tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post7757431413122599149..comments2024-03-18T18:00:47.701-07:00Comments on danger garden: Roots, literal and otherwise...danger gardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-87454520282610507302013-01-18T21:14:39.861-08:002013-01-18T21:14:39.861-08:00I'd love to be back living in the tropics of B...I'd love to be back living in the tropics of Brazil or Malaysia again, as I was in my 20's, but with a real garden rather than just an apartment balcony or patio. There is just as much variety possible with garden style or plant palettes in the tropics, and one thinks of seasons by season of bloom or fruit, such as prime mango season, or rambutans and mangosteens, etc. It is entirely possible to have gardens with varied season of blooms, or a garden that looks much the same year round, and may always be lushly in bloom. Instead, I live in a unique version of a Mediterranean Climate, the familiar zone 9b/10a temperature range and mild wet winters and dry summers, but with the addition of our year round coastal fogs, often making the gardening weather seem like one long year round spring. There's no one big annual clean-up or maintenance schedule here, but I do try and take advantage of our rainy winters and plant more in November thru February if possible, the plants will almost always grow better. And in our haywire Bay Area banana belt conditions, I personally prefer my gardens to be in peak bloom from fall into late winter; spring and summer can revert to more emphasis on foliage color and texture with grace notes of blooms, or contrasted with year round flowering high impact plants like Bougainvilleas, Blackeyed Susan vines or Tibouchinas. But to be honest, I've never had a garden in a zone any colder than here in the Bay Area, and have grown to love both our native California plants and all the other Mediterranean Climate plants as well as subtropicals. Heaven for me would be able to split time between different gardens around the world, and it wouldn't bother me to miss out on a real winter season at all. If I had to choose just one spot, high elevation tropical cloud forest would be my ideal. Cool enough to still grow some favorite Mediterranean Climate plants as well as all those tropical favorites such as Heliconias, Melastomes, tropical Acanthaceae and Rubiaceae. It would be tough to have to give up growing current favorites such as South African Proteas and Aloes. All in all, a year round gardening season isn't stressful, and also the winter rains always mean that the garden is less work/no need to water all those container plants! <br />David in BerkeleyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-9406678711503820042013-01-18T20:31:00.534-08:002013-01-18T20:31:00.534-08:00And thank you Sue for chiming in as well!And thank you Sue for chiming in as well!danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-83030511475450096002013-01-18T20:30:18.952-08:002013-01-18T20:30:18.952-08:00Thank you Mr. S!Thank you Mr. S!danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-32138880560842748872013-01-18T12:39:23.298-08:002013-01-18T12:39:23.298-08:00I imagine bananas and such to be par for the cours...I imagine bananas and such to be par for the course in tropical gardens, whereas they stand out a bit here. I'm a bit naive when it comes to tropical flora though. <br /><br />Cold here but nothing too bad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-25627762283286935622013-01-18T09:05:01.959-08:002013-01-18T09:05:01.959-08:00Some succulents will grow air roots if the air is ...Some succulents will grow air roots if the air is too humid, or if they have some other reason to think that there'd be water available. A number of my jade plants started growing air roots when I moved them closer together, and I've seen it on <i>Kalanchoe bracteata</i> in the fall when the air gets cooler and the relative humidity goes up. mr_subjunctivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113199755474482747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-44032644162989144002013-01-18T05:47:33.069-08:002013-01-18T05:47:33.069-08:00As much as I compain about winter, I don't thi...As much as I compain about winter, I don't think I would want to garden twelve months of the year. Spring and early summer are magical times in my garden (central CT zone 6). However, I would prefer a milder winter-on the east coast that would probably be a coastal zone 7. Of course if I ever get that I'll probably wish for zone 8! Oh well, for now I'll work with what I've got.<br /><br />I thoroughly enjoyed reading this thought provoking post and all the subsequent comments. Well done!Suehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13911109672807196057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-56222645761203193452013-01-18T00:49:58.984-08:002013-01-18T00:49:58.984-08:00A pleasure! :) I remember you mentioning in a prev...A pleasure! :) I remember you mentioning in a previous post before how you live in an area with perfect gardening weather. I think you may be right!<br /><br />An ideal situation I think would be somewhere that still has four season but winters are not too cold, just cold enough to feel nip in the air but temps don't dip and stay low too long; where summers are sunny and warm but not too warm as to feel oppressive... If only moving around was that easy!Mark and Gazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09427245730390252976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-40145526953713993882013-01-17T21:45:38.384-08:002013-01-17T21:45:38.384-08:00So Kathy exactly what zone are you in? So Kathy exactly what zone are you in? danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-44379380791489849772013-01-17T21:44:34.591-08:002013-01-17T21:44:34.591-08:00I nice long trip to someplace warm sounds like the...I nice long trip to someplace warm sounds like the perfect antidote to a cold grey January in Portland...but then again I'd be afraid an arctic outbreak would hit while I was gone!danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-74693634959002775522013-01-17T21:42:52.237-08:002013-01-17T21:42:52.237-08:00I have to say I agree with Louis, zone 10 sounds h...I have to say I agree with Louis, zone 10 sounds heavenly! Then again the grass is always greener....right? danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-43871597681254651382013-01-17T20:55:22.691-08:002013-01-17T20:55:22.691-08:00Well I'm glad to hear Scott has company, I wou...Well I'm glad to hear Scott has company, I would hate to see him get lonely.