This corner is starting to fill in rather nicely! The hardy bamboo palm and lady palm only reinforce the asian theme, and when they get taller and fuller I'll prune out the lower trunks to make a secondary canopy. Speaking of palms, I just found out that some of my everglades palm trunks are still alive and there are new suckers popping up from my chamaedorea cataractums in the swamp! I never thought that one would make it, but I'm pretty impressed.
Below is a view of a vriesea philippo-coburgii, vriesea fosteriana, neoregelias and a new frond from a polypodium aureum "blue crisp" fern. I'll eventually put this powder blue fern at the base of the lady palms so they can climb, popping out against the dark leaves.
Here's another shot of "Lady Gaga" taking up the spotlight, with chamaedorea microspadix in the foreground.
Yes, my vriesea "inferno" is still blooming, after six months. I wonder how long it will take for its pups to reach blooming size again...
Below is a shot of the new loquat tree, just to the right of the gawdawful crape myrtle stump. To those of you just tuning in, I have to remove this tree since the landscapers keep hacking it down and ruining its form... long story. Anyways, I'm thinking of a screening shrub or tree to go roughly where the crape myrtle is, possibly a fruiting one like another pineapple guava. Does anyone have any suggestions for a fairly hardy tropical fruit tree that can take freezes to 25 degrees? If not I could always plant something else, as long as its evergreen. Thanks!
Your Lady Gaga is a gorgeous bird's nest fern. I love mine, and it just gets larger every year...don't know when it will stop. My vriesias were hideously fried this year, at least the ones underneath the leafless floss-silk tree. The ones in the NW corner survived, though I did place some chairs and stools over most of them. I've discovered through googling that the sun warms things up too quickly on the east and south sides and can damage tropicals even worse than those who warm up slowly during the day. I've observed this the last two years and am quite glad to have an explanation now. True or not, it fits what I've seen in my garden.
ReplyDeleteThat makes sense! I always thought that my wet and shady backyard was a curse since things stay cold, but I suppose they don't get a shock when it gets too cold again, they just lay low.
ReplyDeleteThat is a lovely tropical look to have by the windows. Wonder how grand it would look when the plants grows up and cover the window view and you would have the greens to see from your home.
ReplyDeleteLove all of your bromeliads too.
Ha ha lady gaga... what a nickname. But yes of course, this big bird's nest fern is really a show piece. The plant is definitely going to highlight the theme of your garden more - balinese ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat entry area is really filling in nicely. It is a perfect look for your Balinese theme. Glad to hear your cat palms are coming back since I just put in 3 of them this Feb. I am still on the look-out for that microspadix but so far, no luck.
ReplyDeleteThat lady gaga bird's nest fern fits that space very nicely for your Balinese theme.
ReplyDeleteDo you eat loquat fruits? I do. I used to pick them up from trees planted in an office building landscape near-by. Nobody here seems know the fruits are eatible. Good for me :) This is almost the season again. The fruits are turning yellow quickly. Looks like it will be later for your zone.
Your Lady Gaga is impressive...this fern never disappoints. Your corner space IS filling in quite nicely. I like how everything works so well together. I'm diggin' the loquat too...I have a passion for the fruit trees, as you probably know! :)
ReplyDeleteYour plant selections are all lovely. I just cringe when I see crape myrtles reduced to the bare nubbins like that. On a walk with my daughter yesterday, I saw a neighbor (whom I've never met before, I'm ashamed to say) hacking away at her myrtle. If I'd been better acquainted with her, I probably would have said something. Do you ever speak up when you see a plant being assaulted?
ReplyDeleteThe Lady Gaga comparison cracked me up. :-)
ReplyDeleteRe: the butchered crepe myrtle, you can cut it to the ground and let it resprout to recover its good form. But I suppose if the yard guys will just keep hacking at it, it has to go.