Torquay Palms & Exotic Plants: Exploring The English Riviera
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- Опубликовано: 1 авг 2024
- Today's video is a walk around the huge palms and exotic planting along the sea front of Torquay on the south coast of England. Styled as 'The English Riviera', the mild climate allows many exotic plants to grow relatively well here and it's amazing to see so many of the rare and unusual plants a lot of UK exotic and tropical style gardeners grow used in public planting schemes. Filmed on a sunny evening on our Torquay holiday, I hope you enjoy walking round some of the spectacular palm specimens and beautiful planting by the sea with me. From huge Phoenix canariensis (Canary Island Date Palms / CIDP) and ubiquitous Cordyline australis through to Yucca rostrata and Mediterranean planting en masse - even Agaves, Butia odorata feather palms and some large Chamaerops humilis Mediterranean Dwarf Fan Palms, there really is an impressive array of exciting planting adding a touch of the exotic to the Marina, sea front and surrounding gardens. Torquay is well worth a holiday or short break away if you like sun and unusual plants here in the UK and I hope you enjoy this quick look!
0:00 Intro
1:09 Torquay Marina exotic planting - Trachycarpus, Chamaerops & Phoenix canariensis palms
3:15 Butia, Chamaerops, Cordylines and tall Trachycarpus at Princess Gardens, Torquay
5:22 Torquay Royal Terrace Gardens Rock Walk Tour - Exotic Palms, Agaves & Mediterranean planting
13:14 Huge Phoenix canariensis palms, old Olive tree specimens & Yucca planting on Torquay sea front
18:53 Abbey Park Gardens Torquay - Huge Palm trees, Agaves, Yuccas, Cordylines & Exciting Exotic Plants
If you've enjoyed my videos and would like to say thanks for the price of a coffee then please head over to my Ko-fi, any kind donations would be appreciated and put towards creating more exciting content: ko-fi.com/georgesjunglegarden
Thanks,
George 
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Glorious!!! More seaside tours of plants, please!!!
Thank you! I don’t think there’s many more coastal towns with exotic planting around us but if we’re down on the south coast again I’ll do my best 😊
Beautiful place with lots of exotics! England is very beautiful! 🌴🌴
Thanks, it certainly is! On a sunny day it can be as beautiful as anywhere in my eyes, waiting for the sunny days though is a different matter 😂 Great to see such adventurous and colourful planting in a public place!
Hubby and I retired to Torquay a few years ago. One of the reasons was that we could grow more unusual plants than we had in the Midlands having visited some of the Cornish sub-tropical gardens on our holidays. We're still in the middle of transforming our garden and have taken much inspiration from your channel - fighting the slugs this year though!
Amazing, I'm pleased to hear you're living the exotic plant dream then and I can absolutely see why the Cornish sub-tropical gardens were so inspirational! I'm pleased to hear my videos have provided ideas along the way too, thanks. Are there any plants in particular you've planted knowing they wouldn't have been possible in the Midlands? All the best with the rest of your transformation and yes, the slugs are a bit of an issue across the country with this weather aren't they!
I've started going out at night with a torch and collecting the slugs, I wear some throw away gloves as you can imagine it gets rather sticky
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks for your reply George. Having watched your video from Stoke the other day makes me realise what can be done in a more northerly climate! But in Torquay we are trying Washingtonias, gingers (can't remember which ones), Tetrapanax, colocasia and a Scheflera (again not sure which one, as I bought it as a houseplant from Lidl). What has been the biggest surprise, though, is an Opuntia which survived outside through the cold and wet of last winter. Hubby removed it from his cactus collection in the greenhouse because he thought it looked a bit "peaky", yet it still appears to be hanging on.
Tall thick specimens love the collection
Aren’t they just! Fantastic to see them in a UK setting 😃
Thank you for the video. It was beautiful. Hope you had a nice vacation.
Thank you very much! I'm pleased you watched it and we did thank you! It was very much a holiday for and around our daughter but we all had a lovely time thank you - plenty of time enjoying the simple things!
