The Versatile Ginger Plant Gracing our Backyard
89Landscaping and so much more...
The versatile and tropical perennial ginger plant has been one of my mother's favorites for use in landscaping while living in the South.
When we both sold our homes over 2 years ago and found the house that my husband, mother and I now share, the garden needed a little bit of reworking.
When choices were being made at the nursery as to the type of plants to purchase, my mother expressed an interest in having some ginger planted in the backyard.
We happily obliged.
My mother had ginger planted at the house she had sold and it added greatly to the tropical look that surrounded her pool. The ginger was intermingled with banana plants, crotons, ferns, azaleas, and other plants all of which I had planted for her.
Ginger plant blossoms
You see, I serve as the landscape planner and execute most of the work by the sweat of my brow. I have always enjoyed puttering around and working in the yard.
In our backyard we are surrounded by a 6 foot wooden fence as are all the neighbors in this subdivision. It would not be particularly pretty to look at a wooden fence, so we have always planted shrubbery and other plants against the fencing to soften the look.
As we gaze out of the windows in our kitchen and everyday eating area the ginger plants against the fence have now grown to around 5 feet tall and they are covered with blooms this year.
Some ginger in our neighbors yard up against a corner of our mutual fencing is peaking over her fence and is visible offering a view of her draping ginger blossoms. Her plants must be 7 1/2 feet tall in that area!
We have the variegated variety of ginger with the yellow striations of color in the green leaves. I must admit, now that the plants have gotten taller and can be seen from the house, it is a pretty and colorful addition to what had been already planted against the fencing.
In my mother's last home she had both the solid green leaves and the variegated variety of ginger leafed plants.
In Houston we have a semi-tropical climate and things grow very quickly in this humid environment. We seldom have severe freezes and even when we do, the ginger comes back each year. After all danger of freezing weather has passed, I simply cut it back to a few inches above the ground if the foliage has been damaged and it quickly regrows.
Last year our winter was so mild that the ginger plants that have large oak trees offering a degree of shelter from above were never touched...thus their current height.
How to grow ginger
- Ginger
Medicinal uses of Ginger from the University of Maryland Medical Center
Ginger - medicinal uses
ginger recipes
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Medicinal uses of ginger
This is a fascinating subject. The ginger roots or rhizomes to be correct have been utilized by people for centuries in medicinal applications.
Here is just a sampling of how ginger has and is still being used...
* For inflammatory diseases such as arthritis
* Nausea control
* Motion Sickness
* Anti-Cancer activity
* Headaches
* Mild stomach upset
* Colic
* Diarrhea
* Heart conditions
* Lowering cholesterol
Some of these and other uses of ginger have been studied by various medical centers and there appears to be some validity to at least some of these claims.
Be sure and check with your doctor and inquire about any contra-indications with medications you may be taking before you start using herbal treatments.
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Molasses Sugar Cookies
gingerbread men
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Cooking uses for ginger...
Ginger has been used to spice up many different types of cooking throughout the centuries. It crosses cultural barriers and everything from spicy and sweet to savory dishes are enhanced by using ginger as an ingredient.
I am going to share a cookie recipe with you that has been a favorite in our family for many years.
Although ginger is not the prime ingredient, the cookie would not be the same without it.
My mother gave me this recipe along with some other favorites after I got married.
Molasses Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
(Additional granulated sugar)
Directions:
Melt shortening in a 3 or 4 quart saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and let cool. Add the sugar, molasses and egg beating well. Sift together the flour, soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt adding it to the first mixture. Mix well and chill.
Form into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
Delicious! These are my husband's favorite cookies!
ginger
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Now for some fun!
- Ginger - Ginger Is Hot, Ginger is Refreshing, Ginger is Good For You
Ginger is hot, refreshing, and popular. The health benefits of ginger have long been known in China. .
gingerbread houses
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A wrap-up...
This should give you an idea of the great versatility of the ginger plant from its use in landscaping to medicinal uses and also its wide application in various cooking methods. I think that I'll go and brew a cup of tea and have one of those molasses sugar cookies that I had in the freezer and used for the photo above.
(The cookies freeze beautifully!)
Other plant / garden based hubs by Peggy W...
- Garden Landscaping with Flowering Plants using the Bridal Wreath or Spirea
- Indian Hawthorne ~ Drought Resistant Evergreen Flowering Shrubs
Learn about this beautiful and hardy flowering shrub for mild climates. Photos & videos. - Southern Beauty ~ Oleander Pictures ~ Hardy and Evergreen Shrubs
This is one hardy, evergreen and perennial favorite shrub that blooms much of the year in outdoor southern climates. See photos & videos. - Outdoor Landscaping using Red Tip Photinias ~ Good Idea?
