Tropical Backyard Garden 2021 Tour in Arkansas

 

  

I am late on posting a garden tour from last summer. After the hard winter, it took most of the summer for what did survive to grow.

 

In February 2021, we had ice, snow, high winds, and negative nine-degree weather for a week. This is not something that you would ever expect to experience in southern Arkansas.

While we did enjoy playing in the snow, I was concerned about the damage it was causing.

I knew that the palm and banana trees would suffer, but I was not sure about the more native plants and trees. Six out of the eight palm trees died. Most of them being over ten years old.  

I cleaned up and set back to see if anything would put back up.

Slowly, the banana trees and a few other plants started to grow.

The crape myrtles, loquat, and some bushes struggled to put out new growth in July. Normally, this would happen in April. 

 

Everything continued to struggle throughout the summer, but by August, my lush paradise had returned. Well mostly..... things were smaller than normal and some of the trees still had dead limbs mixed with the green ones. The hibiscus and sun coleus that I had wintered in the greenhouse performed extra well, making up for the lack in the rest of the garden.  

This past winter was mild as usual and the trees and plants continue to recover. We have added new hardscapes and plants to the garden this year already.  I am hoping this summer will be better since I am already seeing a lot of green and new growth from the established plants and trees.

Happy Gardening!!!

   

 

Exploring a Tropical Backyard Garden in Arkansas: A Spring Garden Tour

I thought I would do a quick spring tour of the garden. Most of the plants are well ahead of their normal, thanks to the warm temperatures and increased rain fall we have had here is southwest Arkansas the last couple of weeks. 

The banana trees are already around the 8 foot mark. I wrapped them for the first time this past winter and am happy with the results. I even have little bananas on two of the trees. Unfortunately, they are Musa basjoo and the bananas are tiny and not very tasty. Actually, from what I hear, it is rare for  Musa basjoo to fruit.

The first canna to bloom this year is this tropical beauty. I can not remember the name, but it is not supposed to be hardy below zone 10. This is their third year in the garden and they are multiplying like crazy.

The hibiscus are still full of blooms and the plants are putting on new growth. They started blooming in January in the greenhouse.

Bromelaids are one of my favorite plants for providing a tropical look to the garden. They all turn green in the winter, but show off their colors when the sun starts to hit them in the spring.

New to the garden this spring are these two beauties. They are supposed to be the Inferno cannas, but look nothing like the company's photos I ordered them from. Oh well, they are still pretty!

Most of the orchids are in bloom or at least budding. My sweet aunt gave me 13 orchids that she had at her home and was tired of caring for. I can not wait to see the colors of their booms.

Finally found a nursery in Michigan that grows sun coleuses. They are starting to grow

after just sitting there for a month! So many beautiful colors!

The Salvia Black and Blue is loaded with blooms. It is a hummingbird and butterfly magnet.

The Broad Leaf Dusty Miller is finally settling in and growing after being moved to a different spot a couple of weeks ago. I found this one on a weekend trip to Biloxi, Mississippi two years ago. 

I have been experimenting with bougainvillea. Some have been in the ground for a couple of years and some I winter indoors. The ones wintered in the greenhouse are looking beautiful. The ones left in the ground are just starting to put on leaves.

There is still lots of growing and filling in that will happen over the next month, but I am already enjoying my little tropical paradise!

2021 Garden Tour   here

Happy Gardening!