<br /><br />I did a little reading about the air roots but didn't find anything that told me why these plants specifically were doing it.danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-43011165015868260622013-01-17T20:53:52.983-08:002013-01-17T20:53:52.983-08:00I thought you might be in this camp Scott, sometim...I thought you might be in this camp Scott, sometimes I really wish I could be. Fall is a gorgeous time and I could embrace it whole heartedly if I wasn't dreading the winter that comes after.danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-68858729699383179042013-01-17T20:51:45.381-08:002013-01-17T20:51:45.381-08:00Why would your garden look just like the neighbors...Why would your garden look just like the neighbors?<br /><br />I can't complain about our winter, it hasn't been bad. Hope yours isn't too cold!danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-79329753154736286332013-01-17T20:50:10.272-08:002013-01-17T20:50:10.272-08:00I hope you will write an entire post about it, I w...I hope you will write an entire post about it, I would love to read it. I really enjoyed reading your perspective here, thank you!danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-47127137924190918512013-01-17T20:47:40.162-08:002013-01-17T20:47:40.162-08:00Oh how I envy the idea of a zone 10b garden. Whene...Oh how I envy the idea of a zone 10b garden. Whenever I go to a garden centre they tell me how I "can't" plant anything that I've picked outside. Of course I don't listen to them, but I would love to pick up an agave medio picta alba and confidently march it over to the till.Louishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06219272603726629982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-38593609229340066612013-01-17T20:42:00.246-08:002013-01-17T20:42:00.246-08:00Oh good call on Santa Barbara! We'd be the coo...Oh good call on Santa Barbara! We'd be the coolest neighbours ever! Imagine plant shopping for side by side gardens!Louishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06219272603726629982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-14500792796855432822013-01-17T20:17:03.193-08:002013-01-17T20:17:03.193-08:00Yes! You called it. The maintenance involved in co...Yes! You called it. The maintenance involved in continuing the garden status quo vs the spring ramp up and fall clean up would be very refreshing. Very refreshing indeed.danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-60912184750641640122013-01-17T20:12:33.568-08:002013-01-17T20:12:33.568-08:00You guys should move into a tropical duplex, what ...You guys should move into a tropical duplex, what a garden you would have!danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-34127212697690475492013-01-17T20:11:19.436-08:002013-01-17T20:11:19.436-08:00I'm with you Alison! My gardening life in Spok...I'm with you Alison! My gardening life in Spokane's zone 5 winters left a lot to be desired, we are lucky. But someday ideally I would like to not have to pack it all away for winter.danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-66428143115121940722013-01-17T20:08:42.865-08:002013-01-17T20:08:42.865-08:00The bugs are definitely a factor. Scorpions in the...The bugs are definitely a factor. Scorpions in the desert....no thanks!danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-88275359541133480682013-01-17T20:07:52.088-08:002013-01-17T20:07:52.088-08:00So when are you moving? So when are you moving? danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-73352289017493817662013-01-17T20:06:34.911-08:002013-01-17T20:06:34.911-08:00Though I don't care for winter much, it's ...Though I don't care for winter much, it's existence makes spring such an exciting time..I love coming home from work every day and peering at the soil-there is always something new happening. I have never regretted leaving zone 10, and though LA will always be my hometown the diversity of gardening opportunities presented by seasonal change here in Norcal are cherished. kshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10847026541797857854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-21588463255054299262013-01-17T20:06:25.668-08:002013-01-17T20:06:25.668-08:00I am right there as your next door neighbor in SoC...I am right there as your next door neighbor in SoCal....heck if we're dreaming I want to live in Santa Barbara...danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-42158703553464168852013-01-17T20:04:29.115-08:002013-01-17T20:04:29.115-08:00I thought you were a winter (snow!) lover!?I thought you were a winter (snow!) lover!?danger gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09227500551609537140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1018965493805276234.post-30798290313279977752013-01-17T16:44:00.208-08:002013-01-17T16:44:00.208-08:00I'd take my chances with boredom in a warmer c...I'd take my chances with boredom in a warmer climate. But since it looks like I'm getting plenty of Zone 8 in my future, I try to do all those 'winter" things like look at catalogs and plan my spring and reorganize the garden in my head. And I read blogs and think about going to points south - soon.MulchMaidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13848950758103138175noreply@blogger.com