- Pictures of Crotons ~ Bright Dazzling Colored Plants for Garden Landscapes
- Photos of bluebonnets and other Texas wildflowers in the Spring
- Garden Treasures ~ Our Backyard ~ Photos
From birdhouse shadows to wasp nests to plants & geckos see what catches my attention with a camera. Photos and videos plus information. - Pictures of the Beautiful Spring Flowering Redbud Tree in Landscapes
- Pictures of the Bradford Pear ~ Fast Growing Decorative Trees for Landscape Design
- Crape-Myrtles in Southern Landscapes
- Pictures of Cut Louisiana Irises ~ Growing Irises ~ Re-blooming Flowers
- Pictures of Wildflowers in our Subdivision Greenbelt Area
- Pictures ~ Wildseed Farms ~ Fields of Flowers ~ Fredericksburg, Texas
- Gift of Val St. Lambert Crystal Vase, Tulips and Memories
- Pictures of Easter Lilies Bloom in our Backyard
- Pictures of Roses, Flowers, Plants in our October Houston Garden
- Pizazz and Wow Factor of Using Camellias in Outdoor Landscaping
- Texas - Houston - Garden - Japanese - Serenity in Hermann Park
CommentsLoading...
Hi Peggy W, this Hub is a "related" one to the one I did on Survival of the Fittest plants. Glad I saw it. I love growing ginger. I live in S. Fl. and they thrive here. Their blooms remind me of fine porcelaine, beautiful. I wrote a Hub about my gingerbread men. We make them every Christmas along with a house.
Hi alocsin,
The flower stalks of the ginger plant can get quite large. I am estimating a good 12 inches or so and the individual flowers (on mine) are probably about an inch in length. Since they are not in bloom right now, I am going by memory...and of course, there are different varieties of ginger. Hope this helps!
Have you ever tried sprinkling a little powdered ginger and even some cinnamon in your coffee? It is good! Easy way to get some health benefits along with a flavoring component. Probably good in tea that way also. Thanks for your comment.
My partner is very much into using ginger's medicinal properties, so perhaps this is a plant we can try growing. Did not realize it had such interesting flowers. How big do these blooms get? Voting this Up and Useful.
Hello Dawn Jones,
From what I have read, most of the really pretty ornamental gingers like the beehive are not particularly good to eat. If you purchase a ginger root in a grocery store and plant it, the foliage may not be as pretty, nor the flowers, but that is exactly the type of ginger that will be best for culinary uses. If you live in the south you can probably grow it outdoors successfully. In more northern climates you might want to grow it in a pot so that it can be brought indoors in the cold months. Good luck!
Ok, my neighbor has a beehive ginger plant...is this a plant I can use the root from?
Hi Charlinex,
Our ginger plants are coming up from the ground after severe freezes this past winter. So happy to hear that you are having luck with yours! Thanks for coming back and leaving a comment.
Peggy, just want to let you know my ginger root has sprouted!! This time, I covered it with a thin layer of soil and gave it very little water, just to keep the soil barely moisted. I figure I can always add more soil once the plant is growing. I am glad it avoided getting rotten this time. Thanks again. :)
Hello Bard of Ely,
Thanks for the votes and comment on this hub about the ginger plant. We also like eating ginger as well as looking at it as a pretty plant.
Excellent hub and I have voted up and tagged it as awesome! And I love ginger!
Hi KoffeeKlatch Gals,
That cookie is an all time favorite of my husband's.
Our ginger froze all the way to the ground this past winter because of unusually long days of below freezing weather. I have seen a few shoots starting up from the ground so it is coming back as are the banana plants and ferns all planted in that area of our backyard.
Thanks for the comment on the versatile ginger plant.
Peggy, the ginger plant is very pretty. I was surprized to see how versitile it is. I will be trying your Ginger Cookie recipe. It looks great.
Hi Charlinex,
The aloe vera babies grow from around the main plant and can be easily divided and potted up or planted in the ground. Yes, definitely don't plant a ginger plant and an aloe vera plant in the same pot. They both need room to spread.
So from what you said, what I have is an Aloe vera, I guess. My Aloe blooms every autumn. I have cut the top off, there are still lots of new shoots. Maybe I will get another pot for ginger....
