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Post by Deleted on Jul 22, 2012 10:33:09 GMT
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Post by htmb on Jul 22, 2012 13:40:16 GMT
I love seeing the bananas and pineapple!
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 22, 2012 16:38:08 GMT
SO pretty! Do you know, I believe that's the first time I've seen the flowers on a pineapple.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2012 1:48:54 GMT
I missed getting the rest of it in bloom and it's now growing into looking like a real pineapple and is very happy!
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Post by bixaorellana on Jul 31, 2012 4:35:17 GMT
It is a chubby little happy thing! Nice pic, too.
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 27, 2012 21:07:01 GMT
This may interest some of you. I saw this offer for the free e-book & responded. It has some good information and good pics of some of the lesser-known gingers and other plants. Give it a whirl: www.tropicalplantguide.com/
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 19, 2013 16:38:01 GMT
Looking for a tropical touch in your non-tropical garden? Here's how to have a banana plant in colder climates: Get the right plant variety to survive the temps. Musa Basjoo and MeKong Giant both seem to have the ability to survive down to zone 5 cold. Musa Basjoo can grow up to 25′ and a MeKong Giant can get much taller. [zone 5, US]Plant in a full sun, fertile soil location. Water frequently. Fertilize with an organic fertilizer several times through out the season. When fall comes, cut the plant to around 12″ high and cover with a foot of leaves or hard wood mulch. Source, w/more info[/i]
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Post by tod2 on Dec 7, 2015 12:41:34 GMT
Out on the grass verge of a house I spotted this magnificent TRIANGLE PALM. (Had to look it up...) I have never seen one before but now must have one! Native to Madagascar but under threat of extinction. I will approach the owners of the house and see if I can obtain a seed. It displays a unique shape of arcing leaves that seem to come straight out of top of the tree on three sides, thus the name. The leaves are feather like, blue-green or silver green color. This tree will flower all year and will produce an inedible fruit.
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Post by tod2 on Dec 8, 2015 12:06:46 GMT
On the subject of palms the following are psuedo palms:
Ponytail or elephants foot palm - Beaucarnea recurvata/Nolina recurvata Australian Dragon Palm - Cordyline australis Tree Fern or Fern Palm - Cyathea australis/alsophila australis Sago Palm Ornamental Banana - Cycas revoluta Walking Palm or Skrew Pine - Pandanus veitchii Traveller's Palm - Ravenala madagascarienis Wild Banana or Giant Strelizia - Strelizia nicolai
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Post by Deleted on Dec 8, 2015 13:25:02 GMT
That is a gorgeous specimen Tod. Great coloring not to mention the shape and how graceful the fronds fall. Do you have the room for such a massive plant? I wonder how long it would take to grow from seed. I've never tried it.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 8, 2015 16:22:13 GMT
Finally getting to see the pictures of that magnificent palm, Tod -- had to load a new browser in order to do so. That would be a wonderful addition to your garden. When you see the owners, maybe they could tell you where to buy one, instead of having to wait for it from seed.
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Post by tod2 on Dec 9, 2015 5:44:22 GMT
I will try and find a Palm nursery that might just have one. It should do well in my garden amongst all my Cocos or Queen palms. About 10 at the moment including two which are over a hundred years old and the parents of all the others. I also have one Chinese Fan Palm, one large Golden Bamboo/Cane palm or also called the Butterfly palm. I have two Carpentaria palms that arrived from who knows where...they just appeared and I let them carry on growing. My neighbor has one which blooms occasionally then fruits, so I think these arrived by bird poop. When my garden turns into a palm jungle I can start on our property next door which is about 2 acres.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 9, 2015 5:51:34 GMT
I want pictures of you swinging through your jungle!
