Tropicals in SE TN, yeah, right!!!
 

Well, this weekend warmed up enough for me to start getting some of my other plants out and some that were covered were unveiled. Just thought I would share what my "tropical" bed looks like in March!!! Not much, huh!?!?!











Here are a couple of pics from plants that overwintered in my garage...





Come on Spring!!!!!!

Re: Tropicals in SE TN, yeah, right!!!
 

nice and healty plants, very healthy butias! and that larger palm, is that a sabal palmetto?

Re: Tropicals in SE TN, yeah, right!!!
 

Daen,
Thanks for the compliment. I wish it were more to look at, but then again, it is always fun to see what a couple months will do for a garden... BTW, the large palm is indeed a S.palmetto. I planted it last spring and hope it will get established before we ever have a testing winter for it.

Re: Tropicals in SE TN, yeah, right!!!
 

Looking good Randy. We're a little further along here on the Gulf Coast than you but not by that much. My bananas have each unfurled their first spring leaf but the heliconia are still in the greenhouse as it looks we have one more front this week; then they along with the plumeria come out.

Steve

Re: Tropicals in SE TN, yeah, right!!!
 

Thanks Randy

Nice to see dry yard all the snow melted, then rained, now we have winter storm warining!!

Re: Tropicals in SE TN, yeah, right!!!
 

Looks great, Randy! I have got to get myself some palms this year....seriously! You couldn't have picked a better spot for the Palmetto, too.

Re: Tropicals in SE TN, yeah, right!!!
 

Thanks for the pictures Randy. Last summer I fell in love with bananas!
Looks like (thanks to you) this will be the year I start palms! :ropingnaner: MG

Re: Tropicals in SE TN, yeah, right!!!
 

Lynn,
If you are serious about getting into palms, here is a great link to give you a little more info about palms, especially ones that would be best suited for your area. If you have any questions, let me know and I will either help or lie!!! Just kidding, if I can't answer your question, I promise I will find the answer for you and get back with you on it... Needle palms ( Rhapidophyllum hystrix)and Dwarf palmettos (Sabal minors), would be solid canidates for your climate... Got a great mail order source for you it interested....
Randy
OOPPSSS , about forgot the link!!!
The Palm Reader

Re: Tropicals in SE TN, yeah, right!!!
 

Randy,

Even here just south of Houston my bananas don't look much better. I do have a few things starting to unfurl new leaves but we get just enough cold weather here to make all the bananas look like crap for the winter! A couple more weeks and things ought to really start growing here. Your palms look great by the way!

My citrus are really starting to go crazy with the slightly warmer weather. My Meyer lemon is blooming it's head off and my variegated lemon is putting on new growth and flower buds. Spring is almost here!

Re: Tropicals in SE TN, yeah, right!!!
 

Brent,
I may be trying my hand this year at a couple of cold hardy citrus. Have a citromello that is about a one gallon that I hope to get out this year along with a hardy pomegranate. Only nanners I have showing some new growth is my huge potted 'maurellii' and a couple small potted basjoos that I had in the garage. I don't feel it will be too much longer before I start to see life outside!!! My patio peach is budding out which is something new for me since this is the first year with one outside, so that is promising!!! Keep in touch, my friend...

Re: Tropicals in SE TN, yeah, right!!!
 

Nice patio! What did it look like when you were covering it? What type of bananas did you keep in the ground?

Re: Tropicals in SE TN, yeah, right!!!
 

The patio was lawn and I had my neighbor dig down an average of about 12". I then layered 5" of "pug":rollerbananadone: and then 4" of sand. The flagstone is on average 2 1/2-3" thick which is extrememly difficult to move by yourself. That is why there is so much of a gap in between the stones. Mason, I'm not, so this was the best I could come up with. It serves its purpose, so I guess I am happy with it.
As far as bananas in the ground this past winter were:
Basjoo
Velutina
Orinoco
Ornata
Lasiocarpus
Saba
I am pretty sure that is it for this winter. Will be trying some different ones this coming year...