A Visit to Logee’s Tropical Container Plants for Home and Garden
If you're ever in Northeastern Connecticut, stop and visit Logee’s Tropical Container Plants for Home and Garden where you can choose from hundreds of varieties of plants, most of which are all propagated right there.
Last week I shared photos of items I brought home from a recent trip to Logee's - Anthuriums, two Staghorn ferns, a hanging citrus, and Begonias. William Logee started the business in 1892 as a cut-flower shop and then expanded it to include many tropical container plants. It is now very well known for its inventory of fruiting, rare, and tropical plants, and its hybridizing achievements in the world of Begonias. During my visit, I took some photos inside the greenhouses, and at the end its current owners, Williams’s grandson, Byron Martin, and his business partner, Laurelynn Martin, gifted me with a box of citrus fruits - beautiful grapefruits, lemons, oranges, tangerines, and an assortment of kumquats. I am so excited to try every one.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- Logee’s is a great source for all kinds of plants – orchids, succulents, fruit trees, exotics, etc. Once Byron took over the family business, he wanted to be sure Logee’s was a place that could provide unusual tropical flowering and fragrant specimens that performed well in pots. Logee’s nursery now has six tropical greenhouses.
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- The greenhouses are packed with a large assortment of amazing plants – neatly arranged and organized. This is a holding bench for young plants.
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- This area is for begonia propagation. The genus begonia contains about 1500 different plant species and hundreds of hybrids. Begonias are native to tropical and subtropical climates, so many specimens are kept indoors as ornamental houseplants.
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- Logee’s propagates its begonias in two ways – by leaf cutting and by seed. Here is how they do leaf cutting propagation. Although this way is quicker for the begonia to take root, it takes longer to form the plants’ bulbous trunks.
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- In leaf cutting propagation, the leaves of a plant are cut from the mother specimen or fallen leaves are saved. Then, they are placed into a tray of seed-starting mix.
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- The leaves are nurtured in the greenhouse until they take root and are ready to be transplanted into containers. Begonias are also remarkably resistant to pests primarily because their leaves are rich in oxalic acid – a natural insect repellent.
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- Look what is being propagated here – Begonia Martha Stewart, an exclusive Logee’s hybrid that Byron and Laurelynn named after me. This Begonia features deeply spiraled leaves in soft tones of tan, chartreuse, and bronze with small chocolate markings at the leaf edges.
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- Jasmine is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family. It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia and Oceania. Jasmines are widely cultivated for the characteristic fragrance of their flowers.
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- Philodendrons are fast-growing, easy plants. They range in growth pattern from graceful and vining to bold and bushy. Philodendrons are generally forgiving and will tolerate low light, poor soil, and inconsistent watering.
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- This is a Camellia. Camellias are large, attractive, broad-leaved, evergreen shrubs that are highly prized for their flowers, which bloom from winter to spring. There are more than 2300 named cultivars registered with the American Camellia Society.
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- And this is Cyphomandra crassicaulis, the tree tomato – a South American delicacy which produces edible, egg-shaped fruits that taste like custardy guavas.
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- One of Byron and Laurelynn’s major interests is citrus which can be found throughout their greenhouses. Many of my citrus come from Logee’s.
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- This is a multi-variety citrus tree in the “Big House.” Planted in 1964, this tree is showing grapefruit and temple oranges.
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- I visit Logee’s at least once a year – and I never leave empty handed. This time, I also picked a lovely box of tasting fruits. Look at all these wonderful oranges, lemons, grapefruits, kumquats, etc.
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- Robertson navels originated in an old Washington navel tree in an orchard near Redlands, California, where it was found by Roy Robertson in 1925. Robertson navels are large orange round fruits with hints of red which are usually ready for picking in winter. Temple is one of the more full–flavored, complex citrus fruits with a spicy–sweet taste and a hint of tartness. Vaniglia Sanguigno oranges are medium in size, seedy, with a smooth orange rind of medium thickness and an acidless, sweet taste.
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- I grow many Meyer lemons here at my farm. The Meyer lemon is a hybrid citrus fruit native to China. The fruits are smaller and more round than regular lemons, with smoother, thin, deep yellow to orange skin, and dark yellow pulp. Palestine sweet limes can be enjoyed by eating or juicing for fruit drinks, smoothies, and cocktails. They are often used in sauces, marinades, chutneys, and relishes.
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- And many recognize grapefruit. The grapefruit is a subtropical citrus fruit known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter flavor. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink and red.
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- The Fairchild tangerine is a cross between a Clementine mandarin and an Orlando tangelo. The skin is thin with a deep orange color and it is juicy with a rich and sweet flavor.
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- Here is an assortment of smaller citrus fruits – Changshou kumquats, Meiwa sweet kumquats, Nagami kumquats, and the kumquat-lime hybrid, limequats. Kumquats have a similar taste to oranges, but with a kick − the skin of the fruit tastes sweet, and the inside is tart.
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- And you probably know this giant fruit – I have a beautiful potted tree of this type of citrus at my farm. It’s a Ponderosa lemon, a citrus hybrid of a pomelo and a citron. Ponderosa lemons are highly acidic, developing a bright floral, fruity, and tangy flavor mixed with a subtle sweetness. There is so much to see and learn about at Logee’s and it is open year-round. If you’re ever in the area, stop by Logee’s Tropical Container Plants for Home and Garden in Danielson, Connecticut. And be sure to check out their web site and catalog – there is something there for everyone.
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