Lundkvist Palm Garden

[Palmetro]

Bo, beautifull garden.. i never get tired seeing your posts and webpage!

Beside palms, what other plants do you like?? In your hole garden do you have any section with diferent plants besides palms and cycads??

Regards

Christian

[bgl]

Christian,

Thanks! There's no section in our garden where the emphasis is NOT on palms. My primary interest is indeed palms (and that's pretty obvious) with cycads as a close second. But the cycads are spread out through the garden, so there's no specific cycad section. I like many other plants as well and we have quite a few anthuriums, bromeliads, orchids, to name just a few. But I plant those as "companion plants" to the palms.

Bo-Göran

Here's a Salacca magnifica (well, part of it!), flanked by Heterospathe philipsii.

[bgl]

Bismarckia nobilis gone wild!

[bgl]

Metroxylon amicarum on Polynesian Circle.

[bgl]

A group of tall Bentinckia nicobarica

[bgl]

A group of even taller Bentinckia nicobarica.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Bo, I don't remember seeing much of this thread before (only when you first started it).  It must have been originally posted before I got high speed internet here.  

Your gardens are magnificent!  I can only imagine the work that went into creating that oasis you have.  Thanks for a very informative post!

[bgl]

Jeff,

Thanks a lot! But I don't think of it as "work"! (REALLY!).

Bo-Göran

Snapped a few more this afternoon. Now that I can post larger photos figured I should add a few more since the early ones are so puny!

Dictyocaryum lamarckianum

[bgl]

Dypsis sp. Orange crush

[bgl]

Clinostigma samoense with a Chambeyronia macrocarpa behind it (right behind the Clinostigma trunk) opening up a new red frond.

[bgl]

Beccariophoenix sp. no window

[bgl]

Group of Dypsis carlsmithii

[Palmetro]

Bo, I see that you have some beautifull neoveitchia storckii, I want to plant 4 of them here in my place, but dont know what would be the best distance from center to center to give good growing space for each palm

What do you suggest??

Gracias!

Christian

[bgl]

Christian,

Yes, Neoveitchia storckii is one of my favorite palms. Actually have three groups of them. And even though I obviously posted a photo earlier in the thread, here are two photos, of two of those groups, for easy comparison.

The first photo shows a group where the spacing is right around 8-9, maybe 10 ft at the most, center-to-center.

Bo-Göran

[bgl]

And this other group has a much more open spacing, with 15, even 20 ft, center-to-center. All depends on what look you're interested in. Either way will obviously work just fine.

[Gbarce]

My complements to the gardener!!  

I am now seriously rethinking how I rank Fairchilds Botanical Gardens as the bast place to see palms.  You certainly have more variety.

This is very inspiring BO - I can't get over it.

Do you also have a Conservatory somewhere in BGL Paradise?

Congratulations again---I am not worthy---I am not worthy!!!

[freakypalmguy]

(bgl @ Feb. 17 2008,22:59)

QUOTE

And this other group has a much more open spacing, with 15, even 20 ft, center-to-center. All depends on what look you're interested in. Either way will obviously work just fine.

I hope to see your garden in person someday Bo. Pictures never do a garden justice, but your pics are amazing. This one almost looks unreal. Almost has a 3D effect to it.

Magnificent garden Sir.

Matt

[bgl]

Gene and Matt,

Thanks a lot! I hope you both will be able to visit here!  

And Gene - you're much too kind...the one advantage with a private garden is of course the fact that you don't have to walk but so far to see all the palms!  And no, I don't have a conservatory. Never saw the need for that.

Bo-Göran

[deezpalms]

Aloha Bo! I'm in the process of moving and I moved most of my plants over the weekend. When I unloaded my biggest "orange crush" I noticed it was leaning over to one side and with further inspection I noticed that the roots on one half of the tree were severed somehow. It is still firmly anchored on the other half but I needed to stake it up in order to keep it straight. My question to you is have you ever moved one of yours before? I'm hoping that this guy doesn't go south as it's one of my favorite trees in my collection.

Mahalo,

Kawika

[bgl]

Kawika,

No, I never moved any of my Orange crush palms. I'm a bit unclear of what happened to yours. Did you dig it up, and the roots were damaged in the process or was it in a pot, and you just happened to discover the damage? If the latter, any idea what could have caused the damage?

Bo-Göran

A few more photos - a look up in the crown of a Socratea exorrhiza.

[bgl]

Phoenicophorium borsigianum

[bgl]

Borassodendron machadonis

[johnmeulet]

Mahalo Bo for the fantastic pictorial tour of your garden.

Makes growing conditions in Australia look decidedly harsh.

Your garden is the gold standard for palm collectors; well done.

I am from Brisbane, Australia (but currently marooned in Cleveland Ohio) and would very much like to visit your place after  I have been repatriated.

Thanks again

John

[bgl]

John,

Thanks a lot! And welcome to the IPS Forum!

You are of course more than welcome to stop by here when you've had enough of Cleveland! Maybe on your way back to Australia? And if so, plan on spending some time here in Hawaii. Plenty to see!

Aloha!

Bo-Göran

[deezpalms]

Bo, not sure what happened. It's in a 24" box and no gross mushy matter where the roots are severed at all! I don't know how it happened but I'm guessing it happened in transit from the old place to the new one. Out of all my palms it's the only on that got damaged!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!  

