I can not confirm the Gunnera in Edwards park (don't know where that is).

I'll try to get some more bamboo pics in the next few days.

Nice pics. Im a bit jelous you were 13C in toronto yesterday, and I was -2C. Weve gotten almost 25cm of snow this year so far ( about half has melted)..

How much do you know about that psuedosasa that you seen? Mine was doing good till my dad hacked 90% of it down with the weed eater 👿 👿

"Euonymous/Box. Both are in EVERY garden here" .............. I see those everywhere here too, same with dogwood.

Jesse- Please post some pics of the local BLEs! Euonymous is bullet proof...

FYI- It hit 15C this am in the sun. Nothing compared to Erics 26C the other day, but nice nonetheless. We are supposed to hit 0C tonight, so don't feel too bad.

I know we went over this in another thread, but whats BLE stand for?/ ( i know im gonna smack myself when i hear it)

Down here it means, "broad leaved evergreen." I.e., Ilex, Mahonia, Aucuba, Rhododenron, Photinia, Nandina, Laurus, etc.
Someone else says it means, "bacon, lettuce & egg" sandwich. 😆
Either way, I want more of them. --Erik

THANK YOU *facepalm

My grandmas Rhodie still has leaves on it... Ill have to take a good look around.

And now, i want bacon....... If only there was such thing as a bacon tree 😈

I considered raising hogs here but the goats are enough of a challenge. I bet pigs would love Colocasia tubers!
As it is the chickens dig up and eat the Ipomea tubers, but that is OK as they never overwinter here anyway.
Back to BLEs: every year at this time as the Canna, Colocasia, Musa etc. die I wish I had more. I planted Ilex "dwarf burford" yesterday, and two Nandina and a Euonymous last month. Hopefully I'll remember come Spring how much I appreciate BLEs in winter. --Erik

Erik- That's exactly why they are important. Without the back drop of hardy plants (esp. those with an exotic look) the winter garden is particularly plain! There is 4 months here where the 'tropicals' are locked away and those in the ground are covered up. I better hurry up with these big-leaf Rhodo hybrids!

I think I'm also going to have to search out some winter flowering plants. I need more things like Helleborus, Witch-hazel, etc. I wish I was 1.5 zones warmer so I could try Camellia (I should try the hardiest selections anyway, but they will be USELESS if they aren't winter-hardy!)...

Speaking of which, what are some other options for winter flowering?

winter jasmine?? ( zone 5 or 6)

Erik- That's exactly why they are important. Without the back drop of hardy plants (esp. those with an exotic look) the winter garden is particularly plain! There is 4 months here where the 'tropicals' are locked away and those in the ground are covered up. I better hurry up with these big-leaf Rhodo hybrids!

I think I'm also going to have to search out some winter flowering plants. I need more things like Helleborus, Witch-hazel, etc. I wish I was 1.5 zones warmer so I could try Camellia (I should try the hardiest selections anyway, but they will be USELESS if they aren't winter-hardy!)...

Speaking of which, what are some other options for winter flowering?

Daphne mezervum?