Plants, Pitties, and Power Foods

I have spent so much time making my back yard into a tropical paradise. One of my favorite outdoor plants is my banana trees. Although in Oklahoma they do not produce actual fruit, they are a statement piece, especially by the crystal clear pool. I always worry during winter if they will come back. Some winters are super mild, while others, are sub-0 temps and ice, which could easily kill these beautiful plants. So I keep a close eye every spring to make sure my little outdoor babies come back……or if I have to go buy more. Once the first frost hits, I cut them down to the ground, and cover them heavily with cedar mulch. So far I have been lucky that they come back. In the spring, I remove the large amount of mulch, pull weeds, and prepare for them to start sprouting back up. Once they are a few inches above the dirt, I spread new cedar mulch lightly around them to help with moisture retention and pest control. I have other tropical plants as well in my outdoor flowerbed as well and do very similar care for them as well. Because I have some very nosey pups, my outdoor flower bed has a short, black, iron fence around it to prevent them from digging up or eating my tropical paradise.