Quote:
Originally Posted by Turtle
Back in July, I posted some pics taken at Gairloch Gardens in Oakville. There was a plant there with blackish coloured leaves. I didn't know what they were then, and I still don't know. Something tropical, I'm guessing.
I had to see if they had grown over the summer to monstrous proportions - for some reason I expected them to grow to 6 feet tall, with exotic flowers! Summer is almost over, and with the risk of frost encroaching, I thought I'd better hurry up to see these 'giants'. I persuaded Aunty Sheila to come with me yesterday, and this is what I found: no giant plants, no monstrous flowers, just some tired looking purplish plants that nonetheless fit in very nicely with the colourful beds. Glad to see them though, and Aunty enjoyed her visit  Oh, yes, those are bananas - teensie tiny little ones that won't last long once the frost comes. |
Really nice borders there - I love formal gardens. Those leaves have a good strong colour and shape and have been used well.
Banana flowers are very strange - there are loads near to where my mum lives on Tenerife in a commercial banana plantaton. It has all been dug over and replanted recently she has told me so when I'm next over there I'm curious to see what the young plants look like. I think they keep them for about a 10 year life-span and they only produce one huge bunch of bananas a year!