All my tropical plants are now stored indoors for the winter.
Caring for these plants means following a strict schedule, particularly at the end of the warm season. During the colder months, these tropical specimens are all gathered, moved and stored in special greenhouses where temperatures and humidity levels can be closely monitored and adjusted when necessary. Yesterday, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew got all my tropical plants put away. And just in time - night temperatures are starting to dip.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
Before storing, all the plants are brought to their designated greenhouse and placed outside, so each one can be inspected, and trimmed or repotted if necessary. Then, by size each one is carried into the structure where they will stay for about seven months. These tropical plants are in front of a large hoop house located between my Equipment Barn and my vegetable greenhouse.
This year, I decided to purchase strong tables specially designed for greenhouse plants. Here, the tables are connected together to form one long surface.
All the tables are then shimmed and leveled perfectly on the gravel floor.
I have a series of tables lined on both sides of this tropical greenhouse – one of five greenhouses at my farm.
This is our new Kubota M62 tractor hauling a very heavy plant. During the summer, I like to display these large specimens around the farm. Some of these pots weigh about 500-pounds each.
Here, Brian and Phurba move a topiary from my Winter House courtyard. These plants grow a little more each year, so the placement of these specimens will change every time they are stored.
These taller topiaries from the courtyard will winter in this small enclosed porch located outside my Equipment Barn. It was a little used space, so a couple of years ago, I enclosed it and made it more usable for storing these tall specimens.
Domi carries another plant into the tropical greenhouse. This project of moving the plants indoors is a big undertaking and takes several days to complete.
My camellias are now all lined up together on one side of the table.
On the other side, a collection of Chinese fan palms, or fountain palms – a species of subtropical palm tree of east Asia.
Some of the container plants can be wheeled in on a hand truck. Domi and Chhiring move this in very carefully, so the branches are not damaged along the way.
This is a Bismarkia palm, Bismarckia nobilis, which grows from a solitary trunk, gray to tan in color, and slightly bulging at the base.
Some planters from around my Winter House are loaded and moved indoors. Trough planters are also emptied and the contents put in plastic containers for storage.
Pasang directs the moving of this large tropical. We always strap the containers onto the tractor bucket and then cushion it with a moving blanket. These plants and their pots are handled with the utmost care.
I keep a group of sago palms, Cycas revoluta, in this enclosure. I have many of them in all different sizes. They are popular houseplants with pretty foliage, but keep them away from pets and young children, as they are also very toxic if ingested. This is a large sago. Sago palms support a crown of shiny, dark green leaves on a thick shaggy trunk that is typically about seven to eight inches in diameter when mature, sometimes wider.
Here’s Chhiring about to move the Kalanchoe. Kalanchoe is a genus of about 125 species of tropical, succulent flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, mainly native to Madagascar and tropical Africa. It is know for its ease of care and interesting leaves and flowers, which bloom consistently throughout the year in response to daylight. Kalanchoe can grow quite large, spreading out over a thick columnar trunk.
I have many agaves, including this blue agave with its beautiful gray-blue spiky fleshy leaves. Do you know… tequila is distilled from the sap of the blue agave?
Chhiring assesses each plant as it is brought indoors. The plants are all arranged with enough space in between them, so they don’t touch each other. This greenhouse works by heating and circulating air to create an artificial tropical environment. The heater is checked a couple times each day to make sure the temperature remains comfortably warm inside. Too cold, plants will freeze – too hot, plants will rot. This greenhouse is always kept above 50-degrees Fahrenheit.
In a front corner is my monkey puzzle tree, Araucaria araucana. It is an evergreen tree native to central and southern Chile and western Argentina. Mature trees may reach 150-feet in height and have a trunk diameter of up to seven-feet.
Look closely – it has strange leaves – they are thick and stiff and have pointed tips. The leaves overlap each other and completely cover the branches that emerge from the trunk in whorls.
By afternoon, all the plants are inside. In the front are several potted Stephanotis – one of five to 10 species identified within the genus of twining vine-like shrubs. It is sometimes called Madagascar jasmine. The leaves are leathery, oval-shaped, and opposite, and the plant’s woody tendrils can grow to 20 feet. They were displayed by the pool this summer. I am so glad we got all the plants indoors well before the first frost in this area. I look forward to when these precious plants come out of hiding again next spring.
