In fact we do. Or we have the potential to have them. As I wrote to Lynne below, I am now the proud owner of a small banana tree, a “Musa gran nain” (large dwarf, which seems worryingly indecisive), which grows to six-eight feet and produces “large heads [I imagine they mean hands] of delicious fruit”. Though perhaps not on the Prairies. It’s apparently the Chiquita banana cultivar, so I may take to calling myself Carmen and singing in the greenhouse. We ran to town to deliver eggs and run some other errands, and stopped in at the one greenhouse closing up for the season. They have an unusually large number of banana plants, and I can’t imagine that there are many more foolish types about in zone 2b. So I thought I’d best take the nicest one home to prevent it from getting composted shortly.
:: One useful tidbit I’ve picked up — I know Sheila said she likes the terracotta pots, but for all of the larger edibles, I’ve gone with black injection-molded plastic nursery pots, a number of which I’d saved from previous year’s large perennial, shrub, and fruit tree purchases. And the rest of which I got, for free, by asking nicely at the local nursery which does a lively landscaping business. Some of the pots are tub-size and quite large, just perfect for a big tomato, pumpkin, or a couple of cucumber plants, or a banana. Also, plastic retains moisture better than terracotta. And best of all, it keeps the used pots out of the dump/landfill station.
:: I had just about forgotten that the local decommissioned CN caboose, placed decoratively in the park, is a sort of library (take a book and bring it back, or take one and bring another), quite handy for those camping out in the park with their trailers. The young son of a friend reminded me last night while we were there for a picnic, and while poking through the offerings I found Monty Python’s Just the Words, volumes 1 and 2 in one big fat book (much like this). I thought it would be just perfect for tipi-reading on warm summer days, lounging about in the shade,
Around the garden (in front of the house, by the deck):
Filed under: Around the garden, Around the greenhouse, Books |
Farm School, Farm House 
You know, even I don’t have a banana, so now you’re breaking new territory here, I hope you realize. And those are some seriously charming pansies. So perfect!
The terracottas have become my new rhubarb forcing pots. If I were Martha I’d probably have a fancy name for them, but since I’m still on page 6 of English Country Gardening Terminology I haven’t yet found the correct word. In fact, I’m still in shock that Martha has a stone yard on her property. I have a stone (or two), and Martha has a stone YARD. How galling is that?
I suppose I really *am* the new Carmen Miranda of the prairies then!
I am on page 7 of ECGT, and believe I have seen those things referred to as Clay Rhubarb Forcers (which sounds rather unfriendly). I googled quickly and found these, hand thrown, which I think you *must* buy,
http://www.ruardeanpottery.com/press-release.htm
I made the mistake of going to the home page and now feel the need for terracotta kittens.
We have a stone pile on the farm, where we toss everything pulled out (by hand, ugh) of the fields. But no minions to tend it, as I gather Miss Martha must have for minding the stone yard. Now I need minions AND clay kittens.
I will have a good chuckle if you can grow bananas up your way while mine struggle for survival here in the semi-tropics! I planted five shoots thinned from a friend’s yard in what should be a drainage ditch along our side yard. It’s been so dry here that nearly one year later all but one are still only about thigh-high.
Did you know you can make great homemade paper from the ground-up old stalks?