WHATS BLOOMIN’ IN PARADISE? a gardeners journey
First impression: Dramatic, petite, fairy tale, cherry red, and cameo-white kissed flowers in a nosegay to form many blossoms. Small green leaves are an attractive back drop to the romantic soft peony-like petals. I notice the lovely, light green stems adorned with thorns everywhere. I can’t help but detect whiffs of eye closing fragrance drifting in the air, attracting all kinds of pollinators. The yen and yang of beauty with a price – the rose, you can see this awe inspiring bloom at the Botanical Gardens of the Sanibel Moorings.
Upon further investigation: Roses? I had always had trouble making my roses last from season to season here in our paradise garden. I am not even close to being a Rosarian, but I can share with you a few tips I picked up from fellow horticulturist, Debbie Hughes. Start with the antique varieties that are on their own rootstock. Antique roses are garden roses that date back to the 19th and 20th centuries. Most have lived happily without a lot of care in abandoned homes and cemeteries. They seem too flourished even with neglect. Three varieties to try out are Noisette, China, and Tea. I have had the most success with mail order roses from the Antique Rose Emporium. Our star is a tall shrub classified as an antique china rose. This title denotes a rose plant that has the genetic capacity to live for 100 years. Wow, they are considered one of the heartiest roses in the south and bloom almost year round. I always recommend grouping roses with other plants; this is a great way to hide their occasional dormant period of not looking so good, which for us is in the summertime. The worst time to trim is during this dormancy period. The best time to trim up our beauty is during February. I routinely shape and corralled the limbs because, I like to create its personality to fit their specific arbor or obelisk in the garden. Don’t forget those gloves; otherwise you will get snagged by the thorns. Fertilize lightly in the fall, with a slow release, coated fertilizer. Organic matter will decrease nematodes; I give them all my used coffee grounds. Best flowering, when planted in an area that will get 6-8 hours of sunlight. You will appreciate this specific rose’s easy nature and lack of pests and disease. Every now and then it will get a nibbling insect, that can be treated with a systemic product when applied to the roots of the plant only kills the chewing insect and no other beneficial insects. It is a non native species, who according to fossil evidence is a mere 35 million years old. Garden cultivation of roses began some 5,000 years ago, somewhere in China; Europe started importing them around the eighteenth century. Our variety Louis Philippe was hybridized by a Texas statesman, who collected this rose during his 1834 stint as Minister to France and planted it at his home in Lynchburg. Days gone by people treated roses as treasured objects and even bartered with them as money. Now a day we are blessed with multitudes of roses to choose from, so we really should make the time to plant and adore them.
Pros: Multiple blooms – Likes filtered sun – Easy to maintain/prune This variety does well in our plant zone Might take up reading Shakespeare Pollinator attractor – Is great for cottage look in a garden Great essence for potpourris – Must have for inspirational prose – Cold tolerant Non Invasive
Cons: Be careful with thorns Fast grower and bloomer Your garden friends will be envious – Pollinator attractor Non native
Conclusion: Ooohh la la lip kissed red blooms bursting, beautiful and intoxicatingly never ending, in a fairy tale like setting. Ahhh Follow those spouting of odes to our garden in paradise.
Don’t wanna miss this bloomer!
WHATS BLOOMIN’ IN PARADISE? a gardeners journey
First impression: Exotic egret head in profile-shaped flower of creamy ivory, vibrant blues, and a sprinkle of magenta. The blossom is extra large, measuring 15-inches long. Its long stemmed, dark green leaves resemble the shape of a banana plant. All plant growth starts at the base, the flowers emerge in a stacked pattern in between the leaves and continues five and six high. I am in awe of this double-story, tall, tropically unique plant. What a show stopper, any ornithologist would take a second look! You can see this non-winged wonder in bloom at the Botanical Gardens of the Sanibel Moorings.
Upon further investigation: Traveler’s Tree is an evergreen tree like herb that hails from Madagascar. It’s in the Bird of Paradise (Strelitziaceae) family so it’s grown for its lush foliage and beautiful tropical flowers. This iconic plant is a must for our gardens, with flowers blooming throughout the year. The calyx (feather like flower) is shimmery, creamy, and greenish white, which sits in a gynormous vivid green canoe shaped bract (spathe) at the base of a whorl of leaves. The edge of this spathe is frosted in a crimson burgundy. WOW! The spiked flowers appear to be peeking thru the foliage. After a closer look, you realize they are stacked in an alternating fashion 10 or 12 high. The leaves are long, tall, and paddle shaped. They are arranged in a fan-like manner. These arrangements of leaves are connected at the base forming a large clump, which eventually maturity will turn into a palm like trunk. New babies appear as tiny clumps on the outside of the plant from suckers. I prefer to keep my Travelers trees solitary for lots of drama. After blooming be sure to clean out the old blossoms, which will start to smell if left unattended. Maximum height for this fast grower is a whopping 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide, so plan for appropriate site. You may plant in full sun or filtered shade, and well drained soil. Avoid planting in a windy area; its leaves will split when under lots of breeze. It is a non invasive exotic with little or no pests or diseases. The most common dilemma I hear about our star is confusion between Traveler’s Trees and White Bird of Paradise. Here are some cues for success: White Bird has a whorl pattern to the leaves and Travelers Tree flowers are creamy not huge white one. Still a great habitat plant because, birds drink from the flower bases. They are enjoying the collected water and the flowers nectar. Bird ala bird!
Pros: Great tall dramatic shrub – Likes full sun Non invasive May have bird watcher in your garden – Salt tolerance Will fill in unsightly areas with little effort Birds love it!
Cons: Needs to be trimmed of pups Need to trim away spent blooms Leaves split in winds Don’t let neighbors steal flowers Non native.
Conclusion: Bring out those binoculars-there are birds blooming in the bushes. No need to worry, they won’t fly away in our tropical eye catching garden.
Don’t wanna miss this bloomer!