"Palmyfying of Britain

I just wondered if anyone has opinions on the amount of palms being planted everywhere. Do you think it is a good thing or bad.I have heard that there has been thousands of palms planted all over London. If we have a really bad winter(1963 style) thousands of brown dead palms will look pretty bad! The cheap makeover "entertainment" tv progs promote them and our garden centres (and Wikinsons!!)are selling cidps(canary island date palms)by the lorry load. I have four different ones in pots in my back garden but I have been interested in them since childhood. What do you think?

 

not a great palm person, but in the right location fine, the victorians started it, so blame them

 

There's always been fads in planting, a large proportion of our regular garden staples were once exotic imports. I guess that if they thrive they'll stay popular. (at least untill the next fashion strikes).

 

I just love palms/ bananas etc....Gardens are for summer relaxing....and anything that reminds you of exotic holidays in your garden can only be a good thing??...also collecting palm seeds abroad and raising them only makes it better

 

I tend to agree that to plant a maginally hardy palm in your garden is one thing, but when it comes to using them as street trees it is a bit risky in the UK.
The trachycarpus types tend to be pretty safe i think but as for canary date palms, I think they are risky.
Its nice to see though, and I hope that I'm wrong.

 

Hi all,

Personally I am more a treefern kinda person. Gives you a simillar tropical look, and they are very root-hardy.

I did have some bananas (musa basjoo), and currently (this was their first winter) I have not much more left than a few darkbrown stems. Not sure how they will develop over the summer .... if at all.

Pablo

 

I wonder how many impressive street palms will magically become garden palms overnight??????

 

Not a great fan of them for my garden.

I put them in the same drawer as ornamental grasses and gravel.

 

It's horses for courses. I was inspired to "garden" at all by visits to the the med. I really didn't want Roses, Dahlias etc nice as they are.
A lot more is hardier than conventional wisdom would allow, so bring it on. OK, so my lemons cost me about �£10 each, but the taste is uuuummmm.... Yes I do have some palms, and anything with big leaves is welcome. For real easy big leaves try overwintering Cannas "in the green" in a heated greenhouse. They start out the next year 5 feet tall.
Nik

 

I like palms and would really love an exotic plant type garden but as I'm in the west of scotland, it's never gonna happen so I envy all you hot southerners for your gardens.

 

I have been looking at large plants and ferns, I love them- I found this site:
http://www.thepalmcentre.co.uk/
which gives hardiness listings. Don't know if anyone has used them? I'm also contemplating the banana Musa Bajoo[sp?] as advised here. One of the pleasanter sides, for the moment, of global warming.

Nik, how warm do you keep your greenhouse?

[ 25. February 2006, 01:22 PM: Message edited by: Liz ]

 

Visited the palm centre last july and a had some gigantic palms there (with gigantic prices too). bought an Oleander there which flowered all summer And a Mexican Blue palm (Brahia Armata)which seems to be taking this winter quite well. Haven't tried bananas as I don't have room in my small back garden.

 

Cazza - have you ever been to the gardens at Inverewe? It's amazing what you can do in the West Coast of Scotland!! Seriously - have a look if you've never been there - there's bound to be a website about it.

 

I've used the palm centre, and its worth a visit if you like palms of course :D
But they also sell other plants, must say they are a bit pricey I thought, and some of their hardiness claims are a bit stretched. Well I think so, anyway. They tend to say that it will survive at a certain temperature, that doesn't mean flourish. :(
Agree with you nixonf23, the west coast of Scotland is considered one of the best places for growing half hardy plants in the UK, its the gulf stream effect. Better than down this way, although we perhaps get hotter summers.