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exotic and contemporary garden designs for the cooler climate
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No other tree symbolises the tropics more than the palm. Commanding attention, it is the very architecture of an exotic garden. The very word palm invokes images of rainforests, tropical islands, white sand beaches and distant sun soaked lands. They maybe single trunk or clump forming, fan or feather leaved, but all of them are magnificent, and this queen of trees is essential to any exotic planting. Whilst the majority are tropical in origin and far too tender to be considered for the English climate, there are thankfully a few cold hardy species which will stand severe frost. The trachycarpus commonly known as the windmill palm is one of the hardiest. Taking snow and ice in its stride, it can be reliably grown in most parts of the UK provided it is given shelter from strong winds, which decimate its beautiful fan shaped leaves. The picture on the left shows a magnificent example. Planted in a north London garden I designed in 1981 at just 2 feet high, it now stands at an impressive 24 feet bearing testimony to just how well they can do in a cool climate. Trachycarpus and other exciting palms can now be purchased from our online shop. |
