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My new place - almost a clean slate.


Tyrone

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Hi guys,

Some have asked me to post up some pics of our new place. It took a lot to tear me away from my 1/5 acre rainforest garden in Perth to start a new garden 400kms further away from the equator on the cold southern ocean. But if you're given lemons, you might as well make lemonade. Well I'm not quite at the lemonade stage yet as you will see from the pics, but I have plans, and I've already tried to tropicalise the place up a bit.

The property is 6 acres, with 2 acres set to a sheep paddock and the other 4 acres are for gardens. There are 3.5 dams on the property. The main dam has been made into a lake of sorts with an island and bridge. The property next door fills up with water and drains into our property through a seasonal water course. We share a dam with a neighbour and that fills up first, then it overflows into our top dam, then runs into the main lake which then overflows into the bottom dam in the sheep paddock which then overflows into a drain under the road and into the neighbours property and into a permanent stream.

The previous owners let kikuyu grass grow wherever it wished and this doesn't suit me at all. While I like lawn areas, having too much crazy lawn growing into drains and everything is a hazard, so I've been spraying areas to start to give the future garden some structure.

My plan is to heavily plant the perimeters with wind breaks and palms and other tropical plants. The opposite side of the lake to the house will one day be rainforest right to the waters edge. It's a huge undertaking but I want to do it.

This thread will have a few pictures so I apologise in advance for that. This place is almost impossible to photograph well and get a feel for the outline unless it's from google earth.

Here's the main lake and a picture from the lounge room window.

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Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Here is a raised garden area that the previous owner built that I feel doesn't really work. But they planted some Ravenea rivularis and Dypsis lutescens which seem to be going OK despite the neglect. I'm not sure what to do with it yet. Maybe an ornamental hothouse of sorts?

In the third picture I have rounded up the grass and this will be the beginning part of my canopy and rainforest area that will wrap around the lake. You can see on the border area I've planted sun loving palms like a Beccariophoenix madagascariensis and two Parajubaeas that you can just make out. The little hut one day will be enveloped by Archontophoenix and bamboo and just pop out onto the waters edge with a concealed walkway that you have to search for to find your access to the hut. That's the plan. :)

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Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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This is the top dam looking at the upper neighbours property. I want to plant a huge screening planting between the dam and the boundary to block that area all off from the neighbours and the east direction. In summer the easterlies roar through this area. I want to plant some very large Eucalypts here and then fill it all in with palms and bamboo. I've already planted some Bambusa vulgaris vitata to eventually make a huge wind break. I want to plant right up to the high tide mark on the dam. I'm thinking Archontophoenix, Ravenea etc. The previous owner has already put some P canariensis which I wouldn't have done. But on this property they are certainly not going to get too big, so I'll keep them.

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Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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This the main inflow into the property from the neighbours. I've used a heap of Zero Aqua here, which doesn't kill frogs and fish like normal roundup. When we first moved in this area was up to 1m deep in matted kikuyu grass and was living quarters for tiger snakes. I've seen 3 biggies here. I cleared a huge area by a rotary disc on a whipper snipper and it took me 6 weeks of constant work after getting home from work just to cut it all out. This area will be planted up with swamp loving plants like Melaleuca, but I'll also put in palms and tree ferns etc.

The first picture is where grass has grown into the main lake. I will eventually get this out, but it will have to wait for now. I may need a canoe to do it. I want that whole bank grassless as I want the rainforest part to reach right to the waters edge. My plans are to plant Archontophoenix, Livistona, Ravenea rivularis, Howea as the canopy palms. I want to plant Chamaedorea cataractarum and Hedychium and Alpinia gingers right down to the high tide mark.

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Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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I've already planted some Hawaiian Pritchardias along the future rainforest margin. The plants came out of shade at my old place and were put out in full sun in summer with full exposure to the wind. They got beaten up a bit, but once they put out new growth it was noticeably stiffer and stronger.

The next few shots were taken from the same position in what will eventually be my rainforest. If you join them all up, you'd get a big picture of what it looks like looking back at the house etc.