Rainy autumn days are perfect for working inside the greenhouses.
I have quite a large collection of warm weather plants at my farm, including citrus trees and other tropical specimens. Because I live in a four-season region, during colder months, it’s vital these plants move indoors, where the temperature and humidity levels can be controlled. Plants that spent the summer at Skylands, my home in Maine, are also brought back to Bedford for storage. Most of them are kept in one of two hoop houses designated specifically for these plants. They are all thriving, and have grown quite well in the last year - some grew too big for their pots, and needed to be removed, trimmed, and repotted into new containers. It’s a tedious process to put all these container plants away, but a very important one that keeps all my plants healthy.
Enjoy these photos.
Here is a section of bird’s nest ferns, Asplenium nidus, stored on a new gardening table in my citrus house. As each plant is placed in here for storage, it is inspected, groomed or repotted if necessary, and then placed with other like plants. Bird’s-nest fern is a common name applied to several related species of epiphytic ferns in the genus Asplenium.
The bird’s nest fern is known for its tropical fronds that grow out of a central rosette.
Bird’s nest ferns reproduce through spores, which appear as little brown spots on the undersides of the fronds.
These are all potted, dormant cannas, tropical plants that are often planted for their colorful foliage varieties. In cool climates, canna bulbs are planted each spring, then in fall they are dug up, divided and stored away from the winter chill to be replanted again the next year.
Here, Brian uses a long knife to cut around the inside of the pot to loosen the canna plant. Always do this first, so the plant comes out intact and the roots undisturbed.
Using his pruners, Brian also cuts down the stems. Transplanting and dividing cannas should be done every few years to prevent overcrowding, disease, and pests.
Here is the root ball after it is removed from its former pot and its stems cut back.
Like iris plants, canna rhizomes multiply quickly and eventually older rhizomes in the center of the mass can be choked out. Dividing perennial grown cannas keeps them growing in smaller healthier clumps. Brian divides it into smaller manageable pieces.
Brian does this for several of the canna plants.
He brushes off any soil stuck to the rhizomes so he can see the joints where new rhizomes are growing. They usually break apart cleanly and easily. This one can now be repotted. Each section should have at least one eye and preferably some roots.
Here’s Phurba working in a production line process planting all the cannas as they are divided.
This greenhouse is called the “citrus” house, where I store my citrus collection and other tropicals needing similar conditions. It is covered with heavy-duty, woven polyethylene that features an anti-condensate additive to reduce moisture buildup and dripping. It is also covered with a layer that contains UV additives that allow the fabric to maintain its strength. This greenhouse works by heating and circulating air to create an artificial tropical environment.
A heater in the back of the hoop house keeps the space warm. And, like many hoop houses and greenhouses, light from the sun enters the plastic and is trapped, keeping the interior several degrees warmer than the exterior.
This greenhouse is also equipped with three circulation fans.
Brian and Phurba also tend to the alocasias. Alocasia is a genus of broad-leaved, rhizomatous, or tuberous perennial flowering plants from the family Araceae. There are 97 accepted species native to tropical and subtropical Asia and Eastern Australia. Around the world, many growers widely cultivate a range of hybrids and cultivars.
Alocasias are known for their distinctive and stunning foliage – broad heart or arrowhead-shaped, textured leaves that feature flat or wavy edges.
Norfolk Island pine trees, Araucaria heterophylla, make great houseplants. They are native to the South Pacific, so Norfolk Island pines prefer warmer, wetter climates between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit – similar needs as my citrus trees.
The foliage is medium green and needlelike with an awl shape.
The foliage of philodendrons is usually green but may be coppery, red, or purplish with parallel leaf veins that are green or sometimes red or white. Shape, size, and texture of the leaves vary considerably, depending on species and maturity of the plant. I have many philodendrons that are growing so well here at Bedford.
All varieties of Philodendron produce what are called aerial roots. These roots grow above the soil off the stems of the plant and are meant to help stabilize the plant as it grows.