Wonderful video George. I hope you and your family had a lovely holiday
Thank you very much, we certainly did 😊 It was a great week of family time!
Spectacular display, all are native to New ZEALAND, the time of day walking through, sun highlights so much
Very true, there's a lot of NZ plants and others from warm temperature areas which are obviously thriving in this beautiful mild, coastal location! Doesn't the sun just make it all work, they really look stunning backlit.
What a fantastic tour. Beautiful palmage everywhere which makes me really want to visit. Loved the walk-around and the enthusiasm as always. Fabulous public planting. Great to see the green thick healthy plumage on the CIDPs we can't sustain up here. On a personal note loved the mediopicta on display, they're my favourite agave. Mine's survived 6 years outdoors even up here. Superb. Thanks for the tour George. Fantastic👍
Thank you as always and I thought this one would be right up your street with the quality palmage and exotica taking pride of place! You're absolutely right, it's not just the fact that the plants are surviving, which they can do in sheltered areas up here or green and healthy in private gardens dotted around London etc. but the fact that they are so widely planted publicly, mostly very well cared for and absolutely thriving! I know CIDPs get a bad rep in many warmer countries, but on the UK mainland, a stunning green and established specimen truly is a wonder. As for the Mediopicta, I sold mine a good few years ago but I have heard from a few people that they are surpisingly hardy (compared to other similar forms) and I can absolutely see how their striking form and ice cold colouring fits in with your classy theme. Thanks for watching and I'm pretty sure you'll also enjoy my next video on Sunday which may also feature a mind-blowing Agave or two...
Brings back memories, I've not been to Torquay for years but is one of the first places I ever saw palms trees planted on mass in the UK. The ending of this video was stunning. Great photography. Thanks for sharing.
It really transforms the feeling of a place doesn't it. Superficially you could be in any of our more local seaside towns in terms of the buildings and layouts but the clearer water and multitude of palms really provide a different atmosphere don't they. Thanks, that's kind of you Kris. I was actively trying to use my camera more for video clips whilst we were away, a great opportunity to experiment and learn and I thought it would be worth dropping them in at them end. Thanks and I'm looking forward to watching your latest video soon!
A wee bit of Sun and some amazing plants and you'd think you where somewhere in the Med .I think you where in your element there George 😂👍
Very true Paul, the clouds and cooler temperatures certainly make you feel right back at home! It was great, happy to share an enthusiastic slice of UK exotic planting!
Very enjoyable,thankyou. Love your passion,and knowledge of these wonderful tropical plants. Thanks for sharing on your holidays. Best wishes.
Thank you very much, I'm very pleased you enjoyed it and it was my privilege sharing so many unusual and spectacular plants a lot of people won't know are possible here! Thanks for taking the time to leave you kind words and all the best, George.
George what an epic place unbelievable palms just stunning thankyou for sharing that with us love the end of the video unbelievable footage masterpiece. You really captured the essence of the south coast tropical landscape and it’s just perfect for that part of the world as you say your tropicals mixed with your formal Mediterranean style planting just amazing. George you just did it again……….. 👌
Ahh thanks, that's mega kind of you and I'm so pleased you enjoyed my quick and overenthusiastic tour of these stunning plants! It really does blow my mind that somewhere we can travel to in the car really does allow such varied and exotic Mediterranean and arid planting through our wetter winters. Thanks for your compliments about the ending too, I've picked up a new backup video camera and was experimenting with that through my holidays - there's definitely a lot to be said for intentionally bringing it with you and making a point of capturing the special moments and beauty to look back on and I'm pleased you enjoyed me working some of them into the video. If you like this planting, I'm pretty sure there'll be some plants you'll appreciate in my next video coming out on Sunday!
What a lovely video I feel like I’m there on my holidays! Beautiful scenic video at the end just so relaxing and stunning video skills once again there George. Thank you for sharing this with us. I’ve never been to Torquay but I want to now 😎🌴😁
Ahh thanks Gina, I'm so pleased you enjoyed it and it had that effect! I was getting to grips with a new backup video camera over the holiday and seemed a shame not to pop some of the footage in at the end. Thanks again and I hope you make it over there at some point soon!