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Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Some more of the lake etc

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Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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A view across the bridge. I plan to put a Foxy Lady on either side as you enter with gingers and other things around the base. I want gingers and Chamaedorea cataractarum down to water level on the island. At the moment on the island I have another Beccariophoenix madagascariensis, a Beccariophoenix fenestralis, two Caryota gigas, Roystonea borinquena, Archontophoenix myolensis, Archontophoenix purpurea, Archontophoenix tuckeri, Howea forsteriana, Ravenea rivularis and Ravenea glauca. I want to put a deck out over the water and a hut from the island and surround the whole thing with dense tall tropical foliage and conceal the pathway to the hut.

The second picture is my backup water supply pump which will connect to all the garden areas during the dry times.

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Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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I planted this Archontophoenix cunninghamiana on the island and two weeks later a Macrozamia reidlii popped up. Who knows how long it had been chewed down to ground level, but it's back like nothing ever happened. I was very happy to see it. You can see the peat that the island is composed of. The whole property is a mix of peat and clay.

Well that's it for now.

It's going to take a lot of work to eventually be what I want it to be and it may be a while before I post many pics again. I'm looking forward to spring and summer when I'll start a planting frenzy and hopefully get the garden kicked off in earnest.

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Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Wow!

That looks like a life times amount of work!

So, you could have a cricket pitch where the raised garden is, surrounded by forests of Ceroxylon, Howea and Hedyscepes and maybe some jet skis on those lakes.

Good luck, you are the man for the job!

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THAT IS HUGE! I love your enthusiasm! Just quietly, you can tell a lot of thought has gone into this plan. Plus (and im sure you've thought of this) the manure from the sheep! Blank canvas indeed. Cant wait for the plans to unfold. Looking forward to progress pics.

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Great to have all that land to play with but in it's current state it must be quite a daunting prospect to get it to where you want it. I admire your vision and look forward to any updates. Great place by the way!

Regards Neil

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Tyrone,

Wow, that looks like quite the project and I can only imagine how exciting it must be with all that land, and all its potential. :) Good luck and looking forward to future updates! :)

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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Congratultions Tyrone, you have a diamond in the rough there. Driven by your passion, I expect it'll be a briliant gem very soon. So, I hope you will keep us posted as your work progresses.

Is the climate nearly frost free? I've found Dypsis lutescens rather sensitive to frost here but if they are OK there, I assume frost is infrequent, or doesn't occur. I can't wait to see how your plans come together. Watch out for those tiger snakes. I understand their bites are fatal if left untreated. I really look forward to an Australian visit again, one of these days.

Land O Lakes FL, a suburb on the North Side of Tampa, FL

Summers are great, 90f/32c in the day & 70f/21c at night with plentiful rain & sun

Winters are subtropical with occasional frosts and freezes. Tropical cyclones happen.

We have a few Royal palms in the warm microclimates but Coconuts freeze.

I am a Kayaker, Hiker, Bicyclist, and amateur Photographer that loves the outdoors.  

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Well that's just friggin' awsome! What a gorgeous blank slate. You even got your own island.....how cool is that! ...... you made the right move.....keep us updated on the progress.

David Simms zone 9a on Highway 30a

200 steps from the Gulf in NW Florida

30 ft. elevation and sandy soil

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Wow!

Should have emigrated back when I had the chance . . . .

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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Wow, what a dream blank slate.

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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Space!

The final frontier.

It's hard to have too much space. For palms.

But I'll bet that might come close . . .

Plant 100 Dypsis mahajangas. We're rootin' for ya mate!

Let's keep our forum fun and friendly.

Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or lost profits or revenue, claims by third parties or for other similar costs, or any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of my opinion or the use of this data. The accuracy or reliability of the data is not guaranteed or warranted in any way and I disclaim liability of any kind whatsoever, including, without limitation, liability for quality, performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose arising out of the use, or inability to use my data. Other terms may apply.

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Tyrone the new place looks like it will ve unbelievable once you work your magic on it

Old Beach ,Hobart
Tasmania ,Australia. 42 " south
Cool Maritime climate

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Thanks guys for all your comments and words of encouragement. I needed the encouragement. I've been working so hard in my new job and with the short days with virtually no sunlight after work I've basically only had time to mow the place. But I've just got to think efficiently and allow for the use of machinery.

