Experimental banana trees

Our banana grove grows each year.  We usually cut off all the trees before the first frost.  Last year we tried an experiment and left two trees with just the leaves cut off. 

During the long hard winter ;)  ;), one broke off about midway. Now the trees are coming up.  The one that broke off has new leaves coming out the top and it is now 3 feet tall.

The one that broke off is shown with a yard stick.  The tallest one on the right does not show any signs of leaves yet.  In the background are many shoots coming up out of the ground. 

Another update: 

See the tomatoes grown from seeds?   Notice the trowel to show how big they are.  Ready to go in the ground.

Flowers from seeds donated by darling daughter.  Ready to go.

Com'on summer, we are ready.

March Bloom Report

Everyone seems to be enjoying early spring this year.  We are no exception in NC.

The last of some of the spring bloomers include this daffodil.  We have had daffodils blooming since January but they are about finished. 

 This has been the best winter we have ever seen in the Experimental Garden for Camillia.  In the past the deer have stripped the leaves and blooms off the bushes.  Not this year and we have enjoyed more blooms than ever before.

However we did have one problem.  Squirrels picked the blooms off and we found them all over the place. 
















 The pansies have bloomed all winter and due to the mild winter they have been showier than ever.

The forsythia is in full bloom now 

As well as this beautiful red shrub.  It has thorns but I do not know the name of the plant, do you Diana?
The bees are all over this bush today.

Oh ye nay sayers observe.  When I planted seeds in January in the unheated green house you scoffed.
it was too early you said.

Carrots need to be separated.

Tomatoes are taking off.

I will need to find space to plant the flowers that are starting.

 Com'on summer, bring it on.

Eagle in the garden?

Actually this post has nothing to do with gardens and everything to do with my son the Eagle.

Eagle Court of Honor, January 7, 2012, Hillsborough United Methodist Church

Welcome by Zach Barnett

Skit - humor warm up



 Reaffirming the Scout Oath and Laws

Proud Aunt and Uncle

Proud Dad watching


Terry Hackett tells the story of Zack the Cub Scout and Boy Scout

Waiting with Eagle escorts, James Brown and Phil Witham

ceremony

He soars with Eagles.


Zack and proud Doug

Merry Christmas

Finally, they got out my cat bed.  Where has it been all year?  I love those toys that I can swat at.

The best behaved dog, waiting for Santa. 

Thanksgiving Camillia

We have had this Camillia for over 10 years and it has produced very few blooms.  The deer used to eat all the leaves and the buds.  We have had the fence for about three years and it has just put out a few piddly blooms.

Happy Thanksgiving gardeners.

Demise of the Banana Tree Forest

Several years ago my darling daughter gave me a new banana tree that was reported to do well in this climate.  We had grown banana trees for years and every fall we put them in the crawl space.  They did well in pots but had to be protected from the frost.

 The new variety does not have to be put up in the winter.  This is what it looks like now:

Since we are always experimenting in the Experimental Garden the first few years we cut the plants off at the ground, before the first frost, mulched them, and they came back, year after year.  Last year we waited until the first frost killed the plants off, then we cut them down.  And they came back anyway.

Here is the team cutting them down on Oct. 29th before the first frost.

One more experiment.  This year we are leaving two trunks after removing the leaves.  The hope is the trunks will sprout leaves next spring and not have to start from the ground up.  Stay tuned.

I miss them already.

A different sort of garden

While wandering through Alamance County we happened upon a garden of sculpture.  Beyond the Frame , sculptures of J. Seward Johnson, Jr.  People become part of the art.  Who is real and who is not?