Lovely video George, enjoy your break.
Thanks David, we had a great time cheers!
I used to travel to Torquay, Brlxham area for work , and was amazed at what plants were grown not only by the council, but in a few peoples front gardens, also I’ve seen my largest agave Americana in this area, and may have started me on the road to this kind of gardening ( along with your videos during lockdown) thanks for bringing back a few memories of the area. Cheers Paul.
Ahh right, I didn't know that Paul and you're absolutely right - we passed some sensational private gardens in the car / bus etc. Ridiculous plants, experimental plants and real exotic beauty in equal measure. I'm so pleased you enjoyed the vid and I can certainly see how it may have started you on your exotic gardening adventure and I'm pleased to hear my overenthusiastic ramblings have kept you on it since. I hope you're getting on OK and we all get some more summer weather to enjoy our own planting and places soon. Cheers, George
@@GeorgesJungleGarden 👍
Great video! Thanks George❤
Thanks, I'm really pleased you enjoyed it!
Great video. Keep em coming!
Thank you very much, I’ve got some more garden visits on the way soon 😃
Great video as always George!
Thanks, I'm pleased you enjoyed this burst of enthusiasm and cool plants!
Great video, George! Amazing how lush, healthy and green it all looks. Also, it’s funny how after just a few words you get used to talking in public, until someone comes up close to you, that is!
Thanks and yes, that's the real thing - most of the plants are clearly established and thriving, not just brave experiments like the rest of us so often attempt!
Haha yes, that's very true and it's also completely context dependent and subconscious I find! If I was filming with somebody else then there would be no real issue doing it and when in the more private garden areas, again, no problem at all. Going onto the seafront area though, you definitely become very aware of how many people there actually are there and whilst it's very normal these days to watch narrated videos filmed on a phone or camera - it's still bizarre filming them in my eyes! You soon get over it though, especially in an area where you don't know anyone and people are just going about with their holidays.
That was great you had a great time recording😢 thanks for sharing
Haha yes I did indeed, just a quick walk around sharing the beauty and plants I really found impressive! Thanks for watching!
Wonderful video. Thank you. What sticks out is that the council there pays attention to its landscapes and invests in great gardeners, who take pride in their work. A tropical paradise on this island - in reach for dreamers like myself. xxx
Thank you very much and yes, you're absolutely right. It would be easy to focus on the splendour the place used to have (the recent removal of a lot of beautiful cordylines was an absolute shame and mistake) but in all honesty, I was really impressed by the plant choices and care taken with the newer planting. Combined with the mature palms I can also only dream of at home, it really makes it feel like a proper paradise like you say, without having to travel abroad!
Stunning 💚
It really is, you can’t beat big palms, clear water and the golden evening sun for creating a beautiful exotic coastal vibe! 😃
@@GeorgesJungleGarden if I didn’t know better I wouldn’t have thought it was the uk it’s a place I’ve never been but how beautiful it is the perfect setting 💚
That's very true! It's amazing how the palms and planting really transform the feel of an English coastal town, it's great to see and hopefully the other 'resorts' in our area introduce more (sensible) exciting planting too!
Yes the Phinus are just a spectacular at the base as at the tops,
They are indeed, they have such a commanding presence, spectacular to see!
I have a canary palm on side of my house here in panhandle of Florida it had to have been planted a long time ago it’s huge like some of those you showed in your video. My house is 38 years so it might be near that age. They are truly cool looking palms
Nice one, it sounds like a spectacular thing and their size really is magnificent isn't it! Somebody else asked me the age of the ones on the front - I don't honestly know but I'd have thought the ones well beyond the pineapple trunking age must be in the 35-50 year old region. Obviously they won't grow as fast here as for you but that certainly makes me appreciate seeing them even more! You're lucky to have one near your house, although hopefully not too near!
Nice!
Thanks, I'm pleased you enjoyed it!