I'm going to leave the lawn around the house to a large extent and not obstruct the views from the house to the lake. The areas I've killed the grass off will be developed into garden beds and rainforest. I can hire a bit of machinery that is diesel powered and has a 600mm diameter auger attached to it. I'll just go into the garden areas and drill lots of potholes into the clay and peat to break the soil right up to a depth of a metre. The previous owner dug the lakes deeper and then dumped the clay on top of the natural peat layer around the property. Then he drove on it, and mowed it etc and this compacted it into a hard pan. Some of the trees he planted failed as he didn't bust the soil up enough and planted them into solid clay. The clay actually drains well once you get through to the peat layer and mix it all up without any further compaction.

Keith, I was surprised to see a couple of D lutescens here. There is one that looks quite OK in town in a good spot. But I doubt that they'll ever get to be big bulky flowering and fruiting specimens like my ones in Perth. This place is virtually frost free. We went down to 2.5C the other morning and I had some very light frost on the open exposed bits of grass away from the house. There was no frost within 3m of the lake edge, none under canopy, and none on the island. The morning we hit 2.5C the official stations said 5C, so that was a bit worrying, but it was a very still morning and the official airport reading had some wind so it was warmer. Last winter the official reading didn't drop below 5.2C, so I'm hoping that 2.5C is as cold as it gets, but who knows. Once I fill the place up with canopy and windbreaks it will become a little more warmer and cosy in the garden. I'm amazed how different the weather can be only 5 or 6km away.

Tiger snakes are my big worry on the other side of the lake. Unlike dugites that will get out of your way when they hear you coming, if a tiger snake feels threatened it will charge you. The first one I saw was about 2m long, jet glossy black on top and bright goldy yellow underneath. Luckily the ones here have seen me and decided to get away from me as quick as possible. But they are deadly. Untreated you have a 65% chance of a quick death. That's why I'm trying to control the thick grass. They will likely like my rainforest though and have the ability to climb trees and swim so I may have to put those snake deterrent things out.

I can't wait to start mass planting Archontophoenix, Rhopies, Howeas, Ravenea, cold tolerant Dypsis, Livistona, and everything else in between. It's going to be an interesting spring summer this year. :)

I'll keep you posted with any progress I make.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Terrific prospects there Tyronne. I wish you all the best and hope to see the progress here in Palmtalk. This will inspire and influence others I guarantee.

Happy Gardening

Cheers,

Wal

Queensland, Australia.

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Thanks Wal. I've just been going thru your So Cal travel photos and they are inspiring. Many ideas floating thru my head now. I can't wait for spring. :)

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Great looking property there Ty! Plenty of potential for a great palm garden. should keep you off the streets for a few years... :) I love that Kikuyu hedge behind your Pritchardias...have fun with that! My favourite type of grass...NOT!

Daryl

Gold Coast, Queensland Latitude 28S. Mild, Humid Subtropical climate. Rainfall - not consistent enough!

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Awesome Tyrone. lots of land to do what you want. I like the idea of majesties and kings around the lake. will you try a hedyscepe there? how about ceroxylon? also looking up the climate it is very mild you should try some exotic fruit trees since you have the space. avocado and carambola should do good there maybe some types of mangoes can grow there probably even coffee? congrats! :greenthumb:

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Thanks Daryl. The Kikuyu hedge is an L shaped paddock that had an electric fence and had a calf in it, but the calf used to escape so the previous owner got rid of the cow and just left the ground alone. It would take me about a year of weekends to cut that with a circular saw on the whipper snipper, and by then I'd have gone totally bananas. My plan is to put some fencing about 1m inside the lawn area and run sheep in there for a while. I may need to get in there and whack a few pathways thru it. Once eaten down through, I can mow it, then scalp it, then poison it and extend the rainforest to the boundary. I've not ventured in there out of pure fear of snakes. Luckily the neighbour has sprayed the fence area and created a path right on the boundary. Once Kikuyu grows up a fence it corrodes it all out and so I'm glad he's been taking care of that.

