Yard/Landscaping Progress

[Buggle]

What a coincidence, I've got umbrella plant next to those types of ferns too (mine is still recovering from winter damage, haha), although I have to warn you, the umbrella gets HUGE. I regret where I planted mine. They thrive in this weather.

[DAVEinMB]

1 hour ago, Buggle said:

What a coincidence, I've got umbrella plant next to those types of ferns too (mine is still recovering from winter damage, haha), although I have to warn you, the umbrella gets HUGE. I regret where I planted mine. They thrive in this weather.

That's gorgeous Melissa! I guess they go together like peas and carrots . I understand they're very easy to propagate so I'll prolly use them as fillers in tight places and keep them trimmed back when they get out of control. 

I spy chamaedorea, a loquat, and possibly a mule as well? Looks really good 

Edited July 9, 2020 by DAVEinMB

[Buggle]

50 minutes ago, DAVEinMB said:

That's gorgeous Melissa! I guess they go together like peas and carrots . I understand they're very easy to propagate so I'll prolly use them as fillers in tight places and keep them trimmed back when they get out of control. 

I spy chamaedorea, a loquat, and possibly a mule as well? Looks really good 

Yup, that's all correct. I need to learn how to propagate that umbrella because mine is just growing out of control. Everything is growing so well because it is actually raining for once and not being 100 degrees every day. I would love to see you add some gingers, heliconia and curcuma to yours. The curcuma does amazingly well. Look at the stalks of those costus, if they survive for me they will go nuts in your yard!

[DAVEinMB]

1 hour ago, Buggle said:

Yup, that's all correct. I need to learn how to propagate that umbrella because mine is just growing out of control. Everything is growing so well because it is actually raining for once and not being 100 degrees every day. I would love to see you add some gingers, heliconia and curcuma to yours. The curcuma does amazingly well. Look at the stalks of those costus, if they survive for me they will go nuts in your yard!

Here's a link on how to propagate the umbrellas, if it's as easy as the video shows I could make thousands lol. 

I'll def look into those plants and add them to the wish list. It's getting longer by the day! 

P.s. I love your groupings, very nicely done 

[Buggle]

4 hours ago, DAVEinMB said:

Here's a link on how to propagate the umbrellas, if it's as easy as the video shows I could make thousands lol. 

I'll def look into those plants and add them to the wish list. It's getting longer by the day! 

P.s. I love your groupings, very nicely done 

Oh great, thanks! And yes I too also have more endless suggestions. Keep us posted.

[DAVEinMB]

Just noticed this guy this morning, does this look like a palm seedling to you guys? As far as I know the only palm that flowered in that area is the large trachy pictured below. 

Also bonus pics of an anole chilling on the trachy

[Fusca]

33 minutes ago, DAVEinMB said:

Just noticed this guy this morning, does this look like a palm seedling to you guys? As far as I know the only palm that flowered in that area is the large trachy

 

 

 

 

Definitely looks like a palm seedling.  If it's not from your Trachy it is most likely a Sabal or Washy deposited by a bird from a neighbor's palm.  

[DAVEinMB]

On 7/10/2020 at 10:08 AM, Fusca said:

Definitely looks like a palm seedling.  If it's not from your Trachy it is most likely a Sabal or Washy deposited by a bird from a neighbor's palm.  

Right on, well I'm gonna relocate it just in case it's a washy or something too big for the spot

[DAVEinMB]

Happy Thursday fellow palmers. Not really an update, just picturesque. No filter although it appears like it. 

[DAVEinMB]

Ok now it's time for a small update. 

First up is the Mekong giant in the jungle area which is well, beginning to look like a giant.

[DAVEinMB]

Looking up from the giant, the sabal is finally starting to show signs of a crown...a small one but at least it doesn't look like a telephone pole anymore. 

[DAVEinMB]

So the next update is more of a small experiment. I bought a 4 headed pygmy date a few years ago and it's been in a pot since purchase. This past winter i left it on my back patio in said pot to see how it would do. I wrapped it in Christmas lights but nothing else. Well 3 of the 4 died; the remaining roebelenii we will call the chosen one. 

