You could always try using pond liner & rainwater harvesting hooked into downspouts or something of that nature, to have a little moisture pocket!

Hey Michael, Thank you! That’s so cool that Christmas ferns grow like weeds for you! They’re a great plant. You’ve planted a lot of awesome varieties it sounds like, but I can’t imagine why animals would carry off the tags. Sounds like you’re also a fern enthusiast! Thanks for watching and always good to hear from you! Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi Will, Good question, it depends on when plants start coming out of dormancy in your area. For me, it’s the end of April usually. You can see that the leaves are still very young. This way the dead growth is obvious and easier to prune out.

That’s awesome! The best thing you can do is just observe: don’t be afraid to divide large clumps or prune plants, especially in summer. A thick (1-3”) layer of QUALITY mulch once a year in spring is ideal. Remember, taller plants are best suited for the back of the garden, and short ones towards the front. Leave about a 6-12 inch gap of clean mulch at the front of the garden. Some perennials like delphinium or foxglove look like weeds when they first start growing in spring. Some perennials are “late sleepers” (like Hibiscus) and you’ll think they’re dead but more than likely they are just waiting for warm weather. I hope this helps!

@TheBarefootedGardener it does thank you!

Kind of, there’s a little more detail than that… if you plant evergreens to buffer the prevailing wind, and you have some mature deciduous large shrubs & trees over your garden it will definitely moderate the temperature a few degrees. Making sure that plants, especially trees, have the space that they need is very important. What you might be thinking of is the Miyawaki forest method, where you do plant saplings close together, and they mature into a forest.

I always wanted to be a ninja 🥷 😂

@@TheBarefootedGardener 🤣

Haha! I totally understand that. Hardy bananas die back significantly in my climate, so this recycles the nutrients from the leaves and stems back to the soil. But it’s also pretty fun…

Hi Carole, I’m glad that the foaming info is helpful. Yeah, that waterfall is at my parents house and I’ve said so many times that I could rebuild it better, but my parents are happy with it- so🤷🏼‍♂️

Good point, so years ago I got a Colocasia ‘Pink China’ from Brian’s Botanicals, and it had been infected with mosaic virus. (I didn’t know at the time) I was cutting down that ‘Pink China’ elephant ear for autumn, and I had not sanitized my tools. I went to cut down the now unavailable (at least in the US) Colocasia gaoligongensis which was not afflicted by mosaic virus, and the next year that C. gaoligongensis contracted mosaic virus from the sap transfer of the Pink China to the gaoligongensis. All of the Pink China and countless other aroids were lost to the virus over the course of the winter. The kicker is with that virus, is that it is soil borne, and allows the plant to spread before it slowly kills it, at which point, the virus can live in soil for half a century. I should also note that it seems like healthy soil is the immune system of a plant. And it seems like healthy soil can assist plants to overtime (years) overcome disease. I still have that clump of Colocasia gaoligongensis (thankfully 🙏🏼) but pruners have not touched it for years. It seems like it is recovering from its infection but I need to get some test kits and be more scientific about it. I figured out that the plant was infected with disease by googling “elephant ear diseases” and had a major “oh shit” moment… I reached out to Brian’s Botanicals and they really don’t seem to care. Their new house is already built… anyway… Since this comment is already really long I will include that if their plants come from tissue culture, so far they’ve been clean, but anything that is a division from their website I would be extremely hesitant about if you were to purchase plants from them.

@@TheBarefootedGardener thank you for taking the time to explain. A hard lesson for you to learn. I'll be sure to cross Brian's off my list. No need to look for trouble. I think you are correct about healthy soil being immune system of plants. I purchased my current home about 7 years ago and converted a 20'x80' vegetable garden patch from previous owner to a perennial flower bed. There is a 6'x6' area where everything I plant dies. Something is for sure wrong with the soil in that area. I'm getting too old to attempt to dig out the area and replace with fresh soil. Decided next year I will make the area into a container garden area. It's the easier solution. I look forward to each of your videos.....keep them coming.

