Friday, June 17, 2011

budding banana babes


My blogger pal Calypso commented the other day in Yes We Have Bananas that – yes, he had bananas.  Growing like weeds.  And popping out the suggestive yellow fruit as if they were rabbits.


I responded like a wounded child.


I have banana plants in the back yard.  But I had not seen banana one for well over a year.  I decided my banana had chosen to live the slightly tragic life of childless parents.  Or, parent.  Since all bananas are sterile clones.


My plants must have heard my distress.  This week as I was walking through the garden with the gardener, pointing out the damage done by one pest or another, I noticed a new flower on the banana family tree – and a bunch of children.


I love photographing the flower at this stage.  Great textures, shapes, and colors.  The light could certainly be better.


I assisted my maid in harvesting last year’s crop.  After tasting one of the bananas, I decided to forgo my ownership rights.  I am not certain what variety my plants produce, but they are not particularly pleasant-tasting.  My maid loves them.


When this crop comes in, off they will go to my maid’s kitchen.  Where they will meet a utilitarian end.


As for me, I ought to start looking around for a plant that will produce the smaller, fruitier bananas.  Those I like.

7 comments:

tancho said...

We have several beautiful banana leaved plants, but nary a banana has ever developed on them, I would guess that it is simply too cold for them to procreate any children, as you say. The leaves we do use now and then for tamales and other delicacy's, so we do get some use out of them.  It's a trade off, bananas and mildew or cold weather and root vegetables...... and no AC bills, and not having to rinse of in the shower several times a day.

Marc Olson said...

Steve, maybe what you have actually are plantains, which are used mainly for cooking. I have Roatan bananas which are great for a home garden. The plants and fruit do not get terribly large, and the taste is wonderful.

Laurie Matherne said...

We have bananas by the truckload. I buy them by the stalk for our kids. Must blog soon about bananas. Glad you have a few blooming anyway. 

Steve Cotton said...

They are a great specimen plant for the garden.  Mine is in the corner next to the laguna.  Couldn't be a better tropical setting.

Steve Cotton said...

I have eaten more bananas here in the past two years than I have eaten in my life.  Of course, they are much better here than after being shipped to temperate Oregon.

Larry Prater said...

We have many banana plants that may be like yours, I don't care for their taste, I prefer Tabasco, which is what I am used to.  These plants are harder to find, at least in our area, but worth the trouble.  

Steve Cotton said...

I have really become quite fond of the small bananas. Two on my cereal each morning get me up and going.