Grouping 2 or more palms together

[Tim McKernan]

I thought I'd show some solitary palms that I planted out as multiples. I think it adds character. What do you think? Is more always better?

Dictyosperma album var rubra

Clinostigma samoense (this should be interesting)

Dypsis pembanus (not solitar but planted in multiples anyway)

Satakentia

[Tim McKernan]

Coccothrinax spissa

Coconuts planted 10 years ago about 2' apart

Coccothrinax sp

Pseudophoenix sargentii (I've seen this done before and it's awesome in about 5-7 years)

[Tim McKernan]

Archontophoenix cunninghamiana

Thrinax morisii and Syagrus ceariensis (nature did this one on her own)

Livistona saribus (Center) and Veitchia (L)

Royals

[Tim McKernan]

Foxtails

Syagrus botyophora

Bottles

[MattyB]

Excellent use of grouping Tim! I love it! I'm employing this technique in many instances too. My thoughts are: If the palms main attraction is it's crownshaft, then plant several very close together to maximize the eye candy. If the palms crown/leaf shapes are it's main attraction, then plant in a group but with a few feet of spacing so that the crowns can form their beauty without being crunched up against another plant too much. We'll see how that looks in a few years. thanks for the pics.

[Tim McKernan]

Aiphane

Copernicia albas -planted three together but each grouping ended up with two main plants

and a Thrinax radiata

[Tim McKernan]

Thanks Matt. I like your theory.

[Kim]

Nice lush palms, Tim! One of the basic principles of landscape design is repetition, and it would appear you've got that down. That's an outstnding group of bottles, by the way! When one has plenty of space, as it appears you do, grouping several of a single species has a pleasing effect. Even in my very small garden, I have planted triples and pairs, and repeated a species in the garden.

It's interesting to note, however, that non-palm-centric people don't pick up on the variation from one palm to another unless the contrast is quite striking -- say, the difference between a Bismarckia nobilis and a Dypsis lutescens. Therefore, the casual observer sees repetition in a garden where a general form repeats, but with several different species -- for example Archontophoenix maxima, Dypsis leptocheilos, and Ravenea glauca might all be perceived as the same form, a pinnate palm, repeating in the landscape.

I do have to ask about your mulch volcanos. Isn't it irritating for the poor soul who mows the grass, having to dodge in between and around the seemingly random circles?

[MattyB]

  Kim said:

It's interesting to note, however, that non-palm-centric people don't pick up on the variation from one palm to another unless the contrast is quite striking -- say, the difference between a Bismarckia nobilis and a Dypsis lutescens. Therefore, the casual observer sees repetition in a garden where a general form repeats, but with several different species -- for example Archontophoenix maxima, Dypsis leptocheilos, and Ravenea glauca might all be perceived as the same form, a pinnate palm, repeating in the landscape.

Good point Kim. This is why I'm trying groupings of three or more like species. ie. Pritchardia beccariana, forbesiana, hardyi. Or Coccothrinax fragrans, argentata, spissa. Or Dypsis onilahensis, psamophila, cuesta linda. The collector will have lots to look at and compare the subtle differences, while the lay person will just see three of the same and hopefully the repetition will be pleasing to the eye and bring some order into a crowded rainforest area.

[Tim McKernan]

Thanks Kim. As the garden evolves, these landscape beds create random paths throughout the garden. The mulch is donated by local tree trimmers after doing a job close by and breaks down very quickly. It is mounded to account for this and the lawn guy is me.

  Kim said:

Nice lush palms, Tim! One of the basic principles of landscape design is repetition, and it would appear you've got that down. That's an outstnding group of bottles, by the way! When one has plenty of space, as it appears you do, grouping several of a single species has a pleasing effect. Even in my very small garden, I have planted triples and pairs, and repeated a species in the garden.

