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Backyard Jungles |
fatuhiva
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 634
From: Melbourne Beach, FL
|  Posted: 2007-08-08 07:14 am Permalink
Here are some recent pics of the backyard jungle here in Melbourne Beach, FL. Got some nice blooms this summer.. still need some more tikis out back 
Post pics of your own backyard oasis- perhaps we can get a tiki landscaping thread goin.
rest of the pics are here: http://www.tiki-shirts.com/gallery/album43
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Jungle Trader
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 04, 2003
Posts: 3691
From: Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca.
| Posted: 2007-08-08 07:27 am Permalink
That's my kind of jungle. Thanks for taking the time.
Pics soon.
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4807
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2007-08-08 07:52 am Permalink
Oh, sure. If you live in Florida! That's very nice. Way up here in Zone 6, tropical gardening is a bit harder!
A quick picture from a while ago. Just moved and the gardens started over this summer, with moving some things of course. Most of what is here is actually hardy and stays in the ground over winter. Golden Lotus Bananas, Trachycarpus Forunei palms, elephant ears, hostas, Gardenia. Everything is really taking off here in August. Some potted plants come in in winter and thrive. Some are dug up and winter inside and die back. The Blood Banana is nearly 5 feet tall now in its second year here and it died back in a pot in the basement over winter. The Musa Basjoo faired poorly oddly enough, outside. Only a foot tall and most died. Need to be better covered in the 14 degree winter time...
And a drought has meant the grass looks like crap. So, here's the "ugly" yard shot next to your great one to encourage more pictures!
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fatuhiva
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 634
From: Melbourne Beach, FL
| Posted: 2007-08-08 08:20 am Permalink
yes, that is true- being in zone 10 makes things alot easier. Have you tried any of the cold hardy bamboos up there? I bet between some bamboo, some tree canopy and the kind of stuff you mentioned you are already working with, the various mulchable/protectable banana and alocasia/colocasia (elephant ear) you could get an insane jungle in zone 6.
There's a guy on ebay, goes by "aroidgrower" and he has alot of cool alocasias and colocasia that can take some cold
some of those caladiums can really get a lush look going in cold climates too- they just bust out of the ground once it warms up
Blood banana is a great one- doesnt get ridiculously big and the color of it is great. I'm suprised to hear that the basjoo gave you problems- probably just need to dump a pile of compost on it for the winter.. I've seen some of those way up north and they can get huge
Have you tried plumeria up there?
[ This Message was edited by: fatuhiva 2007-08-08 08:24 ]
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Slacks Ferret
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 02, 2003
Posts: 1175
From: Calgary
| Posted: 2007-08-08 08:26 am Permalink
Pffft. Zone 6! I wish! You've got it easy! Try zone 3!
I had to make my palm tree.
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TheBigT
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1155
From: Fabulous Houston
| Posted: 2007-08-08 08:32 am Permalink
fatuhiva: all I can say is WOW!
Luv all the tropicals right up on the edge of the pool - really nice!
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4807
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2007-08-08 09:04 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2007-08-08 08:20, fatuhiva wrote:
yes, that is true- being in zone 10 makes things alot easier. Have you tried any of the cold hardy bamboos up there? |
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Yes! We have two types. One gets huge, like 5-6 inches in diameter, but hard to transplant the huge ones. I started some this year.
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I bet between some bamboo, some tree canopy and the kind of stuff you mentioned you are already working with, the various mulchable/protectable banana and alocasia/colocasia (elephant ear) you could get an insane jungle in zone 6.
There's a guy on ebay, goes by "aroidgrower" and he has alot of cool alocasias and colocasia that can take some cold
some of those caladiums can really get a lush look going in cold climates too- they just bust out of the ground once it warms up
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There is a seller on Ebay that goes by hardytropicals and has good stuff. The shade garden is next years project and that's where the fern and caladiums will come in.
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Blood banana is a great one- doesnt get ridiculously big and the color of it is great. I'm suprised to hear that the basjoo gave you problems- probably just need to dump a pile of compost on it for the winter.. I've seen some of those way up north and they can get huge
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There are stands of Musa Basjoo here in town that are 12-15 feet tall and the size of a bus. They are hardy here, but my young pups didn't get covered well enough in winter and went from 4 feet tall last summer (first year) to mostly dead. Better next year!
