My Tropical Plants Are Out for the Season
I love large urns filled with tropical plants.
I have a rather sizable collection of tropical specimens at my Bedford, New York farm. During the winter, they are all stored in special greenhouses. Once the warm weather arrives, they are all brought out for display - some go to my home in Maine, some go to my home in East Hampton, and the remainder of the plants are placed in various locations here at Cantitoe Corners. It is a big undertaking to move all these plants at the beginning and end of each season. Thankfully, I have the help of a strong outdoor grounds crew and some heavy-duty farm equipment to get the job done.
Enjoy these photos.
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- This is one of two plastic hoop houses where most of my tropical plants are stored during the cold weather. They actually spend about seven months of the year in these temperature-controlled shelters, but they definitely thrive.
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- Every year, these tropical plants are taken out of storage, cleaned up and repotted if needed, and then moved to their warm-weather locations.
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- My outdoor grounds crew uses this Kubota model M7060HD12 tractor to move many of them. This vehicle gets so much use here at the farm every single day. Moving such a large potted plant requires strength, care, and the right equipment. A moving blanket cushions the cement pot and an adjustable moving strap is tightened around it, securing the pot to the loader.
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- Here is the hoop house half empty. This structure is very large. It is built using heavy gauge American made, triple-galvanized steel tubing. I chose this gothic style because of its high peak to accommodate my taller plants.
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- Nephrolepis obliterata is a large fern, which grows in rainforests upon rocks or in the soil near lakes or streams native to northeastern Australia and New Guinea. It is considered one of the most beautiful among all ferns. It has large fronds and upright bushy and sword-shaped leaves.
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- I am a big fan of both Alocasia and Colocasia plants. These black-purple leaves are from a Colocasia esculenta ‘Diamond Head’.
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- Here is a green colocasia. In contrast to Alocasia, the leaf tip of colocasia points downwards.
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- As the plants are removed from the hoop house, they’re grouped by type. Here are several potted bird’s nest ferns. Bird’s-nest fern is a common name for several related species of epiphytic ferns in the genus Asplenium.
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- Next door to my Equipment Barn is another large hoop house where I store my citrus collection along with various other agaves and palms, etc.
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- The crew is always very careful when moving these container plants. I have a large variety of special planters – antiques and reproductions, planters made of stone, lead, fiberglass and resin, and in a wide array of shapes and sizes.
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- These potted agaves are so beautiful, but be sure to keep them in low traffic areas, as their spikes can be very painful. And always wear gloves and eye protection when potting them up or dividing as the sap can burn. Agaves are exotic, deer-resistant, drought-tolerant plants that can live happily in containers.
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- I am so fortunate to be able to grow citrus here in the Northeast. My potted citrus plants thrive in the hoop house during winter and provide such delicious fruits.
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- Dwarf citrus trees require at least eight to 12 hours of full sunshine. This is my 17-inch round False Bottom Planter from my shop on Amazon. It’s made from lightweight resin lined with fiberglass sheets for added durability – I love these pots and use them for many of my plants.
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- This is a Citrus hystrix ‘Kaffir Lime’. It is sometimes referred to as the makrut lime and is native to tropical Asia, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The leaves of this tree are often used in Thai cooking, for their delicious flavor and fragrance.
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- This is my large Ponderosa Lemon Citrus limon ‘Ponderosa’ or ‘The American Wonder Lemon.’ This plant produces a thick mass of highly fragrant flowers, which become tiny lemons. Those lemons get bigger and bigger, often up to five pounds.
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- The lemons are already quite large and will grow even more as they ripen and yellow.
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- I go through all the potted specimens and decide where they will be displayed for the season. I always try to vary their locations. Here’s Chhiring moving some of the citrus trees to my Winter House courtyard.
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- Once up at the house, the plants are all arranged with enough space in between them, so they don’t touch each other. If displaying container plants, take the extra step to measure the space in between, so everything looks perfect.
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- Some tropicals are also displayed in the stable courtyard. The sago palm, Cycas revoluta, is a popular houseplant known for its feathery foliage and ease of care. Sago palms prefer to be situated in well-drained soil, and like other cycad plants, do not respond well to overwatering.
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- This is a Bismarkia palm, Bismarckia nobilis, which grows from a solitary trunk, gray to tan in color, and slightly bulging at the base.
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- And in the courtyard center – a variety of tropical beauties. These can be seen from the other end of the Boxwood Allee. I am so happy these tropical plants do so well here at the farm.
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