New Year, Same Me!

 I'm beginning to appreciate the quiet that comes with the winer garden. I'm a tropical plant guy so it's hard to sit on my hands and let the winter cold pass through, but it's a nice break ahead of the busy spring garden season just a few weeks away. 

Windmill palm, yucca gloriosa, and yucca "Silver Anniversary"

Satsuma Mandarin Owari

Chamadorea Microspadix overwinters in the garage when temperatures drop lower than about 28F

I overwinter the queen palm in my dining room when nights drop below 30F

This year I'll leave the Sabal Minor unprotected unless we have an night below 10F

This potted windmill goes inside below 20F although it can handle colder.

I will leave my cast iron plants unprotected

Aucuba japonica add so much color to this shady spot all year long 

It's a HUGE aucuba! 

Hellebores bringing some flower power to the January Garden

Variegated Cordyline adding a little fun to the pond area

A light snow... the tropical plants are safe!

My needle palm is very wind tattered, but hopefully it won't mind the cold!

This was my living room! You'll see the queen palm has returned to it's indoor spot for the cold this week.

 That "Majesty palm look alike" is a Gaussia princeps

What does the inside of my house look like?

Philodendron Gloriosum, with Adondila, and Flamethrower palm 

The hibiscus is blooming beautifully indoors! These are all buds that developed outside over the summer. The blooms will taper off in a few weeks! 

Flamethrower Palm with Cordyline terminalis 'Tricolor', a Calathea, Medinilla myriantha, and philodendron cortadum

Bigger view. The orchid blooms every year so reliably! 

And the dining room! I was shocked that my Gaussia princeps fit! Hopefully, the old man palm continues to do well too. It only grew one frond this year! 

Mid November in the Garden

The last of the Musa Sikkimensis. I dug this up on November 12th before our second freeze (we dropped to 31F on the morning of the 13th).

Before the first freeze

After the first freeze

Dicksonia Antarctica and a variegated Cordyline australis enjoying the November chill 

Ensete Maurelli still hanging in! 

Hedychium Vanilla Ice didn't get very large this year so I'm going to keep it growing as a houseplant.

 

Yum Oranges!

Technically it's Owari Satsuma Mandarins. This citrus is cold hardy, sweet, and seedless. Also so easy to peel and ripe by November!

 

November Blooms

 During these shorter and darker days, it's nice to have some color! 

Hedychium Daniel Weeks is my new favorite. It blooms sooner than any other ginger, has a study growing habit, and looks great into November! 

Tibouchina grandiflora taken out of the ground (it was sunken in its pot) and still blooming strong). 

Shocking to see Strawberries still in bloom. This is Berried Treasure "Pink"

Dianthus is a great perennial with blooms in spring and autumn!

Encore Azaleas are another Spring and Autumn bloomer!

Last year's mums came back strong!

Tibouchina - Purple flowers just in time for Autumn!

 These are one of my favorite tropical plants for the autumn garden. The fuzzy foliage is pretty all summer, but the purple flowers exude royalty vibes starting in August and lingering until the first freeze. I bring these into the house or in cool storage over the wintertime. 

Late October garden update!

We had a cool and rainy October in New York, but the tropical plants are hanging on. A few, like my calla lilies, are actually ENJOYING IT! 

Here's an update, starting with my Satsuma Mandarin Owari. It ripens earlier and is more cold tolerant than most citrus. This is the second year I've grown this one. I have nearly 20 fruit! 

The banana plants are putting out their best effort and still looking great. I'm especially proud of my Musa Sikkimensis. Viente Cohol did great too, but no fruit yet! 

Peep at the Ti Plant "Singapore Twist" and the Phildendron cortadum that is inching its way inside. 

Hedychium Daniel Weeks survived the winter and was the first of the ginger to bloom this seaosn

Some great growth on the Dicksonia antarctica 

My Queen palm will go inside when temperatures drop below 30F