September Plumeria and blooms on Staten Island

We've had near record temperatures to kick off the first month of Meteorological Autumn, and our first heat wave of the season. (In New York, that's defined as 3 days in a row of 90F or warmer). The tropical plants are loving it!

Plumeria Divine

Plumeria "Jenny"

Plumeria Jenny at night

Tropical Hibiscus adds so much color! The variegated hibiscus isn't my favorite. 

 Hibiscus Cajun Cocktail, however a new favorite!

The bottle palm behind it up close! 

For fans of cold-tolerant palms, here's an update on the Windmill Palms

BBQ with the family. It was delicious! 

Red Hot Poker Plant - A MUST HAVE!!

This post is dedicated to a plant that really takes my breath away. Kniphofia uvaria, known as a torch lily or red hot poker plant is cold hardy and so so beautiful. It appears this plant can handle temperatures down to at least -10F. I can vouch that it's definitely hardy to at least the single digits and has no problem in NYC if you have good drainage and full sun.

The grassy part of the plant is nice enough in the landscape (it kind of has a yucca appearance), but the blooms are the reason to grow this plant. Mine will bloom sporadically through the warm months, but the biggest show is in early summer. This plant will not perform well in shade, but is the perfect solution to a dry and sunny part of your yard that needs a plant that thrives on neglect. It pairs beautifully with yuccas and agave!

There are some great cultivars out there for increased cold hardiness and bloom time, so definitely look into those before purchasing to make sure you have the best for your growing situation. I believe this one is "Hot and Cold" but I regretfully lost the tag years ago.

These photos were taken in June.

A few nighttime photos from the garden

String lights were definitely one of my favorite garden investments. I think I paid $15 for a 20-foot strand of heavy-duty lights. I don't even take them down for the wintertime and they've been in the garden now for at least 4 or 5 years. They are so relaxing to look at and add the perfect level of light for a relaxing late-night stroll around the garden.

Yucca flowers only open up at night so that's the best time to give them a smell and take some pictures! Nighttime is also really fun when you have hibiscus because you'll often see the blooms start to unfurl before the sun rises. Our hibiscus are still a few weeks away from blooming. They have been REALLY slow to emerge this year. It's okay though because the hostas are stealing the show anyway!

Butterfly Ginger (Hedychium coronarium) thriving in New York City

I fell in love with Butterfly ginger in Hawaii 6 years ago and could never imagine the tiny touristy pieces of ginger root I brought home would fill my yard with ginger blooms for the past 4 years. The bloom season usually starts in late August. The plants bloom heavily until the first frost of the season, usually in November. October is the best month for blooms since the weather is comfortable and there are lots of flower buds!

The foliage from these plants alone is beautiful. Dark green, glossy, and graceful - about as tropical as it gets! But the real treat comes with the blooms. The blooms are a beautiful white color and the fragrance is incredibly strong. I grow brugmansia, jasmine, and several gardenia which are all fragrant plants but nothing compares to butterfly ginger.

Here are a few photos of my ginger.

The foliage alone is pretty beautiful.

This is the largest head of blooms I have ever had on my ginger. It's amazing!

I wish I could share the fragrance on this blog. 

A view from above. You can see my trachy frond in this distance.

And a view from below. The ginger blooms are everywhere this year.

Here is a similar look during the daytime.

And a few more close ups.

Thank you for looking. I hope you all enjoyed!

Late September Pics!

The yard is still going strong as we approach the first week of October. Here are some pics from this weekend!

Plumerias going very strong. The blooms are nice but the fragrance is really incredible especially at night.

 

The only Desert Rose I have ever kept alive has been going strong for 5 summers  now!

I moved my Ti plants from the stairs because the wind kept blowing them down. I kind of like them here. 

The tropicals are doing a good job keeping our electrical equipment hidden. 

This orchid bloomed all winter long indoors and it's at it again!

A large shot of my orchid with my croton plant below and a lot of spanish moss. 

Spanish moss really completes the tropical look. 

Pool area with my Brugmansia to the left and a several different Colocasia and Alocasia. 

My largest palm and a new purchase, a Yucca schottii! Excited to get this one in the ground.