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Can I Cana in Scotland?
in Plants
Having watched Monty planting up some impressive looking Cana and then seeing some beautiful examples in my local B&Q I'm wondering if I can successfully grow Cana in the Scottish Borders? I have a fairly large bed which gets the summer sun for much of the day and am thinking of planting it up with a tropical / hot colours theme and would love to have a Cana or two as a "statement " plant. BUT knowing that B&Q are a national chain I want to be sure that Cana will actually be suitable this far north before I commit some of my hard earned cash. I don't have a Greenhouse so overwintering will have to be carried out either in the house or shed.
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I have tried to grow cannas - I live in central Scotland - but I find our growing season is not long enough. They are just coming into flower when the frosts strike. SO I gave up. May try again - did think Monty's cannas were very nice.......
Thanks hogweed, a bit disappointing but it's kinda what I expected. Wondering if I start them off as a houseplant and climatize them outdoors after the frosts?
I've grown them on and off for years - central Scotland. As Verd says - under cover for quite a while before you put them outside and feed them well. Rain and wind are the main issues for me so they need somewhere sheltered too as the leaves are easily shredded and spoilt. I grow them in pots so that I can shift them if needs be.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
They're great just as foliage plants anyway I think. The flowers are a bonus. All the houses I've lived in (bar one) have been quite high above sea level and often quite exposed so the shelter's important . Wind and cold is a bad combination for them.
You'll need a wide angle lens to get us a pic of those Verd
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks Guys. Fairygirl, I agree they might be worth it for the foliage alone. I had thought about an ornamental Banana for the architectural foliage but If I go for a Cana I might get the added bonus of the flowers too, a gamble worth taking me thinks. A bit of protection could be in order though cos that wind sometimes whips along the Tweed Valley here.
Tricky for us here Duke isn't it? Don't give up on them though if you like them.
Positioning is the secret. For me, the wind comes from the same direction that we also get the sun. At my last house we had a couple of Cannas in pots outside the conservatory - beautiful as they got loads of sun and light, but they also got the full force of the westerly winds so they could only stay there for a short while!
I'm always surprised that you find them so wind resistant Verd, but even summer wind is strong up here so they can get damaged early on.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...