Tresco's Abbey Garden in the UK - Massive 2022 Update

[Foxpalms]

No doubt the best beaches in the uk

[UK_Palms]

Thanks for adding a bunch of your photos, including many palms/exotics that I had completely missed!@Foxpalms

Did you collect any Rhopalostylis seeds from Tresco? Andrew the head gardener told me to take some since they are so numerous there now. I took plenty to distribute to London and south coast growers. I can send some to you if you want, unless you took some too? I know you already have a Nikau planted out though.

I don't recommend other people take seeds as this was a one off for the EPS and to further palm growing efforts on the mainland. If any London or south coast growers want some, I can send them out. Since these came off the largest Rhopies on Tresco, they will likely be Banks Peninsula ones from the Christchurch area of NZ.

Edited September 4, 2022 by UK_Palms

[Foxpalms]

3 minutes ago, UK_Palms said:

Thanks for adding a bunch of your photos, including many palms/exotics that I had completely missed!@Foxpalms

Did you collect any Rhopalostylis seeds from Tresco? Andrew the head gardener told me to take some since they are so numerous there now. I took plenty to distribute to London and south coast growers. I can send some to you if you want, unless you took some too? I know you already have a Nikau planted out though.

I've got plenty of seed. Maybe germinate some and plant them around central London as well that's what I was considering since I have so many. I think these are the south Island nikaus so they should be more hardy in case London gets a bad winter down to -3c, hopefully it does not.  

I have 513 nikau seeds in total 

 

[UK_Palms]

@Foxpalms How the hell did you obtain 513 Nikau seeds! 

Surely you didn't take that many from Tresco when you visited? Not that I can judge, since I took a good 100 - 150 myself. Given the number you have, definitely look into planting some around London. Hopefully people and council workers wont remove them. That is the only fear, especially in urbanised areas.

I say we germinate a bunch and at some point, maybe next summer, we meet up and go on an expedition together planting them in some London and south coast locations. It would be good to document as well for a day trip. It would be great to have some in various different locations, hidden out of sight, which we can check up on every so often.

I think the forests around Studland near Bournemouth would be a good shout too. Close to the coast and far enough away from population centres that you wont have people walking past them. There would be plenty of other locations we could do as well. This could be a fantastic co-op project. I will look into obtaining some more from other regions as well.

I'm tempted to put some in my local woodland with good overhead cover to protect against radiational freezes, however they will never survive long-term for me in my rural, inland part of western Surrey. They will get knocked out at least once every 4-5 years here, sadly. In the London areas, while it is certainly mild enough, you really have the risk of too many nosey people removing them, especially when small.

Edited September 4, 2022 by UK_Palms

[Foxpalms]

2 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

@Foxpalms How the hell did you obtain 513 Nikau seeds! 

Surely you didn't take that many from Tresco when you visited? Not that I can judge, since I took a good 100 - 150 myself. Given the number you have, definitely look into planting some around London. Hopefully people and council workers wont remove them. That is the only fear, especially in urbanised areas.

I say we germinate a bunch and at some point, maybe next summer, we meet up and go on an expedition together planting them in some London and south coast locations. It would be good to document as well for a day trip. It would be great to have some in various different locations, hidden out of sight, which we can check up on every so often.

I think the forests around Studland near Bournemouth would be a good shout too. Close to the coast and far enough away from population centres that you wont have people walking past them. There would be plenty of other locations we could do as well. This could be a fantastic co-op project. I will look into obtaining some more from other regions as well.

I'm tempted to put some in my local woodland with good overhead cover to protect against radiational freezes, however they will never survive long-term for me in my rural, inland part of western Surrey. They will get knocked out at least once every 4-5 years here, sadly. In the London areas, while it is certainly mild enough, you really have the risk of too many nosey people removing them, especially when small.

The head gardener said I could take some and I only thought it was around 150-200 untill I counted them today. Really goes to show how many seeds a palm can make since I only took some from 2 palms and it really wasn't alot in comparison to how many seeds were on the palms. He said he shipped 5000 out the other day. Still plenty (thousands) of seeds in the gardens left! You could try some where you live but even under dense canopy it would still probably see -3 to -4c on an average year and alot more light frosts on top of that but saying that Christchurch New Zealand seems a have a few frosts. Another problem is there aren't many evergreen trees planted in the UK in comparison to deciduous ones if you have an area with a few large eucalyptus planted closely together escpially on a south facing slope you might be able to get away with one for a few years where you are. Possibly in a park in you're town centre as the urban heat island will keep it slightly warmer. The Isle of Wight is also somewhere to consider planting some. I might germinate some more archontophoenix cunninghamiana seeds and do the same with  them around London and the south. Archontophoenix purperea is definitely something I would personally want to try in ground. Could even do the same with Norfolk Island pines and jacaranda. Would definitely help speed up the UK palm scene by doing that.

