Thursday, 26 July 2012

Banana lovin' ... march of the bananas

Well I had to continue with my series on lovin.  After all, its summer and the lovin' is strong these days... especially the banana tree lovin.   I'm often told I kind of look like a monkey.  Though I don't think it's meant as a compliment, I don't really mind.  I do eat enough bananas to keep a small farm afloat in ecuador.  So maybe my banana lovin' comes naturally. Actually, I'm sure of it.

Here's how my bananas started back in early spring..... These trunks were protected with some fall leaves and a small cage made out of chicken wire.

And here they are in May .... Each year I can't wait to watch the march of the bananas.  Usually starting sometime in late March conveniently.  It never ceases to amaze me how fast they start to fill out.

For anyone who questions whether bananas "belong here?" Look at this one growing in the most conservative part of my garden.  I think it looks pretty cool at least.


And now to the real big ones.... remember the patch at the beginning of the post.

Well they are now over 10 feet tall! These things grow fast.

If the warmth continues I could have my best banana year yet!



And it's not just the super tropical banana leaves that are amazing.  Check out the amazing pseudo stem.

And as for the leaves.... Watching them unfurl before your very eyes (sometimes in the course of a single day) is a truly remarkable experience.

There you have it.  Banana lovin' in the PNW. Who'd of thunk it?!

"go bananas, go go bananas ... eat bananas, eat eat bananas ..."

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8 comments:

  1. outlawgardener26 July 2012 at 11:46

    Epic Bananas & I love the shots that show more of your garden, too! What do you feed your bananas and how often. I know that they're heavy feeders.

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    1. Louis26 July 2012 at 11:51

      I waffle depending on my mood between miracle grow and fish fertilizer. I swear by fish fertilizer for just about everything. I do give my bananas lots of water too. I find a nice deep drink of water in the morning on these hot sunny days does wonders. a few houses down from us they don't do anything to their bananas ... I mean nothing ever! they let the weeds choke them, no protection of the stems, no water ever and they chug along surprisingly but are only a few feet high. Sadly, the previous owners had them flowering every single year.

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  2. Beech Street Gardens26 July 2012 at 11:48

    Yours look awesome!!!!!
    I have one that I bought last week that I'm going to grow here at the store. Very cool plants but require to much water for here at Beech Street.

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    1. Louis26 July 2012 at 11:55

      Thanks. they are truly amazing plants. They definitely require a bit of watering in order to look good... but well worth it. It will be great at the store. People love seeing the tropical foliage and are always amazed that they can grow here.

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  3. danger garden27 July 2012 at 09:53

    Great shots!

    There is a huge clump between two houses not far from mine. The first time I saw it (out of the corner of my eye) I had to turn around and drive back and just stop to stare. It is amazing. They do nothing to protect the pseudostems during the winter and BAM! Each spring there they are, all of a sudden 10ft tall again.

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    1. Louis27 July 2012 at 10:11

      Thanks! I love finding big banana patches. There are many bananas around town here. Thanks to costco and other big box stores carrying them annually for the last few years it seems they have caught on. That's amazing that the stems don't need any protection. Do you know if they have to cut the stems back at all? We've had a few banana friendly years but I don't risk it. I'm too impatient to wait for them to grow from the ground up. But if you loose them, regular feedings and they will be 10 plus feet tall in one season no problem. I'm hoping for 20 feet!!! that's my goal.

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    2. danger garden27 July 2012 at 12:14

      I have noticed that they cut them back a bit...my friend Lauren in North Portland doesn't protect hers at all either and just cuts them back each spring to where they feel solid. Hers are crazy cool! Pictures here: http://beyondgardendesign.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20garden

      I hope you'll let us all know when you meet (or exceed) your goal!

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    3. Louis27 July 2012 at 14:48

      WOW! those are some amazing bananas!!!!!!

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