Hello! My name is Darla and I live here in South Florida along with my husband Robin, of 36 years. We live in a zone 10 and have a very hot, humid climate that is a perfect setting for tropical plants. Together, we have worked hard at transforming our landscape into a Tropical Paradise, complete with Palm trees and many other tropical varieties. I have loved to garden since I was a young girl and remember watching as my parents too, enjoyed creating beautiful landscapes. I think this is where it all started for me.
I thought it would be fun to share my experiences and passions for gardening with others and decided to start this channel. Thank you for watching and I hope I brought a little inspiration to your day!
I completely understand that! Unfortunately, fertilizer products have increased in cost, and the better the product, the more it costs. But the good news is you can definitely find a closely related product to get good results. Just look for an 8-2-12 formula that has polymer coated nitrogen, phosphate, and magnesium. This will be a good start and hopefully a little less expensive. Happy Gardening ☺️
what a great idea around the pigmy palm, I have a maroon colored ones that I just like and planted on the other side of the driveway and are doing well. I will definitely put these around my pigmys, they are gorgeous and starting with my pallet !!
Maybe you can help me with what plants to add to my pallet. I am removing these bushes, don’t know why I planted them, hiding the house. I love that one croton you have by the palm. I have to remove another bush that was always hacked by the landscape company that we used. They are called lemon/limes, not crotons I’m not down at my house enough to monitor but now that I am retired I CAN DO MORE😊.
Mulch. I will never do a rock mulch again. Over time it fills with dirt and organic debris and forms a thick hard mat extremely difficult to weed (even with a quality landscape fabric underneath). Wood mulch for me, but only shredded wood and not the nuggets. The shredded type settles into a cushy mat and so is more effective at regulating moisture in the soil. It is softer underfoot and gentle to contend with when planting or weeding. Yes it does break down and needs to be replenished, but that deterioration adds nutrients and improves the texture of the soil. Rock has the opposite effect. The only caution to shredded wood is too much water can cause smelly rot. You may need to stir up and fluff the mulch to reduce its water content.
I came across your video this evening and what a treat it was to watch you. I love to plant in the evening. It’s totally my happy place and therapeutic. I will be watching more of your videos. I could have watched you for hours. I live in Minnesota and for the past two weeks it’s been in the 90s and extremely humid. I bought several caladiums and wasn’t sure what to do with them and your video gave me the inspiration i needed
Hi Robbin! I'm definitely with you on the heat and humidity. We are very hot and humid here as well. I love to garden in the evenings when it's slightly less hot... even though it's muggy and buggy 🦟😂 thank you so much for watching the channel. I love making videos and hope my life slows down a little so I can spend more time in my "Happy Place" too. Happy Gardening 🌴🌺
What do I do in July? I have a palm indoors in the window I got it a month ago and the leaves are turning brown on the ends, I've been clipping them. (Panhandle of FL) Should I leave it in the window or move it?
Hi Brooke! Growing palms indoors can sometimes be tricky. Depending on the variety of your palms will determine its care. If you are growing, for example, a parlor, cat, or bamboo palm, these all require bright indirect light. Brown tips can be a sign of several things. Check to make sure you are not underwatering. Palms do require moist (but not wet) soil that is well draining. Remember too, humidity is your palms friend and most homes don't have this. Misting your fronds can be helpful. I would also recommend taking your indoor palms outside to throughly flush the growing medium of excess minerals and spray the fronds lightly with a hose to clean off dust and debris. Also, make sure to inspect for those pesky spider mites and mealy bugs. One last thing... I would recommend purchasing watering spikes or globes. These help to ensure your palms are steadily getting the water they need as the soil dries. I hope these few things help. Happy Gardening 🌴🌺
Hey Stacy, we got the bamboo fencing from Home Depot, and it's the 6x8 ft. We paid $69, but I think now, it's around $79 for the light color and $89 for the darker. Thanks for watching the channel 😀 🌺
Hi thanks for your very helpful video! Wondering is there a specific variety that is ideal for hanging basket? Most I find in the store have already been pruned to vine upward.
Hello @arathi266 Yes, there is a specific variety that you can buy call "Bambino Bougainvillea". These are smaller and are perfect for hanging baskets and smaller containers. I have used these varieties as well as just the regular varieties. In my experience, the smaller the pot you use, such as a 1 gallon pot, the easier they are to train in hanging baskets. Hope this helps, and thank you for watching the channel 😀
Love, love, love this, your property is so gorgeous. You don't need to deal with an HOA, LOL. Beautiful! Love all the info that you share, you are very appreciated. Thank you!
