PALM GARDENS

CREATING A BEAUTIFUL PALM GARDEN
FOR THE HOME OR BUSINESS

TOPICS DISCUSSED   

Why Palm Gardens Hold Appeal
Getting Started With Your Palm Garden
Cultural Limitations
Finding the Best Plants to Utilize
Design and Layout of Palm Gardens
Mistakes to Avoid
Companion Plants in the Palm Garden
Getting the Garden of Your Dreams 

INTRODUCTION

Many people have visited a tropical location and seen a beautiful garden that was loaded with palm trees and other tropical plants.  They will fondly recall a very good feeling they had about this garden.  It might have been at a hotel, park, private residence or a botanical garden.  One might have even seen such a garden at a shopping mall or business.  It was lush and inviting.  It displayed vivid images of unusual plants, different textures and sizes, different colors and a whole array of unusual species.  And, almost every time, palms were a major part of this landscape. 

Palm tree gardens are not unusual in tropical and temperate climate zones.  After viewing one, it is not unusual for someone to say "I'd like to do this at my home".  Or, "I wonder if I can grow some of these plants?"  They might be on a trip and want to "take their vacation" home with them.  It is not unusual that people will call us and ask about a specific species that they liked when on a trip.  Sometimes people will ask how they can design and grow a backyard garden just like they saw in Hawaii.  It can be done quite easily. 

This article will help your journey from the inception, the dream of having a beautiful palm garden to actually having one.  But, there are some simple rules to follow and it is useful to have a plan about what you are doing.  Below you will find information about getting started on this goal and pursuing it until you have that tropical oasis at your home or business.  For those who are well on their way to having a mature garden, some of this information will be unneeded or repetitive.  But, our goal is to help everyone, especially newcomers to create a garden that they love.

THE APPEAL OF A PALM GARDEN

Palm trees are almost always part of a tropical landscape design.  People have been intrigued and fascinated by palms for centuries.  It's almost like there's something magical about palms.  This even dates back to the era of Colonization where explorers would return with exotic palms as gifts for their sponsoring government or royalty.  Today, many of the major botanical gardens at universities and public arboretums in temperate or warmer areas worldwide have a palm tree garden or palms as a major part of their landscape.  If you survey people about what plant group belongs most in a tropical landscape, the majority say "palm trees". 

Palms come in all sizes, from short to tall.  And, all are a bit different.  Thus, when properly chosen they give a very broad palate of different appearing plants.  Some have thin trunks, some fat.  Some are swollen at the base, others bulge in the middle of the trunk. Some have leaves that are almost entire (no divisions) and round.  Others have long feather like leaves.  Some show colors of the rainbow.  When mixed together in just the right fashion, one gets a stunning effect.  And, usage of the right companion plants along with the palms finishes the job.  Even for the smallest of yards, a well designed palm garden can be very dramatic and impressive.  Also, a nice thing about palms is that they are clean plants, fairly easy to grow and low maintenance.  Some species are "self-pruning", meaning the old leaves just fall to the ground without pruning.  Any concern about seeds can be eliminated by removing young blossoms.  Compared to most tree species, palms are less work and the roots are seldom invasive to structures. Finally, many palms are fast growing.  It is not unusual for palm gardens to mature in a matter of five to ten years.

GETTING STARTED: BEGIN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PALM TREES

Probably the most important aspect of getting started with your palm garden is to develop an interest in palm trees themselves.  Start looking at them as you drive through neighborhoods.  As you learn more about palms, your affinity for them will increase.  You'll find it interesting to see a new species that you hadn't noticed before.  Try to identify palms if you can.  Use palm reference books or the Internet to help you do this.  Try to figure out which species you like.  Take photos of plants you see and like.  As you tour neighborhoods looking at plants, consider knocking on doors and visiting people who have stunning yards with palm trees.  They will typically welcome the interest in their yard.  They could be quite helpful in guiding your efforts.  Even if you don't have the courage for this, do look at palms in peoples' yards as you drive around.  You'll quickly find out that there are at least a dozen species you see commonly and are quite sure you can grow.  If you live in an area where few people grow palms, you will probably be more dependent on the Internet or reference books.  But, do check for palm enthusiasts in your area.   

