NorCal "Tropic Zone" Garden Pics From Today

[peachy 280]

Thanks Adam and Peachy for the nice compliments. Peachy, I want to see more pictures of your palms and garden. It's been too long!

There is no garden anymore Jim. 2.5 years without rain, even the 18 year old Alexander Palms died. Add to that, a garden company I hired to trim the plants around the house before it was repainted, took to everything with a bloody chainsaw within a 2 metre radius of the house. The only survivors are the big queens, some native Livistonias, my awful Phoenix reclinata and the Bismarkia, oh and a few Golden Canes and the Royal. I am not physically strong enough to start again, specially with the difficult clay soil and extreme climate so I am going to wait until I can move back to Melbourne. I have bought a place in the inner city down there, but it will be about 15 years before I can afford to live in it. Till that wondrous day eventuates, I am just going to try and learn as much as I can about the theoretical side of Palms and Cycads etc.

Peachy

[Jim in Los Altos 2,228]

Oh Peachy, I feel for you. You can't trust almost anyone near beloved plants! You can't rely on Mother Nature often either. She disappoints on a regular basis it seems. Enjoy those palms you have. Sometimes less is more.

[Mike in Nelson 6]

Somehow I missed the original posting of this thread. Very pleased it was bumped, as Jim's garden is a fine display of what can be achieved.

Nice to hear from you again Peachy. You've gone from floods to drought it seems?

[Ben in Norcal 1,898]

This one is always worth a bump. Jim, what is the blue bamboo? Is it Bambusa chungii? And do you remember where you got it?

[foxtail 328]

Jim you are an artist

[Jim in Los Altos 2,228]

This one is always worth a bump. Jim, what is the blue bamboo? Is it Bambusa chungii? And do you remember where you got it?

Ben, It's Fargesia nitida 'blue fountain' and everyone seems to love it the minute they see it. It needs partial shade and lots of water, particularly when it gets hot or it will shed tons of leaves. It's a fast grower and a clumper so no need for a root barrier.

[Jim in Los Altos 2,228]

Jim you are an artist

Thank you, Angel!

[Ben in Norcal 1,898]

This one is always worth a bump. Jim, what is the blue bamboo? Is it Bambusa chungii? And do you remember where you got it?

Ben, It's Fargesia nitida 'blue fountain' and everyone seems to love it the minute they see it. It needs partial shade and lots of water, particularly when it gets hot or it will shed tons of leaves. It's a fast grower and a clumper so no need for a root barrier.

Thanks Jim. I got a Himalayacalamus hookerianus at Flora Grubb yesterday, and ordered both Bambusa chungii and Dendrocalamus minor amoenus online to potentially try. All clumpers. Also have Bambusa lako on the way. When I get into a new plant, I don't mess around.

[John Case 170]

This one is always worth a bump. Jim, what is the blue bamboo? Is it Bambusa chungii? And do you remember where you got it?

Ben, I have a clump of B. chungii that could use a division......let me know if you are interested.

Thanks,

JC

[Danilopez89 651]

Awesome garden and landscape Jim. I think its my favorite garden from the ones I've seen here on Palmtalk. I love your planting style and I plan on looking back at your pics for landscape design ideas and inspiration as I make my own little palm tree paradise. Thanks for sharing, I look forward for more pics of your place in the future.

Jim do you have any older pics of your place? It would be pretty cool to see some before and afters.

[Panamajack 80]

Jim, your garden is outstanding. Reminds me of my childhood in the tropics.

[Jim in Los Altos 2,228]

Thanks, Carl and Pedro!

[nomolos 34]

Superb

[Pando 4,547]

Fantastic as always! Jim how are your Lemur and coconut doing?

[Jim in Los Altos 2,228]

Fantastic as always! Jim how are your Lemur and coconut doing?

My Lemur is currently opening another new coral colored leaf. It seems to grow in spurts. My young Maylayan dwarf finally breathed its last breath but my two foot tall Jamaican tall looks great and is slowly pushing a new frond.

[willo68 16]

Jim, questions regarding your beautiful gardens. Did you plan palmate and pinnate leaves or did you plant random and still make it look great?

How far apart on average are separate types planted? I see some of the same quite close. I have a Bismark in the middle of my front yard and 4 Chinenses in pots that need to go inground. Would they look good planted close to each other? If they do, any particular arrangement? How far apart?

So sorry for all the questions but after looking at your garden im so hoping not to screw mine up. It wont be anywhere close to looking like yours but i can dream.

Thanks Will

[OverGrown 516]

Great work Jim! Your place is a real inspiration!

[Jim in Los Altos 2,228]

Jim, questions regarding your beautiful gardens. Did you plan palmate and pinnate leaves or did you plant random and still make it look great?

How far apart on average are separate types planted? I see some of the same quite close. I have a Bismark in the middle of my front yard and 4 Chinenses in pots that need to go inground. Would they look good planted close to each other? If they do, any particular arrangement? How far apart?

