neighborhood history gardening

12 years ago

I just gave my neighbor a baby dwarf ponciana and several cuttings from my crotons. The dwarf ponc is a small tree that has become its own ecosystem in my yard, feeding a huge variety of butterflies, plus the bees, parrots and hummers and hosting a cardinal family last year. I love it.

And I look around my 'hood and see all of these "shared over the back fence" plants. There are traveler palms that all originated with one neighbor who had pups and shared them. There are several varieties of yucca that have been shared. There are also several calamondin trees in the neighborhood, including three in my yard, that I suspect came from someone who planted the first and shared the babies, probably generations ago.

And then there are the bilbergia pyramidalis broms that several yards have. When I was new in the neighborhood, someone left a bunch on my front step. I don't know who, but it was clearly a welcoming gesture, and maybe a test - is she someone who will love these like we do? I do.

Are there plants that you can spot all over your neighborhood and recognize as the results of neighborly plant sharing? To me, this is the best kind of gardening, and of neighboring. Here is something that worked well for me and you live next to me, with the same conditions I have. Why don't you try it? I like living like that.

(I also enjoy all my friends here who trade seeds with me so we can try new things, even if we aren't physical neighbors.)

Susannah

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Comments (5)

natives_and_veggies
Original Author
12 years ago
And I should say that some folks here have given me plants I'm populating the 'hood with. Kristi's Jacob's Coat is working its way around the neighborhood. Cuban oregano is a popular herb in my hood thanks to someone. And I was once given too many Queen Emma crinums for my space, so they're out in the neighborhood. Though I have been given some gingers and a lobster claw heliconia, I haven't had enough luck with them to share them yet.
And Ginnybee gave me a plant I can't remember the name of, but it looks like a hibiscus with purple leaves - false hibiscus or something like that. It's very pretty, an annual, even though it gets really big, and has made babies, some of which are destined for my neighbors' yards
coffeemom
12 years ago
How did I miss this post?
My bromeliads are growing next door. They even love my rosette sanseveria. Oh and the white plumie. If the grandmother liked something in my yard, I was more than happy to share. It's been a win/win!
I have broms growing from another neighbor in my yard. She has my variegated pineapple in hers. I did make a swap with the house on the corner. He put in new outside lights for me and I planted an area on the side of his house. One of those false roselles hibiscus sprung up and it's very pretty.
Thanks for posting N&V!
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User
12 years ago
i "farm out" as many plants as i can to friends and neighbors. if you lose one you hopefully can go get some cuttings from them....win/win.....
katkin_gw
12 years ago
W. that is so true. I shared my pudica with a neighbor, then mine died from the two winter's frost, and the neighbor gave me a cutting back. That a win/win for sure. :o)
Randy Ritchie
12 years ago
I wish I had a neighbor to trade with. Moving more often than I like has stifled that part of my personality, lol. But there's a neighbor next to us who is landscaping around his pool with most anything I can share with him, so that's good for him, and the neighborhood, not to mention the wildlife having food and cover where once there was nothing more than a cement hole with cement walkway all around, lol. I just need to venture outside the privacy fence and meet the neighbors, rather than hiding behind it, doing my gardening thang, lol