You were like a kid in a sweet shop😂. It’s hard to believe that these plants/trees can actually thrive so well in the UK. Keep making the videos 👍👍
Haha yes, exactly! Just darting round saying 'wow' all the time! It's clear that it's not a place where success is guaranteed for all the exotics but to see so many that have reached a size where they're visually magnificent and really change the feeling of the place. I will indeed thanks, I've got an interesting one coming up later this week I hope you'll enjoy!
Agapanthsas really do need a very large area to show off their beauty
They are beautiful up close in any quantity but that impact is dramatically increased when they're planted in huge drifts isn't it!
Welcome to my part of the world if you look across the bay you can see Brixham which is where I live have a wonderful holiday down south 🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴
Thanks, we had a great time and it was lovely exploring your part of the world! You're very lucky to have all this beauty on your doorstep!
We went to cornwall earlier this year and it is amazing to see what would be someones pride and joy up north, just by the side of a road.
Nice one and that's exactly it Nick! I know abroad you can get all these plants and more growing as absolute weeds but just seeing them grown without much, if any, care right here in the UK really is an eye-opener!
Oh my, what a beautiful garden, yes indeed the agave, some of mine have reached those stunning sizes, I love them and am excited for blooms...thanks for this tour, what fun and who knew...!
It certainly is and I'm pleased you enjoyed it! Wow, impressive, I do think they're such magnificent and striking plants. It must be bittersweet when they do flower but such an event! If you enjoyed seeing them here I'm pretty sure you'll love my next video coming out on Sunday, there's some ridiculous Agave featured! Thanks for watching!
😬 Now I've got round to watching your video, I'm even more jealous of the climate in that area of the UK! 🤯 Pleased for them though, well kind of! 😂
Haha yes, jealousy is the word! It’s exciting to see but equally rewarding to be growing the unusual and unexpected away from the mildest places 😊 I’m sure there’s plenty of exotic gardeners down there trying plants that won’t grow 100% successfully even on the south coast too, it’s a never-ending game!
They probably try to push the boundaries even further and have the same struggles as we do, just with different plants @@GeorgesJungleGarden
Very true, that's always the temptation I imagine! You soon get accustomed to the possible and the allure of the potential and unusual is strong!
👌👌👌👌 Looks awesome
I really enjoyed seeing it, certainly a bit different to our more local seaside planting!
Lovely video and absolutely stunning pictures at the end. Thank you
Thanks Daphne, that's very kind of you and I'm pleased you enjoyed the little montage at the end! I tried to get more clips with the camera this holiday and it seemed a shame not to work them in somehow. Thanks for watching!
Wowzers! Thanks for the tour George! That is indeed some serious public planting going on there - could be anywhere Mediterranean! Absolutely love it! 🫶
Thanks, I'm pleased you enjoyed it and yes, it's amazing how some exotic planting and pride in the greenery absolutely transforms the feel of the area. Great to see! Thanks for watching and all the best.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden ❤️
I had never imagined a place and plants like that in the South of England! English Riviera is definitely challenging
the French and Italian Riviera. You will have a very hard time to find there as huge and magnificent Phoenix canariensis
as the ones you filmed! Yucca rostrata, Agave americana, Chamaerops humilis (so huge!), Agave montana are amazing
as well. Fantastic place! Thank you for sharing that George!
Thanks Bernard, happy to share the unexpected beauty and planting bravery! Whilst I'm sure the other places you mention certainly have the edge in warmer temperatures and glamour, it really is incredible how just that extra level of mildness around Torquay over similar but less sheltered areas really opens up the planting possibilities and I'm pleased to see they're taking advantage of it. As always you have a keen eye for the plant highlights and if it was for me, I'd really be going for it and doubling up the planting with more of the same! Thanks for watching and your support as always.
george got to say buddy that is unreal !! tropicals just left right and centre i bet that made your holiday SO much more enjoyable ..Thanks for sharing buddy..all the best Julian
Cheers Julian, I really enjoyed seeing all the exotics, it definitely adds another dimension to a place! Beautiful in the sun, but also vibrant and exciting in the more normal grey weather too. Thanks and all the best to you too!
