Author Topic: Gingers, heliconia, plumeria, oh my! (Read 3447 times)

MikeW · « **on:** July 03, 2008, 06:20:32 PM »

I have always enjoyed the looks of the tropics, and do buy / trade for tropicals, but have never seen most of these bloom before. Once I think I have seen them do their thing, they amaze me and keep getting more showy. We have had terrible heat this year, and I have, as a result, watered way more than I usually do, and voila! - the tropics.

Ginger, heliconia, plumeria, and some royal ensign morning glory.

Loving the garden,
Mike

Joyce · « **Reply #1 on:** July 03, 2008, 06:23:53 PM »

Kittyzee · « **Reply #2 on:** July 03, 2008, 06:24:37 PM »

Wow, those colors are bee-u-tee-ful! I especially like the first one, I've never seen that plant!

Cedric · « **Reply #3 on:** July 03, 2008, 07:31:30 PM »

Mike are you South African boet?
Gingers are looking good. I have some stunners flowering at moment too. if ever ever you should find cordata X altisimtifolia don't hesitate just buy the entire stock. I'll try and get a picture this evening. Same goes for the golden bee hive job. Interesting thing about this one if I don't feed it it stays bright yellow, if I feed the cones grow about two foot long and turn red yellow and white.

Ps that first one grows wild here along the stream banks, think it's indigenous to our area, tremendous thing, reaching up to eight foot in height and much more in width. Covered in hanging flowers it is a sight to behold.

Mikey · « **Reply #4 on:** July 03, 2008, 08:47:01 PM »

Great looking shell ginger Mike!

I see another heliconia bloomed for you as well.

Sunbeam56 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 04, 2008, 07:08:42 AM »

Gorgeous flowers, Mike.

Cedric - we want photos!!!!

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 04, 2008, 07:29:34 AM »

Mike, I'm jealous.

Cedric, Mike is from South Africa but he lives in LA

EagleEye · « **Reply #7 on:** July 04, 2008, 07:33:02 AM »

I can see why you are loving the garden Mike,

Beautiful

Steve

Jerry · « **Reply #8 on:** July 04, 2008, 07:33:48 AM »

Beautiful Mike. How does your Helliconia winter over? Mine just hangs on for dear life. Any tips?

Sean · « **Reply #9 on:** July 04, 2008, 07:45:22 AM »

MikeW · « **Reply #10 on:** July 07, 2008, 09:46:47 AM »

Thanks all.
Jerry - benign neglect. The plants I tend to fuss over do not do as well as the ones I sort of ignore. I was not expecting blooms, so I just let the irrigation system do its' thing.

Cedric - Yes, guilty as charged. Your use of the word "boet" tells me you must have spent some time down there too.

Cheers,

Mike

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 07, 2008, 05:34:36 PM »

Mike, I've been watching the new South Africa Animal Cops on Animal Planet. There is some seriously gorgeous beach and mountain scenery down there.

Krista · « **Reply #12 on:** July 07, 2008, 11:32:14 PM »

Beautiful Mike! Makes me wish I had a quick trip to see in person ...

Bartman · « **Reply #13 on:** July 16, 2008, 04:47:53 PM »

I love your yard Mike. I have to get to LA again.

Bart

Mikey · « **Reply #14 on:** July 16, 2008, 05:50:23 PM »

Bart: I recall seeing a photo of you during your last visit. I felt bad because you looked like you were about to melt due to some miserably hot and humid weather. Normally the weather is quite nice.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #15 on:** July 16, 2008, 06:03:16 PM »

Gorgeous blooms there MikeW! Your plants must be loving the humidity we are experiencing lately even though it's nothing like the tropics. Any more new bloom photos?!

Bartman · « **Reply #16 on:** July 16, 2008, 06:35:16 PM »

Yeah, it was hot and muggy. Everyone kept telling us that LA wasn't normally that muggy, but it was that year! I can't say that I didn't enjoy the weather though. It may have been hot and muggy by your standards, but still much nicer than what we would have for that time of year. We had a great evening and the time went by far too quickly.

Bart

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 17, 2008, 08:53:58 AM »

I noticed it was unusually muggy for LA when I was briefly there this week. I was surprised. I did notice more blooms than I've ever seen on the agapanthus and hibiscus at the airport too. As the plane was landing, I could see bougainvillea from the air. Swimming pools and 'San Diego Red' and 'Barbara Karst' bougainvillea so covered with flowers that they were clearly visible.