Try the bikini tini colocasia in full sun by themselves. Some of mine get giant while some stay small

Will do! I’m debating on whether or not to dig vs. mulch them…

Thanks so much! @tntropics! I think WNY is a great little spot; some areas on the shores of the lake are even zone 7a. I’m in zone 6b, but with a LONG winter. My Papa I don’t think knew the zones but based on his descriptions and now the new zone map.

@@TheBarefootedGardener You know I don't think bikini tini and coffee cup are the same. Mine are called Coffee cup and they definitely can get big. I remember bikini tini being sold as a smaller one. Look them both up on Plant delights. Mine has that shiny look to the leaves like in the pic on PD. They list coffee cups as a much larger plant.

Absolutely! Look for areas that stay warm snow melts quicker, usually facing east or south. I would definitely recommend planting hardy bananas, and green elephant ears like ‘Jack’s Giant’ to start. You can also grow Needle Palm and Dwarf Palmetto long term in zone 6b. Windmillpalms are going to need protection when planted, but they can grow in pots (brought into a garage that won’t freeze after Halloween usually) You’ve inspired me to make a video about “intro to hardy tropicals” so stay tuned!

@@TheBarefootedGardener Thanks for gettin back to me!! yes do that video!! what area are you in....I would love to get something also in a place I can grow different things that need the warmth.... anyhow thank you again!!! do some vids!!!!

This is for the skimmer, but installing the biofalls is pretty similar kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIPYnXiZjdyHnLssi=riXUCOYBHT9BSlnv

So this pond was intended as a “grow out” pond, which I did routinely water changes to irrigate the garden (banana plants are very thirsty) and having lots of aquatic plants is also going to help. Also soon after the video I rebuilt the pond with proper Aquascape filtration.

@@TheBarefootedGardener my pond is a 500 gallon cattle trough. I currently have 6 koi and a few hundred fathead minnows in it. My koi are only 6-8 inches at the moment. Do you think I have too many?

Hi Christopher, Yes, the biological filter is critical. I would also do routine summer water changes to irrigate the garden. Also, this pond was intended to grow out the koi; I rebuilt that pond soon after. Having a lot of plants is also really important.

Thank you!! The cannas are planted in heavily amended clay soil, regular water, and liquid organic fertilizer.

Always great to hear from you Michael! Let me know how it goes!

That’s true they can, but generally they want to be shallow, in the organically rich soil. I like the idea of the raised bed, especially for P. viridiglaucescens. I’ve never used the barrier, so I don’t know how bamboos respond to it, but I have seen rhizomes on the áureosulcata (shown in the video) travel downwards when they contact the foundation of the house. (Not sure how far down it would’ve traveled because I cut it off. The rhizomes were actually deformed at that point.

Hey Josh, so I live in zone 6, and it gets way too cold to leave them in the ground. So I will just dig them out of the ground before the first frost (or after the first Frost depending on situation) But if you were to live in a climate that just gets light frosts, spraying an anti-transpirant on the leaves in autumn will help, and then also a frost cloth over the whole plant on chilly nights.

Hi Jackie, Great question, this is actually a great idea for a video. I start to pick plants based on the site- is the site sunny or shady? Risk of deer or other garden pests? Nursery availability? As far as aquatic plants, how aggressive are they: small ponds need to have plants chosen from wisely so it doesn’t get eaten by plants, although shade can be a limiting factor for plant growth. Deciduous Vs. evergreen is another factor.

I was not on that one; those builds are invite only. Maybe I will be in the future..?

So the Arrowhead could be either Peltandra virginica- Arrow Arum (clumping) or Sagittaria latifolia AKA duck potato (spreads readily) . However both plants are hardy to zone 5.

Definitely!! Even better in person.

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed!!

Hi Charlton, Yeah, the spike plant will take down to about 18-20°F Sabal minors are SLOW! They don’t do anything much for 2 years and even still take a long time to size up. It’s that underground trunk/ taproot that can’t be disturbed. Thank you! They’re very rewarding and equally testing regarding patience.

Not necessarily. The Aquascape pumps I use are designed to be energy efficient.