What vines could I plant to grow on the pea's cage that would not be toxic?

[Pico de Gallo]

Peas...naturally!

What about the passion flower vine? I was thinking about maybe trying to plant that on the pen fence.

Not to steal the thread but what about morning glory or moonflower vines?

Both toxic. Although in a small enough dose your birds might believe they've gazed upon the face of God Himself, and lived to honk about it...

 

[flgardengirl]

FLGARDENGIRL, you're evil. I'm going to be living in a jungle after viewing those nurseries' websites.

HAHAHA You'd be surprised how many people are pushing the zones and growing tropical stuff, fruit trees and everything else even way up north. Some stuff is easy to store dormant like brugmansia, plumeria, and bananas just keep dry and just above freezing then sink their pots outside after your last frost. Other stuff, really needs a green house that stays in the 40- 50's F and lights..depends on what it is. I once lived in a horticultural zone 3b and boy was my living and dining room, and bathrooms full of plants in the winter, dh decided we had better moved further south before he had to sleep in the barn LOL! I don't know what I'm more addicted to birds or plants

 

[AquaEyes]

HAHAHA You'd be surprised how many people are pushing the zones and growing tropical stuff, fruit trees and everything else even way up north. Some stuff is easy to store dormant like brugmansia, plumeria, and bananas just keep dry and just above freezing then sink their pots outside after your last frost. Other stuff, really needs a green house that stays in the 40- 50's F and lights..depends on what it is. I once lived in a horticultural zone 3b and boy was my living and dining room, and bathrooms full of plants in the winter, dh decided we had better moved further south before he had to sleep in the barn LOL! I don't know what I'm more addicted to birds or plants

I'm familiar with "zone-pushing." I planted these bananas when I lived on Long Island, and the last pic is a bad shot of one of my Passiflora "Inspiration" I had growing up the front railing, which you can see in the distance in the first pic. For the banana, I'd cut the leaves, wrap the pseudostem in several layers of newspaper, take a lawn and leaf bag with a hole through the bottom and slide it down the pseudostem, and fill the bag with shredded leaves. Then another bag upside down over the top, to keep it all dry over the winter. The pics below are the second year, starting with two baby Musa basjoo plants in 3" pots.

I'll get to REALLY have fun when I move to Florida in a few years, after I finish grad school. Anywhere in zone 10 (preferably 10b) with a few acres.

 

[MinxFox]

I am in the not so tropical part of Florida. Here in Pensacola we are in zone 8b. I am in love with tropicals but I like living close to Alabama. My grandparents are in Tampa and my aunt is in Naples so when we visit them I am glued to the car window staring at all the tropical plants. I really wish I could grow Banyan trees here but I read that they can't survive frost. Most of my favorite plants are plants that I can't grow here like lipstick palm the plumerias like you mentioned flgardengirl, and things like that. I would love to live somewhere were I could have tropicals, but I also love having seasons. That is why I want a big greenhouse. A lot of the plant nurseries around here have nice greenhouses planted with tropicals. That is my dream.

 

[flgardengirl]

I am only in 9a and grow plumeria. I just stick it into a greenhouse in the winter and don't water it. I only heat my greenhouse if it goes under 32F. It seems to retain heat pretty good and it doesn't freeze that often here. Some are over 8ft tall now so its getting to be a chore to dig them up every year and move them. I also would like to move further south but I am thinking of going on the south west side of FL because its less populated. Maybe around the Naples area. It would be nice to never have to use a greenhouse. If I moved to a 10b I would have to open a nursery to justify all my plants lol.

aqua eyes, your nanners look fabulous. Are those Musa basjoo ?

 

[AquaEyes]

I am only in 9a and grow plumeria. I just stick it into a greenhouse in the winter and don't water it. I only heat my greenhouse if it goes under 32F. It seems to retain heat pretty good and it doesn't freeze that often here. Some are over 8ft tall now so its getting to be a chore to dig them up every year and move them. I also would like to move further south but I am thinking of going on the south west side of FL because its less populated. Maybe around the Naples area. It would be nice to never have to use a greenhouse. If I moved to a 10b I would have to open a nursery to justify all my plants lol.

aqua eyes, your nanners look fabulous. Are those Musa basjoo ?

Yes, that's the species. Unfortunately, they're probably dead now -- I don't live there anymore, and considering the wet winters on Long Island, they probably rotted away at the root.

My friend Paul is a landscape architect for NYC -- he's my fellow plant geek friend. He posted the new USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for me on Facebook the other day. Apparently, zone 10b has spread in southern Florida, so you and I have more options.

 

[MinxFox]

Oh my gosh!!!! That new hardiness zone map shows our area as being in zone 9a!!! Oh yeah this is great! Hmm it has been very warm this winter.