 

[UK_Palms]

@Foxpalms Any idea where they shipped those 5000 seeds out to? Also I would be hesitant to plant many in London. There are 15-20 million people within a relatively small area. I remember reading quite recently on here about a guy who had guerrilla planted loads of Trachycarpus I believe and they all got stolen, or removed by the council/landowner. That was in a place that had a fraction of the population density of London as well. I also remember someone planting Chamaerops in Brockwell Park I think it was and they all got removed as well. It really needs to be somewhere that other people wont be able to interfere with them, unless they know the precise spot. So you are going to need remote areas for guerrilla/secret planting. The last thing we want is to waste a bunch of Tresco's Nikau seeds. I am hoping a few gardens will take some as well. Places like Chelsea Physic Garden or the Royal Garden of Physicians would be ideal. I will take some down to the south coast with me as well when I relocate there at some point.

[Foxpalms]

@UK_PalmsIm not sure on where the palms were shipped out to hopefully a UK gardens.  A south facing slope near the sea in a forest would be ideal for the south coast. Could contact councils/parks if they would accept nikau palm donations so they don't get removed as they accept plant/tree donations but doesn't say about palms, worth a try. Maybe Battersea park as well.

[UK_Palms]

2024 update on the Abbey Gardens at Tresco…

Archontophoenix

 

The oldest Washingtonia in the UK and younger Washies

 

Juania Australis

Brahea Armata…

Jubaea…

Norfolk Island Pines…

 

Here are a collection of old photos of the gardens from 1890 - 1930 compared to modern day…

1890 vs 2024…

1895 vs 2024…

 

1910 vs 2024…

1910 vs 2024…

1915 vs 2024…

1920 vs 2024…

1920 vs 2024…

1920 vs 2024…

1920 vs 2024…

1920 vs 2024…

 

1920 vs 2024…

1930 vs 2024…

1970 vs 2024…

 

2002 vs 2024…

[Foxpalms]

An interest fact is the white sand beaches are caused by shells from the Caribbean being carried to the west coast of Cornwall by the gulf stream, resulting in crushed corals and shells forming these white sand beaches. There are also cold water coral reefs. Even sea turtles (usually the leatherback rarely green sea turtles) during the summer months can occasionally be spotted.

[gurugu]

8 hours ago, UK_Palms said:

2024 update on the Abbey Gardens at Tresco…

Archontophoenix

 

The oldest Washingtonia in the UK and younger Washies

 

Juania Australis

Brahea Armata…

Jubaea…

Norfolk Island Pines…

 

Here are a collection of old photos of the gardens from 1890 - 1930 compared to modern day…

1890 vs 2024…

1895 vs 2024…

 

1910 vs 2024…

1910 vs 2024…

1915 vs 2024…

1920 vs 2024…

1920 vs 2024…

1920 vs 2024…

1920 vs 2024…

1920 vs 2024…

 

1920 vs 2024…

1930 vs 2024…

1970 vs 2024…

 

2002 vs 2024…

Very good report on Tresco.

That Metrosideros is beautiful. Ten times more flowers than mine, which is a little taller.

Before and after pictures are very interesting too.

How come, being in an island open to the Atlantic ocean, palms are in so good shape, not tattered? The place must be much more windy than here and my plants are way more battered than there.

[UK_Palms]

@Foxpalms @gurugu The Isles of Scilly probably have 5 of the top 10 best UK beaches in my eyes. There are only a few others in mainland Cornwall and the western isles of Scotland that could maybe rival these. Even then, they probably still come up short against the top Isles of Scilly beaches. Tresco and St Martin's especially have several world class beaches each.

Unfortunately my day-trip to the Isles of Scilly in September was very rushed due to several reasons that I won't go into, and I wasn't able to appreciate any beaches at all. Next time I visit the Scilly Isles, I will primarily focus on experiencing the idyllic beaches and crystal clear waters. Some of these are probably amongst the best beaches in all of Europe, specifically the top 5 below...

1.) Pentle Bay, Tresco (probably the best beach in the Isles of Scilly and one of the best in Europe)

 

2.) Par Beach, St Martin's (St Martin's probably edges Tresco for best beaches overall, and this is one of the best beaches in Europe).

 

3.) Ganilly Sandbar, eastern Isle chain (uninhabited) - can reach by boat or kayak from the east side of St Martin's...

 

4.) Great Bay and Little Bay, St Martin's

 

5.) Appletree Bay, Tresco

 

6.) Green Bay, Bryher (during low tide you can walk to Appletree Bay on Tresco).

 

7.) Horseshoe beach, Tean (uninhabited island) - can be reached by boat or Kayak from the west side of St Martin's.

 

8.) Pelistry Bay, St Mary's

 

9.) The Bar, St Agnes

 

10.) Bar split, Samson (uninhabited island) - can reach by boat from Bryher or Tresco

 

Bonus - Porthmellon and Porthcressa beaches, St Mary's (both are immediately accessible after arriving on the ferry from Penzance).

 

Here you can see all the beaches mapped that are worth visiting. Not all of them are shown above. The top 5 are must visits - Pentil Bay, Par Beach, Ganilly Sandbar, Great Bay/Little Bay and Appletree Bay. All 5 are viewable from Tresco and St Martin's.