Hi Charlinex,
They can become really big. I have seen entire fields of them being grown in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas where the aloe vera is then used for medicinal uses. We had one large one outside last year that produced a flower spike. I was unaware that some have prettier flowers. Ours last year was similar to what you described.
LOL, Peggy, the Aloe gave up on me! It has become a big monster. It's greenish white flower spike was reaching the ceiling. I wish to get a Aloe with flowers of some prettier colors someday.
Hi Charlinex,
That makes sense to make ginger plants more protected in the winter where you live. Our aloe vera plants generally live outside year round with no problems. This winter turned some of them to mush but some survived to grow again. I'd hate to go without my aloe vera plants in case of burns, insect bites, etc. It is a wonder plant!
Again...good luck with your ginger plant.
Thanks again, Peggy. I intend to make it a houseplant in the winter.
I bought a lump of ginger root today. A big Aloe plant fell off from my plant shelf twice yesterday so I am giving it up. I can use the big pot for ginger. The pot is 9 inches deep and 11 inches cross.
Hi again Charlinex,
She is probably right. I purchased ours in a nursery and it was already potted. It was a one gallon sized pot so the roots were undoubtedly 2 to 3 inches under the ground.
As to planting just any ginger root purchased in a grocery store...you will have no idea what type plant you might be getting...what colored leaves, etc. Most people plant them for their leaf color because while the blooms are pretty and fragrant, they do not last that long.
Since you live in Canada, I would also check the hardiness of whatever ginger plant you intend to have. In Houston, even when hit with really cold temps, they do come back each year from the ground. Not sure about "your neck of the woods." Or are you planning to keep it potted and protect it in the winter?
Hope this helps.
Peggy, I wonder if you can confirmed what the woman said in the video. Do you plant the initial ginger roots 2-3 inches deep? I planted one last year and nothing came out of it. Also how big the root should be? Is it mroe advantageous to plant a bigger root?? Thanks so much!
Hi Charlinex,
Our ginger plants in our backyard took a real hit with the coldest temps this winter since 1895. I'll soon cut them back to just about ground level and they will have to regrow so they won't get fence high this year. Good luck with yours! Ginger plants add a tropical look to the yard. Thanks for the comment.
That's so interesting! I will try to grow ginger in the spring. Thanks for sharing!
Hello infoels1,
Thanks for taking a look at this hub about the versatile ginger plant in our backyard and all the benefits that come from using ginger.
Hello Mini Greenhouse Guy,
Thanks for taking a look at this hub about the ginger plant in our backyard and what can be done with ginger.
What an inspring hub here Peggy, thanks for the info i didnt realise Ginger could be so mcuh fun!
Hello Tony,
Ginger is a very pretty plant. If you grow it give it plenty of room to spread. In our climate, even if it freezes it comes up from the ground again. Thanks for the visit. Love and peace.
I love ginger very much and especially like to make a ginger tisane with honey.
Have always wanted to grow it too - maybe I will give it a try soon.
Love and peace
Tony
Hi Micky,
Ah yes...Gilligan's Island and Ginger. That was a fun series in its day. I'm not familiar with that type of ginger ale you mentioned but bet that it is good. If Charles Kuralt did a road show about it, obviously it is special. Thanks for reading this hub about the ginger in our backyard. With the freezing weather last winter it pretty much had to come up from the ground so it is only about 3 feet tall or so instead of fence height...but still pretty. Thanks for the comment.
Great hub Peggy. I love Ginger (Mary Ann, Mrs. Howell, the professor - Gilligan was a little annoying)! Actually, I do love Ginger. There is a strong ginger-ale called Bleinheim (spelling may be wrong). It was made in Bleinheim, SC. Charles Kuralt did one of his "road shows" about it. But - they have a very strong "extra hot" ginger-ale that was very strong with ginger. Thank you Peggy!
Hello Plastic Greenhouse Guy,
Ginger plants are a thing of beauty in the yard. Good luck with your landscape efforts. Very easy to try the culinary applications of ginger! Go to your nearest grocery store. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Peggy, great job with this hub! I never really thought how useful ginger can be and have never tried to grow it, maybe it'll give it a go next season! Thanks for the info, very interesting!
Hello Mimi,
To this day that molasses sugar cookie recipe is my husband's all time favorite. Let me know how you like it after you bake it. Thanks for commenting on this ginger plant hub. We had an unusually cold winter last year (even snowed!!!) so our ginger plants are only about 3 feet tall right now and have not yet bloomed. Still pretty foliage to look at against the fence.
