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My garden in Greece turn into exotic !


dimitris

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As new in the forum i would like to say hi to all of you palm lovers !

In the early years i started working on gardening , spend lot of time and money on tropical plants you can found in flower shops that were also overpriced , tender , and get easily infected almost from anything ! I was always get fascinated by the tropical vegetation and those beaches with the curved coconut trees and i wish some day i will be in a place like that ! So i decided to make my garden looks more tropical than moving to Hawaii which is kind difficult for many reasons !

Making my garden tropical looking it was also difficult , not from the aspect that there not palms that can handle my areas climate ( zone 9b ) but there is not a place to buy palms ! At the flower shops you can always find Chamaedorea excelsa , Dypsis lutescens , Howea fosteriana and that's it you have to be very lucky if you find and something else ! At nurseries things are little better , you can find some more palms species but you will almost never learn which species are the plants you bought , just the genus ! Things now are more difficult for palm lovers , after the appearance of RP Weevil and the big disaster for the Phoenix canariensis in Greece , most nurseries stop to import palms and they sell the stock they have !

Before i start gardening my garden was a typical traditional Greek garden , in the front of the house full of roses and geraniums (which i hated ) , one Magnolia grandiflora , some gardenia , camellia and a Bougaivillea give it something more , and the backyard was full of orange , lemon and mandarin trees , plus two Nerium oleanders . I believe you understand how much work needed to clean this place up , and only by one person , me . With all that digging to uproot the trees i should have found petroleum !

Anyway , all that process take years , unfortunately i don' t have photos seeing clearly the before part . And also one notice i usually take pictures using my mobiles phone camera so don't expect to be high resolution !

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In that photo you can see the Syagrus romanzoffiana , for which i had to travel 120 km away to a nursery at the city of Patra , to the right there is a scheflera tree that was my first planting replacing one Nerium oleander 4 m tall , behind the Syagrus is an orange tree that is uprooted now in order to create a small pond for my nymphaeas and goldfish , at the left is one bamboo plant . Huge wrong planting it without any root barrier , the third year runners spread 3 m away the mother plant .

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First orange tree down .

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one photo from above , at the left you can see part of Nerium oleander canopy .

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Bamboos removed after two days of digging the main plant and trying to find all the runners , keep one part of rhizome in a pot . Then planted one Cycas revoluta and a Hamaerops humilis .

And finally my second pond little larger than the first one in the upper left , and my goldfishes swimming happy . Also moved the Syagrus to a protected area from strong north winds .

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Edited by dimitris
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If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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in this photo you can see my Livinstona chinensis found it spot in behind my small pond , and to the right a Phoenix roebelinii and some canopy of citrus trees . Sorry about the photos being so small !

The second Nerium oleander uprooted and gave its place to a small part of my cactus and succulents collection .

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If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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A closer look to the second pond , i planted the biggest roebelinii i had near to it and one Strelitzia reginae .

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If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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The Phormium grows a lot also has the Livistona chinensis , new addition Sabal minor and one more Syagrus rom.

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If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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Welcome to PalmTalk, Dmitris. You have a lovely garden. Good work.

Meg

Palms of Victory I shall wear

Cape Coral (It's Just Paradise)
Florida
Zone 10A on the Isabelle Canal
Elevation: 15 feet

I'd like to be under the sea in an octopus' garden in the shade.

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Another picture from above , new additions : one more Livistona chinensis , Livistona nitida , Brahea armata , one cordyline and for some more color red leaved canna.

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my variegated Cycas revoluta under the canopy of the large and one remaining lemon tree , some ficus benjamin , cannas musifolia , and next to the pot some small palms waiting to be planted .

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If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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Thank you very much Meg , always trying for the best .

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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at this picture you can see one Bismarckia nobilis , double Washingtonia filifera , some dwarf Banana with red spots in juveline leaves , odontonema strictum bush , and my second earth planted Cycas revoluta behind the Livistona leaf .

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at the right a part of Washingtonia robusta stem , one more Hamaerops humilis and another W. robusta .

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new addition Archontophoenix , next to roebelinii not sure about the specie , bought by the same nursery at Patra . Probably alexandrae . For this palm i build a small greenhouse before three years , this winter didn't fιt .

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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a picture from above , new addition variegated Cordyline australis and next to cactus a yucca aloifolia

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my first planted scheflera replaced by a double roebelinii , and near the wall planted one new Scheflera actinophylla ( i call it umbrella tree ) more cold sensitive than the others schefleras i have , before 8 years i have lost one three meters tall , totally frosted and despite the others never recover .

at the window you can see some of my orchids flower . ( i know the pictures are very low resolution )

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and the front yard , still needs a lot work to do . Butia capitata , ixora , Zamia furfuracea , Phoenix roebelinii .

