Noteworthy in Nola

Two big ol’ bunches coming in. Not sure if they’ll be edible, and in fact they might be plantains, but we’re gonna give them a try this year.

Bananas!

There’s just something so damn cheery about an all yellow hib. And a little cheer would be really useful right about now…

This is actually from the third round of the little brats. I tried so hard to get ahead of the curve and get some blooming in the spring before the heat made them go dormant.

The first batch I started inside were killed when the cats liked the dug up earth and decided digging further was a very good idea.

The second batch was killed by the cats deciding that since it was already dug up, it’d be an excellent litterbox.

The third batch was started inside, then fenced off and guarded with a hose until they got a better start. It still won’t match last year, but we should have a good grip of blooms in the next several months.

Another of my garden favorites. It’s not very fragrant, but it’s gorgeous. The bud starts white, and the whole thing turns red/pink- it could take an hour, could take 3 days. The hotter it is, the fast it goes.

A little tattered- Double Delight Rosebud

Double Delight opened- it starts out pink/red at the edges and heads inward. How quickly depends on how hot it is.

This one’s a complete cheat. I always have bromeliad issues, and this one looks very similar, but I bought her already blooming.

Just one of the hibs that’ve come from A Touch of the Tropics. I’d called him for advice on something else, and we when he found out I didn’t have this one, I got scolded! Well, we fixed that issue pretty quickly.

It is a great plant, blooms constantly, and it’s always different. This pic is from later in the day, I’ll have to catch one when it’s first opening, it’s a very different animal.

I found out last week that David Franzman’s A Touch of the Tropics is closing. Located in California, he feels like he’s working for the utility companies, and as much as he loves his business, it’s time to call it a day. He’s got to do what he must, of course, but he’s my absolute favorite supplier, and for my own selfish reasons I’m in deep mourning – his plants are huge, always loaded with buds, and his customer service is unparalleled.

So if you’re in the market for a few late-season purchases, run yourself over to www.atouchofthetropics.com and grab up whatever he’s got left- I promise you won’t be sorry.

And- full disclosure- I’ve already done it. What- you think I’m going to let you cut ahead of me in line? lol…

The plumbago’s going crazy this year; it’s climbed the big wall, even though it’s not a vine, it just sort of mounds on itself and goes higher and higher. I was not really excited about the plant when Charlie chose it- it’s really ugly- until it blooms. Then you don’t notice the greenery, only the clumps of blue flowers which practically glow.

Love the veining around the eye. It’s a mid-range yellow; no Kinchen’s for sure, but very pretty in an antique sort of way.

Got this one at night, had been chained to the desk all day, but glad I caught it before it was too late. The plant’s not gorgeous, pretty leggy, but the blooms are gorgeous.