Hello Mendel Potok,
Ginger really is a versatile ingredient to use in cooking and baking. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
I am interested in that recipe, we love cookies at home and i think that is worth to try.. thanks for posting. Mimi
I love love love ginger! It really is a wonder plant, I use it for everything. Great for the stomach, and tastes wonderful in almost anything!
Hi billyaustindillon,
Ginger beer! I've never tasted that. Bet it's good. You are right about mosquitoes loving to live in and around the ginger plants. Fortunately our subdivision pays for mosquito fogging once a week which helps keep the population suppressed a bit. If I know I will be working in the yard...especially in that area with the ginger and banana plants and ferns, I use bug repellent spray which helps.
Thanks MisterSparky-Houston.
I have always enjoyed the ginger flower and the root we use so much in cooking. My Dad used to make Ginger Beer growing up - I do need to get the recipe off him. You are right they are perfect for Houston and the crappy soils - just one thing though, all those mosquitoes.
Great article. Another great idea for the backyard that will look nice with a ginger plant is lighting. To get the electricity ran properly check out this
Hi oceannsunsets,
It is nice having the ginger plants in the backyard. They definitely add beauty to the landscaping. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
Hi Peggy this is a great hub! I love ginger, and think it would be so awesome to own a ginger plant. Thanks, Ocean
Hello 4FoodSafety,
Like your name! So you live in the beautiful State of Wisconsin! Glad that I could show you just how beautiful the ginger plants are and how they grow. Yes...I also just learned about the tags and am going back and reworking hubs. Thanks for the comment.
I love gardening but reside in your first home Wisconsin - this was wonderful! I love pickled ginger. So many medicinal benefits - never knew the flower was that exotic! Oh, my!
You helped me on a Hub I just read - your comment about the 15 tags - I almost missed that one - you are a great help!
Hi Lita,
The medicinal benefits to using ginger are wide and varied as per your comment in addition to the savory uses and beauty as a plant. Our ginger plants in our backyard are looking pretty ill at the moment due to the episode of snow and now below normal freezing temperatures. After all danger of freezes have ended, I will simply cut it down to about 6 to 12 inches above the ground and watch it re-grow. Same for our banana plants. Thanks for the comment.
Ginger bread, ginger cookies, ginger juicer, yellow ginger in arroz valenciana, yellow ginger for my diabetes, ginger extract to swelling due to gouts, etc. - oh lots of things we can do with this lowly spice. Nice hub.
Hi itakins,
Happy to hear that you got something of interest from this hub on the ginger plant in our backyard, etc. Thanks for commenting.
Great information here-Thank you.
Hi Betty,
Your use of ginger sounds very tasty. I have been adding ground ginger to tea...and even coffee (yes, coffee!) and have developed a taste for it. I figure that it cannot hurt, and according to reports from RTalloni and others...it is really good for one. Thanks for the comment.
I mostly eat ginger sauteed with garlic, vegetables, and sesame oil, and then served with rice. It ends up with an Asian taste. All this talk of ginger tea, however, makes me want to try that too!
Hi again RTalloni,
THAT IS FANTASTIC! Thanks for including the link. Will be forwarding this to others and I will be trying it as well as my husbands and my counts are a bit high. Thank you again!
311 down to 223 in 6 weeks. I added ginger tea more than half-way through my plan which included ground flax seed, but am convinced it helped make a difference. Here's my whole story:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Ground-Flax-Seed-and-Chole
Will probably need to start over along about January 8th. :)
(But am determined not to lose all of my progress over the holidays!)
Hello again RTalloni,
That is wonderful! What kind of numbers are you talking about with regard to the cholesterol test? And is the ginger tea the main difference from whatever else you were doing to lower the numbers? What time frame? Very curious as you can tell...
Just thought I would let you know that the ginger tea seemed to help give amazing results on a cholesterol test! Thanks again! :)
Hello again RTalloni,
Isn't it amazing what we learn here on hubpages! I had never even heard of parkin cake until Ethel mentioned it. Maybe she will share her recipe with us someday? Thanks for the ginger tea recipe. Sounds like you are enjoying it. Thanks for the additional comment.
So I experimented and now have our healthy cup a day of ginger tea recipe: 1/2 teaspoon steeped straight in a cup of hot water for several minutes with one packet of Truvia (stevia) stirred in. Thanks again. Guess I'll have to look up parkin cake now. :)
Hi Ethel,
Ginger is a good spice and is good in many things. Had to look up parkin on the Internet as I was not familiar with that type of cake. Sounds good! Oatmeal, molasses and ginger are some of the prime ingredients (for others reading this who may not know.) My mother used to make a spice cake but it was flour based...not oatmeal. The oatmeal would make it more healthful...assuming anyone thinks that eating cake is healthful. :-) Thanks for commenting.