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Post by tod2 on Dec 9, 2015 11:24:02 GMT
With the two downpours we have had each evening and the hot humid days things are growing in leaps and bounds. I stopped my garden man from trimming the hedge (which is Zimbabwe creeper) because the birds are loving the lush hidy-holes. Last night I had two Turacos hopping around in my frangipani tree pecking off insects. I did not dare move so can only remind what it looks like from the one I snapped in Kruger. imageshack.com/a/img908/575/1b1aV3.jpg
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 9, 2015 16:32:49 GMT
Beautiful, Tod!
Since you are so alert and sensitive to wildlife, your garden must be a real haven. Do you plant anything specifically to attract particular birds, for instance?
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Post by tod2 on Dec 9, 2015 16:57:14 GMT
Yes, and No. The only foliage I have planted several years ago was for butterflies and that seems to attract birds as well. Blumbago white and blue - for butterlies. Then several bushes of orange and yellow flowers...will post photo for ID. These attract the Sunbirds. My Dagga plants seem to have faded big time, so must invest in more for Sunbirds.
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Post by tod2 on Jan 28, 2016 7:17:55 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 28, 2016 17:58:25 GMT
So exotic and interesting! I can see why that would not be the friendliest plant to have in a garden with kids running around an all.
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Post by tod2 on Jan 29, 2016 6:40:13 GMT
In some species of Pandanus, the fruits look a bit like a woody pineapple, as in my photos.
Here are some very interesting...if not foot tapping videos.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 22, 2016 14:25:46 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2016 7:01:57 GMT
I love seeing vegetation that is so completely alien from my part of the world.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 25, 2016 14:07:25 GMT
Tod, are you absolutely positive those are Ceiba and not Pachypodium? I'd put money on the latter.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 25, 2016 17:05:37 GMT
Not sure at all..... just googled them and came up with photos and name. I'll look again, but did ask Mickthecactus our aloe and succulent expert and he said "Yes, definitely Ceibas and lovely they are too."
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 25, 2016 17:27:16 GMT
Mick knows trillions more than I do about succulents, but I remain convinced that those are pictures of Pachypodium -- the flowers, the leaves, the branching habit, the fact that they have spines rather than thorns -- I am right about this.
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Post by tod2 on Feb 26, 2016 12:29:33 GMT
I Googled the two names again and I do think the Pachypodium Geayi looks correct. Other photos of the same species look like the one I have near my front entrance - I call it a "Tall Boy". Think I posted photos when it was in bloom. I have asked Mick to have another look and tell me what he thinks and why. At the moment he is not a well boy so might have to wait till he is up and about.
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Post by mickthecactus on Feb 29, 2016 12:57:01 GMT
Sorry I was missing - man flu.
I can certainly see why they might be Pachypodium but a few things put me off. I've never seen Pachypodiums used in municipal plantings but that's not to say they aren't in places I haven't been to but I've certainly see Chorisia speciosa (now Ceiba) used extensively.
Also the spines and flowers don't look right for Pachypodiums. Pachy spines are more needley whereas Chorisia are shorter and triangular, a bit like rose thorns.
What do you think?
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Post by tod2 on Feb 29, 2016 13:21:51 GMT
Mick, I think I'm going to phone our Parks and Gardens office.....or maybe even the Casino itself may have their very own Garden Man? Let you know.
Pee Ess - Just rang a friend who knows lots about plants and she will go and have a look see and let me know.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 29, 2016 15:42:07 GMT
Mick, in the 2nd picture you can clearly see that there are needly spines, not thorns. Pretty much everything about the pictures tells me that they are not Chorisia -- a tree that is quite commonly used in landscapes here. The flowers damned sure aren't Chorisia. Admittedly, Pachypodium flowers are not usually that waxy -- more petal-y & larger -- but the leaves, flower stalks, branching habit, & spines argue for Pachypodium.
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Post by mickthecactus on Mar 1, 2016 8:45:20 GMT
Now I've looked closely I am changing my views. The thorns are regular whereas Chorisia's seem random.
(God, I hate it when she's right. I'll never hear the end of it......)
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Post by tod2 on Mar 1, 2016 9:37:25 GMT
The Jury is still out....
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