September Bananaman's Hideout...

This months 'Bananaman's Hideout' will feature my jungle's latest emerging musa basjoo flower.

What with talk of a heat wave, I expected this event to begin in the middle of August. But after a rubbish August it has appeared, to the day, the same as last years flower. :eek:

With a flowering period of about 10 months, I will bring you monthly updates of its progress.

Last years flowering began with a small pre-leaf which leads out an impressive monoecious flower stem...01.09.05...



This years pre-leaf...01.09.06...



Also....

As autumn gathers momentum the miscanthus start to throw out their huge flowers spikes...



Miscanthus flowers look fantastic at dusk....2004...



And September sees the hardy ginger Cautleya spicata come into a long flowering period which will last september into late autumn...



Jungle Fever !!!



BM :D

 

It's looking good, BM. Love the two photos of the Miscanthus ... each has a special unique quality ... bright and vibrant, dark and mysterious!

 

Gorgeous BM as usual and very interesting

 

Lets keep fingers crossed far an indian summer.

Last year we got to this stage before the banana house went up to protect the stems and flower through winter.





October and November were amazing last year!

BM

 

bm, my miscanthus is not in flower as yet. does tis vary from area to area in the country. leicester is so backward. :D :D

 

Hi B.M.,
the Cautleya spicata looks (and sounds) fascinating!! I understand that its a member of the ginger family but the leaves look very attractive indeed and the flowers very gladiola-like. Can you provide a bit more insight into this apparently very unusual Genera please?

Many thanks Sir!
Kind regards
Roy

 

Hi Fancy In general I would expect mine in the SEast to be pushing out the heads by end of this month. If you have the zebra grass, the plant sends up flower stalks up to 2 feet above the foliage from september onwards. Flowers are silver-white to pink and plumelike.

Hi Roy, it was given to me as a small clump and it has multiplied steadily, planted out year round in a pot. You get great foliage much like a canna and fantastic longlasting flowers from now. It is described as a 'Himalayan ginger' which produces maroon 14�flower stalks with yellow lipped flowers in in late summer/autumn with glossy green Hedychium like foliage.

BM :D

 

Hi B.M.
the Cautleya sounds and looks (in your tropical garden) great!
Must try to get it!
Many thanks!
Roy

 

Royster, here is a thread I started about hardy gingers that you may be interested in, I am re-establishing the pics as we speak.

http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=000174;p=1#000000

 

Hi B.M.
many thanks for the thread re Cautleya spicata!!
Can't say I am bored with Cannas as I don't so many in this area but fact is the Cautleya is a lovely looking alternative indeed!
Have you suggested this to your local council horticultural team?
Kind regards
Roy

 

bm, Iam looking forward to the miscanthus flowering it is quite late,this time last year I remember they were just showing their flower heads. I have 3 clumps of miscanthus.

 

here we go again, BM putting us all to shame :D

just kidding, always like seeing you pictures BM, it motivates me to shift the rubble.

 

Now thats what I am talking about, waking up to sunshine. Makes such a difference. Hour this morning in the garden with some weak diluted chicken manure, come on Indian summer....

Cheers Sparkle How are you getting on ?

 

well BM, everything was going fine, probably only about 5 or 6 bags left to move. Then I noticed something sticking out of the soil (which was under the concrete). I dug down a bit and what do you know? yet more concrete! In massive lumps, about 8" thick. Some bigger than I can lift.

If I am very very lucky this will be isolated to the patch of ground that I happened to dig - who am I kidding?

One can only guess where all this concrete comes from, old air raid shelter of foundations of a large shed maybe?

I will not be defeated, I will remove every last bit!

 

Nightmare Sparkle, don't envy that :eek:

I don't think my joints have realligned themselves from when I used a kango 7 years or so ago :rolleyes:

Keep at it and don't fall in any holes... hoping the new layer is not a ceiling :eek: