This couldn’t have come at a better time for me. 😄 I am adding tropical plants to my garden this year but don’t have a large budget to spend and the money I have I want to spend wisely. I have a lot of containers one of which already has a palm in (trachycarpus fortunei) it’s a medium size so hopefully will grow to be a nice feature. It’s so tempting to buy a large container palm but this video has shown that it would be better to be patient and wait for my plants to grow - I need more patience and I am sure it will be more rewarding that way too. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom!
Hi, that’s great to hear and you’re at an exciting time in the journey for sure! As you can see, I’ve got a good few larger plants but this is my passion and I’ve built them up over a number of years - if I was starting out, I’d have stuck to small and medium size Trachycarpus Fortunei for definite. They’re not an ideal plant for containers long term when they get big anyway, a few years and they’ll fill a big 160lt pot and growth will slow down. For the couple of hundred pounds or so you’d spend on that large potted Trachycarpus, you could definitely get a great selection of other tropical style plants with loads more impact. If you’re getting a feather palm that’s less hardy and grow slower (I looked at them in a previous vid) or a tree fern then there’s definite benefits to buying at a decent size but Trachycarpus, nope. It’s not just a case of needing to be more patient, it’s getting more for your money long term and more plants now!
@@mirandapanda8228 There’s definitely a time and a place for a big specimen palm but the price big Trachycarpus are at, I wouldn’t make it one of them 👍 Jungle Seeds is one of my favourite places for seeds, it’s well worth a look!
Thank you very much Jackie, that's very kind of you! The new garden has altered a lot over the past couple of years, it's great to see everything maturing!
Just watched this and it saved me from buying really tall and expensive black bamboo specimens. I researched and saw how quick they grew so got a a couple of smaller pots and bought some seeds to try too! Apparently 2 weeks-6 months to germinate but I can wait 🙂 Thank you!!
Nice one! I’ve never grown bamboo from seed personally but they’re definitely worth planting small, the plants can double in size or more some years whereas a lot of plants bought large are recent divisions and may take longer to settle in. Scottish Bamboo has a great range of 5L plants in if there’s any others you’re after. Fargesia varieties are the easiest clumping varieties.
Well that's my afternoon gone!!!! What great videos, I have know decided to change one side of my garden. Can you recommend any seed companies please. I ordered some Ricinus and only one germinated. Also any recommendations for palms or any of your other must have plants.
Haha thanks for watching Angela! I like using Jungle Seeds mainly, lots of interesting seeds and they come with helpful instructions. Ricinus usually germinate reliably but you might have got some old seeds or something - personally I wouldn’t sow them until at least March as they grow quickly but I’ve got a video about growing them from seed if it helps you. For palms, I’ve done a few videos looking at Trachycarpus fortunei and wagnerianus, they’re really tough and easy but as for other plants, have a look through the vids and I’m sure some others will grab you! 😃
@pacific rationalist - Your comments keep disappearing, maybe because they contain links, if you let me know the title of the video I’ll check it out though!
Yeah thanks mate . Don't know why ! Ok I thought you would like to see a tropical garden in Brisbane , Australia ,created by a friend of mine. One of the best private tropical gardens in the world. Look for " Dennis Hundscheidt tropical garden Brisbane " . It was featured on a TV show some years back called Burke's Backyard! Cheers 👍👍
@@tropicaussie4572 Just had a look for this garden now I've got an evening 'off'! I've seen that garden before and remember thinking wow! Definitely the next level or two of tropical climate up from us and he's certainly made the most of it, what amazing planting!
Tree ferns look brilliant with the old fronds left on. Looks so much more natural. Will help open the crown up too. I see people too often cutting off old fronds which can cause the tree to get skinny
Definitely, I decided from last year I’m going to leave them all on, for both the look and at the crown benefits. The small ones are a bit scruffy but it really suits the bigger trunks!
I live in South Wales and have got e few palms in my garden ,I have seven trachies and ten chamaerhops ,three ensette bananas and seven Musa basajoo clumps and in pots which I keep in a heated greenhouse ,my shed and conservatory are six nobilis Bismarck silver ,six robusta and six phoenix ,which I bring out in the summer months ! But they are all over six feet high and I am rapidly running out space ! But I am addicted to Palm trees and tropical gardening ! !
Hi, sorry, I thought I'd replied to this comment but now it's saying I haven't for some reason! It sounds like you've got an amazing collection, those Bismarckia alone must look incredible and make all the effort worthwhile!
Great videos George, transforming my back garden at minute, modern style jungle garden. I was wondering how quickly does the Trachycarpus Fortunei grow in a year if planted at 2 ft specimen looking after it properly.
Thanks Paul and that sounds like an exciting project! I’d say it’ll take 2-3 years to really settle in but then it’ll pick up growth - a foot a year is realistic. They’re best off planted small as they develop better that way.
@@PaulConnor100 No worries! Most of the process is enjoyable and I’m sure you’ll appreciate the result in summer more once you know what’s gone into it. It’s definitely a very rewarding style of gardening!
just been watching more of your channel and i have just put Miscanthus giganteus seed in a week ago and already showing there face i tried last year and think it was to hot outside for seed so this year done in front room and going well so far so good got 20 so far lol
Nice one, that’s great! I’ve never grown then from seed before, always from divisions but fair play, you’ve got even more plants for even cheaper! How many have you got room for in your garden?
@@GeorgesJungleGarden well at the back of my house there is in a industrial unit and want to hide from my view 8 meters across so a few .as we now know what we are doing in the garden finally :)
@@o000omusico000o Nice one, it’s great to have a plan together! Only issue I can see is that with Miscanthus being deciduous it’ll look brown in winter and might not be the heat screen whereas a bamboo might look better all year round. The Miscanthus will look great in summer though, it depends whether you see the view all year round I guess!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden I know what u mean I'm not allowed to put the bamboo in ground tho 😔but grass I can and yes will look brown like yours in winter .shame I can't show u view and what am trying to do
Thank you very much! I bring the Ensetes in, yes, and the Musa basjoo bananas either stay out or go in the polytunnel if they’re small. Minimum temps vary by plant but Ensetes are perfectly OK down to maybe 5 degrees or just under, maybe even less than that for short periods. Musa basjoo can take light frosts but it’s worth wrapping the pseudostem if freezing temps are likely for you to keep height for next year in most places. They’re root hardy to temperatures way below freezing though.
Great video George and you have definitely got me thinking as I’ve been adding to my garden over the last 2 years (when we moved in) and I love the maturity of some of your trachies but you raise a valid point. Currently I have some bananas, (bought small last summer and within a few months already about 1.5m in height). Same with a small canna cleopatra which gained crazy height in first few months through summer. I’ve also got my favourites like a tranchycarpus fortueni and a Washingtona palm but neither are the height of yours in terms of trunk size which does make such an impressive instant impact. As I’m a bit obsessed with palms I’ve been really trying not to spend about £150 on a decent sized trunk trachy waggy. I live in the South Downs near Brighton so it’s the perfect climate most of the year and luckily we have quite a few great garden centres. But like you said they currently so expensive and I found it interesting what you were saying at the start of the video RE palm prices over the recent years. Sooo tempting though and I has to happen at some point as I don’t think I’m prepared to wait years 😂
Thanks! There’s some interesting points in there but I’d say it could be worth spending the money on a larger but maybe rarer / more unusual specimen and getting multiple smaller Trachycarpus that’ll do their thing in the background (for now!). Waggies are great looking when they’re smaller! I’d recommend seeing what Hardy Palms list for sale next week, I can’t recommend them enough...
@@GeorgesJungleGarden just checked their site out, they don’t seem to have a list of much stock? Is that usually the case with them, guessing they have smaller lists depending what they have in each week
@@ARW.7 All I would say, is don’t get carried away with sales and free delivery etc, Hardy Palms only sells decent quality palms, Nigel really knows his stuff and whilst he’s not the cheapest, he’s not the most expensive and the prices are very good for what you get.
Thanks Mark! It would be cool to get a video of your garden in May to show what you can do when you go big! Then a September follow up when it’s an actual jungle...
Hi, I just spent the last hour watching your fab videos, well done they are great. I wondered if you knew much about Melianthus Major?? I have a good big specimen but it gets taller every year with no foliage at the base. Its developed 3/4 tall, woody stems which the foliage sprouts from the top but there is no foliage lower down. Is this normal or is nit really struggling?? Thanks Elkie x
Hi Elkie, that’s amazing to hear, I’m pleased you’ve enjoyed them so far and thanks for taking the time to comment. I have a few smaller Melianthus and mine will have to be cut back this year to regrow in spring after the cold wiped out last year’s growth. From what I know, what you’re describing is perfectly normal, they can get a bit leggy. Some people cut them back every year to get the fresh green growth, others leave them for the height and flowers. Can it be under planted with something else?
@@GeorgesJungleGarden hi, thanks for the reply. Yes I have some salvias in front of it, I'm too worried to cut it down in case that kills it!! Also keeping it upright is proving hard as it keeps leaning over. It's in quite sandy soil which was once a patio so I wonder if more mulching would help?
@@elkielonnkvist8962 Adding more organic matter to the soil is always a good idea and the extra moisture & nutrients might just help it out with more new growth this year. It’s definitely worth a go before you decide to chop it back as it sounds like an impressive plant!
Hi, thanks so much for your post I am so grateful for them what soil or compost do you use I have a small collection of young palms do you have a suggestion as to soil type a feeding regime I collect seeds from our holidays in tenerife and the odd specimen please reply I would be so grateful for any advice you can give, please keep your blog going. regards Frank Ps I live I Blackpool
Hi Frank, thanks for your comment. Personally I use either coir (expensive and you really need to be on top of the watering / feeding) or Jacks Magic (unfortunately peat based so I’m looking at alternatives). John Innes should be good too. Anything that’s relatively well draining, mixed with a bit of perlite perhaps, and not the really light peaty multipurpose composts like Erin should be Ok for palms. You can always mix different ‘ingredients’ up to suit the palms you’re growing. Some Mediterranean palms may want more drainage, Trachycarpus isn’t too fussy etc. As for feeding, only do it from April to late August ish, there’s no point feeding when temperatures are much under ten degrees and the plants aren’t growing or at the end of the season when the new growth hasn’t had time to harden off. I generally use liquid seaweed and a bit of Palmfocus, but the key is to not use too much. I’ll cover this in a video but palms don’t need the high nitrogen feed you give to bananas etc, a more balanced fertiliser is fine. What varieties do you grow?
I am so excited to start my tropical styled garden but is it worth waiting to buy plants in spring? I am worried that planting in December or January isn't the best idea.
That’s fantastic and you’re completely right, to be on the safe side I’d wait til spring now. Even if there isn’t any real cold, the soil will be warmer and drier in spring plus the days will be longer so definitely a better start for plants. Some tougher plants can go in now just fine but I’d wait if you can. Good luck with your project!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Hi George, thank you for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it! I will try my best to hold off until the weather turns warmer, which is going to be a challenge as I'm so excited. I wondered if you would be able to do a video about your polytunnel at some point in the future. I'm really keen to build a much smaller version for my garden to overwinter some plants next year, and I would love a little more information about yours and what you keep in there for winter. Many thanks, keep up the awesome videos!
@@louisecole3822 No worries, it’ll soon be May! Hopefully 😂 I might do, but probably not this winter as it’s a really temporary setup. Basically anything potted that can take a bit of cold but ideally needs to be protected from heavy frosts. It’s only a basic one until I can afford to build a big greenhouse but I’ll try to get another couple of years out of it! Thank you very much and if there’s anything in particular I can help with, just ask.
Oh and I forgot my six ten foot high cordylines behind the shed and my three six foot tree fern ,dicksonias ! And about three big pots of different types of bamboo !
Wow, what a collection! It sounds like you’ve got some beauties there! What sorts of minimum temperatures do you get in Winter, I imagine you stay quite mild?
Where do you suggest buying small banana plants? I can’t remember ever seeing them in any local garden centre and I’m always unsure of where to buy online. Shipping plants is an art-form! Btw, would love to see vids o growing cannas from seed! I tried from tubers last year and nothing grew 😭. Tubers are expensive, too!
Turn it Tropical is a great site to go in Spring but I’ve also had a few off EBay to be fair! A lot of the garden centres do sell them but they can be silly money. Did you let the tubers dry out before you planted them as that might have caused problems? I’ll see what I can do fit a seed vid but I think Yorkshire Kris already has one you should check out 👍
@@GeorgesJungleGarden I’ll check if I can find Yorkshire Kris’s vid! I do watch his vids, but haven’t watched them all yet. Thanks for the rec. And maybe i did let them dry out *sigh*. Beginner gardener problems ;). And I will check out the site you recommended, cheers! And I don’t know why I didn’t think of eBay. I got some crocosmia corms from there in the past as I wanted a bloom colour you can’t get in garden centres.
@@jimbailey3705 No worries. Nobody grows everything perfectly or over winters every plant successfully every year so don’t worry! It’s always a balancing act, they don’t want to be dry but equally they’ll rot if they get too wet. It’s hard if you’re trying to overwinter them inside too as the warmth dries them out quickly or encourages them to grow! It’s all a learning curve!
Growing cannas from seed is easy. I just collect my own seed from my garden and then sow them in a grid in seed trays in my greenhouse. I don't bother soaking them or chipping the seed coating. Most germinate but I get a few that don't. The young plants grow very quickly once they have germinated and can soon be potted and grown on. They usually flower the same summer. It's very exciting as I never know what colour leaves or flowers I will get 😁
@@elkielonnkvist8962 They do seem to be at the easier end of seeds to grow but I’ve struggled with some varieties in previous years, the boiling water trick definitely helps increase the germination success rates! Hopefully I’ll be able to collect seed this year too now they’re getting off well to an early start. Do you keep the best plants for your display the following year?
Hi Barry, this winter we had 3-4 days not getting much above freezing and -3 to -5. We’re not the coldest part of the country but certainly not the mildest and back in 2010 it was -17 but that’s hopefully not something we’ll see again! 🤞
Hi George. I only have £100 this year to start my dream. I already hVe a Basjoo which I overwintered. I am hoping it comes back. I was able to get a Tracycarpus princeps. It is very small. With my £100 what else do you suggest I get, and what is the place to get good plants at a decent price. I know my budget is small
Hi Jimmy, £100 is enough to make a decent tropical style garden given a bit of time and work. Is it a garden that needs to look reasonably good all year round and or are you looking for a mainly summer display? That does affect the plant choices but in all honesty I have used a lot of the tips in this video myself. Your Basjoo should make a real statement plant over the next couple of years but your princeps will take a number of years before it makes an impressive specimen. What type of plants do you like, palms, big leaved plants, or just all exotic plants? Let me know a few sorts and I’ll try to point you in the right direction.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Hi George. I like palms and big leafs. The Colocasia are one of my favourites. I also like a bit of colour in the garden to give tropical exotic feel. With my £100 I am struggling to find any palms which I can afford
Hi, the majority of my plants were in containers at our old house for a number of years because I knew we were going to move one day. Now we’re in the new garden, you’ll see from my Winter tour vid that I intend to plant the vast majority out! Most palms aren’t great choices for containers long term. In terms of feed, it depends on the plants, what sorts are you thinking of? Seaweed extract is a good multipurpose option but then I add fertilisers to suit different groups of plants from Spring to late Summer.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden I’m hoping to grow as much as possible from seed as very tight budget and then get a few specimen palms but as recommended smaller ones to start 😁 I’ve got couple of bananas and quite a few Cannas that I want to split which I’m over wintering inside. I’ve got seaweed extract as someone said it deters red spider which are proving tricky as I don’t like sloshing the chemical about.
@@Bee-io3id I’d go for smaller Trachycarpus then and something a bit different if you’re wanting a specimen palm. Ricinus, Amaranthus and some bold flowers like Dahlias etc would work well with the bananas. I haven’t heard that about mites but I use seaweed on pretty much everything. I use a minimal amount chemicals too but if you’re keeping bananas especially in pots then a regular dose of Miracle Gro etc will be great as they’re heavy feeders. If they’re in the ground, loads of organic matter and chicken manure pellets are top choices, boosted regularly with the seaweed fertiliser.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thank you. When I look at them on google image, some of them have oat looking flowers at the top. Are those different species or it just grows at some seasons/point of growth ?
@@kieranshevlin5034 Generally the season isn’t long enough and the temperatures warm enough for the big grasses and reeds to flower in the UK (before they get cut down over winter) the pictures could be the same species flowering in a warmer climate.
Hi, check out Carl’s company Turn it Tropical, he’s on FB and Instagram and I’m almost certain he’ll have some available and well priced in Spring. They do spread nicely too so a good value plant!
That depends on your definition of a garden 😂 But as small as you want, James Wong has loads of small indoor setups on his Instagram or you could even have a balcony or courtyard garden!
Hi Martin, I got mine from Ben at The Tropical Plant Company but I don’t know if he’s still actively trading or has any left. If it’s a smaller plant you’re after then I think there’s a company in France that sells hybrid palms but that’s potentially going to be affected by the brexit mess. Sorry I can’t help you more!
@@alchemist4532 Lucky you then! The link is here but I’ve just checked and they’re currently out of stock unfortunately... www.achat-vente-palmiers.com/en/hybrid-palms/687-butia-capitata-x-jubaea-chilensis.html#.YCLRFmTfUlQ
I can understand how they could be seen as weedy in hotter climates but here in the UK they’re generally grown as an annual for foliage interest. They can get lanky but are unusual looking so personally I wouldn’t see them as weedy when mixed with other tropical style plants. What do you think?
This couldn’t have come at a better time for me. 😄 I am adding tropical plants to my garden this year but don’t have a large budget to spend and the money I have I want to spend wisely. I have a lot of containers one of which already has a palm in (trachycarpus fortunei) it’s a medium size so hopefully will grow to be a nice feature. It’s so tempting to buy a large container palm but this video has shown that it would be better to be patient and wait for my plants to grow - I need more patience and I am sure it will be more rewarding that way too. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom!
Hi, that’s great to hear and you’re at an exciting time in the journey for sure! As you can see, I’ve got a good few larger plants but this is my passion and I’ve built them up over a number of years - if I was starting out, I’d have stuck to small and medium size Trachycarpus Fortunei for definite. They’re not an ideal plant for containers long term when they get big anyway, a few years and they’ll fill a big 160lt pot and growth will slow down. For the couple of hundred pounds or so you’d spend on that large potted Trachycarpus, you could definitely get a great selection of other tropical style plants with loads more impact. If you’re getting a feather palm that’s less hardy and grow slower (I looked at them in a previous vid) or a tree fern then there’s definite benefits to buying at a decent size but Trachycarpus, nope. It’s not just a case of needing to be more patient, it’s getting more for your money long term and more plants now!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thanks George that’s really sensible advice. I think I’d rather have more plants for the money than one large one you’re right.
@@mirandapanda8228 There’s definitely a time and a place for a big specimen palm but the price big Trachycarpus are at, I wouldn’t make it one of them 👍 Jungle Seeds is one of my favourite places for seeds, it’s well worth a look!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thanks so much!
Thank you so much for sharing these valuable tips ❤
Thanks Laisha, pleased to have helped!