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Have you tried plumeria up there?
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Yes, there is actually a Plumeria in there on the left in back. Second year with me and went from 1.5 feet tall to about 3.5 feet so far. Keep it in the pot and it dies back inside in winter and comes back. No flowers yet though.
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VampiressRN
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Nov 23, 2006
Posts: 5089
From: Sin City Lincoln Hills (NorCal)
| Posted: 2007-08-08 7:48 pm Permalink
Try NO-ZONE...that is my backyard....plants just commit suicide at my house. I do not have a green thumb. I am so jealous....that yard is awesome....love the palms.
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danlovestikis
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Jun 17, 2002
Posts: 3569 | Posted: 2007-08-08 9:10 pm Permalink
That may be the most beautiful backyard I've ever seen, it rivals the gardens I've seen in Hawaii. Yours looks perfect.
We tried to have a tropical feel to our backyard. We planted 16 banana trees. I noticed a pocket of water at the base of each leaf so I asked the mosquito abatement people here if that was a problem.
I was told that's why there are so many mosquitoes in the tropics. I was told to pick up a bottle of pills once a month and to drop them in the water pocket to kill the larva.
We had the trees removed, we have West Nile Virus in our area with horses dropping dead and didn't want to increase the chance of having more mosquitoes.
So we just live in Dan's jungle room of silk plants, there is always something to look at in that room.
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WooHooWahine
Grand Member (7 years) 
Joined: Mar 04, 2005
Posts: 2902
From: Mission (Impossible) Viejo, Ca
| Posted: 2007-08-08 9:18 pm Permalink
WOOOOHOOO! Fatuhiva ~ What a Tropical Paradise you have. So when's the luau??
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greentikipat
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 08, 2006
Posts: 325
From: st. pete fl
| Posted: 2007-08-08 10:08 pm Permalink
great thread!! i'll shoot some pics this weekend of my back(soon to be)paradise. no tikis yet, waiting for the right time to 'introduce' them. but they've been the plan from the begining, almost 3 yrs ago, when the place was bare.
your layout among what looks like a good sized yard is beautiful. the cannal out back reminds me of the old 'TIKI GARDENS' here in Indian Rocks Beach. my place would eventually fit a thread in 'tiki bars' or something like that; but i would like to start showing it before the bar/hut arises. thanks, mahalo!--pat
i used to live in melbourne; my daughter was born there!!
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HelloTiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 23, 2005
Posts: 440
From: Kailua, Hawaii
| Posted: 2007-08-08 10:43 pm Permalink
Cowabunga!! Great gardens. Very nice landscaping, and good taste is evident by placing the Monstera plants near the Tikis. Monsteras rule & should be the "Official Tiki" Plant.
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Swanky
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 4807
From: Hapa Haole Hideaway, TN
| Posted: 2007-08-09 06:04 am Permalink
Yep, I gotta say that those of us who garden, know how much work is in that yard fatuhiva. Love it! Gardening is an obsession, like what many here have. Collecting, gardening, buildnig a bar...
Monstera have been showing up around here at grocery stores and the big box places right with the regular philadendrons. I have 3 types of philadendrons and the Monsteras and the Monsteras are perhaps the hardiest. I wintered them in the basement under a light and they were fine. Lost almost no leaves. The leaves are getting pretty big now and maybe by next year will have that great second tier of cuts that really define the plant. They are low light plants, so, everyone needs them! They do get pretty big though.
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Urban Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 18, 2004
Posts: 527
From: The Tropical Isle of Manhattan
| Posted: 2007-08-09 06:11 am Permalink
What a fabulous yard, Fatuhiva, and a great idea for a thread. I have great respect for your dedication- I'm sure a lot of work went into your paradise.
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Tikinomad
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 20, 2005
Posts: 364
From: Outerspace
| Posted: 2007-08-09 06:49 am Permalink
Fatuhiva's yard is looking sweet.......pure paradise!
Dan's jungle room is amazing, what a Tiki collection! I'd love to see both places in person......
I'm in an appartment in jersey so i only have a back porch, no yard 
But in the summer we try our best to fill it with tropical plants and i bring a few of my larger tiki's out to get some sun...haha.
I like the fact that evereyone is trying to create there own little back yard/ porch paradise.........that's what it's all about.
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