12 Stalagmites Rising From The Floor

Hardy Banana Plants, Musa basjoo

With the overnight temperatures forecast to drop below zero in the next few days it is time to wrap the hardy banana plants, Musa basjoo. Unwrapped from their winter protection in the middle of May, see blog entry 16th May 'The Bananas, The Harbinger Of Summer', their wrapping heralds the start of winter for the gardening team.

Bending the Giant Leaves Down

The horticultural fleece, carefully folded and packed away ready for its reuse, is brought out from storage. The plants have grown taller than last year but can still be reached from the top of the tall tripod ladder. Before the fleece is wrapped around each plant the giant leaves are bent around the trunk and tied in place to provide a natural protection against any freezing temperatures. Additional protection is then added with the use of the fleece as a blanket around the plants. By the end of the wrapping session an assortment of different sized columns, 12 in total, looking like stalagmites rising from the floor have appeared on the herbaceous border. (The banana plant that produced a flower this year, see blog entry 5th September 'Banana In Flower Again', has been cut down rather than being wrapped as it will die after flowering, new small replacements, pups, have already been produced by the dying plant.)

12 Stalagmites Rising From The Floor