You have made a beautiful garden
Thank you very much Jackie, that's very kind of you! The new garden has altered a lot over the past couple of years, it's great to see everything maturing!
Just watched this and it saved me from buying really tall and expensive black bamboo specimens. I researched and saw how quick they grew so got a a couple of smaller pots and bought some seeds to try too! Apparently 2 weeks-6 months to germinate but I can wait 🙂
Thank you!!
Nice one! I’ve never grown bamboo from seed personally but they’re definitely worth planting small, the plants can double in size or more some years whereas a lot of plants bought large are recent divisions and may take longer to settle in. Scottish Bamboo has a great range of 5L plants in if there’s any others you’re after. Fargesia varieties are the easiest clumping varieties.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden fab, I'll take a look. Thanks!
Well that's my afternoon gone!!!! What great videos, I have know decided to change one side of my garden. Can you recommend any seed companies please. I ordered some Ricinus and only one germinated. Also any recommendations for palms or any of your other must have plants.
Haha thanks for watching Angela! I like using Jungle Seeds mainly, lots of interesting seeds and they come with helpful instructions. Ricinus usually germinate reliably but you might have got some old seeds or something - personally I wouldn’t sow them until at least March as they grow quickly but I’ve got a video about growing them from seed if it helps you. For palms, I’ve done a few videos looking at Trachycarpus fortunei and wagnerianus, they’re really tough and easy but as for other plants, have a look through the vids and I’m sure some others will grab you! 😃
@pacific rationalist - Your comments keep disappearing, maybe because they contain links, if you let me know the title of the video I’ll check it out though!
Yeah thanks mate . Don't know why ! Ok I thought you would like to see a tropical garden in Brisbane , Australia ,created by a friend of mine. One of the best private tropical gardens in the world.
Look for " Dennis Hundscheidt tropical garden Brisbane " . It was featured on a TV show some years back called Burke's Backyard!
Cheers 👍👍
@@tropicaussie4572 Maybe some RUclips filter, I do get a lot of spam links! Thanks, I’ll definitely check it out 😃
@@GeorgesJungleGarden 👍👍🇦🇺
@@tropicaussie4572 Just had a look for this garden now I've got an evening 'off'! I've seen that garden before and remember thinking wow! Definitely the next level or two of tropical climate up from us and he's certainly made the most of it, what amazing planting!
Tree ferns look brilliant with the old fronds left on. Looks so much more natural. Will help open the crown up too. I see people too often cutting off old fronds which can cause the tree to get skinny
Definitely, I decided from last year I’m going to leave them all on, for both the look and at the crown benefits. The small ones are a bit scruffy but it really suits the bigger trunks!
I live in South Wales and have got e few palms in my garden ,I have seven trachies and ten chamaerhops ,three ensette bananas and seven Musa basajoo clumps and in pots which I keep in a heated greenhouse ,my shed and conservatory are six nobilis Bismarck silver ,six robusta and six phoenix ,which I bring out in the summer months ! But they are all over six feet high and I am rapidly running out space ! But I am addicted to Palm trees and tropical gardening ! !
Hi, sorry, I thought I'd replied to this comment but now it's saying I haven't for some reason! It sounds like you've got an amazing collection, those Bismarckia alone must look incredible and make all the effort worthwhile!
Great videos George, transforming my back garden at minute, modern style jungle garden. I was wondering how quickly does the Trachycarpus Fortunei grow in a year if planted at 2 ft specimen looking after it properly.
Thanks Paul and that sounds like an exciting project! I’d say it’ll take 2-3 years to really settle in but then it’ll pick up growth - a foot a year is realistic. They’re best off planted small as they develop better that way.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks! I definitely worth the blood sweat and money, relaxing days ahead. 🍻
@@PaulConnor100 No worries! Most of the process is enjoyable and I’m sure you’ll appreciate the result in summer more once you know what’s gone into it. It’s definitely a very rewarding style of gardening!
Hi George id'e love to visit your garden, thanks for sharing xx
Thanks Yvette, I’m sure I’ll look to sort something one day! It’s a long way from presentable yet though 😂
just been watching more of your channel and i have just put Miscanthus giganteus seed in a week ago and already showing there face i tried last year and think it was to hot outside for seed so this year done in front room and going well so far so good got 20 so far lol
Nice one, that’s great! I’ve never grown then from seed before, always from divisions but fair play, you’ve got even more plants for even cheaper! How many have you got room for in your garden?
@@GeorgesJungleGarden well at the back of my house there is in a industrial unit and want to hide from my view 8 meters across so a few .as we now know what we are doing in the garden finally :)
@@o000omusico000o Nice one, it’s great to have a plan together! Only issue I can see is that with Miscanthus being deciduous it’ll look brown in winter and might not be the heat screen whereas a bamboo might look better all year round. The Miscanthus will look great in summer though, it depends whether you see the view all year round I guess!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden I know what u mean I'm not allowed to put the bamboo in ground tho 😔but grass I can and yes will look brown like yours in winter .shame I can't show u view and what am trying to do
@@o000omusico000o What about clumping bamboos, are they an option?