The shoes , reflection in the ponds awesome , the camera panning around missed the orange flower bed, I wondered what that was ? Towards the end, thank you
Thanks Yvonne! I had a quick look on the shots on my phone and I think the drifts of orange plants around the central bed are actually Marigolds or similar bedding, they certainly pop against the greens and earthy tones around!
Paignton is home for me and like the next town Torquay I'm lucky enough to have really mild winters. Great that you've showcased the highlights of Torbay, it really is an amazing place to live 🙌
Fantastic, it was great to visit and get a sense of perspective and the feeling of the area. You're very lucky to live there! It was also great to see glimpses of a lot of really striking and adventurous private gardens too, there's a lot of planting opportunities open to you!
Damn, so much beauty. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching and it's certainly an eye-opener for us trying to grow a selection of these plants with protection and still struggling!
Thanks for sharing your excitement.
Haha thank you for watching, it's an inspirational place with so much beauty and hidden surprises for plant lovers!
9:00 Love to see such an interesting inflorescence, looks like a tree to me
Amazing isn't it! All I'll say it that if you thought that was eye-opening, you'll love my video coming up this next week...
It’s amazing. I can’t believe this is the UK
It certainly is and it really shows the variety of conditions on our cool, grey and wet island! Some areas like this are definitely significantly more sheltered and mild which really extends the planting possibilities to 'Mediterranean' and arid styles tolerant of our wetter winters.
I notice some comments from the locals around Torquay. Can someone put some nice but not too expensive holiday rental accommodation recommendations in the comments (hotels, B&b or air bnb ) George’s video has inspired me to go there for a holiday 🎉😊
Great shout Gina and I'm pleased you found the video inspirational! In terms of an exotic garden holiday you wouldn't go wrong stopping off at Torquay before adventuring into Cornwall for more subtropical beauty! I don't know local recommendations (and we stayed at a larger hotel as my wife works for the chain and staff get good rates) but I believe somebody commented from one on the post with pictures of palms I put over on my Facebook this morning - maybe worth a look!
Незнаю как тебя звать ? Но огромний спасибо это прекрасно ....
Не знаю, что вы имеете в виду, но большое спасибо, я рад, что вам понравилось!
Hi George, it was great to see the video. I was in Torquay last month, Staying in the Torbay hotel, seen on your video. I was truly amazed at the plants and trees. Makes me wish Yorkshire was warmer. Thanks again.
Hi John and thanks! Nice one, I hope you had a lovely time too and yes, it baffled me how so many people would just walk past them without looking but I guess you get used to these things. It definitely makes you wish for greater planting opportunities doesn't it but equally home is home and I'm sure there's much to appreciate where you are as well. It would be fantastic if the Phoenix palms and Agaves were more of a realistic long term prospect outside of very sheltered spots though!
Hi George,
What can I say other than
Beautiful video and beautiful family ❤🌴🪴🌱
Ahh thanks Julie, I'm pleased you enjoyed watching this one! We had a lovely time away and I wanted to share a piece of that.
Did you venture into Torre Abbey? Just near the sea front next to the leisure centre. It has an absolutely amazing greenhouse and some beautiful formal gardens.
Hi Joanne, we didn't unfortunately but went to the leisure centre and also did the 'land train' ride around right past the Abbey and saw a glimpse into the fantastic greenhouse. Definitely one for another time when we're not as restricted to working round a young child, thanks for the heads up!
Beautiful camera work George. My Phoenix is doing well at the moment but I when it gets as big as those specimens I think I may be in trouble. 😳I hope you had a magical holiday. Xxx
Thank you very much Samantha and we had a lovely time. I'm pleased to hear your Phoenix is doing well and these have obviously been in the ground for many years but yes, they've certainly got the potential to get to quite a size! Hopefully you've got just about enough room!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden I hope so too George! 😳I am looking forward to your next garden update. How is your beautiful wall coming along? Xxx
Fingers crossed! Absolutely zero progress here haha, I've had to focus on a few other projects recently and producing my longer tour videos does take quite a lot of time. On the plus side, I've picked up some great ideas recently and it's not like I've missed out on much in terms of summer weather is it! Hopefully some more progress soon and I'll be in a position to share things later in summer. (Maybe even after some sun?!)