Mikey · « **Reply #18 on:** July 17, 2008, 09:07:22 AM »

I think the basin is getting more humid in the summer due to all of the lawns and vegetation.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #19 on:** July 17, 2008, 09:57:07 AM »

We spoiled SoCal residents complain about the humid weather we receive for a few week only because there is no other weather event besides sunny or sunny and hot.

My DH was just in Hong Kong for two weeks in REAL humid weather. He wore a watch with a leather strap that got drenched in sweat the very first day he was outside. Had to change to a watch with a metal strap! People who are used to the humidity looked cool and calm. DH looked like he was walking under a rain cloud whenever he set foot outdoors. He probably lost 10 lbs from all the sweating

but gained an extra 5 (from his previous weight) from all the good food and drinks!

LeeAnn I take it for granted when I see blankets of bougainvillea blooms in all their glorious colors. Thanks for waking me up.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #20 on:** July 18, 2008, 09:34:17 AM »

I love bougainvillea. You should see my pitiful examples in my greenhouse. They are so sad but alive.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #21 on:** July 18, 2008, 12:56:28 PM »

When I first moved to L.A. almost 30 years ago I was mesmerized by bougainvilleas. I our first house I planted many in the front yard over the banks. Had a gardener take care of business so that I could"smell the roses"

When we moved to our second and current home I, the gardener now, planted this colorful plant near the entrance of the house.
Did you know the older the plant the bigger the thorns!!!

Trimming the leggy vine was such a chore canceling out the pleasure of the colorful palette I eventually cut it down and continually had to try to kill the large stump and roots.

Cedric · « **Reply #22 on:** July 18, 2008, 06:02:55 PM »

Quote from: MikeW on July 07, 2008, 09:46:47 AM

Cedric - Yes, guilty as charged. Your use of the word "boet" tells me you must have spent some time down there too.

Cheers,

Mike

Absolutely, my parents still live there. I go back every Xmas to be on my plaas by the Sea there in Port Edward. Do a bit of fishing, eating lychees, braaing crayfish and having lekker fun in the game parks. Painting the house excluded and the odd bit of necessary tree felling I wouldn't miss for the world.

Im all fired up to do some serious water lily collection this year, I saw such a nice pond full of N capensis near South-broom on the N2, beautiful colour just like Zanzibar or what's its name. Getting my flipper and snorkle all ready, just they have a big boerboel so I'm needing a bit of courage.

What fun to find you here. Which part of SA do you come from?

MikeW · « **Reply #23 on:** July 19, 2008, 07:35:03 AM »

Gosh Cedric - a little bit of everywhere - except Natal and the Free State. Born in Port Elizabeth, started school in Cape Town, then up to the Transvaal - Springs, Sandton, and finally Pretoria. Along the way, years at boarding school in Queenstown, and university in Grahamstown. My parents finally retired and moved back to the Eastern Cape, and are all settled in Jeffreys Bay

Spent a holiday in Ramsgate once, and we hitched down the coast to Port Edward for the day. What an incredibly beautiful spot. I remember trying to write a descriptive passage about the blue ocean, white sand and rolling green hills, but adjectives failed me.

My sister (also here in L.A.) takes a house in Cape Town every second December, so I piggyback from time to time. It is a long way though, and yeesh, how could I have forgotten about that wind in Camps Bay? Apart from family though, it's the food I love - I swear I gain a couple inches with each visit, and then the obigatory smuggling of biltong back here.

So, how was Bangkok?

Cheers,

Mike

Cedric · « **Reply #24 on:** July 19, 2008, 05:24:26 PM »

Pretoria! I like Pretoria very much, so green and pretty still, then in winter like the great African savannah. I am thinking about trying to get a small holding there, at least swopping Port Ed for something up there. A parcel on a game farm would be ideal. I am Natal born and bred lived in the Midlands not far from Michael House in fact. Uni at UCT. My parents are second generation UK.

My first visit to Port Edward was would you believe also a hitching trip. I camped with a friend in a little tent just across the mighty Umtamvuna river in the bush, bananas and buttermilk for breakfast and that delicious whole grain, hot from the bakery near the petrol station for the rest of the day. That was fun. In fact I fell in love with the place, so many years later bought a farm there.
Thought maybe would be nice to retire there one day. Its a birding paradise and I have planted a veritable ancestral forest of 'native' trees. We even have the rare Samango monkey as a resident, baboon and all sorts, I came face to face with a leopard one night coming home from a nights fishing. I will miss terribly, but perhaps I can find someone with the right mind set to take over my African paradise, this is so important to me. It would never just be on the open market. The Wild-Coast is just over the bridge and it is looking like they will turn the whole area into a magnificent national park. I just don't get there enough anymore. And cant be bothered with tenants, so the lovely old house stands empty most of the year. Though I have all the staff looking after it beautifully for me.