Great Videos George ! can i ask if u bring your ensetes and banana plants inside for winter? i thought they can not tolarate under 15 c tempretures
Thank you very much! I bring the Ensetes in, yes, and the Musa basjoo bananas either stay out or go in the polytunnel if they’re small. Minimum temps vary by plant but Ensetes are perfectly OK down to maybe 5 degrees or just under, maybe even less than that for short periods. Musa basjoo can take light frosts but it’s worth wrapping the pseudostem if freezing temps are likely for you to keep height for next year in most places. They’re root hardy to temperatures way below freezing though.
Great video George and you have definitely got me thinking as I’ve been adding to my garden over the last 2 years (when we moved in) and I love the maturity of some of your trachies but you raise a valid point. Currently I have some bananas, (bought small last summer and within a few months already about 1.5m in height). Same with a small canna cleopatra which gained crazy height in first few months through summer. I’ve also got my favourites like a tranchycarpus fortueni and a Washingtona palm but neither are the height of yours in terms of trunk size which does make such an impressive instant impact. As I’m a bit obsessed with palms I’ve been really trying not to spend about £150 on a decent sized trunk trachy waggy. I live in the South Downs near Brighton so it’s the perfect climate most of the year and luckily we have quite a few great garden centres. But like you said they currently so expensive and I found it interesting what you were saying at the start of the video RE palm prices over the recent years. Sooo tempting though and I has to happen at some point as I don’t think I’m prepared to wait years 😂
Thanks! There’s some interesting points in there but I’d say it could be worth spending the money on a larger but maybe rarer / more unusual specimen and getting multiple smaller Trachycarpus that’ll do their thing in the background (for now!). Waggies are great looking when they’re smaller! I’d recommend seeing what Hardy Palms list for sale next week, I can’t recommend them enough...
@@GeorgesJungleGarden ah nice - I’ve been looking out for sales but haven’t really seen any worth taking up. I’ll look out for that one - nice one!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden just checked their site out, they don’t seem to have a list of much stock? Is that usually the case with them, guessing they have smaller lists depending what they have in each week
@@GeorgesJungleGarden p.s - one of my favs in my county is ‘big plant nursery’. Big tropical range, check them out, big fan of those guys.
@@ARW.7 All I would say, is don’t get carried away with sales and free delivery etc, Hardy Palms only sells decent quality palms, Nigel really knows his stuff and whilst he’s not the cheapest, he’s not the most expensive and the prices are very good for what you get.
Awesome, George.
Thanks Mark! It would be cool to get a video of your garden in May to show what you can do when you go big! Then a September follow up when it’s an actual jungle...
Hi, I just spent the last hour watching your fab videos, well done they are great. I wondered if you knew much about Melianthus Major?? I have a good big specimen but it gets taller every year with no foliage at the base. Its developed 3/4 tall, woody stems which the foliage sprouts from the top but there is no foliage lower down. Is this normal or is nit really struggling?? Thanks Elkie x
Hi Elkie, that’s amazing to hear, I’m pleased you’ve enjoyed them so far and thanks for taking the time to comment. I have a few smaller Melianthus and mine will have to be cut back this year to regrow in spring after the cold wiped out last year’s growth. From what I know, what you’re describing is perfectly normal, they can get a bit leggy. Some people cut them back every year to get the fresh green growth, others leave them for the height and flowers. Can it be under planted with something else?
@@GeorgesJungleGarden hi, thanks for the reply. Yes I have some salvias in front of it, I'm too worried to cut it down in case that kills it!! Also keeping it upright is proving hard as it keeps leaning over. It's in quite sandy soil which was once a patio so I wonder if more mulching would help?
@@elkielonnkvist8962 Adding more organic matter to the soil is always a good idea and the extra moisture & nutrients might just help it out with more new growth this year. It’s definitely worth a go before you decide to chop it back as it sounds like an impressive plant!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden many thanks I will have a go :)
Hi, thanks so much for your post I am so grateful for them what soil or compost do you use I have a small collection of young palms do you have a suggestion as to soil type a feeding regime I collect seeds from our holidays in tenerife and the odd specimen please reply I would be so grateful for any advice you can give, please keep your blog going. regards Frank
Ps I live I Blackpool
Hi Frank, thanks for your comment. Personally I use either coir (expensive and you really need to be on top of the watering / feeding) or Jacks Magic (unfortunately peat based so I’m looking at alternatives). John Innes should be good too. Anything that’s relatively well draining, mixed with a bit of perlite perhaps, and not the really light peaty multipurpose composts like Erin should be Ok for palms. You can always mix different ‘ingredients’ up to suit the palms you’re growing. Some Mediterranean palms may want more drainage, Trachycarpus isn’t too fussy etc. As for feeding, only do it from April to late August ish, there’s no point feeding when temperatures are much under ten degrees and the plants aren’t growing or at the end of the season when the new growth hasn’t had time to harden off. I generally use liquid seaweed and a bit of Palmfocus, but the key is to not use too much. I’ll cover this in a video but palms don’t need the high nitrogen feed you give to bananas etc, a more balanced fertiliser is fine. What varieties do you grow?