If you get the chance pop over to the National Trust property at Coleton Fishacre between Brixham and Dartmouth. Lots of exotics there.
Thanks John, we're back home now but thanks for the heads up and that was definitely on my list if we got the time and opportunity! Maybe one for another holiday when we're not working around the schedule a young child demands haha!
I recently went on a plant hunt in Hong Kong and I went to the highest mountain there which get frost every winter. I saw many new plant species there that I didn’t even know was hardy. There were some big alocasias ( it is not colocasia cause they had long rhizomes with big upright leaves) but I don’t know want species it was. I brought back an offshoot and hope it will grow on. Wish I can show you photos.
Oh wow, that’s what it’s about isn’t it! So many of the recently introduced exotics have come from higher altitude collections across Asia. Whilst I won’t comment on your unofficial collection, I hope it grows well for you and you’re able to subsequently propagate and test it in more challenging conditions!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden yep. Someone gotta do it and be the first 🤭
Good luck with it!
Whilst you'll down the southwest, you should visit the Isles of Scilly and the island of Tresco. 80% of the plants there won't survive in Cornwall
We're back now but Tresco is absolutely on my visit list and has been for a long time, it looks stunning! Probably one for when we don't have a young child and are having to work around naps and meal times etc. but I'll definitely try to visit and hopefully share the experience one day.
That is amazing for the UK if you hadn't of said were you where i'd of thought it was Spain 😂
It certainly is! On most days the cloud and cool temperatures would give the game away but when the sun is shining like it was in this video, you certainly could be anywhere!
A while ago I watched one of those 'town in decline' type videos and it was all about Blackpool. One thing that stood out was how bleak the front looked as it seemed there was almost no trees or greenery. I made a comment underneath saying how I thought it would make a massive difference if they planted thousands of trees, flowering shrubs etc and that it would make it more appealing as a place to visit.I was surprised when it got hundreds of thumbs up and loads of replies. Clearly many people agreed. This video is a perfect example of what I meant. What a fantastic place. People of Torquay should feel proud! Even if Blackpool couldn't grow such a range of palms, there is many of styles of garden & ornamental trees they could plant instead.
I completely agree with you and it's great to hear the positive response to your thoughts! The greenery and planting absolutely does transform a place and give it such a different, vibrant and colourful atmosphere that architecture and hard landscaping alone doesn't quite create, no matter how classy or unique. What you say about Blackpool rings true for many coastal towns around the country and obviously as you say, they might not all be able to grow the same range of plants but there's none where planting with a Mediterranean 'holiday' feel isn't possible and I guarantee it would pay dividends. Just look at the planting in front of the Las Iguanas restaurant for example, Agapathus, a few key hardy Yuccas and some complimentary shrubs and suddenly a quite stark and modern building instantly looks like a stylish and welcoming modern resort should. Hopefully more towns and coastal resorts take this on board and realise the benefits exciting planting can bring for their image, atmosphere and ability to compete with cheap holidays abroad as they get vital regeneration.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Exactly, they seem to overspend on hard landscaping like expensive new paving, modern art structures etc, and are frugal when it comes to the plants and trees.
Very true! Hopefully other councils learn from these successes soon!
Thought that have self stripped their trunk ( lay named " cabbage tree" ), I see spider fan flax, Aloe vera,
Yes, such an interesting array of plants displayed so well!
24:25 is that an Echium on the right bottom?
Hi, if you meant 20:25 or around that pond area, there were a mixture of Echium pininana and the shrubby Echium candicans I believe.
I moved to Torquay from the midlands in 94. I lived there for 23 years and finally escaped in 2017 when I got married. I moved to the edge of Dartmoor where Ive been living since.