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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the view from the road . Four Washingtonia robusta total at the outside of the fence the other two are at the right . Trachycarpus fortunei , and two more Syagrus romanzoffiana .

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at place that now is the second Syagrus was the last year the Magnolia grandiflora . Also my bigest Beaucarnea still in it's pot , bougaenvilea and my yucca elephantipes using it to hang my bromeliads , outside the fence some bushes like Pitosporum , euonymus , viburnum etc.

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dendrobium parishii

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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Nice garden with a nice collection!

Carambeí, 2nd tableland of the State Paraná , south Brazil.

Alt:1030m. Native palms: Queen, B. eriospatha, B. microspadix, Allagoptera leucocalyx , A.campestris, Geonoma schottiana, Trithrinax acanthocoma. Subtr. climate, some frosty nights. No dry season. August: driest month. Rain:1700mm

 

I am seeking for cold hardy palms!

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sorry about the mistake , not chamaedorea excelsa but elegans .

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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Great job indeed! I lost that Dendrobium when I was in Andalucia (too dry, I didn't spray it enough). I wish yours will live a long life!

Sebastian, garden on La Palma island, 370 m (1200 feet) above sea level / USDA Zone 11/12 ; Heat zone IV / V

Record High: 42°C (107F) / Record Low: 9°C (48°F). Rain: 600 mm (24 inches) per year with dry/wet seasons. Warm Season: July-November / Cool Season: December-June
Warmest month (August/September) average minimum temperature : 21°C (70°F) / Warmest month (August/September) average maximum temperature : 28°C (82°F)
Coldest month (February/March) average minimum temperature : 14,5°C (58°F) / Coldest month (February/March) average maximum temperature : 21°C (70°F)

Temperature of the sea : minimum of 20°C (68°F) in march, maximum of 25°C (77°F) in September/October.


 

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Dimitris,

Welcome to PalmTalk! I am impressed by what you have done in your garden! Lots of progress! Good luck with future plantings and looking forward to more photos! :)

Aloha from the Big Island of Hawaii! :)

Bo-Göran

Leilani Estates, 25 mls/40 km south of Hilo, Big Island of Hawai'i. Elevation 880 ft/270 m. Average rainfall 140 inches/3550 mm

 

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Dimitris, wooow! Great impressions. With the knowledge that not all of your palms will like this climate I know about your potential efforts. I keep my fingers crossed that you will be one of the first in Greece with a garden, only tropical specialists should have.

By the way, my dear: where the hell is MY Acanthophoenix? :D

Member of the ultimate Lytocaryum fan society :)

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Wow, Dimitris! You have done some serious work there!!!smilie.gif Well done!!!drool.gif

I love the Dendrobium parishii you mounted! It seems as we run out of room for palms,we start seeking our vertical space for orchids and other epiphytes!laugh.gif I still havent decided which Dendrobium i want to tree mount...I have lots of other orchids on my list though,ready and waiting!smilie.gif

About the Archontophoenix,post a night shot with flash,of the underside of its leaflets and a day shot of its crownshaft and we should narrow it down or even ID it.

''To try,is to risk failure.......To not try,is to guarantee it''

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Hi Verenasmilie.gif

The above pictures are from Dimitris,another Greek member living near Pyrgos!smilie.gif

Are you referring to the Acanthophoenix rubra i am growing? If yes,its alive and well and growing at a very good pace! Its now 1,5m total height and growing!drool.gifI really look forward to see it trunking in 2-3 more years!smilie.gif

''To try,is to risk failure.......To not try,is to guarantee it''

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Congratulations on a very nice garden & ponds.

Welcome to the world of palmoholics!

Best course of action to obtain otherwise unavailable species is

either to grow them from seed or mail order small seedlings.

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some more pictures taken today , better resolution .

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If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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one small Beccariophoenix alfredii and a Farfugium japonicum .

Edited by dimitris

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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The water in the fountain has become ice two days ago , my plants are still ok except the bananas that got little burn .

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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i need your advise for this one , is one of the three variegated Adonidia merrillii i bought from Thailand a year ago , bare rooted , the first one died after a week , the other is still not growing but ok , and this one has a bud rot being like this over 11 months . Now the question , there is any hope for this or it's a matter of time before die ?

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If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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And now some id for this Archontophoenix

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and some trunk

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If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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A Syagrus romanzoffiana , some phormiums and my two Cycas revoluta var. aurea with the yellow tips .

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and some of my plants in the greenhouse waiting for the spring to be repotted or planted to ground , and protected from the freezing temperatures !

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If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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Beautiful palms and plants you got there! smilie.gif What species is the big,potted cycad in the protected area and what are the various palms on the lower left part of the photo,in front of it?