Nice
Thanks :)
I am so excited to start my tropical styled garden but is it worth waiting to buy plants in spring? I am worried that planting in December or January isn't the best idea.
That’s fantastic and you’re completely right, to be on the safe side I’d wait til spring now. Even if there isn’t any real cold, the soil will be warmer and drier in spring plus the days will be longer so definitely a better start for plants. Some tougher plants can go in now just fine but I’d wait if you can. Good luck with your project!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Hi George, thank you for taking the time to reply, I really appreciate it! I will try my best to hold off until the weather turns warmer, which is going to be a challenge as I'm so excited. I wondered if you would be able to do a video about your polytunnel at some point in the future. I'm really keen to build a much smaller version for my garden to overwinter some plants next year, and I would love a little more information about yours and what you keep in there for winter. Many thanks, keep up the awesome videos!
@@louisecole3822 No worries, it’ll soon be May! Hopefully 😂 I might do, but probably not this winter as it’s a really temporary setup. Basically anything potted that can take a bit of cold but ideally needs to be protected from heavy frosts. It’s only a basic one until I can afford to build a big greenhouse but I’ll try to get another couple of years out of it! Thank you very much and if there’s anything in particular I can help with, just ask.
Hi, thanks for sharing this video. Really inspiring. I didn't quite catch the name of the tall grass at 4:41. What is it called?
Hi and thank you! Most of mine are Miscanthus Floridulous, but Miscanthus Giganteus is even bigger (you can get small plants from Turn it Tropical).
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thank you
@@Seninap No worries, I should have had it on screen to help!
Oh and I forgot my six ten foot high cordylines behind the shed and my three six foot tree fern ,dicksonias ! And about three big pots of different types of bamboo !
Wow, what a collection! It sounds like you’ve got some beauties there! What sorts of minimum temperatures do you get in Winter, I imagine you stay quite mild?
Where do you suggest buying small banana plants? I can’t remember ever seeing them in any local garden centre and I’m always unsure of where to buy online. Shipping plants is an art-form! Btw, would love to see vids o growing cannas from seed! I tried from tubers last year and nothing grew 😭. Tubers are expensive, too!
Turn it Tropical is a great site to go in Spring but I’ve also had a few off EBay to be fair! A lot of the garden centres do sell them but they can be silly money. Did you let the tubers dry out before you planted them as that might have caused problems? I’ll see what I can do fit a seed vid but I think Yorkshire Kris already has one you should check out 👍
@@GeorgesJungleGarden I’ll check if I can find Yorkshire Kris’s vid! I do watch his vids, but haven’t watched them all yet. Thanks for the rec.
And maybe i did let them dry out *sigh*. Beginner gardener problems ;).
And I will check out the site you recommended, cheers! And I don’t know why I didn’t think of eBay. I got some crocosmia corms from there in the past as I wanted a bloom colour you can’t get in garden centres.
@@jimbailey3705 No worries. Nobody grows everything perfectly or over winters every plant successfully every year so don’t worry! It’s always a balancing act, they don’t want to be dry but equally they’ll rot if they get too wet. It’s hard if you’re trying to overwinter them inside too as the warmth dries them out quickly or encourages them to grow! It’s all a learning curve!
Growing cannas from seed is easy. I just collect my own seed from my garden and then sow them in a grid in seed trays in my greenhouse. I don't bother soaking them or chipping the seed coating. Most germinate but I get a few that don't. The young plants grow very quickly once they have germinated and can soon be potted and grown on. They usually flower the same summer. It's very exciting as I never know what colour leaves or flowers I will get 😁
@@elkielonnkvist8962 They do seem to be at the easier end of seeds to grow but I’ve struggled with some varieties in previous years, the boiling water trick definitely helps increase the germination success rates! Hopefully I’ll be able to collect seed this year too now they’re getting off well to an early start. Do you keep the best plants for your display the following year?
Whats the coldest it gets where your at and for how long
Hi Barry, this winter we had 3-4 days not getting much above freezing and -3 to -5. We’re not the coldest part of the country but certainly not the mildest and back in 2010 it was -17 but that’s hopefully not something we’ll see again! 🤞
Hi George. I only have £100 this year to start my dream. I already hVe a Basjoo which I overwintered. I am hoping it comes back. I was able to get a Tracycarpus princeps. It is very small. With my £100 what else do you suggest I get, and what is the place to get good plants at a decent price. I know my budget is small
Hi Jimmy, £100 is enough to make a decent tropical style garden given a bit of time and work. Is it a garden that needs to look reasonably good all year round and or are you looking for a mainly summer display? That does affect the plant choices but in all honesty I have used a lot of the tips in this video myself. Your Basjoo should make a real statement plant over the next couple of years but your princeps will take a number of years before it makes an impressive specimen. What type of plants do you like, palms, big leaved plants, or just all exotic plants? Let me know a few sorts and I’ll try to point you in the right direction.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Hi George. I like palms and big leafs. The Colocasia are one of my favourites. I also like a bit of colour in the garden to give tropical exotic feel. With my £100 I am struggling to find any palms which I can afford
@@jimmyalvinewart6361 Hi Jimmy, just seen your Facebook post, I’ll leave you a comment on there 👍
at 0:27 seconds the small purple plants on the left, are those Cordyline?