In investigating potential spots for my queen experiment I noticed that the there was an area up against my house along the sidewalk leading to the front door that got sun very early and stayed in full sun until 1PM or so. The queen would get too big too fast so the pygmy won the spot. Mostly eastern exposure with some protection from northern winds. Let the fun begin. 

[SailorBold]

Thats awesome.. really cool placement.. so you removed bricks there??. They should emit a little extra warmth as well..Seems also an easy area to throw a sheet over if needed. Thats a nice area... hmm.. Chamaedorea.. lol..

Nice job.

Edited July 18, 2020 by SailorBold

[DAVEinMB]

8 minutes ago, SailorBold said:

Thats awesome.. really cool placement.. so you removed bricks there??. They should emit a little extra warmth as well..Seems also an easy area to throw a sheet over if needed. Thats a nice area... hmm.. Chamaedorea.. lol..

Nice job.

Thanks! Yea the bricks are just pavers laying over the paver sand so I can sneak things in here and there . Im hoping all the concrete and stone in that area will help keep it a couple degrees warmer. 

Well great minds think alike because I happen to be trying chamaedorea in the same area but up closer to the door for more shade. If I come across a larger radical or microspadix directly across from the pygmy is where I'd put it. Radicalis may work better there. I can't find rhapis humilis anywhere but I'd like to plant that next to the pygmy along the wall. I've seen a bunch of excelsa for sale but I figure it stands no chance.

And thanks 

[SailorBold]

Lol..What is your annual rainfall?  They should do quite well right there.  I assume those are the trunking variety?

Great plan..  what kind of cold do you expect in that area..?  Is it a microclimate for the better?

Edited July 19, 2020 by SailorBold

[DAVEinMB]

@SailorBold we average 52" annually. Yea the radicalis is the trunking form. I have 4 planted under trachy and sabal canopy in the back along with microspadix. I suspect overall that area will be a bit cooler than some other areas of my yard but it should be a good bit warmer in the morning hours. 

 

[DAVEinMB]

Ok so I tried to extract the mystery seedling this morning and I couldn't find a seed or any roots. I dug down around it about 6" and no signs of anything. I don't want to kill it so I guess it'll stay where it's at and we can play "guess that palm" as it grows

[DAVEinMB]

[Toddmin]

On 7/19/2020 at 12:56 PM, DAVEinMB said:

Ok so I tried to extract the mystery seedling this morning and I couldn't find a seed or any roots. I dug down around it about 6" and no signs of anything. I don't want to kill it so I guess it'll stay where it's at and we can play "guess that palm" as it grows

It's so odd for me to see the soil being sandy.  I guess I am used to seeing the clay soil here in Atlanta.  It must make digging SO much easier.  LOL!

[DAVEinMB]

2 hours ago, Toddmin said:

It's so odd for me to see the soil being sandy.  I guess I am used to seeing the clay soil here in Atlanta.  It must make digging SO much easier.  LOL!

This is in an area of my yard that I leveled off and put in a retaining wall so in the process I added a whole bunch of sand to help with drainage along with some French drains. The native soil isn't that sandy but it is incredibly easy to dig. If I dig deep enough I can find clay but I steer clear as much as I can haha

[ahosey01]

On 5/23/2020 at 8:52 AM, DAVEinMB said:

@NC_Palm_Enthusiast I'm pretty sure the yuccas are gloriosa (Spanish daggers). Two were pups from a clump growing locally and the larger of the three came from a small nursery and was only listed as a yucca. The spike plants came from the same nursery and were also only listed as spike plants haha. I'd also like to know for sure what they are, they both have around a foot of trunk and have almost doubled in size since getting them into the ground.  I'll post some better pics of them in the next couple of days. Maybe someone can shed some light. 

“Spike plants” look like a Dracaena species if I’m looking at the right plant in the right photo. Only thing is I don’t know of one hardy enough to survive your winters and clearly that was a year ago. Closer pics would help.

[ahosey01]

Realized you actually did post closer pics. One is obviously a gloriosa. Other looks like a Dracaena species but I could be way off.