Torquay is a dive. It is a talk town, full of mouthy gossips. It's a vile town, an angry town, a town on the decline for the last 10 years or more.
In 94 it was a charming place. The high street was bustling. Every shop was open for business with big name stores. The night life was brilliant. With numerous night clubs and bars to choose from. From the top end of town in torre down to the harbour there was a smorgasbord of establishments to party in.
Now, the town is horrid. Full of zombies on spice, heroin and crack. Alcoholics roam freely, and the homeless hostel is a negative on the town as those with seriously poor social and living skills are ruining the town from the hostel.
Sadly, too many bad eggs from the cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow have impacted the town over the years.
And to top it off, Torbay council and the succession of mayor's have wasted money, have made it hard for businesses to set up and survive due to high rates, and to be honest, the council are stuck in a rut of doomed ideas, false promises and stupidity.
There are some places in Torquay that are still decent. Wellswood, Babbacombe and St Mary church still have a bit of charm.
Torbay has three towns, Torquay, Paignton & Brixham. Out of the three, Brixham is the best. It's the town worth visiting. Paignton is trying to recover from many years of being a dive. It needs to come away from the tacky seaside resort of old. It has recently had two modern hotels built along the seafront and I believe the promenade is about to be transformed.
Personally I only ever venture over to Torbay, Torquay in particular to visit close friends. But, if it weren't for them I wouldn't go there.
The on the edge of Dartmoor village where I live is quiet, peaceful and a million miles from the dump that is Torquay!
Sadly you’re so right. I grew up down there and it’s completely gone to pieces in recent years. It used to be such a classy town & resort.
@@kateeveritt3292 it's all good and well this fellow doing the video showing off the palm trees and other plant life. But, one has to look beyond the trees and see the wood for what it is......that being ROTTEN!
Torquay has potential with the right people in place to run the town. But, it's getting the right people in to make tough decisions and carry out town changing plans that will benefit the good folk that do live there, the folk who want to work hard and be rewarded for their work and right living.
The bad eggs need to be moved on or they need to be prepared to change their lives for the good. I say that as someone who lived for a time battling drink and drugs and homelessness which eventually led to me working with the homeless in Torbay via the Hostel.
@@NazSBG everything you’ve said is true and it’s very sad, but George has made a video about the Torquay tropical planting to show those who are unaware of the beautiful palms which are able to mature and grow in the Devonshire climate. I don’t know if he’s aware of the fact that Rock Walk is nothing like as beautiful as it used to be, or that Torbay council ripped out some stunning palms from the gardens in front of Torre Abbey last year, although he should be as the story made national news. I will be driving down tomorrow to visit my parents but I rarely go to the seafront these days.
Hi @NazSBG - I appreciate your thoughts and input, particularly given your long term experiences of living in the area. In no way would I want to gloss over any of what you describe and my aim was not to produce a travel brochure for Torquay - purely to share the beautiful planting which is so radically different to what exists and is currently possible closer to home for me. Whilst we had a lovely break, I'm very much more at home in country areas and can absolutely understand why you are happier living in a peaceful Dartmoor village.
On a personal note, I can empathise with what you're saying and unfortunately many of our coastal towns / resorts around the country have been in decline for many years, with areas of regeneration and investments nestled alongside closed shops and buildings clearly long past their best. It's sad to see given the natural beauty, views and atmosphere possible but I guess it's down to many different factors over the years. I don't know your local politics and it's not for me to comment on any population issues but what I will say, in my limited experience, is that although there were rougher areas (like lots of similar locations) and some homeless people not being given the correct facilities and support (sadly again, like most urban areas) we had a lovely time, saw absolutely no trouble, there wasn't much litter, everything along the areas we went seemed looked after, there was clear regeneration of the paths etc. in progress and we would happily go back again.