So sorry for all the questions but after looking at your garden im so hoping not to screw mine up. It wont be anywhere close to looking like yours but i can dream.

Thanks Will

Will, I plant palms close together for a number of reasons. First, I enjoy a rainforest type of landscape so there are lots of plants close together. Second, it helps with zone pushing since the density of the garden creates its own "blankets" protecting tenser palms from cold and dry heat. Thirdly, I don't have as much room as I wish I did so, in order to satisfy my need to collect palms, I squeeze 'em in.

A long as you have areas of negative space such as lawns patios, fish ponds, patching, etc. it won't end up looking like a confusing mess. You can plant all of you L. chinensis together in one hole and they'll grow together not an impressive cluster. My garden is constantly evolving and always has. There are permanent "bones" such as mature palms and other plantings but there's always something new happening. I started out with common palms like queens, Washingtonia, Trachycarpus, etc. placed in groups before grouping Archontophoenix in groves. Then a lot of more unusual palms came but rarely only one of each. Almost every species of palm I have in my garden is repeated within sight distance of each other but with palms, I think you can get away with single species since to the naked eye, there are enough similarities in different palms that a sense of harmony still exists.

[Jim in Los Altos 2,228]

Great work Jim! Your place is a real inspiration!

Thank you, Pete.

[Ben in Norcal 1,898]

Will, I plant palms close together for a number of reasons. First, I enjoy a rainforest type of landscape so there are lots of plants close together. Second, it helps with zone pushing since the density of the garden creates its own "blankets" protecting tenser palms from cold and dry heat. Thirdly, I don't have as much room as I wish I did so, in order to satisfy my need to collect palms, I squeeze 'em in.

Love it, Jim - your NEED to collect palms, not your desire...

[Jim in Los Altos 2,228]

Jim, questions regarding your beautiful gardens. Did you plan palmate and pinnate leaves or did you plant random and still make it look great?

How far apart on average are separate types planted? I see some of the same quite close. I have a Bismark in the middle of my front yard and 4 Chinenses in pots that need to go inground. Would they look good planted close to each other? If they do, any particular arrangement? How far apart?

So sorry for all the questions but after looking at your garden im so hoping not to screw mine up. It wont be anywhere close to looking like yours but i can dream.

Thanks Will

Will, I plant palms close together for a number of reasons. First, I enjoy a rainforest type of landscape so there are lots of plants close together. Second, it helps with zone pushing since the density of the garden creates its own "blankets" protecting tenser palms from cold and dry heat. Thirdly, I don't have as much room as I wish I did so, in order to satisfy my need to collect palms, I squeeze 'em in.

A long as you have areas of negative space such as lawns patios, fish ponds, patching, etc. it won't end up looking like a confusing mess. You can plant all of you L. chinensis together in one hole and they'll grow together not an impressive cluster. My garden is constantly evolving and always has. There are permanent "bones" such as mature palms and other plantings but there's always something new happening. I started out with common palms like queens, Washingtonia, Trachycarpus, etc. placed in groups before grouping Archontophoenix in groves. Then a lot of more unusual palms came but rarely only one of each. Almost every species of palm I have in my garden is repeated within sight distance of each other but with palms, I think you can get away with single species since to the naked eye, there are enough similarities in different palms that a sense of harmony still exists.

I hate spell check! Second sentence, tenser should be tender, fourth sentence, patching should be pathing.

[Jim in Los Altos 2,228]

Will, I plant palms close together for a number of reasons. First, I enjoy a rainforest type of landscape so there are lots of plants close together. Second, it helps with zone pushing since the density of the garden creates its own "blankets" protecting tenser palms from cold and dry heat. Thirdly, I don't have as much room as I wish I did so, in order to satisfy my need to collect palms, I squeeze 'em in.

Love it, Jim - your NEED to collect palms, not your desire...

Ben, yes my NEED, for palms. This I consider a ''healthy'' sickness.

[willo68 16]

Im glad you clarified, i thought i was going to have to share my wine with tense palms to help them relax.

I understood what you were saying despite the misspelling, i mean spell check,Thank You for the info. The Chinensis are in 4 seperate

pots and i was considering making a circle around the Bismark with bromeliads in between. What do you think? Chinensis overkill?

By the way it is a healthy sickness, i daydream all day at work about being in my yard playing in dirt.

[Alicehunter2000 703]

Bump....was showing some family members the look I was trying to achieve.

[Jim in Los Altos 2,228]

Bump....was showing some family members the look I was trying to achieve.

Dave, I'm glad you bumped. It gave me a chance to realize a year's worth of growth since then. Some things, like my foxy lady, have more than doubled in size while others are barely different.

[Palms4Steve 208]

Very impressive Jim . I love the way you have done the planting. Would pass for a resort .

[Ben in Norcal 1,898]

We look forward to this summer's update, Jim!