Hardy Tropicals UK

I was about to buy a 5 or 6 footer from Seagraves as the sale is on but I am now thinking I can get a few smaller ones 2 or 3 footers for the same total cost and fill my garden up a bit more as and a few will give a fuller impact over 1 larger one.......thoughts anyone ?

I would always buy the 4/5/6ft specimen's as they look great when fully fronded, I also have lot's of smaller one's from 10 inch's to 2ft but when these are in full flow you can't see the trunk's properly!!, saying that the small one's do make good ground cover & will quickly fill your border's. karl.

I think a clump looks nice. Some smaller, medium and one or two tall. Their fronds are then at varying heights, rather than all competing from the space at the same height.

I'd go varying heights Coddy so that the fronds overlap at differing heights, creating canopies for the underlying one's. I got a 9ft , 6ft and 4ft. I had to remove 3 Dicksonia antarctica's and 3 squarrosa all with 1ft trunks , as they were planted too close to each other, the fronds get so big and were always tangling and rubbing each other in the wind, resulting in slight damage. They'll be replanted in other areas with just one or two going back under the larger tree ferns.

The large cyathea's were also in the same area creating very large canopies and crowding out the area even more but at least they're potted and can go elsewhere next season

I've purchased all different sizes Cordy. A few big ones cost, a lot so I opted for a good mixture.

If I bought a few they would be dotted around the garden.....

I would go for one large one. Bigger impact. I agree with Karl snaller ones hide their own trunks. Does the Seagrave sale price include postage?

It doesnt as far as i remenber tom. Im heading there in 2 weeks.

I would go for the absolute largest one that I could afford to buy
The 3 footers look great until you have them planted and then they look very disappointing once you have taken them out of their pots

single large specimen, three times the impact, three times less time to protect, big specimens give a garden the established look far quicker. Smaller Dicksonia antarctica's look like large shuttle cock ferns sometimes due to small trunks.

Buy the small ones and you'll get the full effete times 3 or 4 when they're older. You also get to watch them grow! Seems simple to me.

The price does not include postage or VAT that over and above the Price.......but you get discount on that too at checkout. Just ordered and paid for a 6footer

Nice one Cordy!

I'm heading down there soon to grab a few chuncky ones. I wouldn't rule out the small ones though, they look nice in borders.

doncasterpalmguy123 wrote:Buy the small ones and you'll get the full effete times 3 or 4 when they're older. You also get to watch them grow! Seems simple to me.

Yeah but not in our lifetime

Haha i suppose so, then again I'm 17 so if i got one now it should be big by the time I'm 50!