Brickyard is gorgeous! I have a calico who was also a wee kitten who was dropped off in my yard about 7 years ago. She is a spoiled house cat loving every minute!
New subscriber here! Love palms and have been using sunniland with good results but i know I could do better.. its june and time to fertilize again, but I was wondering where I can find the Florikan 8-2-12. Does Lowe’s in Home Depot carry that?
Hey @GCar35! Me too ❤️ palm trees. Unfortunately, the big box stores like Lowe's and Home Depot don't carry the Florikan. I'm not sure where you are located, but I purchased my bag from a local landscape company called siteone. Their website is siteone.com. You might be able to order directly from them. Thank you for watching the channel 😀
@@GrowingTropical THANK YOU!! I was hoping Amazon. But no luck. I seen a couple other places, but I was looking for something more reputable.. I’ll check around my area. I live in safety harbor. Pinellas County.. ☺️
Thank you! I have 4 twelve inch hangers that I haven’t used because the liners broke down. This is genius and I have plenty of weed block and zip ties laying around! 😂 I’m definitely going to try this! Yay more plants!!
Hey Arthur! I am not set up to mail out cuttings. Living here in South Florida with our heat, those little cutting would most likely die before they reached you. Mammy's are pretty popular, and you can find them in most nurseries and even Walmart. Thanks for watching the channel, and I hope you get your hands on one of these crotons soon. Happy Gardening 😄 🌺
Hello Superwoodyboy! Periwinkle is also called Vinca or myrtle and are the same genus of about 12 flowering species. My mother used to grow them wild since these plants naturalize so well here in our South Florida heat. Thanks for watching the channel 😀
I'm curious how your majesty palm is doing, because I do not have luck with that palm. I had 3 of them and the first two died. Then the third, which had 3 trunks, started to look like it was dying also, so I got so fed up, yanked it out of it's pot and stuck it in the corner of my landscape where it's probably a little wetter than what I kept them in a pot, not really sure though but it's been there a few years now and is still alive so I guess that's where it's going to remain for the rest of it's life. Also how are your Red Chinese Evergreens doing outside? I love that plant just because of the color and waxy looking leaf. I had them in a pot for a long time on my porch but, then they started to get leggy and eventually died.
Hello @umouthinhme! I also find Majesty palms to be a bit more difficult to grow. They are easy to rot if you grow them in containers because they are sensitive to wet soils. I also have a problem with insects. After reading a bit more on these palms, growing them out in the landscape seems to be where they thrive the best. The Majesty I showed in the video developed scale insects, and since the palm was still so young, it made it look really ugly even after I treated it with insecticidal soap. So I pulled it out because it was the first thing you see when you walk up to the front door. I have since started focusing on growing the Chamaedorea cataractarum or "cat" palm. These are real beauties in containers. They are moderate growers and don't seem to attract insects as easily. This was the other palm I featured in the video, and it is looking amazing. Thank you for watching the channel. Happy Gardening 😀
@@GrowingTropical Thanks for replying back. Yes I switched to cat palms too, and Areca palms, both adapt much better to being in pot. So what about your Red Chinese Evergreens, are they still doing good? BTW, your garden looks nice, I can see you take pride in it.
I got so focused on talking about the majesty palms I completely forgot to tell you about my Chinese Evergreens. I just love them, and I grow them everywhere around my home, both inside and out. I'm not sure which ones you are referring to, but yes, they are thriving for me.
@@GrowingTropical That's great! I'll have to try them again because they really do add a lot of color without all the mess...Thanks again for replying.
Hello Olga! I have just one growing in each of these baskets. When they finally started looking really scraggly, I pinched off some starters and replanted them in smaller containers. Thank you for watching the channel and Happy Gardening 😀🌺🌴
Hi Elaine! You might not be able to find this exact product, so just look for a fertilizer blend of 8-2-12 in a time release formula. This is the most important. I know there are a lot of fertilizers on the market today, and it can be confusing. I would recommend going to a landscaper warehouse in your area for the best choices. Happy Gardening ☺️ 🌺
@@GrowingTropical I was able to order the Florikan fertilizer through Millers Hardware in Winter Park and it will be shipped to the Casselberry Millers Hardware closer to my home.
They are hard to find in Canada as well. Use to be able to buy coco coir liners at dollar store but they only sell the basket at al. I was wondering if burlap would do the same thing? Maybe I will try that as I have quite a bit and no longer have anymore landscaping material. Thanks for the video!
