Tropical Palms & Other

I have just gotten back from 2 weeks in Orlando.

Saw some fantastic Palms and other plants.
Really makes me wonder why I bother. Struggling to keep a few cr*ppy tropicals going

Here are some palms to start:

Bismarkia nobilis:


Sabal palmetto



I will post more photos as I get a chance.

 

I tried Bismarkia once, kept it going for a few years in a warm conservatory but it was never going to make it here.

 

Because there is no point if it is easy That's the fun bit for me anyway.

 

A variegated Hedychium


longk,
I like the tropical look.
I grew up in the Southern Hemisphere and had an amazing garden which I gave up when I came to the UK. I suppose in some way, I am still trying to re-create that oasis that I once had
Anyhows......

 

A few years ago I had a Hyphorbe.
It eventually died but another fantastic Madagascan palm that we can't really grow here

 

Pretty sure I have a plant of that variegated ginger, but lost the label and cant remember the name.

 

Some interesting Crinums:

Crinum asiaticum



Crinum amabile

 

They grow that in the pool in the Lily House at Oxfords Botanic Gardens..................

 

Bambusa spp (I forgot to note the exact species)
Would be fantastic if we could grow these here

 

Its always a bit disheartening when abroad seeing all those lovely exotics and then flying back to grey cool Britain.
Having said that a large roll of fleece, a garage/shed,and a greenhouse/conservatory can enable the growing of many a exotic. Its just a short season,frustratingly.
Ive got the usual suspects, chusans, sago`s, black and yellow grove bamboos, yukkas, agaves, brahea armata, chamaerops humulis.

 

If I could grow Bamboo like that, I'd probably be doing it.
As most of the ones we can grow are pretty unimpressive I've just never bothered.

 

WeeTam -
Yes, if the season was longer, there would be so many more exotics we could grow. Quite a few are hardy over the winter. But don't really get going in the summer. A few palms come to mind. Only throw up one or two spears at most. And their growth is sooooo sloooowwwww.

pete -
Not entirely true. There are a few bamboo that get decent sized culms in the UK. Phyllostachys and Chusquea come to mind.

 

Jungle Giants used to sell a species or two
I believe they have now been taken over by Bowden Hostas, but will still continue to sell bamboo.

As for being a sensible price......I got my C gigantea about 5 years ago. Paid quite a bit for it, but it has done well for me, so was worth it.

 

If we had anything remotely like warm summers here (I mean Dorset) my palms would be twice the size, the sandy soil attracts the frost so they struggle in winter and summer.

My Phylostachys nigra's new stems get bent and destroyed by Sparrows every year, they can't take their weight and fold over.