[bgl]

Well, seems to me the best (and really only) thing you can do is to add a lot of soil, compact it as well as you possibly can, and if necessary, stake the palm. Personally, if it can be avoided I actually prefer NOT to stake a palm, but instead find a good sized rock (or 2, or 3) and place it in such a way that it will prop up the palm. I have used this approach on quite a few occasions, always with success. After the palm has grown new roots and anchored itself sufficiently in the soil, just remove the rock(s).

[deezpalms]

Thanks Bo. It's currently staked but I've done the rock before and I may do it again. I just hope it regenerates some new roots, I'd hate to lose this one!!

[brodklop]

Awesome Bo. Simply awesome.

Your garden would have to be the best palm garden around.

You must have ideal growing conditions. Not cold at all, not to hot, no drought, good consistent rain, no cyclones.

Your soil must be good. Surely there must be something that you must battle against. Do you have any pests.

Do you have many losses. Please dont tell us you have no problems. Its not fare.

What is you soil PH. Are there any species that wont grow well.

Do you have Alloschmidia glabrata and Alsmithia longipes growing at you place. If you do, a photo would be

most appreciated.

Neoveitchia storckii and Clinosigmas are my favourites and yours are growing beautifuly.

Thanks for taking the time to post your garden.

Regards

Brod

[bgl]

Brod,

Thank you! And yes, I do believe that we have very close to optimal growing conditions for a majority of palms. I call it a "perfect compromise environment". Because of our elevation (880 ft/270 m) we're cool enough that I can grow many palms that like it cool (Rhopalostylis, Howea, Hedyscepe for instance), but we still have enough heat for ANY tropical palm (Cyrtostachys, all the Seychelles palms etc.). The "soil" of course is volcanic, but I actually never had it tested so I don't know what the pH level is.

We do have some (minor) problems. I have lost a few Prestoea and Pritchardia palms to some little bug that eats the inside. If you don't find out in time (and spray), the palm is history. But those are really the exceptions. Out of more than 5000 palms that I have planted here, it's probably less than 100 that I have lost for this (or similar) reason(s). Most of the losses were for other reasons. For instance; planting tiny palms under deep canopy and then losing them because the taller palms absorbed all the rain, and the tiny roots of the tiny palms dried out.

Palms that I have tried and that do NOT do well here: Pseudophoenix, Maxburretia, Jubaea, Gastrococos and Medemia. Can't think of any others.

Here's an Alloschmidia glabrata. Actually, there's another one on the right.

Bo-Göran

[bgl]

And here's an Alsmithia longipes (actually now Heterospathe longipes). Trunk on the right belongs to a Carpoxylon and the trunks on the left are Bentinckia nicobarica.

[bgl]

And here are two others (H. longipes). Palm in the center is a Metroxylon salomonense.

[brodklop]

Thanks Bo for your responce. I hope my Alloschmidia looks like yours in a few or maybe longer years. How old would yours be. I believe they are resonably fast in Hawaii.

Regards

Brod

[bgl]

Brod,

Well, I don't know if I would call them fast, but they are certainly not slow. I bought the Alloschmidia in 1998 and they were in 4 inch pots, so had presumably been germinated in 1997. That'll make them just over 10 years old today.

The H. longipes were bought in 1996, also in 4 inch pots, so were presumably germinated in 1995. I.e. going on 13 years some time this year.

The H. longipes have been producing viable seed for several years, while I have yet to get any off the Alloschmidia.

Bo-Göran

[joe_OC]

Bo...You've now gone and planted a seed in my head about retiring on the Big Island!  I have many years ahead of me before that will become reality, but I wanted to let you know that you are responsible for that seed...      

It doesn't hurt that my wife's uncle has two properties there already...

Joe

[bgl]

Joe,

Well, all decisions that we make begin with a tiny little seed. Some people unfortunately never allow that little seed to develop into a plan, or action. I'd still be stuck in Sweden (without a single palm!!) if I had allowed myself to fall into that trap of inaction...! So, go for it!

Bo-Göran

BTW, do you know where your wife's uncle has properties?

[realarch]

Joe, that's good advice. We got serious about 5 years ago, bought some rental property and hopefully by the end of the year

will make the move to Hilo. Never too early to start establishing 'roots' if the Big Island is where you really want to be. Making it real

has been a labor of love and the goal, which is in sight, has energized both of us.

Tim

[johnmeulet]

Thanks Bo,

Definitely plan to visit Hawaii in the future; minus 18 degrees celsius here in Cleveland is getting old.

Might be able to get there by years end?  I will let you know.

Cheers

John

[Dypsisdean]

Sometimes seeds take a long time to germinate. I first realized that the Big Island was a place I could retire to in 1975. It only took me 30 years, but I never got it out of my system.  

[palmislandRandy]

I never get tired of looking at your photos.  Truly "Palm Porn"   Thanks Again, Randy

[Palm Guy]

Bo,

I think your Bentinckia's are the unsung heroes of your garden. Whenever I see pics of your garden half of them are  Clinostigma, Neoveitchia, and Orange Crush pics but man you have so many cool palms. Bentinckia's are one of my favorite palms, so please post more pics of those. Also the Dictyocaryum lamarckianum looked really good. The color on the crownshaft is almost unreal.

Cheers,

Mike F