People are usually amazed to find out that there are over 3000 different species of palms.  Of course, all these species cannot be grown in any one given locality.  But, there are a lot that do survive in many temperate or warmer areas.  It's not unusual for palm gardens in Southern California to have over 100 different species of palms growing on the property.  With little effort and by just driving around, you might come up with several dozen species you like over time.  And, if you find an enthusiast's garden the number will dramatically increase.  The point here is to expand what you know and then decide the species you like.  One of the traps is to just give up and use ordinary species you see everywhere.  This is a mistake.  If you go this route, your future interest in the garden will be minimal and your resulting garden will not be as interesting or appealing.

AS YOU LEARN MORE, START MAKING A LIST OF THE SPECIES OF PALMS THAT YOU LIKE

Now that you've seen some palms, make a list of species that you like.  Take photographs of palms that you like.  On a family outing, include some "palm viewing" as part of the day.  Perhaps you can train your spouse to be a "palm spotter".  It is actually quite fun and kids love it.  You'd be surprised what you'll see by just driving around.  Don't forget to take a look at public parks and arboretums if they are around.  Talk to others.  But remember that, to get a great garden, you will need a personal blend of excitement, courage, enthusiasm, willingness to try something different, resolution and perseverance. 

In making this list, decide on the plants you've seen and really like.  Next, force yourself to consider some plants that are new to you and different looking.  As an example, I've been growing palms for over 30 years and I can tell you that over 90% of beginners only want to grow "feather palms" (as opposed to fan palms).  So, if you are one of this majority, you'll probably find yourself gravitating toward the feather or pinnate type of palm tree.  Remarkably, some of the most exotic palms in the world are fan palms.  If you just grow feather palms, your garden will lack the diversity and charm it could have.  So, try different species.   Keep looking until you find ones that really charm you.  Consider species that are short, species that are tall, species that have unique colors and for sure some fan palms.  Did you know that the only palm species native to Hawaii are fan palms?  Everything else was introduced by man after inhabitation.  As time goes by, you'll see how all the diversity described above accentuates the charm of your project. 

COMMONLY USED PALM TREES

THINGS THAT LIMIT WHICH PALMS YOU CAN GROW

No matter where you live, there will be limitations on what species of palm trees you can grow.  These are things to consider as you select more species for your palm garden.  Factors that determine what you can grow include your local weather, winter cold temperatures, the intensity of your sun, humidity, etc.  of these, by far the most important factor is the cold you see during your winter.

COLD
Cold seen during the winter is the most limiting factor influencing what species you can grow.  Everyone is familiar with "garden zones".  These "zones" are a simplistic way of telling you what can be grown in your area.  They were constructed off predictable low temperatures in any given area.  Unfortunately, zones are inherently flawed and often misleading.  More important is actually knowing the temperature seen on your coldest nights.  Most palm enthusiasts think in terms of cold temperatures, not zones.  Knowing how cold you get can give you a prediction of your success as you try new species.  Most specialty nurseryman have a good knowledge of the cold tolerance of different species.  We think in terms of "degrees", not "zones".  There are even monographs and books written on this subject.  To determine your coldest temperatures, review municipal weather records or purchase a  maximum/minimum thermometers.  Over time you'll be quite knowledgeable about your areas cold weather.  

If you live in a colder area, you must pay even more attention to the temperatures you see.  Many species do not like cold weather.  If you live in an area where it essentially never freezes, you are not only fortunate but will have an endless choice of different species to grow.  If you see temperatures in the mid-twenties F, you have to use care in selecting species.  But, there is an ample number of palms that tolerate these temperatures.  However, if you see 15 degrees F. or less, you can only choose from a limited list of species.  This will include perhaps ten or twelve different types of palms.  Numbers of species possible in these colder areas is expanded if one utilizes methods of cold protection.  Below are a few palm species that do not perform well in Southern California.  Our winters will kill them.

