I have been growing bananas in my yard for 5 years. My first variety was the cavendish which I dug up from a relative's yard and transplanted. This was my first and greatest success at establishing an edible landscape. After locating W.O. Lessard, in a publication put out by Fairchild Tropical Garden (Dade Co. Florida), I expanded my collection to 26 varieties. I have since scaled back to 22 varieties due to unsuccessful results from a few of them. I grow bananas only as a hobby, although it is a hobby which has paid for itself through the sale of the fruit and the off-shoots. I'm limited by the size of my yard and time. The plants pretty much grow on their own, needing only a little fertilizer. I mulch my entire yard very heavily. What does take time, is keeping it looking like a backyard, and not a banana plantation. South Florida is the perfect climate for growing bananas. The farther South, the better. Where I run into problems is the sudden increase in tropical storm activity and the unseasonably cold winters we have been having; wind being my primary nemesis. It never fails, when I get a perfect head of fruit developing, 40 mph winds pick-up in the middle of the night and knock my trees down. I get my fair share of delicious fruit, but my compost bin claims its fair share as well.

When I'm not out doing yardwork, I apply my alter ego to doing GIS and computer technical support both on PC and UNIX, while always realizing my first priority is my family and friends.

I love to brag about the time my wife and I spent an entire day with The B-52's. Other celebrity encounters include: Prince Charles & Princes Di, Grace Jones, Michael Hutchence from INXS, DEVO, Dr. E.B. Nuland author of How We Die, Michael Cousteau, Stan Waterman famous underwater photographer, Wayne Huizenga owner of The Florida Panthers - Miami Heat and Florida Marlins, and Presidente Corazo de Costa Rica.

Comments are welcome, email to:miessau@mindspring.com