And here is one of several sword ferns, Polystichum munitum, the western swordfern, is an evergreen fern native to western North America, where it is one of the most abundant ferns. Each day, more and more plants are stored in the greenhouses all set for the winter ahead. We still have a lot more to put indoors, but I am glad we’re getting it all done quickly, neatly, and efficiently.
The annual Damariscotta PumpkinFest & Regatta draws about 15-thousand visitors every year. If you're ever in the mid-coast region of Maine during the first couple weeks of October, I encourage you to stop and visit this fun event.
The Damariscotta PumpkinFest & Regatta features a downtown display of volunteer-carved and decorated American Giant pumpkins. The pumpkins are delivered and placed in front of a sponsoring business, decorated on site, and then prominently displayed for 10-days. I passed the festival on my way home from a recent trip to Skylands, my beloved summer residence in Seal Harbor. My longtime special projects producer, Judy Morris, who accompanied me on the visit, but traveled separately, also drove through the small town on her way to see family and took a few snapshots. There was a total of 57 decorated pumpkins of various sizes for all to see.
Enjoy these photos.
The coastal town of Damariscotta is home to the annual Damariscotta Pumpkinfest & Regatta. Each year, local Maine artists gather to decorate dozens of giant pumpkins – each weighing at least 200-pounds.
Damariscotta is a small town in Southern Maine with about 2000 residents. It is dubbed the oyster capital of New England.
Damariscotta is situated on the Damariscotta River, a tidal estuary of the Gulf of Maine. A popular tourist destination, the towns of Damariscotta and Newcastle are linked by the Main Street bridge over this river, forming the “Twin Villages”. The name Damariscotta is an Indian name meaning “river of little fish”.
One of the first decorated pumpkins Judy saw was this “Hulk Smash.” The artists spend one entire day decorating their pumpkins for the festival. Some artists work with knives and scoops to create three dimensional characters.
While other artists rely on the pumpkins’ shapes to inspire their painted creations. This colorful mermaid was painted on a 1034 pound pumpkin.
This pumpkin was decorated with an extreme clipper called the Flying Scud. The ship was painted on the surface of a 412 pound pumpkin. The Flying Scud was built in 1853 at the Metcalf and Norris Shipyard, one of the many shipyards that once prospered in the Damariscotta River area.
Each pumpkin has a small placard displaying the artist’s name, the pumpkin grower’s name, pumpkin weight, and a local business sponsor.
The design on this pumpkin pays homage to the sea with carved mermaids.
The artist for this 538 pound pumpkin paints a kraken threatening a ship on the surface of the ocean.
This creation drew lots of attention – it’s a pumpkin hobbit house.
The inside was also hollowed out and decorated. This pumpkin was donated by first-time grower Jonathan Fortier. It weighed 1,219.5 pounds – before it was carved.
Some pumpkins are decorated Halloween themed animal figures.
The pumpkins come in all different sizes. This squirrel sits next to its 412 pound “acorn” decorated pumpkin.
This is an 804 pound owl head.
And this mermaid scene is decorated on a 647 pounder.
The artist on this 605-pound pumpkin topped it with a gauze-draped ghost.
Visitors admired this “sugar plum fairy” pumpkin creation.
And here, the bottom of this 1465 pound pumpkin is turned to its side and decorated with an arm, or possibly more, that was swallowed up by the fruit.
Ode to Charles Schultz, this pumpkin shows Peanuts characters from the “Great Pumpkin” show. On this side, Linus and Lucy.
And here, the silhouette of Snoopy, or is it the “Great Pumpkin?” Do you remember the story? Linus believes that on Halloween night the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch and flies all over the world delivering toys to all good children everywhere.
Here is a decorated pumpkin chef with gourds used to create the face. This one reminding visitors that restaurants are opened once again.
There was also a pumpkin weighing contest. The winning pumpkin was grown by Ed Pierpoint, who showed up with the biggest pumpkin ever weighed or grown in Maine. This pumpkin weighs more than a ton at 2,121.5 pounds. Unfortunately, the Regatta part of the Festival was canceled due to the pandemic, but if you’re in the area this time next year, be sure to check out the festivities in Damariscotta! Thanks for the photos, Judy! Halloween is just five days away – how did you decorate your pumpkins? Share your comments below.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
