Tropical Gardening in New York City!

My latest garden obsession are daffodils There are more than 26 THOUSAND types of them, my favorites this year are the doubles. Replete has this awesome salmon colored center and the cut flow...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/04/a-few-spring-blooms.html

Even spring bulbs aren't spared from my appetite for unusual plants. There are thousands of different types of daffodils. This my first year growing "Replete". I love the double flowers with oran...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/04/even-spring-bulbs-arent-spared-from-my.html

Everytime I visit Florida I try to bring some fun plants back & this might be my biggest haul I've ever carried on a plane!  GOING BANANAS I purchased three new banana plants from an...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/03/new-plants-from-florida.html

March is usually cold, cloudy and generally miserable here on Long Island ... but we got a VERY nice reprieve this week. Temperatures soared into the 70s for 2 days straight in my garden & we had...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/03/tropical-plants-outside-in-march.html

 We were blessed with 2 days in the 70s this week here on Long Island and my garden was LOVING it. Here are some photos. My pansies re-seeded themselves on the lawn. This happened one other ti...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/03/mid-march-fun-in-garden.html

 It was the warmest day since October - our first one in the 70s in nearly 20 weeks! The high temperature in my garden was a balmy 76F and today is in the 70s too. Everything is coming into bloo...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/03/a-few-photos-from-planting-fields-in.html

Winter barely started and it's already coming to a close. Our low temperature this year was 16F. It's one of the mildest on record. Windmill palms sailed through this winter. Underneath is my F...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/03/early-march-2024-update-from-my-parents.html

 I'm so excited to write that my Nun Orchid is blooming! This is an unusual, but incredibly low maintenance houseplant that blooms once or twice a year (for me typically in the spring!). I belie...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/03/phaius-tankervilleae-nun-orchid.html

I had the pleasure of visiting Planting Fields in Oyster Bay ahead of their incredible Annual Camellia festival on February 17th & 18th. They have the largest collection of camellia festivals und...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/02/camellia-spring-promise-blooming-in-snow.html

 My first plumeria is still one of my favorite! It's called Plumeria "Salsa" and it blooms virtually all year long!   Plumeria are tropical trees with incredibly fragrant blooms. They ar...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/01/my-indoor-plumeria-tree.html

Tropical gardens like Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden are FULL of surprises, but there's so much more than what meets the eye. Botanical gardens are home to incredibly rare plants and provide...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/01/a-visit-to-fairchild-tropical-botanic.html

You may have seen Bird of Paradise at a local garden center, but did you know it has a tiny cousin? The Orange Bird of Paradise might be the perfect winter houseplant, and unfortunately it’s R...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/01/my-orange-bird-of-paradise-is-beginning.html

 I'm beginning to appreciate the quiet that comes with the winer garden. I'm a tropical plant guy so it's hard to sit on my hands and let the winter cold pass through, but it's a nice break ahea...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2024/01/new-year-same-me.html

Philodendron Gloriosum, with Adondila, and Flamethrower palm  The hibiscus is blooming beautifully indoors! These are all buds that developed outside over the summer. The blooms will taper...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2023/11/what-does-inside-of-my-house-look-like.html

The last of the Musa Sikkimensis. I dug this up on November 12th before our second freeze (we dropped to 31F on the morning of the 13th). Before the first freeze After the first freeze ...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2023/11/mid-november-in-garden.html

Technically it's Owari Satsuma Mandarins. This citrus is cold hardy, sweet, and seedless. Also so easy to peel and ripe by November!  

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2023/11/yum-oranges.html

 During these shorter and darker days, it's nice to have some color!  Hedychium Daniel Weeks is my new favorite. It blooms sooner than any other ginger, has a study growing habit, and looks g...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-blooms.html

 These are one of my favorite tropical plants for the autumn garden. The fuzzy foliage is pretty all summer, but the purple flowers exude royalty vibes starting in August and lingering until the...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2023/10/tibouchina-purple-flowers-just-in-time.html

We had a cool and rainy October in New York, but the tropical plants are hanging on. A few, like my calla lilies, are actually ENJOYING IT!  Here's an update, starting with my Satsuma Mandarin...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2023/10/late-october-garden-update.html

 I've wanted this plant since I was in high school! This variegated banana plant has never been cheap, but variegated plants became incredibly trendy during the pandemic and prices skyrocketed t...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2023/10/i-have-musa-ae-ae-banana.html

 Showing off my Musa Viente Cohol and Musa Sikkimensis (along with some of my other potted tropicals) right before they all go inside! 

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-view-of-banana-plants-from-above.html

October in my garden is a magical fusion of tropical plants and New York's famous autumn weather. All the plants are still looking good after a nice summer of growth and this week we were treated...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-tropical-start-to-october-whats-ahead.html

 September ended on an incredibly gloomy note with rain nearly every day and much cooler than average temperatures. It was a HUGE departure from how we started the month - a heat wave with recor...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2023/10/an-incredible-sunset.html

I really struggled with my driveway landscaping last year. The retaining wall is gray and over 6 feet tall. It just wasn't exciting enough. I really need something to scream: I"M HOME - and home ...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2023/10/my-tropical-driveway.html

 The plumerias are still going strong!  This is a cutting of my oldest Plumeria "Salsa". The color holds up great during cooler weather! Plumeria Jenny!  My Hedychium "Butterf...

http://tropicalsinzone7.blogspot.com/2023/09/late-september-plumerias.html