Coconut and the front garden

[Tyrone]

Well it's that time of year again when it's cooling off, and time for me to think of protecting the coconut a bit for winter. So I took some photos.

The coconut had some burnt tips from sitting under plastic through last winter. The new growth has been much better. This year the original structure is much too small for it. The first year it went through winter completely covered. The second it had a hole cut in the roof to let some fronds and the growing spear out. This winter it is going to have half of the enclosure open to the sky, but the sides will be 2.4m high and will help keep the cold winds out. But it's leaves will have to fend for themselves.

[Tyrone]

The base

[Tyrone]

The base again

[Tyrone]

Front garden shot. The Kentia is always showing some sort of summer damage. They don't handle 44C days too well. It's getting better as the Foxy Ladies form a bit of a canopy for it. No burn though for Dypsis leptocheilos, Dictyosperma album, Dypsis madagascariensis, and the Foxy Ladies. They just get going faster.

[Tyrone]

My Heliconia psitts have been a month behind this year, and I'm still waiting for them to open up. They've got to get a move on as winter is in about a fortnight.

[Tyrone]

Coconut from above taken while I was setting up his new tent framework.

[Tyrone]

I'm using bamboo poles, harvested from out the back, pushed into my hothouse roof structure as ribs for the plastic roof.

[Tyrone]

It should be a flexible and fairly strong frame, but it won't have to take any weight as it will be open above the coconut and no water will collect on it. The theory is that any water that gets to the ground should be evaporated off quickly by the sunlight through the clear plastic.

[Tyrone]

Some non palm pics. Beehive ginger Zingiber spectabile.

[Tyrone]

Tillandsia flower

[Tyrone]

Dichorisandra and Red Banana from the back garden

[peachy]

Hey Tyrone, the place looks good. Pretty flowers too !! I don't know how you come up with all those really clever ideas on how to protect the palms, let alone actually construct them so well. Even my tree stakes fall over after a week !!

Peachy

[edric]

Very nice indeed Tyrone, Ed

[Tyrone]

Last but not least my Dypsis decipiens. This year the weeping mulberry and large Hibiscus will be removed. The front garden will then be turned into a decked courtyard complete with Bali Hut. The D decipiens will flank one of the Bali Hut pillars.

That's all for now.

Best regards

Tyrone

[ariscott]

I am waiting for the pics of the Bali hut!! Don't make it too big... less room for plants . BTW, I can still see some grass there.... room to plant more??

Regards, Ari

[Xenon]

Amazing pics :drool:

-Jonathan

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Tyrone - hope all goes well with the coconut , the rest of the garden is looking fantastic as usual .

Can i see some updated pics of the Chatham Is Rhopalostylis please ?

[Miccles]

Good stuff mate - that coconut has really put on some beef since I saw it last July. Once is gets twice the size it is now (and it's impossible to protect with structures) do you think it will sail through the Perth winter ok ?

But as you know, if you don't try - you'll never know !

Everything else looks awesome as well.

Regards

Michael.

[Tyrone]

Hey Tyrone, the place looks good. Pretty flowers too !! I don't know how you come up with all those really clever ideas on how to protect the palms, let alone actually construct them so well. Even my tree stakes fall over after a week !!

Peachy

Thanks Peachy. Mike Jamison in Port Macquarie is my inspiration there. He gave me many ideas. His garden is absolutely mind blowing.

[Tyrone]

I am waiting for the pics of the Bali hut!! Don't make it too big... less room for plants . BTW, I can still see some grass there.... room to plant more??

Regards, Ari

The Bali Hut will go in after the front courtyard wall goes in. the hut will be will be 3m X 3m so not too big but big enough to enjoy a few drinks in the shade in, surrounded by Heliconia's, gingers and my rarest collection of palms. No really common stuff is going into the front yard. I have no room for common stuff. My list is already too long. There will be zero grass when I'm finished.

[peachy]

I had a look at some various Bali huts for sale around the district. The cheapest one, just one pole in the middle and some hay on top, like an unshaven beach umbrella, was $1800 !! I didnt bother pricing the bigger ones after that shock. I think I may forgo the balinese experience in my backyard.

Peachy

[Tyrone]

Thanks Ed and Jonathan for your kind words of appreciation.

Troy, thanks mate. I will go and get some photos of the Chathams for you soon. I do have a problem with bore stain which is not helping. I'm hoping to have this completely sorted by next spring.

Michael, thanks Mate. The coconut is an experiment that so far is turning out better than I ever thought. Each year I'm giving it harsher conditions. A few kms away from me there is a coconut completely unprotected which keeps going, and it doesn't get any of the care I give mine. It can get beaten up, but I'm hoping that mine hardens right up every year. I will cover it with plastic tomorrow with the roof open. I can probably keep this structure every winter from here on, because it can keep going up and leave the enclosure behind if you know what I mean.

Best regards

Tyrone

[amazondk]

Tyrone,

Your garden is looking great. I hope the winter does not hit very hard this year.

dk

[ariscott]

I am waiting for the pics of the Bali hut!! Don't make it too big... less room for plants . BTW, I can still see some grass there.... room to plant more??

Regards, Ari

The Bali Hut will go in after the front courtyard wall goes in. the hut will be will be 3m X 3m so not too big but big enough to enjoy a few drinks in the shade in, surrounded by Heliconia's, gingers and my rarest collection of palms. No really common stuff is going into the front yard. I have no room for common stuff. My list is already too long. There will be zero grass when I'm finished.

Sounds great, Tyrone!! I can see you will have so much fun!! I have to wait for mine for a few years yet... First, I have to get pool in and then the courtyard... If only Scott is a tad easier in the pool design that he wants..