INTENSITY OF SUN

People who live in the desert may not see bitter cold during the winter.  But, they routinely experience extremely intense sun.  In areas such as Phoenix, AZ or Palm Springs, CA, this is the case.  Their winter low temperatures are not that bad, but the "coastal sun palms" can wither with their sun.  To solve this problem there are two things that can be done.

First is to only select species that thrive with this intense sun if they are to be planted into full sun.  There are quite a few palms that thrive in hot desert sun.

Secondly, consider over time developing garden canopy or shade.  Surprisingly, if you block those intense sun rays with overhead canopy, many of the coastal species do fine with overhead protection.  If this is not possible, limit the sun exposure by giving only morning sun or brief periods of sun.  This limitation of the amount of sunlight hitting the palms greatly expands the list of species one can grow in such areas.  Also, remember that water requirements might be much greater if you are in a hot and dry climate.

Below are six examples of palms that thrive in hot desert sun.

OTHER SOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT, SELECTING, AND FINDING THE  PLANTS YOU LIKE FOR YOUR GARDEN

Now that you understand that there are limitations on what species you can select, you can now begin to expand the list of species that you can potentially grow.  And, you want to know where to locate your favorite species when you are ready.  Below are different methods of getting ideas and finding plants.  Remember, diversity of species creates visual interest. 

THE INTERNET

If you are reading this, you are an Internet person. This is usually where people begin.  There are quite a few good websites on palms.  Try to find one that gives you information, not just a sales pitch.  Look for articles that expand your knowledge and seem reputable.  Try not to get overwhelmed, a common occurrence when beginning.  Regarding websites on palms, we are proud of the content of our website, Jungle Music Palms and Cycads.  It is world acclaimed because its goal is to share information.  But, there are other sites that do a good job of this as well.  Remember, there are over 3000 different species of palm trees.  Make sure any website you read has information that applies to your locality.  

PALM REFERENCE BOOKS

Reference books are a great resource.  Nothing is easier than thumbing through a good text and looking at pictures.  One of my favorites is "An Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms" by the late Robert Riffle and Paul Craft. There are actually quite a few good palm books.  But, such reference books have their strengths and limitations.  The strength of reference books is typically their descriptions of the species and photographs.  But, accurate local cultural information is often skimpy or nonexistent.  Most importantly, you want to know "will this species live in my garden?".  Unfortunately, most palm reference books lack any meaningful information on growing a given species in different localities.  Cultural advice given is typically quite general.  Terms such as "good for temperate or subtropical climates" is about all you'll read.  This is because an author cannot write text that addresses everyone's growing environment.  It would be nearly impossible to write such a book.  So, you can learn what a species looks like but only get a "hunch" as to whether you can grow it.  This same limitation may also be seen in articles on the Net.   

TALK TO FRIENDS OR ENTHUSIASTS IN YOUR AREA

If a friend or associate is in your area, he will be a great source of information for you.  This is a very good means of acquiring knowledge, especially if such a person has tried a lot of species in your locality.  A person who has "been there and done that" can give you a lot of good pointers.  And, you can visit his garden and see the results he's had with various unusual plants.  It's also a great way to make new acquaintances.  Remember above I proposed that you "knock on the door" of someone with a beautiful garden.  He can also advise you of nurseries that supply quality plant material in your area.  

VISIT A PALM SPECIALTY NURSERY

Most enthusiasts rapidly discover that finding desirable species of palms is not as easy as they first thought.  This is usually because they have not visited a nursery that specializes in palms.  I might first mention the difference between a general nursery and a specialty nursery.  General nurseries sell a little of everything.  They are not experts typically with any given group of plants.  Specialty nursery usually just grow certain groups of plants.  And, typically their knowledge of these plants is far greater about those plants than you'd experience in a general nursery.  For instance, our nursery specializes in palms, cycads and tropical plants.  And, we have had a lot of experience with these groups of plants.  We can't give nearly the same degree of advice when it comes to things like roses, pony packs of flowers, or citrus trees.  Although general nurseries are much more prevalent in communities, most enthusiasts eventually seek out a palm specialty nursery.  And, when you find such a specialty nursery, I'd recommend one that propagates palms right there at the nursery.  This is opposed to a "broker" who is selling someone else's plants.  Such brokered plants are often imported from more tropical areas and are prone to problems.  If you see plants of all sizes, little to big, at a nursery, the chances are this is a propagating nursery.  Such nurserymen usually have a lot more experience with the species and advice you get will be more reliable and accurate.    

