Tropical Gardening

My thoughts are that a stem of that size is unlikely to have grown from the ground this year

Not actually Brugs, and as longk says, quite a bit hardier.

Phormiums are great for filling in the lower levelsSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Warm and tropical!

I would prefer one with more fronds giving it more of an arching effect, sell it and get a smaller one!!!

First class Ben. I am envious.

What is an average winter like - temp wise? And a cold winter?Trachycarpus palms should be ok Chamaerops palms Quite a few bamboo species Tree ferns (Dicksonia) - with some protection/fleecing Fatsia japonia Zantedescia & KniphofiaJust off the top of my head

I'd love a fig tree, I could eat figs by the lorry load (possibly not the best idea, I'd probably have an accident!!! ). I was given 10 figs yesterday from a friends tree...they are simply delicious!

Been there, done that!!!!

I have two types of Brugs (Suavolens and Miss Emilie McKenzie). Both are from cuttings this year and I have also grown them as standards with clear stems until the 'Y' fork. In only 4 months or so I am pretty impressed at the speed they grow and the numerous huge blooms they throw out. I will...

Very nice indeed

I think its a lot to do with temperature. I have two pots of Canna altensteinii, which were overwintered together as rhizomes. One pot was put outside after the last frost and is now one foot high, and the other has been inside my conservatory, where its a lot warmer. The inside one reached 8...

I did try to see which specimen we have but there are so many to trawl through I gave up. Anyhow my better half has now cut the flowering part right off as they had died, just hoping she has done the right thing . Time will tell!

You say its only a plug plant at this stage? Grow it on up until about mid Oct outside, or in the greenhouse, from then on watch the weather, if we should get some hard frost it might just need to be taken indoors for a few days, aim to keep it ticking over through the winter. That way by next...

Sihitch. The problem is in getting them back into growth without them rotting. Its the same problem you get with many different types of tuber and rhizome, such as Colocasia, Amorphophallus, Gloriosa etc.I am not that good at it myself. But I think the key is to have them in very very slightly...

I'll take some pics of the seedlings i've potted on, early days though.

I tend to use ordinary compost with quite a bit of coarse grit added. I repotted one today and also put some slow release fertiliser.Well drained rich compost is usually suggested, I think cacti compost might be a bit to low in nutrients.But be careful of over potting.

That's interesting Pete - because I thought that nearly everything was hardy in your garden. The phrase that Morrisons use for P. canariensis of "hardy palm" is really pushing it then. Perhaps its just the money that's hardy. The plant dies but the money lives on.

I suspect something at the base/roots too. Maybe dig it out and put it in a container until it recovers.

Calathea is a strange plant. Looking at the big leaves you don't expect a flower like that - I gather its a member of the ginger family.