Cutting up the banana plants!

 LONG ISLAND, NY - Z7

I started cutting and digging up the bananas for winter storage, but it's so warm they are growing back! Highs the past 2 days in my yard were 81F (about 27.7C).

I won't bring these into their winter storage spot until temperatures drop below freezing which looks like won't be for a few more weeks. Hopefully we can get through the first half of November without a hard freeze!

Musa Basjoo

Ensete Maurelli

Musa Ae Ae

Musa  veinte cohol and needle palm

Musa Sikkimensis

Musa sikkimensis and Musa sumatrana cross (Zebrina x Gran Nain)

Musa sumatrana cross (Zebrina x Gran Nain)

October blooms around the yard

 

Plumeria Divine and Ginger

Check out the hedychium ginger!

I love african marigolds! 

This Purple Dahlia is giving it its all 

A mix of winter kale and pansies and the summer banana plants and majesty palm / sago palm cycad

I love pansies

Plumeria divine

Zinnias looking great here

Flowering maple Abutilon

 

Geraniums and everbearing strawberry "Buried Treasure"

Castor beans, zinnia, and windmill palm with some nice fall foliage in the backdrop!

Fatsia Japonica first year in the ground in this spot & going into the winter strong! It's about to bloom

Hedychium Vanilla Ice Ginger is in bloom!

It's in bloom! I usually dig these up after the first freeze, but they didn't bloom last autumn so I kept these alive last winter inside. They are much smaller than most other hedychium and so easy to keep inside the house.

 

Bringing some life to my ugly retaining wall!

Autumn is the start of citrus season - and my meyer lemon are almost ready. It's also mum season, but first let's talk lemons!

There are dozens of different types of lemons, but what makes meyer lemons stand our are their thin rind and sweeter taste. The rind is actually so thin, it's nearly edible! The lemons we usually see at the stores are called "Eurekas" if you're looking to grow those!

Meyer lemon fruits aren't too common to see for sale, but they're the most common lemon available to grow for home growing because they are nearly thornless and stay small. The fruit can stay fresh on the tree virtually all winter, so there's no rush to pick them.

- MUMS -

Did you know there are 13 different types of chrysanthemums but we usually only see ONE flower type available at most stores? The common mum flower is classified as "decorative mums", but look at how cool these "anemone Chrysanthemums" are in my garden. They have simple petals on the edges and a raised center that kind of looks like a golf ball. Thanks to the Long Island Chrysanthemum Society for the fun plant!

Time to (start to) bring the tropical plants inside

Temperatures are still very warm as we approach late October and it looks like these plants could stay outside into November this year. It's pretty remarkable how mild autumn has been getting in New York. Highs are still regularly hitting 70s and we have 80F highs in the forecast for 10/21 and 10/22. That's pool weather! 

Anyway, I don't have time to bring the plants inside in November so I'm starting to bring them in a little earlier than I have to. The Adondila palm and rubber tree are from my high school garden collection. Today they're going inside!

 

The Northern Lights are DANCING in the sky over my New York garden!