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Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Friday, January 5, 2018

You May Say I'm a Dreamer

If so, you'd be right.  Tetrapanax probably won't bloom, especially in the cold but one can dream, right?

Usually, when they freeze, the buds droop but these seem to still be mostly facing upward. 

Look how far these have extended. Wouldn't it be swell to see Tetrapanax blooms for the first time?

For a glimpse of what these look like in bloom click over to my pal, Denise's blog.

This looks warm, doesn't it?  Nope, 38 degrees.

What are your garden dreams for the new year?

13 comments:

  1. Awesome! I've never heard of Tetrapanax.
    Now I know I read on the internet. For me, this plant is an exotic.

    Greetings from winter Poland.
    Lucja

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  2. Ah, winter Poland. Wonder what that is like? I think all our garden dreams are that we don't lose too many plants this winter. I always hate to start the garden season by bringing out the dead!

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  3. Fingers crossed, Peter, those buds open. The buds on mine were hit hard by heat waves, so no pollen snow this year, just like sprinkles -- and no flies! I'm dreaming about big containers with soft annual herbaceous stuff, nicotiana, dahlia and grasses. And yesterday I brought home melanoselinum again, so that giant will get a large container.

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  4. It does look like it may hang on and make it. Good luck!
    This is a plant that I hope to someday find and grow. I don't think it stands even the slightest chance of being hardy but just to see those huge leaves unfurling, I think it would be worth it for a summer.
    Right now my garden dreams are for an idyllic, well watered summer, with warmth and sunshine and no bugs or hail. We'll see if we can even get as far as April with that...

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  5. I got one at a Plant Swap a few months ago. I have it in a terrible spot but can’t decide where else to put it. I have no idea what to expect from it.

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  6. Funny I've been thinking the same thing...some of the blooms are still shooting upwards (not limp post freeze), never mind that they haven't grown at all the last few weeks. As for my dreams? For that Christmas snow and ice event to be it for winter.

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  7. Peter, Tetrapanax here called Aralia de papel (paper Aralia) is a very common plant, there is a vacant lot near the cemetery here and this plants took over the place seeding themselves around, it's an aralia jungle. I see them bloom all year round since frosts are practically unknown here.

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  8. It looks like you might realize your dream. I hope so for your happiness. I doubt you will have to worry about flies since it has been so cold though. Keep on dreamin... I am dreaming about more color in the garden this year. I am plotting and planning. Of course I have plenty of time for that since we are in a deep freeze here in sW IN.

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  9. That would be exciting!
    My dream is an end to the nightmare of raccoons ruining our lawn. We will be ready to strip off much of the old sod and reseed, but will we have the same problem?

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  10. I hope your Tetrapanax makes it to bloom stage, Peter! Loree sent me a Tetrapanax seedling last year, which I potted up, but our summer or some fault on my part killed it. I'd be thrilled just to have a plant with large leaves like those. My dream is rain. I'm not greedy. Just a "normal" amount of winter rain (15 inches by the end of March) would be wonderful. So far, we've had less than a quarter inch since the "rainy season" started on October 1st...

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  11. That's the furthest along I've ever seen a Tetrapanax flower cluster. I wonder if it will eventually bloom. I'm pretty sure mine froze, although it did get the biggest cluster it's ever gotten before. My garden dreams for the new year are that I stay healthy enough to continue to whip my garden into shape (perhaps I should have whipped myself into shape first, but that's a lost cause).

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  12. My Tetrapanax is far from flowering (still a baby) but I have a flower stalk on a Yucca that still looks viable.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.