eclayne said:Maybe we can get Sway to work some more of his Voodoo.

Yea I been saving that for myself, sorry, after 10 days of rain and no sun, we had 10 days of full roasting sun...of course that was preceded by a $135 water bill...from may!

Soooo... My stuff has been largely on it's own..lots of leaves burned, but we just got about 3" in 2 days...

I notice lots of caladiums planted in people's yards and accent pots here, many ate standing up to WAY more sun I've even tryied, they certainly don't look there best, small crinkly leaves, but they are hangin in there

Swayback said:

From someone who doesn't like caladiums and no use for a Boston fern unless it's bigger than a car...
WOW those are nice!

That must be a coco basket, I don't know how else you could get leaves all around like that...
I do like the slits around the basket idea but that would be alot of slits, or a very full bunch of caladiums, still a good tip!

I don't own a Boston Fern, but I thought this Macho might qualify for being at least as big as a Fiat! Sorry I don't have a better pic. I lost it to the freeze because I tried to cover it for winter. I spotted one at HD the other day, but I resisted.


Those caladium bulbs are #1 bulbs. They are large! I'll try to find a pic of the basket when it hadn't filled in yet. I didn't make too many slits other than around the middle. It would have made the coco fray worse than it already does.

Sandi, what is Macho?...amazing. In your 1st pic is that Z. aethiopica to the left of Macho? In the 2nd pic what's that amazing variegated beauty?

Totally qualifies!
I don't like macho's much better, but once they get to that size, any fern becomes impressive!

Tiger ferns variegation is pretty neat, it's just hard to see from a distance, up close its fascinating!

I didn't realize that was a pic of your basket!
I misunderstood!
Awesome!

Evan- macho fern, stiffer more upright than a Boston fern, more durable too, I don't know much else about them...
I believe that variegated beauty you spotted there's a variegated shell ginger, they r nice, it's a big one if so...

Evan

Well, I don't know about MA, but here in TX, a Macho is a man who swaggers! Oh, you mean the fern? It's N. biserrata ‘Macho’ and it is nearly indestructible. That is, unless you try to stuff it under plastic. It just melted away. I should have left it out and covered it with a blanket. I think it would have come back, even if if it had frozen.

No, the calla was one I bought in a DG co-op years ago. It would come up, but never bloom. It finally just disappeared.

Yes, Sway's correct. Alpinia zerumbet 'Variegata' is a variegated ginger. I didn't add it to the database, because there were so many other photos. It blooms in late spring and the flowers looks like little orchids. Tough ginger that takes abuse.

Macho same in the NE although the swagger may differ due to differing boot preferences. Beautiful fern too.

Crap, cr.... I've been keeping my Alpinia in a 1-2 gallon pot (with company) on the porch, bright shade! MOBOT alludes to it being one of those oddball evergreen perennials which can be overwintered as a rhizome. Sticking in the ground tomorrow in full sun.

You may want to first try it in a larger pot in full sun. I know full sun there isn't the same as full sun here, but it would be easier to move around in a pot if you needed to find a better spot.

Fair enough, makes sense. Thanks.

eclayne said:Macho same in the NE although the swagger may differ due to differing boot preferences. Beautiful fern too.

Crap, cr.... I've been keeping my Alpinia in a 1-2 gallon pot (with company) on the porch, bright shade! MOBOT alludes to it being one of those oddball evergreen perennials which can be overwintered as a rhizome. Sticking in the ground tomorrow in full sun.

Just my opinion, but even up there I think that's best for most tropicals!

It's more work in some aspects and less in others, but if ya get em going inside early, get out there early, and hit em hard with water and the right nutes, by this time off year it starts paying off!

There's just hardly any replacement for in ground planting, aside from raised beds, or pots so big the root tips don't ever find the pot...

bubbles posted faster than I did!
And has a valid point, that point kept my EE in pots for years, now in ground is almost always better, but just lady night I was lamenting havering planted several gingers, one a variegated shell ginger in ground and not potting it up instead, but I'm very inexperienced with gingers and don't know how fast they grow...

I only meant to keep it in a pot until finding the optimum spot for it. I'm sure you're right that it will thrive in the ground.

But maybe keep it in a pot this summer, and give it ground planting next year when it will have a couple more months to get really going? It IS late July already, right? Also, Evan gingers are definitely part-shade lovers down here, and the Alpinias in my yard bloom in full shade. I think heat and lots of water get them to the size of Sandi's beauties. Not so much needing that full, blazing Massachusetts sun . .. .although the south side of the house might keep them growing longer.

Speaking of "pots so big that . . . " I do have an old claw-footed bathtub that will be leaving my bathroom very soon, anybody think it will make a great planter for, say, some big Ears??

You might check these out!

http://pinterest.com/search/pi...

Awesome! Now, where to put it??

That would be awesome!

I'd put it in full sun with diamond head in it, or some dark variety!
Would great contrast!
I'd leave the plug in it tho!

Fun! How about raising those pedicure fish in it? You can dangle you toes.

You have no idea, we could literally move that bathtub about 5ft. outside through the french doors ( ! ! ) that open onto part of the front yard. There is hot and cold water plumbed out there. We could have an outdoor spa!

OR I could charge my neighbors to use my outdoor tub to wash their dogs . . .

Nah! The raccoons and birds would eat the pedicure fish and the cat would throw a fit if I invited dogs into "her" yard. I want a planter full of Diamond Head EE's. OR maybe Coffee Cups? I could lie in my new jacuzzi tub inside the windows and watch the leaves tip water. Right on about the plug, Sway, it leaks a little bit anyway.

Come one come all to dyzzy's claw spa.

Add a valve to the drain pipe, that way you can flush the fertilizer salts out occasionally.

Evan, I swear these things eat everything!
There's no salt rings on a single pot or bucket of mine they are growing in!
I'm sure the ability to flush them won't hurt