Another SF East Bay Garden with palms

[bahia]

Trejo Garden in Albany, Rear Garden by David Feix Landscape Design, on Flickr

This photo really only shows a glimpse of the Archontophoenix cunninghamiana trunk in the foreground, but a couple of the Bangalows/Kings as well as some specimen Howeia forsteriana's in this rear garden helped establish the "subtropical" credentials for the garden. I've since realized that I would probably have been better off using the 'Illawara' form in this Albany, Ca garden, as it would have been faster growing given our relatively cool summer weather with a fair amount of daily late afternoon and early morning coastal fog. I also used some understory palms such as Chamaedorea microspadix here, and several Chamaerops humilis v. cerifera in large pots and in the sunnier parts of the garden.

Trejo Garden in Albany, rear garden by David Feix Landscape Design, on Flickr

Here's a view of a couple of Kentia's planted in the rear corner of the garden adjacent the reflecting fish pond. Ultimately they will establish and fill in this corner with lush foliage, but they are just so "freaking slow" up here, and occasional hard frosts such as we had back in 2007 can really set them back. Based on my experience with them in this Albany garden, I only use them under evergreen tree cover in new designs; they are just a bit too tender and slow to recover for use out in the wide open here.

Trejo Garden looking at pond and plantings by David Feix Landscape Design, on Flickr

Lastly, a photo of the silver Mediterranean Fan Palm in the sunniest central part of the garden.

Chamaerops humilis cerifera Nov 30 2011 (9) by David Feix Landscape Design, on Flickr

[Trishun]

That is very beautiful garden.

[Chris Chance]

Thats real nice looking.

[Patricia-CR]

Like out of a gardening magazine. Beautiful

[Stevetoad]

beautiful. has a nice calming effect.

[Palm crazy]

ekˈskwizit!

[bahia]

Some shots of the front of the house, and yes, there are a few palms in this photo, just two Chamaerops humilis.

Trejo Garden in Albany by David Feix Landscape Design, on Flickr

A shot of the entry stairs up to front door

Trejo Garden Entry Stairs by David Feix Landscape Design, on Flickr

Shot of planters/walls/reailings and plantings at entry stairs. Only the one palm in this photo, but the South African Lowveld Cabbage Trees, Cussonia spicata at both sides of the stairs certainly look palm-like before they start to eventually branch.

Dyckia x 'Morris Hobbs' at Trejo Garden by David Feix Landscape Design, on Flickr

Understory plantings around a featured Mediterranean Fan Palm adjacent the driveway. As the double wide garage and driveway take up so much of the front garden, I felt it was important to really make the entry stairs, walls and railings compete visually with all that driveway. We added a free-standing slate covered wall at the left side of the driveway to provide a visual tie-in at both sides, and to balance the design.

[bahia]

More details of the same garden, I hope you'll excuse the lack of a palm in every shot, but i wanted to give a bit of the flavor of the garden and how they complemented/contrasted with the various palms...

Trejo Garden in Albany, rear garden by David Feix Landscape Design, on Flickr

Succulents in containers for foliage color by David Feix Landscape Design, on Flickr

Fish pond sans duckweed and Water Hyacinth by David Feix Landscape Design, on Flickr

Trejo Garden in Albany, Rear Garden at Pond by David Feix Landscape Design, on Flickr

[Walter John]

Charming...