Regards, Ari

[Tyrone]

Tyrone,

Your garden is looking great. I hope the winter does not hit very hard this year.

dk

Thanks Don. I hope it's not too bad this winter either. I just looked at the long range rainfall predictions for my area. They predict a 90th percentile for June (approx 250mm) 20th percentile for July (approx 120mm) and an average August(around 130mm). That kind of means a wet bang to the beginning of winter, so that basically means no record cold, and possibly some warm but wet nights. It can mean below average maximums though. I think the biggest chance of near freezing weather will be in July if these predictions are accurate.

I have one E precatoria doing well in my hothouse. Hopefully it will go through this winter OK.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Tyrone]

I am waiting for the pics of the Bali hut!! Don't make it too big... less room for plants . BTW, I can still see some grass there.... room to plant more??

Regards, Ari

The Bali Hut will go in after the front courtyard wall goes in. the hut will be will be 3m X 3m so not too big but big enough to enjoy a few drinks in the shade in, surrounded by Heliconia's, gingers and my rarest collection of palms. No really common stuff is going into the front yard. I have no room for common stuff. My list is already too long. There will be zero grass when I'm finished.

Sounds great, Tyrone!! I can see you will have so much fun!! I have to wait for mine for a few years yet... First, I have to get pool in and then the courtyard... If only Scott is a tad easier in the pool design that he wants..

Regards, Ari

Yes, it will be fun. I plan to do it myself, hopefully soon, but it will all depend on finances, like everything else.

Best regards

Tyrone

[The Palm Nut]

Hi Tyrone

Your Garden is looking great and that coconut has been powering along with your hot summers. I would still keep the area around the dripline dry as possible during winter which of course you are doing. I actually used to cover the area around the trunk with grassclippings during the summer months when I had lots of grass to cut. As the grass settled and dried it would repel water. Then I eventually paved the area around the palm which stored the ground heat really well during summer and winter.

My coconut is looking really well at the moment, it always does at this time of the year. I still heat the pond next to it as I have a quite a large oscar cichlid fish in it, hate to think how much this fish has cost me in electricity over the years. I always look forward to seeing your garden, great work.

Cheers

Mike

[Tyrone]

Hi Tyrone

Your Garden is looking great and that coconut has been powering along with your hot summers. I would still keep the area around the dripline dry as possible during winter which of course you are doing. I actually used to cover the area around the trunk with grassclippings during the summer months when I had lots of grass to cut. As the grass settled and dried it would repel water. Then I eventually paved the area around the palm which stored the ground heat really well during summer and winter.

My coconut is looking really well at the moment, it always does at this time of the year. I still heat the pond next to it as I have a quite a large oscar cichlid fish in it, hate to think how much this fish has cost me in electricity over the years. I always look forward to seeing your garden, great work.

Cheers

Mike

Thanks Mike. Over the years you've given me many ideas and the inspiration to try things out. The coconut was one of those things. I like your idea of the lawn clippings. Actually the palm sits in a hollow on top of a raised mound. Outside the hollow ring is black plastic to prevent rain from soaking in. On top of all of this is the pebbles. I may put some black plastic in the hollow to prevent any more rain soaking in. I'm worried about the rain that runs down the trunk and still soaks in. The coconut is sort of designed to catch rain and funnel it back to the trunk and roots. If I can keep the trunk warm it may evaporate it away, hopefully.

I just covered it this afternoon so I'll have to take some pics. It was awkward to cover as the highest point is now 2.4m from the ground. It has it's tallest leaves and spear sticking out the roof, so it would be about 3m tall from the ground.

Your coconut is amazing. Your Oscar must be the most looked after Oscar around I bet. What water temp does it sit at in winter. All I've got is white cloud mountain minnows. They'll take freezing conditions but are nowhere near as interesting as an Oscar.

Best regards

Tyrone

[peachy]

I keep white clouds in the frog ponds all year to help keep the mozzie larvae under control, so they get quite fat and breed like maniacs. We had an oscar (named buffy) for years in a big tank in the house, until I caught the kid (then aged 20) (I was a child bride, married at 6 had the kid at 7) feeding the dear little garden skinks to it. While both of them found this to be a pleasant pastime I was not impressed and so Buffy had to go.

Peachy

[sick1166]

nice

[Tyrone]

The coconut is now covered.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Wanderanwills]

Great pics Tyrone, doing really well with your coconut. Nice lush backyard. Great stuff.

Regards

Stephen

[Tyrone]

Great pics Tyrone, doing really well with your coconut. Nice lush backyard. Great stuff.

Regards

Stephen

Thanks mate.

[peachy]

What kind of plastic is that Tyrone, I should invest in a few metres of it myself for the just in case palms.

Peachy

[peachy]

oh forgot to mention it....my beehive ginger is beginning to flower for the first time ever....in this cold weather too

[Kris]

.

[Tyrone]

What kind of plastic is that Tyrone, I should invest in a few metres of it myself for the just in case palms.

Peachy

It's alfresco plastic 0.3mm thick which I bought from Clark Rubber. I don't know if you have them over there in QLD. It's 1.5m wide and you buy it by the metre.

[Tyrone]

oh forgot to mention it....my beehive ginger is beginning to flower for the first time ever....in this cold weather too

That's excellent. They're long lasting flowers too. They'll probably be there in spring in your climate.

[Tyrone]

.

Thanks Kris. I enjoyed that video. Hasn't the world changed since 1932. It's amazing looking at a peaceful place like Ceylon pre WW2. Sri Lanka has had nothing but trouble since. A bit sad about the baby elephants being ripped from there mothers and then made to tear down their old jungle homes when they're older.

The coconut is one of the most amazing plants on earth.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Kris]

Yes,i fully agree with you...

Love,

kris