Such nursery owners or staff can be of tremendous help to you.  They'll readily have information about any species that you inquire about.  They'll most likely know whether or not you can grow a given species.  And, most will propagate species that will live in the locality of the nursery.  Oppose this to a brokered in palm that "might" survive.   When a new client comes into our nursery, the first thing we do is ask them Where do you live?".  The reason for this is that we probably know the cultural limits of his or her locality.  Other questions we ask are "What are you trying to accomplish?, "Are there view issues?", "Nosey neighbors?", "Drainage problems?", etc.  Once we get this information we can give meaningful ideas to the customer.  You'll find this at most quality specialty nurseries. It would be very rare to get such information and guidance from a general nursery.   

Another major benefit to a specialty nursery is the selection of species available.  Rather than five or six species, typically hundreds of different species are being grown and sold.  We grow about 850 species of palms.  It's hard for a nurseryman to offer advice about species if he's never even tried to grow different species.  At our nursery, Jungle Music, I think we've tried about every possible species imaginable.  And, after over 40 years, we pretty much know our stuff about survivability of species in any given area.  Below are a few photos of palms at our nursery.

PALMS ARE PREDICTABLE

The title of this section might take you by surprise, but "predictability" is a very important characteristic of palms.  What do I mean?  What is meant is that, if you successfully grow any given species, you can predict what it will look like when it is mature.  This fact is quite useful to the palm enthusiast.  You can easily fit a given species into your plans.  For instance, if you grow a Caryota urens, a Fishtail Palm, it is predictable what it is going to look like.  It will have a thick trunk, be very tall, have long leaves, and a huge crown size. So, a Caryota would need some space and room.  Oppose this to the species Chamaedorea geonomiformis, a dwarf shade palm, rarely over 2 feet tall.  This species easily fits into an understory area with limited room.  Dypsis decaryi (Triangle Palm) is in-between, getting to a height of about 20 feet.

This is why palm books come in handy.  The nurseryman says "you can grow this".  The book shows you what it will look like if you grow it correctly.  Because palms are predictable, you "fit" a given species that you like into your design.  In contrast, many other trees have a wide diversity of mature sizes depending on their culture, care and pruning.  As an example, you could find two Ficus nitida of comparable age: one is huge and the other is small from pruning and culture.  It is not possible to "prune palms to be small".  Yes, you can thin out suckers or stems.  But, a palm is going to mature into that predictable appearance you see in the book.  Cutting off the top crown will kill it.  Poor culture can stunt a palm, but if treated well and in the proper climate, it has a predictable look when mature.  Another interesting thing is that once a palm starts to get big and displays its crown size and trunk, these typically don't change much over time.  The plant just gets taller.  Contrast this to the Ficus above that increases not only its trunk size dramatically but also the width of the crown.

SUGGESTIONS FOR DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF THE PALM GARDEN

In my experience, most palm enthusiasts have a vague plan for their garden but not a precise one.  They don't have an intricate design with every species dedicated to a given spot.  And, it develops over time and is coordinated with the availability of manpower, resources and finances.  One might get five or ten plants and put them "here and there".  Later such a person gets some more and adds them to the garden. Thus, it is more of a "work in progress" for most people.  Contrast this with a landscape architect who will almost always deliver a set of plans that calls for every plant in every location.  As mentioned previously, the plants chosen with plans are typically from a cookie-cutter program and boring and routine species.  With this said, however, there are some people who, by themselves, want to plan out the entire garden and buy all their plants at one time.  If financial resources permit, this is a great way to do it because your entire garden will be growing from day one.  Regardless of which technique you utilize, there are some general suggestions below that one might consider.  This includes things (in my opinion) that are the "do's" and "don'ts" when designing your palm garden.

