My Garden Late Summer into Fall.

[smithgn 141]

Palm crazy- Have you tried planting any parajubaea's? I think it'd be a near good fit for you since they are more "cool" loving palms. Although, I've heard they are also pretty tolerant of most anything you throw at them and are cold hardy to the low 20's. I've heard even lower for mature specimens. The torallyi is supposedly the most cold hardy of the species.

[Ben in Norcal 2,238]

Palm crazy- Have you tried planting any parajubaea's? I think it'd be a near good fit for you since they are more "cool" loving palms. Although, I've heard they are also pretty tolerant of most anything you throw at them and are cold hardy to the low 20's. I've heard even lower for mature specimens. The torallyi is supposedly the most cold hardy of the species.

This is a useful article. http://www.desertnorthwest.com/articles/cocoid_hybrids.html

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Thanks for asking, tried one a few years ago and it died the first winter at 15F, with protection LOL! Not hardy here at all, trust me if they were they would be everywhere. Hybrid parajubaea would be a better choice here. Jubaea x P. torallyi would be the way to go. I’ve had somewhat good results with BxQ and JxBxQ…with overhead canopy.

Don’t think Parajubaea is hardy here, haven’t herd of anyone trying one that has live for more than a few winters. This weeks weather… http://www.wunderground.com/US/WA/Olympia.html the airport is a little colder than in town so maybe, (thats a big maybe) I might squeak by without a freeze.

Looks like the polar vortex will just brush us with the first freeze of the year this coming Tuesday, expecting lows around 30F-33F, its all ready cold here this time of year anyways with are average daytime high only at 50F, and in a few more weeks will be in the 40’s for daytime highs for the next three months. 45F is a common temp come December and January. lows in the 30’s. I may have to cut back the big red bananas and winter them inside soon.

Edited November 8, 2014 by Palm crazy

[smithgn 141]

benr- Awesome read, I favorited it for future reference. Thanks for sharing.

Interesting. I'd almost certainly have to go the hybrid route, as well. The vortex will do the same here. Although we will get hit more directly than you all will, we are forecasted to get to around the same temperatures for 1, possibly 2 nights. Typical this time of year so I guess we can't complain Ha.

[Ben in Norcal 2,238]

Meanwhile, we're still unseasonably warm here in the Bay Area...80s this weekend and mid-50s at night. Long may it last...we need rain though.

[smithgn 141]

That's awesome. Wish we had the 80's, but the low 70's and some sun suits me just fine down here.

[Palm crazy 1,394]

A few interesting things happening in the garden and weather this week.

First here is another art project I did this one was fun.

Before.

BxQ

Butia two years in the ground. It double in size this summer, almost 6’.

Edited November 12, 2014 by Palm crazy

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Orange abutilon.

Calla lily are growing back this fall.

Fall flowers

Going for the bird feeder.

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Wonder how long these will stay evergreen.

Back patio

Piggy backing this fern on another fern.

Newest plant I am testing over the winter…not even hardy….

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Last night was our first freeze at 30.6F/ −1.1C. Not to much damage showing yet but we still have a few more nights in the low 30’s. Only in the 40’s for highs.

Brought a few tender plants inside the unheated garage hoping to overwinter them.

Red banana is one of them. Thats all for now. Hope everyone is going good in this polar vortex.

[smithgn 141]

You have so much beautiful color in your garden. Even your hand truck is painted!

[Palm crazy 1,394]

You have so much beautiful color in your garden. Even your hand truck is painted!

Thanks Smithgn, I would say that 80% of my garden consist of plants that stay evergreen year round. Its important to have the bones of the garden be hardy so incase of a really bad winter you still have something to look at.

That hand truck is an oldie, use to be bright red now its dusty pink. Most of the tender summer flowering plants are now killed back for the winter. Finally going to warm back up to the 50’s.

Thanks for looking and thanks for the nice comment. I’ll post more later in the week.

[smithgn 141]

That's a really good tactic, as far as making sure most of your plants stay green all year. It really does have a slightly negative emotional effect (at least for me) to see things dying as the temperatures drop. Another reason why I hate myrtle crepes so much, people have them growing EVERYWHERE around here and they're the first trees to lose most all of their foliage. But that's a different story ha

[Palm crazy 1,394]

We have a lot of evergreens trees and shrubs and they are all winer hardy so no protecting is necessary. Only the tender stuff like canna, banana, gingers die back in winter everything else is hardy and evergreen.