Hi Jeff, they’re Coleus - China Rose 👍
@@GeorgesJungleGarden very nice!!!
@@jeffleandro6108 They’re more of a summer ‘bedding’ plant but one of my favourites!
Do you keep a lot of your plants in containers? And what do you feed them on? Thanks
Hi, the majority of my plants were in containers at our old house for a number of years because I knew we were going to move one day. Now we’re in the new garden, you’ll see from my Winter tour vid that I intend to plant the vast majority out! Most palms aren’t great choices for containers long term. In terms of feed, it depends on the plants, what sorts are you thinking of? Seaweed extract is a good multipurpose option but then I add fertilisers to suit different groups of plants from Spring to late Summer.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden I’m hoping to grow as much as possible from seed as very tight budget and then get a few specimen palms but as recommended smaller ones to start 😁 I’ve got couple of bananas and quite a few Cannas that I want to split which I’m over wintering inside. I’ve got seaweed extract as someone said it deters red spider which are proving tricky as I don’t like sloshing the chemical about.
@@Bee-io3id I’d go for smaller Trachycarpus then and something a bit different if you’re wanting a specimen palm. Ricinus, Amaranthus and some bold flowers like Dahlias etc would work well with the bananas. I haven’t heard that about mites but I use seaweed on pretty much everything. I use a minimal amount chemicals too but if you’re keeping bananas especially in pots then a regular dose of Miracle Gro etc will be great as they’re heavy feeders. If they’re in the ground, loads of organic matter and chicken manure pellets are top choices, boosted regularly with the seaweed fertiliser.
Great video, it was useful and a pleasure to watch :)
What are the names of the tall grasses you're using ?
Thank you! There’s Miscanthus Giganteus / Floridulous and also Arundo Donax giant reeds 👍
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thank you.
When I look at them on google image, some of them have oat looking flowers at the top.
Are those different species or it just grows at some seasons/point of growth ?
@@kieranshevlin5034 Generally the season isn’t long enough and the temperatures warm enough for the big grasses and reeds to flower in the UK (before they get cut down over winter) the pictures could be the same species flowering in a warmer climate.
@@GeorgesJungleGarden Great, they're ugly. Thanks for the hypothesis
@@kieranshevlin5034 No worries! The plants themselves look great 😃
I didn't quiet get the seeds you bought? I mean the names, since I'm not in England
And great video of course 😊 my bathroom is full of Musa basjoo until they can go outside again, i can barely be there myself
Thanks, and wow, that’s dedication! It’s a crazy passion 😂
As for the seeds, they were mainly Ricinus and Cannas in this video but there’s so many great annuals that can add to the tropical effect!
Do you know any sellers for colocasia pink China?
Hi, check out Carl’s company Turn it Tropical, he’s on FB and Instagram and I’m almost certain he’ll have some available and well priced in Spring. They do spread nicely too so a good value plant!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden ok thanks I’ll keep a look out
how small can the smallest tropical garden be?
That depends on your definition of a garden 😂 But as small as you want, James Wong has loads of small indoor setups on his Instagram or you could even have a balcony or courtyard garden!
Hi, do you know any sellers of Jubutia
Hi Martin, I got mine from Ben at The Tropical Plant Company but I don’t know if he’s still actively trading or has any left. If it’s a smaller plant you’re after then I think there’s a company in France that sells hybrid palms but that’s potentially going to be affected by the brexit mess. Sorry I can’t help you more!
@@GeorgesJungleGarden thank you for your answer, im still in the eu (dk) so ill try to find the french seller ;) seeing forward to more of your videos
@@alchemist4532 Lucky you then! The link is here but I’ve just checked and they’re currently out of stock unfortunately... www.achat-vente-palmiers.com/en/hybrid-palms/687-butia-capitata-x-jubaea-chilensis.html#.YCLRFmTfUlQ
is the ricin plant weedy?
I can understand how they could be seen as weedy in hotter climates but here in the UK they’re generally grown as an annual for foliage interest. They can get lanky but are unusual looking so personally I wouldn’t see them as weedy when mixed with other tropical style plants. What do you think?
Hi where is good for tracycarpus in uk pls subd
Thanks Harold, the best place is Hardy Palms, amazing quality plants!
is the pandanus plant available for growing in the UK?
They’re available from a couple of places but not widely grown, are they a plant we should be trying out more?