But as you can see I forgot to attach any photos. But I have been looking through all of yours and there is a wow factor there. Here are some of mine
I chose to do a combination of in-ground planting and containerizing in my greenhouse. And a lot of stuff hangs up. It helps me make the best use of space. A lot of the plantings are old, from 2003, so they have matured. But I have over the past 17 years changed some of it up several times. Its a fun thing to do, but a lot of work. There are always chores (cleaning the algae off the walls with Physan 2x a year, maintaining the sprinklers, making sure the heater is clean in case its needed...mulching the pathways, fertilizing all the plants....all those fun things.
@bihai So very impressed, as you say 'Wow'!!! Years of hard work definatly pays off. Well done you!!!
well thanks! Its a hobby that you can pursue at your leisure, I like to propagate and grow aroids (anthuriums and alocasias) from seed, I throw a little pollen around the place with a paintbrush in mad scientist hybridizing schemes, all so I can grow all the seedlings and see what I get. I am also a 'generalist', although my main interest is aroids, and has been for many years, I am also interested in palms, broadleaf tropicals, orchids, bromeliads....anything tropical. My latest passion is tropical blooming trees, especially the handkerchief trees
@bihai that is amazing how much you have achieved. Seeds are so much fun and as you have a wide and general interest in what you grow, the variety will never allow bordom to set in. Btw I am growing two Handkerchief trees from seed collected 7 years ago by our grand daughter. The trees are now 6ft tall. I've attached two photos for you I took moments ago.
What species is that? Its different from what we refer to as handkerchief trees here I think...the ones I am growing are two Brownea species, and Maniltoa. I am waiting on a Browneopsis that is coming from Hawaii. This is what we refer to as a 'handkerchief ', the new leaf flush is pendant and a very soft leaf form of a totally different color until it hardens off. This is the Maniltoa, but the handkerchiefs of the Browneas are very similar. The only one that is different is the Browneopsis, which has new flushes of olive leaves with bright red speckling. I grew my Browneas from seed obtained in a trade from South FL, but I purchased the Maniltoa.
Oh man those blooms are beautiful! Have you bloomed it yet?? I have bloomed one of my Browneas, it is about 13 feet tall. The Mantiloa is small, it has a while yet. I just got the Fedex notice that my Browneopsis will be here 9/21!!!!! I can't wait!!!! I have wanted this tree for years, its rarely available and when it is its really expensive (to me anyway, $100 or so) but I found a place in Hawaii that has them for half that.
Not yet, it will be a few more years until it does, but well worth the wait. Exciting when new plants arrive, you must post a photo of your Browneopsis.
I really can't wait. Its coming at the perfect time of year too. We are dropping out of the continual 90+ days and 75-80F nights to the more comfortable 80ish days and 65-70 nights. SO much more comfortable to garden in. I can't wait to get that first flush of red speckled new leaves!!
Bihai, is that a Heliconia bihai in your first post? Having that is worth the whole greenhouse right there. Your Maniltoa is gorgeous, I love unique plants like that. That's awesome you're finally getting your Browneopsis tomorrow. Yes please do post pictures. May I ask which nursery you finally found it at? Acerholic, I'm from a climate very similar to yours. Most here desire the full sun of summer, but I feel like a hermit when it's just the cool nights and good sleep of fall that I miss. Finally... :)
That is actually my H. stricta 'Olviera's Sharonii'. But I so grow other heliconias, and Etlingeras as well
Is that lobster claw on the third photo common to several Heliconia, or is that H. rostrata? Do you do Heliconia IDs? Here are three photos that were taken within a minute of each other, at NTBG in Hilo (eleven years ago). Are these all the same, or two different plants, with the middle one different, and can you name them?
The varieties in my photos are #1 H. bihai Banana Split, H. caribou Prince of Darkness, Rostrara and bihai Lobster Claw 2. The photos of the really long pendant ones you have in 1 and 3 are the same, and are instantly recognizable...H. longissima, also called 'Red Wings'. The middle photo is a little more difficult ti ID because of the way that the bloom is turned but the big beefy bracts makes me think it is either stricta 'Bucky' or stricta 'Firebird'
Thank you for the names! It seems like "Rostrara" is a typo, should be "Rostrata"? I don't see any "Rostrara". The bihai Lobster Claw 2 is your own hybrid? I see a H. bihai - did you name that or take your handle from it?
Oh yeah dude I make a LOT of typos LOL. Rostrata is correct. This is another of mine, older bloom (photo 1). No. Lobster Claw 2 is a real cultivar name, its a very old variety. There is also a Lobster Claw 1. Have no idea who was (original enough??) to come up with those names haha. Bihai is a very old screen name for me. It was my screen name on the old Gardenweb (now Houzz) before Spike sold GW. We were on there of years. I was hugely into broadleaf tropicals then, and at one time I was growing about 40 different species/cultivars of Heliconia, we used to trade them like MAD. I have reduced it down to under 10 now. But of all of them, THIS one is my favorite (photo 2) Heliconia zebrina 'Inca'. Its just a knock out foliage variety, it does bloom but is very shy about it. My plants are 3 years old now, they should start to bloom soon.
That 'Inca' is amazing! Hope you don't mind if I piggyback on your thread. Wendy asked if I would repost this pic here so she could ask about it. The main plant is Pachypodium lamerei. There is also Alocasia, Anthurium, Thaumatophyllum, a few orchids including a vanilla vine, a starfruit seedling, and a few others.
Nice collection! These are a few of my favorite alocasias: Dewey's reversa, variegated Frydek (white form), variegated Bambino, variegated Frydek (gold form). Heliconia zebrina doesn't come up for sale very often. I kind of lucked on to it at a local nursery. They sell it sometimes on the Plant Group Hawaii website but they are almost always sold out
I just wanted the name, didn't want to ask in the thread where it would have been off-topic, but @Tom Hulse posted it here with the name. Well, I thought it looked familiar, and I thought the name sounded familiar, but I don't have them together in my head yet. There was a thread this summer in which people were looking for help: Madagascar Palm Help! - New Leaves Dying
I used to grow some Pachypodium. I am so very NOT good with things like that. I don't do succulents or more that a couple Euphorbes because I am a FLAGRANT over-waterer. Its very hard for me to restrain myself with my jewel alocasias, which operate a lot more like succulents than alocasias
Thanks Wendy for bringing that one to my attention, I missed it before. Bihai I especially love that white form 'Frydek'!!