[DAVEinMB]

8 hours ago, ahosey01 said:

Realized you actually did post closer pics. One is obviously a gloriosa. Other looks like a Dracaena species but I could be way off.

Yea this one in the center is what was just listed as spike plant. The picture of them in the pots is from February 2019 right after I got them. Nursery wanted $10 for both so I figured I'd give them a shot. They spent the previous winter in pots at the nursery and were left outside. I've seen these planted in neighborhoods around the area and all I've come across look pretty happy. They look like some kind of dracaena but I also am not positive. If it gets into the teens I'll protect them but they couldn't care less about mid 20s.

[ahosey01]

2 hours ago, DAVEinMB said:

Yea this one in the center is what was just listed as spike plant. The picture of them in the pots is from February 2019 right after I got them. Nursery wanted $10 for both so I figured I'd give them a shot. They spent the previous winter in pots at the nursery and were left outside. I've seen these planted in neighborhoods around the area and all I've come across look pretty happy. They look like some kind of dracaena but I also am not positive. If it gets into the teens I'll protect them but they couldn't care less about mid 20s.

The fact it made it through mid-20s with no effects is totally throwing me for a loop, unless there’s just a particular cold-hardy species I’m not aware of.  I know of Dracaena cultivars that will survive those temps, but they’ll burn off all their leaf tips and I don’t think they could do successive nights of that, especially in the wet cold you get.

I’m gonna do some more research.

[DAVEinMB]

41 minutes ago, ahosey01 said:

The fact it made it through mid-20s with no effects is totally throwing me for a loop, unless there’s just a particular cold-hardy species I’m not aware of.  I know of Dracaena cultivars that will survive those temps, but they’ll burn off all their leaf tips and I don’t think they could do successive nights of that, especially in the wet cold you get.

I’m gonna do some more research.

They have some canopy from a trachy and pines above it but that's it. It showed some signs of bronzing but it never defoliated. We saw a handful of mid 20s this past winter and pretty much the same the prior winter they spent in pots. I'm interested to see what you find because I was under the impression dracaenas were a no go here as well. 

[Dartolution]

21 hours ago, DAVEinMB said:

@DAVEinMB  Did you get the litoralis from Michael? 

I have 3 of his. Now that the heat has kicked in, the growth has kicked up. 

 

[Chester B]

What are sold as spikes are the common New Zealand cabbage palm - Cordyline australis.  They are long term zone 9a, anything below that like me in 8B they get damaged or killed to ground every 5-10 years, but the roots persist.   I think 18F is their limit for leaf hardiness.

[DAVEinMB]

54 minutes ago, Chester B said:

What are sold as spikes are the common New Zealand cabbage palm - Cordyline australis.  They are long term zone 9a, anything below that like me in 8B they get damaged or killed to ground every 5-10 years, but the roots persist.   I think 18F is their limit for leaf hardiness.

This does look similar to what I have, mine is about half as tall tho. 

[Chester B]

Sometimes they are labelled as Dracaena which is incorrect.  You'll also see them listed as Cordyline indivisa - again wrong.

Cordylines are very nice looking when they are mature.  In my area you have to go out to the coast to see big ones.

[DAVEinMB]

@Chester B well that thing is awesome. I've never seen anything like that in person and would not be upset if that's what mine becomes. Although that corner would be a bit tight haha

[Chester B]

Because they are so cheap and found at virtually every garden center and big box store if yours was an area that they can reach maturity you would be seeing them quite often.

 

[DAVEinMB]

@Chester B one can dream haha

[WaianaeCrider]

Wow!!  Looks great.  Is there any reason other than they look GREAT that you put those palms in planters instead of the ground?

What was the coldest you got this past winter?

How did your Chamaedorea microspadix so with the winter?

[sipalms]

On 7/23/2020 at 11:37 PM, DAVEinMB said:

Can confirm that this definitely appears to be Cordyline Australis (New Zealand Cabbage 'tree' - not Cabbage 'palm' as colder climate areas like the UK like to call them!).

They grow like weeds in every available spot here. Spend all day pulling seedlings out of the garden.