Thanks empireo22. I have a couple of Hedyscepe, and some Ceroxylons that I was given by PeterG. Avocados do awesome here provided the ground drains well. My neighbour grows Avacados and sells them at the markets and to restaurants around town. I will look up carambola as I don't know what that is. I will try a couple of mangoes here, but they will be sitting in a heatsink arrangement out of the wind, maybe with granite around the base of them to bring some heat in in summer. I'm not quite ready for them yet, maybe by spring I will. Citrus do well here, as well as apples. I'm going to try coffee and if I can find a tea bush I'll try that too. I've got some Macadamias to try out. I planted an Inga edulis (Icecream Bean tree) and it seems to be holding up very well. We've also got to put in an extensive vegie patch, and I want some grape vines. This area is a premium wine producing zone. Some olives as well. I think I need to live to 150. :)

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Carambolas will put up with occasional freezes, but your climate is more like California than Florida, and your clay/peat soil is unlike our sand, so I wouldn't trust information from here. They're good home fruits, along with lychee. We've got some new peach varieties that don't need much winter chilling.

You get warm enough in summer that I wonder about Ceroxylon. They'd seem good for the cool, foggy summers of some parts of the California coast. Of course northern South America has a wide variety of climates, and there's a chance of a good match for yours. Somewhat oddly, for us, bromeliads from around Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais do well. Of course you've got an amazing native flora with all those Banksias.

Fla. climate center: 100-119 days>85 F
USDA 1990 hardiness zone 9B
Current USDA hardiness zone 10a
4 km inland from Indian River; 27º N (equivalent to Brisbane)

Central Orlando's urban heat island may be warmer than us

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Great to see your new place Tyrone and to hear about your plans for it............ As you know I am in a similar position having moved from my established garden and leaving almost everything behind. My acreage is not as large but there is virtually nothing on it as it is an ex- sugarcane paddock..........the main difference is that I moved 600km closer to the equator !!!

Andrew,
Airlie Beach, Whitsundays

Tropical Queensland

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Dave, I think you're right about the Carambolas. Too cold here on average for too long. Ceroxylons would likely still need a shady protected cool spot here in summer. In summer I'm a couple of degrees warmer than town, so about 24,25C avg max in summer. The good thing for Ceroxylons is that even in summer the night temps drop away once the sun goes down. This is unlike Perth where it can still be 30C at midnight in summer. I'll make sure everything stays moist in summer.

Bromeliads do great down here too. My mother in law grows great ones and they colour right up in full sun without any care. In Perth I had to be careful as too much sun and they'd burn. Too little sun and they stay green and limp.

The banksias normally grow on the sandy infertile soils. We take them very much for granted. People tend to grow a lot of South African proteas successfully down here.

Andrew, what I wouldn't give for some acreage in Airlie Beach. All the best with your new garden. What would the land have been before it was cleared for sugarcane? Rainforest? Heaven. :)

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Good Luck on that giant Endeavor Tyrone. Lots like a great place to play with. I had wondered where you had gone... You were growing property... :innocent:

Zone 10a at best after 2007 AND 2013, on SW facing hill, 1 1/2 miles from coast in Oceanside, CA. 30-98 degrees, and 45-80deg. about 95% of the time.

"The great workman of nature is time."   ,  "Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience."

-George-Louis Leclerc de Buffon-

I do some experiments and learning in my garden with palms so you don't have to experience the pain! Look at my old threads to find various observations and tips!

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I love the ponds, the bridge, it has character already to guide you in planting out the site. I can't wait to see how it matures as your hands begin to shape it. Take us along with you with every detail along the way. Would love to follow along with your thought process, successes and failures. I love those gardening books that take you into the mind of a gardener. You can take us there in real time.

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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Looks like years of fun planting ahead! Did you know "this is it" the moment you set eyes on that property? The potential is astounding and I'm looking forward to seeing it come together.

Jim in Los Altos, CA  SF Bay Area 37.34N- 122.13W- 190' above sea level

zone 10a/9b

sunset zone 16

300+ palms, 90+ species in the ground

Las Palmas Design

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Las Palmas Design & Associates

Elegant Homes and Gardens

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Looks like years of fun planting ahead! Did you know "this is it" the moment you set eyes on that property? The potential is astounding and I'm looking forward to seeing it come together.

