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.
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| 2018 |
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2019
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2020
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2021
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| 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!
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| 2019 |
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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. |
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| 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!
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May 2022
 | Sep 2022
A different view |
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| May 2022 |
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| 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!
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| June 2022 |
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Sep 2022
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My plan is to surround most of this deck with tropical plants around it and a few focal potted plants for a rainforest vibe!
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| May 2022 |
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Sep 2022
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Aug 2022
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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!
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| May 2022 |
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| Aug 2022 |
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