It's interesting to note, however, that non-palm-centric people don't pick up on the variation from one palm to another unless the contrast is quite striking -- say, the difference between a Bismarckia nobilis and a Dypsis lutescens. Therefore, the casual observer sees repetition in a garden where a general form repeats, but with several different species -- for example Archontophoenix maxima, Dypsis leptocheilos, and Ravenea glauca might all be perceived as the same form, a pinnate palm, repeating in the landscape.

I do have to ask about your mulch volcanos. Isn't it irritating for the poor soul who mows the grass, having to dodge in between and around the seemingly random circles?

[osideterry]

Those bottles are trying to curve! And there smaller crowns don't overlap as bad as other palms would, like say D. leptocheilos. They and the royals are looking way better than I would expect as multiples.

[FRITO]

Tim, fantastic garden!!! I am speechless. I love what you have done and have taken some ideas from your display. I too import lots of local tree trimming mulch and have been very pleased!

grouping palms help with seed production I would guess also!

that is simply the best display of bottle palms I have ever seen.

take care!

[bgl]

Tim,

I'm all for planting in multiples, and if one wants to achieve any kind of concistency in the landscape design I believe groups are critical. You've done a great job. And yes, that group of bottle palms is spectacular!

Bo-Göran

[MattyB]

Tim I have a question: The second pic in post #2 shows coconuts that you say are planted 2' apart. Is that a typo? They look at least 8-10 feet apart. I'm confused as usual.

[Walter John]

Wonderful look. Nice to have the room for that. Did you happen to plant singles of the same species you planted as groupings at the same time ? As in to observe the growth patterns ?

[newtothis]

AWESOME BOTTLES!!!

[surgeon83]

Tim, I want to trade yards.

I think the Livistona you have in post 3 is a chinensis.

This would have been helpful last week, as I was debating whether to plant my (3) Copernicia albas as a triple or spaced out- I wound up putting them 5-6 feet apart. Hopefully I won't have a runt, and they better look good because they are FRONT AND CENTER in my yard!

[Jeff in St Pete]

Tim, that grouping of bottle palms is one of the most stunning palm pictures I have ever seen! Thanks for the photo tour!

[Jeff Searle]

Tim,

Your collection of palms are outstanding as well as the plants that compliment them. The grouping of Bottles are just amazing! Imagine seeing a row or two of these in someone's field nursery? Thanks!

Jeff

[Tim McKernan]

Thanks Luke, Bo, everyone.

Matt-The 2 cocconuts on the left in post 2 are barely 2' apart. The third one is barely 3' away. I planted the seedlings at chest high with this in mind.

Wal- I planted some as seedlings, some in 7 gal, etc. Kurt Decker once told me to plant a palm to one side of a container so that the final product could be planted in the ground closely in groups without the rootball separating them. I wish I would have done this more.

Surgeon- I'm not 1000% on the Livistona but I still think it's saribus. It's a little stretched out in the shade and the spines are not real clear in the photo. Re the Copernicia albas...I underestimated their speed. I have planted them close to and a few feet shorter than some Vetchias with the idea that the Vetcias would grow on ahead and give sufficient separation. I was wrong. The Copernica alba canopy was always pushing on the Vetchia canopy. They are fast.

[Tim McKernan]

Thanks Jeff Anderson.

Jeff Searle, seeing your double Clinostigma (harlandii?) at your house last year inspired me to do multples of more and more unusual stuff. Have a pic of that guy handy?

[eternaljammer]

Wow nice.

[Jim in Los Altos]

All stunning! Those bottles are a riot. I love 'em.

[palmislandRandy]

Nice, Nice, Nice :mrlooney:

[palmsrgreat]

Very nice photos and your yard looks amazing. Those bottles are incredible as others have stated.

It's funny that Kim mentioned this, but I had the same question/problem. I'm always mowing around the nice mulched areas around the palms and pulling out runners of St. Augustine. Hopefully I can eliminate more and more grass and have a backyard of mulch and palms, just like TikiRick

Here's a photo of a group planting of bottles I took on a recent trip to Grand Cayman, nowhere near what you've got going on...