• Consider first putting in species that will eventually become your upper canopy.  Canopies are horizontal layers of the garden.  Typically people talk about the "upper" canopy of plants.  These are the plants that are tallest in your garden.  This upper area will create shade for the lower growing palms and also give winter warmth below.  They'll also provide you some relief from the sun on a hot day.  These upper canopy forming palms are mostly the larger species like Archontophoenix, Roystonea, Ravenea, Syagrus, Caryota, etc.  Upper canopy species are typically quick growing and satisfying.  One gets results right away.  Also, they allow the enthusiast to try lots of desirable species below because of the sun and cold protection that develops.

When you think about it, there is no reason that more unusual species cannot be used, both in domestic and commercial plantings.  Just as impressive in such applications would be specimen Bismarckia nobilis or Roystonea regia.  Or, Jubaea chilensis or Caryota.  In the San Diego area we are fortunate that two hotels, the Catamaran and the Bahia Hotels have used a great variety of palm species on their grounds.  And, it is their gardens that drive in occupants.  I must admit that availability of large specimens of rare species can be a challenge.  But, such species could be mixed among the more common species.  Hopefully palm nurserymen will make larger specimens of rare species available in the future.  But, for now, we typically have to rely on smaller specimens and wait for them to grow.

Particular mention should be made about commercial interior courtyards.  Such areas can be utilized to create a dramatic enclosed commercial palm garden or solarium.  This is a great opportunity to use unusual species with sunny effects.  I know of a developer that made such an interior tropical palm garden and it greatly improved the quality of his tenants and the rent he could charge for office space.  It was designed so offices looked out to the garden.  Please see pictures below.

CONSIDER COMPANION PLANTS FOR YOUR PALM GARDEN

The most beautiful palm gardens don't just utilize palm trees.  Even the finest palm botanical gardens will use a nice selection of other types of plants to compliment the palms.  These are called "companion plants".  They actually make the palm specimens look better and many add color to the garden.  Soon I will write a lengthy article just on the topic of companion plants.  But I will concisely say here that putting in some types of plants other than just palms is well worth your time.

Also remember to add some color to your palm garden.  Certain species of palms such as Chambeyronia throw a beautiful new burgundy colored leaf.  But, I am talking about colorful companion plants in this section.  Consider red and pink Bromeliads.  Both orchids and bromeliads can be mounted on tree branches, posts or fences.  Also, there are wonderful types of Ti's in many colors of the rainbow.  Impatience and Begonias  are other types of ground hugging colorful plants that blend nicely.   Crotons are great but not as cold hardy.  Even more common bedding plants can be fun.  Be imaginative and find new things that add something to your garden.

DON'T FORGET TO MULCH THE SOIL

As I mentioned above, most gardens develop over time.  One plants some palms this week and more next month.  And, so it goes.  But there is one thing that you need to do from the beginning.  This is to improve the quality of your soil.  This is most easily accomplished by adding organic mulch to the ground in your garden.  No matter what stage of development you are with your palm garden, get into the habit of mulching over the surface of the soil.  By "mulch" I mean organic material.  My favorite is Redwood shavings.  Also good are fir or cedar shavings or even mulch or compost from garden debris.  You put down an inch or two right on the surface of your garden.  You are "carpeting" the floor of the garden with this material.

There are many advantages to mulch.  These include water conservation, limiting weeds, adding organic material to the soil, improving plant growth, and preventing water runoff.  But, the most beneficial effect of mulching is an aesthetic one.  The garden will look one hundred percent prettier and more appealing after mulching.  You can go to all the trouble to select and plant your palms.  But, if below them all you see is dirt and mud, the garden will look incomplete.  It won't look finished.  It just won't be right.  After you put down the shavings, it looks gorgeous, especially if you have used the right companion plants.  Many people throw down a slow release fertilizer below the mulch.  This helps with nitrogen balance and is kept moist by the mulch.  Start doing it and you'll be a believer.

LINKS TO OTHER INTERESTING ARTICLES ON LANDSCAPE

phil.bergman@junglemusic.net

www.junglemusic.net

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