On 7/24/2020 at 7:58 AM, Chester B said:

This here is an extremely common sight all around where I live. They often grow in groves, like a forest, particularly in swampy areas. They are exceptionally hardy, don't mind drought or swamp, heat or cold, but don't really enjoy humid heat, there are varieties from the upper North Island of New Zealand that are more suited to this but aren't as pretty.

They are related to the Joshua Tree, as you can see by their looks.

[DAVEinMB]

@sipalms awesome, thanks for the ID! looks like they're good to zone 9 so I'll protect if we dip into the teens 

[DAVEinMB]

16 hours ago, WaianaeCrider said:

Wow!!  Looks great.  Is there any reason other than they look GREAT that you put those palms in planters instead of the ground?

What was the coldest you got this past winter?

How did your Chamaedorea microspadix so with the winter?

Thanks! Been a lot of work but very rewarding. So initially I was going to build a pergola with the planter integrated in. My thought was if I could raise the planting point the crown would be above the pergolas roof and would add to the canopy feel of the pergola itself. Well plans changed haha and the pergola took a back seat. So instead I decided to tier the planters and keep the rest of the area fairly open. 

I have to double check what the recorded low was but it was right in the neighborhood of 25. I plan on getting something to monitor temperature around my yard for this winter as I suspect my backyard has a few microclimates. 

The microspadix looked great all winter long, one of the clumps was even showing inflorescence in December and January. I have them planted pretty close to the house under canopy of a large trachy. This spring I added some bamboo in front of it to help provide additional shade and wind protection. They seem to be pretty happy. 

[DAVEinMB]

Alrighty, roebelenii x dactylifera and silver queen are in their new homes. 

The Phoenix is planted under washingtonia canopy near the end of the retaining wall. Not really sure what to expect from this one so I'll prolly baby it it's first winter. 

I took a different approach to this queen's location. I'm still utilizing the southeast side of my house but instead of focusing on early morning sun I picked a much more protected location towards the back of the house. Overhead it has pine tree canopy and it's got pretty good wind protection besides what will be coming between my house and my neighbors. We'll see how the 2 compare. 

[WaianaeCrider]

6 hours ago, DAVEinMB said:

Thanks! Been a lot of work but very rewarding. So initially I was going to build a pergola with the planter integrated in. My thought was if I could raise the planting point the crown would be above the pergolas roof and would add to the canopy feel of the pergola itself. Well plans changed haha and the pergola took a back seat. So instead I decided to tier the planters and keep the rest of the area fairly open. 

I have to double check what the recorded low was but it was right in the neighborhood of 25. I plan on getting something to monitor temperature around my yard for this winter as I suspect my backyard has a few microclimates. 

The microspadix looked great all winter long, one of the clumps was even showing inflorescence in December and January. I have them planted pretty close to the house under canopy of a large trachy. This spring I added some bamboo in front of it to help provide additional shade and wind protection. They seem to be pretty happy. 

Great Tropical Look.  I have a daughter, born and raised in Hawai`i, who lives outside of Baton Rouge.  She'd love a palm or two.  Not much cash to spend so i'll try to get her some seedlings.  Her husband is a La. local boy and not into palms so it might be a slow progress.  LOL

[NCFM]

2 hours ago, DAVEinMB said:

Alrighty, roebelenii x dactylifera and silver queen are in their new homes. 

The Phoenix is planted under washingtonia canopy near the end of the retaining wall. Not really sure what to expect from this one so I'll prolly baby it it's first winter. 

I took a different approach to this queen's location. I'm still utilizing the southeast side of my house but instead of focusing on early morning sun I picked a much more protected location towards the back of the house. Overhead it has pine tree canopy and it's got pretty good wind protection besides what will be coming between my house and my neighbors. We'll see how the 2 compare. 

That trachy looks like it has a clean trunk? I like the look of it, appears more tropical.

[DAVEinMB]

3 hours ago, NC_Palm_Enthusiast said:

That trachy looks like it has a clean trunk? I like the look of it, appears more tropical.

I left the old boots on but pulled all the hair off, definitely gives it a different look. I completely cleaned the trunks on 2 of my larger ones and they look really cool. Trunk diameter is roughly half