Some cold pics ahead, may want to look away. LOL!

Heres some exotic weeds that come up every summer. Echium pininana grow to 9’-12’ tall when they bloom but they are a little tender.

My first time growing Gunnera…the cold has made the veins stand out.

Bananas before sunrise and after sunrise. Low this week was 22F/-5.5C.

[Palm crazy 1,394]

More banana damage, I don’t protect them and if they should die back to the ground they’ll still grow 8’ of trunk in one season.

Brought these tender palms inside for the winter two weeks ago. Notice the green bananas in the window. LOL!

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Hummers video fighting over feeders, there’s plenty for all.

http://s1126.photobucket.com/user/mygarden12/media/MOV00001_zpshhkwzaqj.mp4.html?sort=3&o=0

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Just a few pics on this rainy mild weekend. Fire tree is showing some nice fall color.

A friend brought me this cool looking yucca for thanksgiving dinner party. How nice and thoughtful, but seriously who brings a plant to the thanks giving dinner, love yea sweetie. LOL! Best friend ever!

Lots of Yuletide flowers this season.

Had some cold two weeks ago and got down to 22F and 24F. I don’t see any physical damage to Pseudopanax laetus but two stems broke maybe from wind. It’s a mystery.

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Some of my cordylines got the color zapped out of them from the cold event.

Red star.

Cherry sensation not to cherrie anymore.

While others where just fine as can be.

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Green cordylines australis are pretty hardy.

Did some transplanting the other day. Move this Daphne to make room for another cool plant. Notice the leaf damage.

Tranplanted this Grevillea to the backyard so I can enjoy the flowers this winter.

Loaded with flowers for winter.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Palm crazy

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Last one is butia capitata green form, not has hardy as most butia but very cool looking and made a nice recovery from last winters spear pull. Also don’t do as I did and plant in the pathway, LOL!

Heres something really crazy I am thinking about doing to remake my little desert garden. New southwest inspired retaining wall, its a work in progress since what looks good on paper doesn’t look so good in real life. LOL very wild looking.

All for now and Happy Thanks giving.

Edited November 27, 2014 by Palm crazy

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Crap another cold spell this weekend. But not really cold enough to protect anything. http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/l/USWA0318:1:US

Edited November 29, 2014 by Palm crazy

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Here is my last updates for fall. Had two short but pronounce cold spells one in Nov. the other early Dec. 21F/-6.1C twice, 24F/-4.4C five times. Nothing really damage that wasn’t already gone.

[Palm crazy 1,394]

[Palm crazy 1,394]

[Palm crazy 1,394]

[Palm crazy 1,394]

B x Q

J x B x Q

Thanks for looking this last time and have a safe and happy holidays. Hope its a warm one for all!

[Alicehunter2000 754]

This is just a great garden......unbelievable that it is 8a.......what are your canopy trees? The key looks like achieving dappled sun over the entire garden? Just a really beautiful tour.

[Palm crazy 1,394]

This is just a great garden......unbelievable that it is 8a.......what are your canopy trees? The key looks like achieving dappled sun over the entire garden? Just a really beautiful tour.

Thanks David. The most tree planted here is trachycarpus. Have some 90 year old pear, bing cherry, apple tree on the SW side of the garden. Peach trees which start blooming here in late march in front side of the house which is south facing. Other trees are two very large old english holly tree that the robins like to eat in winter. Other trees that are evergreen, wheel tree- trochodendron aralioides, magnolia, eucalyptus, fastia. Tree that are not evergreen are bananas, silk tree, butterfly tree, emborthium, schefflera still small. All the sun loving palms get around 5-6 hours of full sun and dabble rest of the day. The garden is also surrounded by big tall hedges that block the cold winds in winter.

If I live in a more warmer climate my garden would look something like this garden…

Again thanks for looking.

Edited December 14, 2014 by Palm crazy

[smithgn 141]

Amazing how everything is so lush green. Thanks for sharing the pics with us.

[Palm crazy 1,394]

Thanks! Rain does wonders for the garden and high cool humidity doesn’t hurt either.