deciduous landscape. How do you think they would look next to some Hinoki Cypress? I'm thinking of planting them in a separate area along the south wall of the house with some elephant ears.

Mark Dragt

Yes as Nate74 pointed out, it is a Rhododendron. Actually the Washington state flower is the coast rhododendron (rhododendron macrophyllum). Drive out to the beach sometime and you will see them growing wild along the road.

Welcome to the neighborhood. I live 30 minutes south of Olympia. Where did you move from?

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Mark's Banana Forest Paradise

exovetek

Thanks. I moved up from San Diego for school and a change of greenery. I took my bananas with me. They are under 600 watts of lighting in my kitchen for now. I plan on building a large greenhouse this summer for them. I also look forward to seeing the Rainforest and the rest of the Olympic peninsula this spring.

Grannycore

I think it'll look great. I think the thin green needles of the cypress will be a great contrast to banana leaves - you don't want it all the same, just like any design. I also say plant what you want! The fun of gardening trumps all. (This is the excuse I use to explain the chaos that my yard inevitably becomes by July.)

Mark Dragt

The whole western side of the state is a rain forest this time of year. It's a neat drive as I call it, around the horn. Take a good look at Crescent Lake and bring a camera. The reflection of the mountains on the lake,wow! I drove through there one time and there was some snow on the mountains and talk about a postcard moment. I didn't have a camera with me. Bummer.

I looked through your photos and you have a nice banana collection.

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Mark's Banana Forest Paradise

Mark Dragt

That's just the start of your spectacular yard for 2016! Your picts from last year were breathtaking. Your green thumbs might go all the way to your elbows. Can't wait to see the picts later this year.

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Mark's Banana Forest Paradise

cincinnana

Awsome!!!

Mine are still mushy and brown.

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SixtySix

Incredible! I'm on the opposite corner of the continent and my basjoo has only just started to push up. Quite a mild winter.

Nate74

So growth is slow and steady, and it appears that I lost one banana over the winter. When you consider my wintering technique was to cut the stem at 4' and wait for spring perhaps only wasn't so bad.
Last year I concentrated on getting my front yard mostly where I wanted, I will be tinkering with it a little this season. My main project will be the back.

this is my canvas. so this weekend I started off by removing the two raised vegetable beds. Holy was there a lot of soil in those. So I needed a place for that to go, After dressing all of the beds in my yard I still had enough for a new bed in the front.

then it was time to layout this out. Bad angle I know but it was raining by the time I finished and I wasn't going up on the roof for a better shot.

that will be a 15' x 26' pool there will be a deck coming off the house that runs out to it and hopefully some sort of pergola for shade.
In happy plant news my ensetes are itching to get outside.

I keep having to cut them back so that the garage door doesn't hit them and that is 9' sitting on a bare root ball not watered since they came out of the ground.
My tachycarpus is pushing flowers for the first time.

And my Rhodo is in full bloom.

I didn't get a picture but my Alocasias have been moved out and will go into the ground with the ensetes next weekend.

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yellowfin

Those pictures are amazing. Ohio is really bumming me out.

Nate74

They're baaack




switched up the third Ensete for some Alocasia Calidora


I am very happy to see these guys poking through as I wasn't sure if they were going to make it through the winter.

they will become

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Nate74

One of the things I love most about bananas is that last spring these were 3x 6 inch indoor Tropicals at a local garden centre.



Now it's 11 1 gallon or better. They will come back inside for a few more weeks and then into the yard they will go.

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Mark Dragt

I do or know what else to say, but WOW! Your yard is going to look amazing. It is already taking shape to be as awesome or better as last year. Great job! Great picts! You are a true inspiration to low zone growers. Thank you.

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Mark's Banana Forest Paradise

Nate74

Thanks for the kind words, my wife thinks I am crazy and the neighbors seem to agree but it is sure fun to see what you can grow without toooo much work.

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Mark Dragt

My wife thinks I am crazy, my kids think I am crazy, my friends think I am crazy, and I think the might be right. If you have to be crazy to have this much fun growing plants that have no business in our grow zones. Then I am crazy, and I am more than ok with that.

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Mark's Banana Forest Paradise