We had to move south for family reasons. I always said that if we moved from my Perth house it would be to Queensland or somewhere north, definitely not south, so Albany was at the bottom of my list. Once we had decided to make the move, we thought about where we might like to live. I didn't want to come to the country and live in a house that felt like living in the city, so we looked at some bigger bits of land out of town and explored the possibilities. Nothing really ticked the boxes and we sort of gave up. Then my wife just for fun wanted to show me some flash expensive house on the internet just for laughs but it had been sold and taken off. So I started looking at the site just for laughs and found this place, and literally said something like "or we could get this place with a heap of lakes on it. Imagine that. Ha ha ha". Then we looked at the price and thought that it wasn't anything more than a normal 3X1 home in Perth. So we explored the possibilities and the rest is history. So yes, it was a "this is the one" sort of moment. We did keep looking around just to compare and there was nothing like this property in the area at all. I think some were put off by the amount of water, as most people who buy these properties want to run horses on them and a lot of the land is water. Others were probably put off by the amount of lawn to mow. But it was perfect for us and what we want to do with it. If I can pull it off, the garden I make will be something Albany has never seen before.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Tyrone, yes my property is certainly former rainforest country. There is still tropical rainforest along the creeks, some of my neighbours up the hill have intact stands of rainforest that I am a bit jealous of. I am however re-vegetating my creek into a rainforest corridor using lots of local Archontophoenix alexandrae, Ptychosperma elegans......... and of course will throw in a few Licuala ramsayi too :)

I think I can echo what the others have said in that I look forward to seeing how you transform your property and I am sure that it will be stunning............It is exciting and sometimes a bit daunting when it comes to the planning but I am sure both of us will have great looking properties in the not so distant future !!

Andrew,
Airlie Beach, Whitsundays

Tropical Queensland

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Tyrone, yes my property is certainly former rainforest country. There is still tropical rainforest along the creeks, some of my neighbours up the hill have intact stands of rainforest that I am a bit jealous of. I am however re-vegetating my creek into a rainforest corridor using lots of local Archontophoenix alexandrae, Ptychosperma elegans......... and of course will throw in a few Licuala ramsayi too :)

I think I can echo what the others have said in that I look forward to seeing how you transform your property and I am sure that it will be stunning............It is exciting and sometimes a bit daunting when it comes to the planning but I am sure both of us will have great looking properties in the not so distant future !!

We can both aspire to this image then. I think I need to find some granite rocks.

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Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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The Dictyocaryum native habitat of cloud forest wouldn't be dissimilar to your reports would you say? Maybe your place is cooler, but it might be a great option if its in front of a mister?

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You've got yourself a fantastic place with lakes, so there's plenty of water. With all that water and your climate, your possibilities are virtually endless. I would not worry about the ceroxylon, you can surely grow all of them. Mine breeze through my 40C heatwaves untouched because night time temperatures always plummet no matter what the daytime temp was.

In your climate, you can do a fantastic and dramatic backdrop of very tropical looking feather palms using rhopies, hedyscepe, archontophoenix, chamaedorea, ceroxylon, parajubaea, howea, highland beccariophoenix and highland dypsis species. The backdrop can be complemented with a plethora of fan palms like livistona, brahea, sabal, trachycarpus, raphis and bismarckia. All these will be bullet proof in your climate and provide a palette of palms that can rival Hawaii if you plant enough of them. You've got room for a nice alexander forest, you gotta have one. I think all the archontophoenix will do well for you, and alexander and maxima are actually good cool growers for me. I see them throw new fronds in the middle of Winter here.

The cool temperature growing dypsis list that can take a good dose of Winter chill (not counting below freezing) includes decipiens, betafaka, psamophilla, slick willie, baronii (a champion in my climate), onilahensis, oropedionis, and ambositrae (another champion). It's not a long list, but it includes both an enormous form (decipiens) and several clumpers, so from a landscaping point of view it pretty much covers all the bases. Rich in NZ has a longer list, but I find a lot of what he grows is incredibly fussy and needs the narrower temp range and higher humidity he has up there in the rainy hills above Auckland.

