dyzzypyxxy said:With your tough summer weather, it takes a lot to get nanners going! Once the banana plant is established, making pups and has a big root system of its own, it will be able to hold on amongst other plants. They'll have trouble getting anywhere near. If you want them to produce fruit, you really REALLY have to feed 'em and water 'em and give them a whole big space all to themselves.
Yep, my Pride of Barbados is 12ft. tall and wide. This pic was taken in June.
Yours needs to be in a big space all its own, too. Hate to say it but the gingers will spread towards all the water and fert you'll be giving that banana, too. They're nearly as hungry and thirsty as Cannas! If you can find somewhere else for them, that would help, too. The candlebushes are perennials here and make large shrubs. Nice plants, but you need to move them. They're too close to the house anyway.
Cameron, I think we know your problem. Space. You need to visualize what a plant will be when it's full grown, and that can be hard when you're planting a new little thing in a 1gal. pot. When a plant is 12ft. tall and wide, it also has roots 12ft. wide. Or more! Give them the space they need or the more vigorous plant will survive and starve the other. This may be why the nanners you've planted before didn't make it.
I could always put the gingers in containers, and possibly the POB. If the Candlebushes manage to survive the Winter, I'll pull them out. I guess I wanted to achieve the lush, rainforest look. I messed up big time. 
I'm also having issues with the French hollyhocks taking over one of my flowerbeds. I have a fairly small yard, and I ended up with more plants than I anticipated.
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