SOOOOO fabulous!! Do you ever allow people to tour your garden?

I am not traveling much because of gas these days but normally my hubby and I take road trips every weekend. If gas ever becomes reasonable again I would love to see your jungle.

My priority next year is to find some truly hardy bananas for this area - the bananas I have now probably are not.
I am new to tropicals. Just today I moved some more EEs and cannas and am preparing some areas to winter over bananas(successfully I hope).

I think I have found my gardening 'home'. To me there is nothing more energizing and relaxing at the same time than a lush tropical garden.

Very nice indeed! The overall effect is lush, bold, and creates a true statement of "jungle". Vacation without leaving home!

gurly157FS...Musa basjoo (Japanese Fiber Banana) should be perfectly hardy to over winter in your area. They put on tremendous growth in a season too.

Cheers, Barrie.

gurly157FS, a past years the American Bamboo Society and Southeastern Palm Society have visited my garden and other people have visited from time to time. Besides Musa basjoos, other winter hardy bananas for upstate SC include Musa sikkimensis, M. itinerans (M. 'yunnan'), and Musa mannii. Also in most of SC, (but not up here in the SC mountains where I live) Musa velutina, M. ornata, M. 'Rajapuri', and M. 'Orinoco" will prove winter hardy.

Mike,

Oh Thank you, Thank You! One of mine is velutina and I did not think it was hardy here - so there is hope after all. I do not know what the other is. I will look for the other varieties as well for spring planting.

Wow Mike, Those are some great plants and great pictures! Thanks. Your garden is such a nice mix of foliage and heights, bamboo and bananas never looked better together... I don't think I would have ever guessed you were in SC!

Gorgeous photos--looks more like southern China or Southeast Asia!

I was stationed in Southeast Asia for many years and this looks like it.I was also in Charleston for a few years and never saw anything like this I tell you. WOW...Unbelievable..

Mike,

Very nice. You live in the best of both worlds: warm enough and far enough south to grow these beauties, and yet close to some good sized mountains. I love this region having spent a lot of time in the area between Franklin and Highlands on the NC side. Now here's my question to you: what northern plants do you grow as well? BTW, that moso clump is close to the size and vigor of the ones here in Japan. PF

Northern plants I am growing include Syringa, Hedera, Larix, Fargesia, and Chusquea.

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Fargesia nitida

My parents were talking about retiring to N/S Carolina (what an novel concept-at least it wasn't Florida).... Maybe I will encourage it and suggest a nice large yard! Then I can have a southern spot to plant all those really really cool things that just don't make it through PA winters. Also in late winter I can head down for a preview of spring gardening!