The Last Few Weeks Before the Freeze

Here are a few shots of my back yard taken yesterday afternoon. First, the W. Robusta is impressive, and will be quite the challenge to protect this year.

The next shot is my Pindo Palm, which unfortunately finds itself squeezed between the Mexican fan palm on its right and the grove of fruiting bananas on the left.

The last photo, for the hardy banana lovers out there, is my Muso Basjoo, which just started bearing fruit (close up shot) this week.

See the budding flowers and small bananas?

The Fall Is Upon Us

I'm planning on taking pictures in the next day or so of two remarkable things in my back yard. My Washingtonia Robusta is well over 12 feet high, and the idea of protecting it from the cold this winter is a big daunting. But, as odd as this may sound, on one of my recent trips to Hawaii I actually sat next to a guy who worked for the company that protected fragile palms in the Virginia Beach area for years. He was very well versed in the "shoulds" and "should nots" of palmestry and I gained a lot of savvy from the conversation.

Additionally, the Muso Basjoo hardy bananas, which have reached 12'-14' feet in my back yard, have began fruiting. I'm hoping our first freeze holds off until late October so I can see how well the bananas ripen. Pix are soon to follow.