Hi all - need some advice for tropical garden

[rjas14]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone might be able to help me - I live in Buckinghamshire and I am looking for some help/advice wih creating a hardy tropical garden. My garden is north facing and isn't very big. Using strides for measuring the garden, the measurements are as follows: Front of garden - 8 strides; Rear of garden - 6 strides; Length of garden -13 strides.

It is a new house, and so I'll be starting the garden from scratch. The garden has been turfed and I need some advice with the plantscape design around the turf. Can anyone recommend good hardy tropical plants that won't die in winter?

Also, can anyone recommend the best place to buy high (approx 2 metres) bamboo plants for screening at an affordable price?

[GoggleboxUK]

Hi Rjas, welcome to the forum. I'm a newbie here too and there's lots to be learned by reading through the different sections here.

What kind of look are you hoping for? There are many plants that are hardy and a whole lot more that, with the right positioning and winter protection, will do very well.

Do you have anywhere to overwinter plants? (greenhouse/conservatory/spare room etc)?

I suppose the main factors are how much you want to spend and how much work you're prepared to put in.

There are many talented and experienced people here and I'm sure you'll end up with a great looking garden.

[grub]

Welcome aboard Rjas , Use Trachycarpus Palms and Bamboo's for your framework and you should be able to provide year round interest . Where in Bucks are you? I'm maybe not far off and neither's Jezza .

[kata]

One of my favorites

Butia capitata

This is (one of) the hardiest of the feather-leaved palms, those with the graceful fronds six feet or more in length, clothed for most of that length in leaflets. The feather leaved palms, certainly in my view, look considerably more exotic than those with fan shaped leaves, but unfortunately they are generally less hardy. This species, known as the Jelly palm, certainly makes a magnificent tree with glaucous arching fronds if you can grow it successfully for the many years it takes to grow to full size.

The RHS book, however, says it needs a minimum temperature of 5C (41F). Huw Collingbourne says it can stand -10C (14F), not significantly different from Leonard Holmes who says it is often killed below 10F. Richard Woo puts it in the 10F to 15F category.

Andrew Withey, who grows it in his garden in Reading, says it is "probably hardy to about -10C. I wrap my specimen up well during winter as I have found that, whilst the plant does not seem to mind them, hard frosts cause unsightly spots on affected fronds".

Welcome rjas

[grub]

Kata depending on where in Bucks he is there's every chance he saw -18 this winter

[kata]

Ooooh really grub....sheesh!

Thats cold

I saw the -10 in the Butia and thought Bucks, fine, well have that.

You don't really realise that Bucks area being that cold do you grub? So south (Bucks) a no no. But for me a yes in the north of England with maybe that -10 at worst.

[Tom2006]

Welcome. North facing will prevent the sun lovers but ferns and bamboo and some shade tolerant palms should serve you well. I'd probably stick to the ferns and bamboo myself.

[grub]

Ooooh really grub....sheesh!

Thats cold

I saw the -10 in the Butia and thought Bucks, fine, well have that.

You don't really realise that Bucks area being that cold do you grub? So south (Bucks) a no no. But for me a yes in the north of England with maybe that -10 at worst.

I was clocking close to that here Kata, usually see -9C anyway which had already left me in no doubt after 2 Erio's, 1 Odorata, 1 Capitata and a large Phoenix canariensis_CIDP that I'll not be having any feather Palms in my garden

[kata]

Aweful for you grub!

Not only the hard work planting, looking after, but the cost. I do know that you guys pay much more than I would ever dream of. Stick with Trachi, I am.

This is why I love flowers, even Violas were fine this winter. With flowers I know exactly where I am. They die in winter and beauties in summer.

[GoggleboxUK]

Having a North facing garden isn't all bad.

I'm at the foot of a hill and get direct sun on the parts of the garden I've planted for almost all the day. It's only once the sun has passed over the house that shadow starts to creep up the garden but 75% of my beds are in that area so I'm more than happy.

I've created a sun trap by paving the main body of the garden and this definitely raises the temperatures under the sun even through winter. There's a Met Office Weather Station 5 miles from my house and I'm always getting higher temperatures than there, an extra 6c today.

[redsquirrel]

hi rjas, have fun we do

[Tom2006]

My best advice would be wait plan wait and plan some more. I moved into a new build nearly four years ago and due to lack of money, baby and not knowing what I wanted just added plants here and there so ended up with a bit of strange grouping of plants.

I now converting over to as much of the exotic (looking) as I can and wished I had waited first and done it properly. I was just too impatient and bought plants on the spur of the moment rather than researching.

Ask ask and ask some more on here because people are never to busy to help out, and someone ALWAYS has the answer for you.

[rjas14]

Thanks for the warm second everyone!

Grub - I live in Gerrards Cross. I've been looking around on the website and noticed the photo of your garden in Slough ( very nice - I would love to have a garden like that one day). Is there anywhere you could recommend to buy palm trees/ other tropical plants from locally?

I don't have anywhere to store plants overwinter and so am looking at hardy plants that can survive outside in the winter, as I can't afford to keep replacing them every year!

I am looking at purchasing some 2 metres tall bamboos to create a screen around my garden and then adding palms/ ferns/ bananas etc. Has anyone else done this and does it look okay?

Also, has anyone ordered bamboos from jungle giants, and if so, what has the quality of bamboos been like?

[rjas14]

Grub - apologies, I meant your garden in Oxfordshire!

[grub]

My only recommendation would be for you to take a trip up to Akamba at the end of April, beginning of May, have a cuppa and a wander and I'm certain the inspiration will come http://www.akamba.co.uk/