What makes a good garden?

[Kim]

Stumbled upon this today, and it seems like very decent advice. 

Of course we can all think of more detailed, more specific advice, and that's one of the reasons we come to PalmTalk, for advice, but another important reason is to share our gardens and take joy and inspiration from the others who share.

What advice or philosophy of gardening would you pass on to your palm-growing mates?

[quaman58]

I would say to plan your hardscape first. It can be difficult trying to envision what your garden will look like as it matures, but it will be much easier (and cheaper) in the long run. Trying to do it later (like I’m trying to do) is way harder. To hardscape guys, a palm is a palm. So they’ll say, “ok, you’ll need to remove this one to have a big enough footing for your garden wall “, pointing to a palm that’s 20 years old and can’t be obtained anymore. I remember Phil at Jungle Music saying he wished he’d spent the time and money on his hardscape prior to starting his garden. I wish I’d listened to him!

[Meangreen94z]

3 hours ago, quaman58 said:

I would say to plan your hardscape first. It can be difficult trying to envision what your garden will look like as it matures, but it will be much easier (and cheaper) in the long run. Trying to do it later (like I’m trying to do) is way harder. To hardscape guys, a palm is a palm. So they’ll say, “ok, you’ll need to remove this one to have a big enough footing for your garden wall “, pointing to a palm that’s 20 years old and can’t be obtained anymore. I remember Phil at Jungle Music saying he wished he’d spent the time and money on his hardscape prior to starting his garden. I wish I’d listened to him!

Great advice

[kinzyjr]

20 hours ago, Kim said:

What advice or philosophy of gardening would you pass on to your palm-growing mates?

My IPS Webinar back in February 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afJKV5Mhbo8

Hopefully some of the advice is helpful. 

One Addendum: Don't be afraid to make mistakes.  We're all human.

[Harry’s Palms]

Twenty five years ago I planted with reckless abandon . I just dug holes and planted my collection from my other house! My daughter would follow me around with her bright pink beach pail and “help”. She asked me a few years later why I wanted to hide our house. I have an old concrete garden bench next to my Royal Palm and Chembroynia . Sometimes when it is warm I go out with a cold soda and sit in the shade staring up through the various shaped fronds . I can still hear my daughter giggling while playing in the soil as I dug the holes….it is a good garden!

[D. Morrowii]

@Kim I sure do like the message in the video. It reminds me of the Kurt Vonnegut quote about being creative. 
 

“Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something." 
 

I feel like it could certainly apply to your garden as Monty Don is saying. I think your garden can be a piece of art original to the gardener who plants it. 
 

The only advise I could pass on is to learn as much as you can from all the very experienced and helpful palm growers here on Palmtalk (thats what I’m always trying to do). However, my philosophy is that you can graciously accept and learn from the advise you seek out but you don’t necessarily have to use it. Make your own mistakes and learn from those too. You can do dumb stuff and learn from it and even enjoy the experience. Try to grow a coconut in a pot in Kansas for as long as you can, put. a Verschaffeltia splendida in the ground in zone 9a and see how big you can grow it whatever interests you, you can at least try. You might get disappointed sometimes but even that is up to the individual. Who knows you might learn something different that you can pass on as advise to another palm lover who can use it or not. 
 

 

[D. Morrowii]

2 hours ago, kinzyjr said:

My IPS Webinar back in February 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afJKV5Mhbo8

Hopefully some of the advice is helpful. 

One Addendum: Don't be afraid to make mistakes.  We're all human.

Hey I hadn't seen that before. Very cool and well organized presentation! There is also a ton of great info specific to we Central Florida palm people in there. 

[Kim]

I appreciate these very thoughtful responses! I am enjoying the variety of ideas and comments, and I hope others do as well.  Keep them coming!

[Darold Petty]

I concur that one should do the hardscaping and irrigation before large scale planting.  Beyond that,  anything that generates pleasure and relaxation for the individual gardener.

I did read a very helpful book before starting,,, "Gardens are for people"  by Thomas Church. 

[SeanK]

9 hours ago, quaman58 said:

I would say to plan your hardscape first. It can be difficult trying to envision what your garden will look like as it matures, but it will be much easier (and cheaper) in the long run. Trying to do it later (like I’m trying to do) is way harder. To hardscape guys, a palm is a palm. So they’ll say, “ok, you’ll need to remove this one to have a big enough footing for your garden wall “, pointing to a palm that’s 20 years old and can’t be obtained anymore. I remember Phil at Jungle Music saying he wished he’d spent the time and money on his hardscape prior to starting his garden. I wish I’d listened to him!

Amen. 

[NC_Palms]

On 1/5/2024 at 11:24 AM, Kim said:

What advice or philosophy of gardening would you pass on to your palm-growing mates?

 

To stop being scared to plant. We can discuss and argue over climate all day, we can talk about what varieties are hardier than others, but at the end of they day, the best way to learn and to experience gardening is to try and fail… then try again

 

Wanna plant a coconut in St Aug? Go for it. Wanna plant a palmetto in Maryland? I’ll love to see it. Life is too short. You live and you learn and that’s what makes growing palms fun : )