Whilst you brush past the subject of the palms and plant life, it was the main draw for me and is definitely a USP Torquay and the south west has over many other coastal holiday options around the country. That bit of exotic greenery completely transforms the place in my opinion and I'm sure with continued planting and development along with the right people making the right decisions like you say, it will hopefully become a more popular home tourist destination once again and the investment and holidaymaker money will filter through giving a better quality of life for all local businesses and residents. Idealistic I know, but there's thousands or even millions of people who don't know what the area offers - the beauty, the clear water and the facilities and would be surprised to learn what they can experience here without leaving our shores. I do appreciate your thoughts and input and do understand that whilst it's not necessarily relevant to my holiday video topic, it was a huge part of life there for you.
Hi @kateeveritt3292 - thanks for stepping in and yes, as I've just typed in response, the topic of my video was very much how unusual and spectacular it is for a group of plants I love to be able to mature to such impressive sizes and be planted en masse in a lovely coastal setting. We had a lovely holiday, a positive experience of the place as 'tourists' and whilst I try not to be entirely ignorant of the local sociopolitical circumstances, they weren't relevant to my topic as you say.
Regarding the rock walk, I did actually Google some pictures of it whilst there - anywhere that's recently regenerated does ignite my curiosity as to what it was like before and unfortunately, like so many coastal resorts, it clearly had it's heyday and used to have so much beauty over a large area. I did allude to the 'regeneration' of the Abbey gardens area - and I remember seeing the Cordylines they took out were stunning, much better than the gnarled, old ones at the seafront - but I didn't want that to be the focus of the video. Mistakes and serious misjudgments were surely made there. The positives in both situations is that the new planting put in features many of the plants the area is famous for, is absolutely innkeeping with the splendour of the place and is absolutely bang on trend visually and in terms of resources / sustainability and that is what I wanted to show. It was frustrating to see so many raised beds and pots featuring dead and dying palms and arid plants around the marina which were clearly hugely underwatered though. Quite something given all the rain we've had and considering many of them come from very dry parts of the world but in pots and small raised beds they need more TLC!
Need to work on building your vocabulary and more detail on the unusual plants. Positive attitude though.
Hey Donovan, thanks for the succinct feedback and I agree that a positive attitude and enthusiasm really are key and are something I always try to convey. I want my videos to be very much a friendly conversation rather than a lecture. This wasn't the video for more detail on the unusual plants, I've got plenty more structured videos in that regard and even if my time wasn't as limited, I wanted to keep this video as an accessible quick 'tour' showing plants many of my viewers will already know but in impressive sizes, condition and in a beautiful setting. I do try my best to create a blend of videos from the quick and approachable to the detailed, niche and long form for those interested but there's obviously no way I can make every video tick every box for every viewer. I could have spent an hour discussing the plants of the first island bed but I'm not sure even I would enjoy watching that all the way through!
Regarding my vocabulary, that's something I've already identified as requiring more variety and depth in my videos and I'm sorry if you felt that any repetition was jarring. I have an English Literature degree and I'm more than capable of injecting a smorgasbord of superfluous hyperbole for variety's sake but reaching a balance of doing this whilst spontaneously talking and filming is absolutely a skill that I am very much in the early stages of acquiring. I shall, of course, endeavour to improve and do value your feedback. On this occasion I was also using a new camera system so very much getting used to that whilst also having to adjust exposure manually throughout and being very wary of working around the other public enjoying the space so apologies if I did lean on the autopilot phrases a bit! All I'll say is that I filmed another video on Saturday which will be out next Sunday, I'm sure you'll appreciate the greater focus on some really unusual plants, hopefully with an improved variety of language too. All the best, George
Thanks Steve, I appreciate the support. I do see room for improvement with my slight overuse of certain 'autopilot' phrases I tend to lean on whilst focusing on the filming or being self-conscious of my environment etc. Constructive feedback is welcome, no matter how blunt - even if it's something I'm aware of and working on. You're absolutely right though, this was very much an informal and quick holiday video providing an overview tour of some amazing planting which really impressed me. Any upcoming videos forming part of my future application for the position of Curator of the Palm House at Kew will be dealt with appropriately!
Let’s work hard to improve.