My garden has pretty much been destroyed. Only the big plants have survived. And you might be thinking to yourself, why S.D – has your garden been destroyed? And I would say back to you, because of my four-legged friends (I have four, so that is actually 16 legs trampling around in my flower beds, well actually only 12 legs because our Great Dane has a phobia of walking on grass), who have no respect at all for tender annuals and struggling perrenials.
So, it was a shock, when I discovered (while taking the garbage out this summer) my banana plants, had actually grown bananas. I had no idea one could grow bananas in the Central Valley of California. But – apparently one can.
And why didn’t I tell you about this sooner? Well, I had actually forgotten about them until yesterday, when I was cleaning out the gutters. The Weather Channel is predicting a “Stormfest” – three huge storms are heading our way. And it was while I was on the ladder, that I aspied my long forgotten bananas. The way they grow is fascinating. First – there is a huge maroon pod which appears, and as each layer of that pod falls off, another row of little, tiny bananas appear. And the process continues, row after row, until there is a huge bunch of bananas just hanging there.
Did I harvest any of them? No – because I wasn’t really sure how to, and besides – I don’t have a machete. I need a machete. I like saying that word – machete! Perhaps I will get a machete in preparation for this coming year’s bananas. Must have a machete!
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Categories: California, Central Valley, Miscellaneous, Pets
Beautiful trees, SD! You will be a cutting edge gardener once you get that machete!
I knew your dogs messed up the garden before you said it. I don’t do a lot of flowers and stuff, but we did plant three pretty bushes last year. Since our new dog arrived, they have been torn up. That’s cool about the bananas, didn’t know you could grow those in the US, either.
I am sorry about your bushes – how frustrating!!! I think I might have some kind of weird ecosystem in my garden, everything blooms later. Maybe I have a “Banana Belt” ecosystem and that is why the bananas grew!!! I wonder what else I could grow in my garden?? Hmmm – let me think about that!!! How about a Baobab tree? Those are cool!!!
You ever think about growing oranges or lemons? I’d love to try to grow oranges, but I doubt that’d work out here.
I have tried several times, but it never seems to work out for me. I did grow an Avocado tree, from a seed, it is about 12 feet tall now!!!
You’ve got a jungle theme going on there! LOL Fascinating information about bananas and how they grow. Couldn’t you use pruning shears to cut the bunches of bananas?
I probably could use loppers, but a machete would be so much more rewarding I think!! And besides, I like the word – machete. It just sounds primitive and dangerous!!! Loppers do not sound foreign or dangerous!!!
LOL You’re right. I’m laughing out loud here! Teehee …..
What a nice yard! We used to have banana trees in the yard where I grew up, and yes, they grew bananas. My Mom hated them though because they tend to take over the garden. Your little furry friends sure are cute …even if they do mess the yard up. 🙂
It’s really hard to be mad at them for messing up my garden, because they are all so darn cute!!!
Oh man. You’ve got to get a machete and show us how they turned out. Happy New Year.
Happy New Year to you too Lori. I am going to get a machete!! I will let you know how it goes!!
I have not heard about being able to actually grow the banana fruit here in California. We had a banana plant at our house in San Diego and it just looked good for 18 years…no fruit. How cool is that??
I know, I was so excited when I discovered them!!
You really do need a machete if you have a banana tree. 🤔😀
Maybe I need 2 machetes. I could be the double-handed machete wielding banana plant chopping maniac of the valley!