Bangkok was wonderful. My home from home. Must say its quite a dramatic shift Africa, Asia and Europe, but I am passionate about all three. L A must certainly be different for you.

MikeW · « **Reply #25 on:** July 19, 2008, 06:45:10 PM »

My holiday in Natal (Ramsgate) was during my uni years. A girl in our party, Ingrid, had grandparents who had a holiday home there. Eight of us arrived for the September vacation, unbeknownst to the owners, and thus also a complete surprise to the staff. We had to bribe them heavilly with cash and time off to ensure their silence. One night we took the resident motor car and went on "the great fruit heist". We had all been bemoaning having done nothing really bad in our youth, so we stopped drinking, and playing bridge, and set forth to 'steal fruit'. After running down wind of the farmers houses, and all sorts of other international espionage type events, we discovered, in the light of day, all the paw paws were bright green. To this day, I don't think the servants realise they were guilty of receiving stolen property!

I see by your age that we have experienced two very different South Africas - In fact I had been living in the USA three years before you were born - and yes, I would change places with you. I enjoyed Pretoria too - matriculated from Pretoria Boys High. (Just Google 'Boys High' and you get PBHS). I was not into plants and gardening at that point in my life, and what a waste that was. As long as we could come home from school, swim, and have tea served at 4pm, we were happy. Who knew we had so much to learn.

I still endure jokes from my earlier American friends about my inability to gas up a car, iron a shirt, or produce food that was not just toast with Marmite.

Gardening has been a whole new eye opener for me - love to sweat. I am no expert by any means, but I built a pond (not bad for a boy from Sandton ) and shopped nurseries, and sucked ideas out of anyone that had even just a lawn, and a hobby was born. Your postings are awesome - how have you learned so much - for a boy from Hilton - and produced such magnificent plants? I am also amazed at the land you have - a veritable treasure trove in HK.

Cheers,

Mike

Rick40 · « **Reply #26 on:** July 20, 2008, 07:24:49 AM »

Beautiful flowers Mike . I love the first pic the est also.

Rick

Cedric · « **Reply #27 on:** July 20, 2008, 07:25:55 PM »

Quote from: MikeW on July 19, 2008, 06:45:10 PM

how have you learned so much - for a boy from Hilton - and produced such magnificent plants? I am also amazed at the land you have - a veritable treasure trove in HK.

Cheers,

Mike

, Hilton is a gardeners paradise. Aw shucks I don't know too much, but I'm a willing learner what with the IWG and all the kind people here Im doing OK.
Im getting home sick listening to you go on about Pretoria boys high. Hmmm open spaces, fields of grass, grass, grass waving in the wind, thunder storms. Eish can't wait for Christmas lift off into the blue yonder. Ag just the smell of JHB sets my heart beating faster.

Stealing paw paws, you need a good hiding. Never too old.

I would never have lasted so long in Honkers if I didn't have this garden, I can tell you. Its a village house in the middle of the Ma On Shan national park, so we even have wild-life, everything from wild boars to spotted leopard cats, monkeys, porcupines, barking deer, pangolins, civets, birds galore, and snakes snakes snakes, even Indian mongoose. Yea very lucky when most people here don't even have a balcony. Sai Kung is also now full of expats, there they can get a little patch.

I was in LA a few months ago. I could have driven right past you. Think SAns should start putting up little flags, here I is. So many have left, so very many. Ya things change. But I tell you every time I bump into a South African its as though we are still neighbours. So nice.

Gardening is fantastic hobby you must have fun with all the South African plants in your climate. When I see what they have just in wal mart in parts of California I am green with envy. Some stunning "sunset" osteospernums around. Keep pushing that envelope.

Mikey · « **Reply #28 on:** July 21, 2008, 12:14:10 PM »

Quote

Think SAns should start putting up little flags

A few months ago MikeW and I were at the port of L.A. awaiting to meet Kaz as she got off the Queen Victoria. MikeW heard one disembarking passenger speaking and Mike immediately introduced himself to this fellow South African..... The accent sounded like an Aussie to me.....

Cedric · « **Reply #29 on:** July 22, 2008, 07:37:35 AM »

MikeW is a gentleman.
There are quite few English accents in South Africa, some quite rich others fruity and clipped and even a middle English one that wouldn't go astray in the home counties of England. But somehow our SAdar is finely tuned and we can recognise one another from a mile away even being able to tell where we come from. In the US its also possible I suppose. Though you don't have the colonial English one surviving anymore.