Hello! Yes, Burlap will work as well. I have also used that as a liner, and it holds the potting mix quite nicely. As gardeners, we also have to be on our toes in trying new things. Thank you for watching the channel and Happy Gardening.
Hey John! While you don't necessarily need to use this brand of fertilizer, the formula 8-2-12 is what you would want to provide your palm trees, no matter where you live. This is the ratio that I researched from our State University in providing the best nutritional value.
Hey Elaine! Oh no! I'm no stranger when it comes to bugs on my plants. It sounds to me like you might possibly have scales. They are very tiny, soft, green looking bumps and hard to see. The scale secrete a sugary substance that attracts ants, and then it leaves a black sooty mold all over your stems. I would suggest looking very close to your stems to see if this is what you have. You will want to blast the stems with a hose to knock off as many as possible. Then, I would suggest using either a neem oil or an insecticidal soap to suffocate the scale. You can take a little Dawn dish soap and wash the stems to give it a better appearance. I do this, but it's not necessary. I hope this helps 😀
Wasn’t the 8-2-12 ratio meant for the soils mainly in Florida ? Many other universities for example suggest 3-1-2 is good for palms in containers ( meaning soilless or soil that’s different than what’s typically found in Florida soils. )
Hey Corey! The 8-2-12 formula is designed for the nutrition and health of the palm tree. The polymer coating is what's important for our sandy soil here in South Florida. There are probably several schools of thought when it comes to palm tree nutrition. This is what I find to work really well in keeping my trees looking their best. Happy Gardening 😄
Hello! Yes, and yes! The weed barrier has worked really well for me. I have been getting several plantings with each basket. Eventually, these barriers do break down but have been lasting longer than the coir liners. I do use both. Happy Gardening 😄
Do you have any pictures of a wire basket with weed barrier after 7-8 months? Im in Middle River Maryland. We have several heavy rain spells with high humidity. I think my local weather patterns will cause the weed barrier to sink between the metal holes and break down. I have 2 metal hanging baskets in my front yard that hang over top a lower garden bed. Just wwnt to prevent a big mess. Would landscape fabric hold up better than weed barrier? Is landscape fabric thicker?
Hey Deborah! I'm still here 😉 been crazy busy with the airbnb and just welcomed our first grand 👶. I'm working on making some new videos soon. Thank you for asking about me and the channel 🥰
But you don't have the most beautiful croton i ever seen!!!! The Tamara Croton!!!! It is so beautiful with its dominant white than green leaves!!! It has similarity to Croton Andrew too but i noticed Andrew had more green than white! But both are beautiful! I got two of them just as tall as my height 1 meter and 50 cm. 😊😊
Thank you Darla. Your information is very helpful. I learned to garden in MN and now spend much of the year in SW Florida, so plant care here is new to me. I'm looking for more tips on how to trim the 4-5 foot Petra crotons and how to encourage growth on the completely gray and leggy lower 2/3 of the plants. Do you or your followers have suggestions? I know I could just replace them. As an added note, this garden was left by a previous owner and the crotons were in the wrong spots. I am happy to say that I transplanted these crotons in April and 2 of 3 survived the dry summer of 2023. I babied them by watering twice a day for the first 3 weeks and then relied on the irrigation system. I now understand most recomment not attempting to transplant crotons. Beginner's luck.
I live in the city of Herzliya in Israel. In winter the night/day temperatures are on average 10/20 degrees Celsius. Humidity above 70 percent. Quite a bright area. The cladium leaves were very beautiful until the month of November. The cladium is planted in the garden in a shady place. Can I leave the cladium bulbs in the ground?
Hello 😀 Here in South Florida, we can leave our Caldium bulbs in the ground over the winter months since we don't have freezing temperatures. As long as your temps are above freezing at night, yes, you can leave them planted in the ground to emerge in the spring. Thank you for watching the channel ☺️🌴☀️🌡
You were very helpful. I was making sure I needed 8-2-12. I never knew to look for time release on all 3 numbers. Thank you for sharing. I hope this will help our HOA get the right stuff.
Wonderful video! I have been googling and googling trying to get info on care for these beautiful plants then thought …hey let me you tube and see what i can find …. Voila! Thank you so much!!!!!
@@GrowingTropical I would love more of your videos on Bougainvillea, since I just received a big potted one from Home Depot and have no clue how to care for it I am learning day by day
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