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Monday, September 26, 2022

Before and After Summer GLOW up.


Patience is a virtue most gardeners share & time is better than any fertilizer, but you might be surprised at how much a garden can grow in a short period of time. 

I established the garden at my parents house on Staten Island years ago, but I've only been gardening on Long Island since May. Below is a comparison of the two. You'll see a compare and contrast of the Staten Island garden over the past several years & how much things have changed in just a few months on Long Island. 

If time isn't on your side, don't be discouraged. A LOT can change in the garden in just a few months.

Staten Island Yard: Over the years

Below you'll see how quickly my Trachycarpus fortunei grew the past few years. The winter of 2017-2018 almost killed them even with protection. Temperatures dropped close to 0F. They have since recovered beautifully. Here's a view of that recovery! I literally could cry looking at the first photo. Now I laugh because it was a VERY awkward phase post cold snap for the tropicals.

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022


What I love about gardening with potted plants is how easily you can mix and match combinations. Every season looks a little different than the last and if one potted plant isn't performing well, all you have to do is swap it with something else. A lot easier than digging a shrub up! 

2019

2022

This year I decided to place all my biggest palms in the pool area. There's power in numbers and it makes a much bigger impact to have a lot of cool plants close together than spreading them out. 

2022




Long Island Yard: 2022 Growing Season

Meanwhile on Long Island, I was starting off from square one! There was already a beautiful garden in place, but all my tropicals had a lot of space to grow. I wanted plants that had a big impact so I chose fast growers like Musa "Viente Cohol" bananas, Brugmansia, cannas, and a huge cassia alata that grew more than 12 feet tall in one season. The result was a lush blanket of tropical foliage! 

May 2022

Sep 2022


A different view

May 2022

Sep 2022

Although things were still far from lush in June, the clematis the previous homeowners planted was looking gorgeous! Nowadays the Brugmansia fills the roll with its beautiful trumpet blooms!


June 2022

Sep 2022

My plan is to surround most of this deck with tropical plants around it and a few focal potted plants for a rainforest vibe! 


May 2022
 
Sep 2022

Aug 2022

Some plants reach their peak in mid - late sumer like Plumeria! This corner in the photos below has something to enjoy all year long. The Rhododendron in May is something I literally dream about! 

May 2022

Aug 2022





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