The Archontophoenix is an A. cunninghamiana or could be a hybrid with cunninghamana. Based on the looks,i would be inclined to think its a pure Archontophoenix cunninghamiana. Do the leaflets have any hint of silver on their underside? A night shot of the leaflet undersides,with flash would help some.

''To try,is to risk failure.......To not try,is to guarantee it''

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Wow, Dimitris, this is a lovely garden! Very nice landscaping and good choice of palms and plants. But I suspect that on the long run you'll regret planting too many washingtonias, as you'll gradually discover more and more palm species that can actually grow in your garden :) Congratulations and welcome to Palmtalk!

Paleo Faliro, coastal Athens, Greece

Lat 37° 55' 33" N - Lon 23° 42' 34" E

Zone 9b/10a, cool winters, hot summers, coastal effect

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Geia sou kosta ,

If you want we could arrange to come over here when you are in Pirgos and take a closer look to my garden ! So you can check closely my Archontophoenix and the other plants in my garden .

The big cycad is Cycas circinalis , in its pot are some neoregelias , in front of it the most palms are Beccariophoenix alfredii , one Syagrus sancona , Dypsis leptocheilos , Allagoptera caudata and Arenga englerii .

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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Wow, Dimitris, this is a lovely garden! Very nice landscaping and good choice of palms and plants. But I suspect that on the long run you'll regret planting too many washingtonias, as you'll gradually discover more and more palm species that can actually grow in your garden :) Congratulations and welcome to Palmtalk!

Hello Basilios ,

Are you Greek or latin ? because your name is totaly Greek .

I admire the Washingtonias since i was kid especialy the robustas . They are all growing so fast some of them are only five years old . I don 't regret about the four that are outside of the fence because there is a possibility some day be removed so the major build pavements (they are not in my property ) i certainly don't want that but there is a chance . For the others now they grow so fast that in few years i will plant some else which will be slow growing , they don t call them skydusters for nothing . For the one i regret somehow are the double behind the gazebo , i bought them as filibusta hybrid but they look like as filifera to me , but i am kind of lucky because when i bought them they were 6 plants in the pot and only the two survived . In the future if i need more space and thats not far away , i will plant to my neighboors properties , unfortunatelly they aren 't any of you .

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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Great job indeed! I lost that Dendrobium when I was in Andalucia (too dry, I didn't spray it enough). I wish yours will live a long life!

Thank you very much , the Dendrobium has being removed for the winter , still growing as epiphyte in a piece of pine bark . It was also difficult for me to obtain it the summer because it was too hot , and the sphagnum was drying really fast .

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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Dimitris, my name is totally greek because I am totally Greek myself! It's nice to see the greek palm family grow....

Paleo Faliro, coastal Athens, Greece

Lat 37° 55' 33" N - Lon 23° 42' 34" E

Zone 9b/10a, cool winters, hot summers, coastal effect

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Dimitris, my name is totally greek because I am totally Greek myself! It's nice to see the greek palm family grow....

That ' s great ! When i was searching on internet as usually for palms , i visited one more time the palm talk seeing some photos of palms gardens then i saw a post by kostas named " my garden in pyrgos " i was so surprised when i saw the selection of the palms he has . And realised that i am not the only one greek that orders palms from allover the world and want something more than the ussual palms in Greece , so i register the forum . And what a surpise ? There are more greeks here !!! Have you post any photos of your garden ? Where can i find them ?

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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Welcome to PalmTalk, Dimitris! The view of your garden from the street is very impressive -- very leafy, very green, very tropicalesque. Well done! Glad you are meeting some Greek friends here, too. Small world...

Kim Cyr

Between the beach and the bays, Point Loma, San Diego, California USA
and on a 300 year-old lava flow, Pahoa, Hawaii, 1/4 mile from the 2018 flow
All characters  in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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Thank you Dimitris! :) That is a really nice cycad and grows to be a beauty! I saw them in Florida and they were awesome! drool.gif

I would love a tour of your garden! I usually go to Pyrgos on weekends with lots of work to do in the garden but when i come over again for longer,i would love to arrange that!smilie.gif Thank you very much again for the invitation!!!

Basilios doesnt have a garden but has a great collection of potted palms in his roomy balconies!smilie.gifHere is his main picture thread and here is another you dont want to miss as well!!!

''To try,is to risk failure.......To not try,is to guarantee it''

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Thank you all for the welcome and for your kind words !

Edited by dimitris

If you wait to do everything until you're sure it's right, you'll probably never do much of anything.

Western Greece zone 9b

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Hi , Dimitris

Very nice garden and cool job done.

This year I also starting to change some area of my garden for a rock garden but may take years too. :rolleyes:

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60 meters above the sea level with less than 1000 mm annual rain.

Temperature range is 16 - 38 °C , average is 28 °C approximately.

Start to collected palms , cycads and succulent plants since 2004.

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