Love ginger in cakes like parkin and biscuits.
Hi RTalloni,
Since the ginger plants only bloom once a year in this climate, it IS the foliage that is the star attraction as you noticed. I have mine mixed in the area with our banana plants, ferns and the like. Glad you liked this hub. Thanks for the comment.
Oh! I had no idea! They are stunning. Now I know exactly what I want for Christmas. The foliage with those blooms would make it a must have even if it weren't so versatile. Thank you very much!
Hi frogyfish, Sorry your ginger plant died. Better luck next time! Thanks for reading and commenting.
I am so jealous - I had a ginger plant about 8 inches tall that expired 'anyway'. Your pix are beautiful; I did not know ginger was so pretty. And the cookies sound luscious, but I would double the ginger for me too. Thank you for a great read!
Hi Jerilee, I agree that molasses and ginger make a good combination. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Hi kiran, The ones in our backyard bloom and each little blossom on the cluster does look similar to orchids. There are other ginger plants that send up all different types of blooms many of which are utilized in floral arrangements. Spike-like red ones and others that almost look like crab claws... Obviously there are many varieties. Hope yours in a pot blooms for you someday. It will be interesting to see what yours produces by way of a flower. Thanks for commenting.
Molasses and ginger go hand-in-hand in my recipe book. Enjoyed the hub.
Hi Silver Freak, I agree...the scent is wonderful and fragrant. Between that and the star jasmine covering our next door neighbor's back fence, our backyard is very fragrant right now. Thanks for commenting.
Hi peggy, I have a ginger plant growing in a pot but i have never seen it flower so far. I never realised that the flowers were so attractive, they look like orchids...
I LOVE the smell of ginger flowers! the scent is so wonderful. How lucky are you to be able to grow it in your backyard!
Hello Erick, It all depends upon where you live as to the best time for planting. If you are purchasing plants grown in containers, you could probably plant them anytime. If you are starting with just the roots (rhyzomes) then Fall would be best. It is a tropical plant that likes moisture. I have them planted near our banana trees.
Thanks for your comment.
Hello shamelabboush, That is what is so great about hubpages. We continually learn from one another. Keep enjoying your food with ginger and thanks for your comment.
I had no idea the ginger plant was so pretty. I had just assumed it would look more like a onion. I plan on putting out a bunch this fall (I was told that is when it is best).
My house is full of plants but this is the first time I am introduced to ginger as a plant bcz we usually add it to food or cookies. Nice hub.
Hi Melody, Glad that I could give you an idea of what it looks like. There are different varieties with different blooms in addition to the ones we have in our yard. Thanks for your comment.
Ginger is a common spice in my place but I haven't even seen its plant, thanks for sharing this.
Hi again Elynjo, Thanks for your concern. Actually I don't have a cold. I do have a sore throat however. Probably from working out in the yard! LOL (Might try the ginger tea for that,)
Oh poor Peggy. I hope you feel better soon ((((hugs))))).
Hi santoion, Good to know you found this helpful. Thanks for your comment.
Hi Elynjo,
Thanks for your comment and advice about using ginger tea for colds. Will try it next time I have a cold.
Very good info.Thank You !
Ginger tea works for colds too, proven for years by yours truly.
Hi JamaGenee, Too bad you do not live closer. I'd offer you some of those cookies. At least with the recipe, you can now make your own if you are in a baking mood. Thanks for commenting.
I love molasses sugar cookies! Your recipe makes my mouth water just reading it. As someone who lives too far north to grow ginger plants, this hub is fascinating, and the photos are gorgeous!
Not sure about eating handfuls of them, Pete. Ha! One or two...go ahead and enjoy. I'm going to find some ginger tea next time I go grocery shopping. Thanks for the quick comment.
So I can lower my cholesterol by eating a bunch of ginger snap cookies; happy with that.
Peggy W Hub Author 5 weeks ago
Hi Mary,
I have never tried making a gingerbread house although it would certainly be fun to try sometime. My mother especially loved ginger plants which is why we planted some when we moved over here and lived together for the last years of her life. Now everytime I look out in our backyard and see them, I think of her. Their blooms are gorgeous. Will look for your survival of the fittest plant hubs. Thanks for your comment.