Palm Central

My obsession for plants originated about 10 years ago with an obsession for palms.  Instead of just moving to Hawaii (I didn't have any money and was still in college), I figured the next best thing was to at least make my yard look like a tropical paradise - even if it didn't always feel like one.  So my love affair with palms began.  Below are the different species of palms currently growing in my garden, ordered by easiness to grow in the Seattle area.  The last three palms are not reliable hardy, but do spend the vast majority of their time outside.

Trachycarpus fortunei (Windmill Palm)

Trachycarpus fortunei var. wagnerianus

Rhapidophyllum hystrix (Needle Palm)

Jubaea chilensis (Chilean Wine Palm)

Butia capitata (Jelly Palm)

Chamaerops humilis (Mediterranean Fan Palm)

Washingtonia robusta (Mexican Fan Palm)

Sabal mexicana

Sabal minor

Brahea armata (Mexican Blue Palm)

Rhapis excelsa (Lady Palm)

Syagrus romanzoffiana (Queen Palm)

Things Are Looking Up!

Polypodium glycyrrhiza (Licorice fern) growing on Sequoia sempervirens (Coast Redwood)

Tetrapanax papyrifer (Rice paper plant)

Now that the days are finally warming up a bit and the nighttime lows are above freezing, I've been taking a few of the subtropical plants out of the greenhouse and setting them out in the garden.  It has become an annual ritual to plant a red banana (Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii') in the front corner by the sidewalk so all the neighbors can stand in awe of a real, living banana growing in their neighborhood (OK, not technically a banana).

Ensete ventricosum 'Maurelii'

Below, some succulents are basking in the intensity of some full sunshine for the first time this year.

This 3-year old Sabal minor is looking happy.

Sabal minor

The winter was mild, the soil is nice and wet, the mountains have plenty of snow so no worries of drought this summer...I think we are primed for a great growing season.

Camellia japonica covered in blooms