Then you can focus on the fussier Newcal palms and some harder to grow dypsis. My best newcal grower is kentiopsis oliviformis and cyphophoenix nucele, they both don't mind cooler temperatures. I have had no problems planting kentiopsis of various sizes, they all take off for me. I can't say the same for chambeyronia. Chambeyronia must have a lot of genetic activation going on in the juvenile phase because I do superbly well with small seedlings that really get established easily and then become bullet proof for me. However, I've tried to bring in larger specimens from warmer climates and I have failed miserably. They stall when they go in the ground and then decline and eventually die. I won't be purchasing any large ones anymore, All my 1 gallons are turning into large plants on their own, but very slowly. Burretiokentia is another genus that does reasonably well if you don't mind putting up with some slower growing palms. They can't take full sun in low humidity settings, but they thrive under canopy.

The best enormous fan palm growers for me are bismarckia and sabal causiarum. All the sabals grow for me, but the causiarum is hands down the fastest and most robust one I have. Bismarckia are obviously slower in my cooler climate than in the tropics but still faster than all the sabals I grow and seem to be putting on a satisfactory amount of growth.

I have failed miserably with many of the real tropical heat lovers like roystonea and copernicia. Give them a go, maybe they will grow in your climate. I call them the 16C@midnight palms. If your midnight temp is above 16C during the growing season, then roystonea, copernicia and a bunch of other heat loving dypsis will grow quite well for you. I see almost no movement on these even if my temps are 33C during most of the day and 14C at midnight.

I am actually quite enthusiastic for you and would love to see progress reports from you. Keep us posted.

Edit: sacrilege! I almost forgot to mention pritchardia, you should be able to grow the majority of Hawaiian species, that is if the Australian Bio Nazis will let you bring them in. :)

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Looks like a fantastic lot. I would love the problem of having 6 acres to plant. Can't wait to see the progress.

With a tin cup for a chalice

Fill it up with good red wine,

And I'm-a chewin' on a honeysuckle vine.

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Thanks guys. I can't wait to make progress.

Dictyocaryum. I think I'll have to try them again. They got through my Perth winters but struggled in summer, then died either from rats or yoyoing temps and humidity which Perth is renowned for. Interestingly Perth winter mins are more brutal than down here. Perth has been getting a string of mornings between 2 and 3C this week with day time temps maybe the same or a degree higher than here. I've been recording my own temps for the last fortnight and the coldest this week was 8.5C and we're averaging about 11C. Dictyocaryum would easily take this climate down here. The humid mild summers would be a bonus.

Axel, you've given me much good info. The 16C at midnight marker is interesting. I think in summer we could be just a squiz above 16C at midnight. 16C is about the summer average minimum which generally happens just before sun up. For those palms that need a warmer night I could design my microclimates to trap heat a bit and release it at night.

What I did notice almost immediately responded to the move down here was my one and only Oraniopsis. I couldn't grow them well in Perth, and I lost them all except for one. Even that last one would brown tip and never hold a complete leaf. The moment it got down here it opened a new leaf and it has held it perfect. It loves it here. For a slow palm it's picked up speed. My little Ceroxylons seem happy too. They were almost impossible as I think my climate in Perth was closer to a Florida one in summer than a Californian one.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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Tyrone, my Oraniopsis loves the cool temperatures, mine holds four healthy leaves at a time. It hates not getting water, but even then it seems to be able to tolerate an occasional dry spell, responding to that only by going dormant. I've got another spear coming up on it now.

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I've been a couple of times to see Oraniopsis in the wild. I went once in winter and it was freezing in the middle of the day with condensation on your breath and wet. Even in late spring it was cool up there, and humid and moist. By contrast the lowland areas around Cairns were warm to hot and of course humid.

Millbrook, "Kinjarling" Noongar word meaning "Place of Rain", Rainbow Coast, Western Australia 35S. Warm temperate. Csb Koeppen Climate classification. Cool nights all year round.

 

 

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