Local palm park in the SF bay area...

[Stan]

In Union City ca..about 10 minutes from my house. Gets nicer every year.

 

[Dypsisdean]

Thanks Stan - Seeing healthy palms that far north should give people more ideas to improve their gardens. You definitely don't have to be in the tropics to give that tropical look to a garden.

 

[Jim in Los Altos]

It's not my imagination that palms are gaining more and more popularity up here...finally! Great pics, Stan.

 

[Dypsisdean]

Jim, I'm always amazed when I see pics of your garden. If more people up there could see yours, there would be an explosion of NoCal palm nuts.

 

[Stan]

Thanks Jim,Dean. Nelson Kirk has done A LOT, for spreading the palms and exotics from Union City ,Fremont,even Hayward..I know he added at Chabot college much more exotic palms to the hardies that were already there. Pritchardia and Hedescepe come to mind along with Parajubea. Alvarado blvd in UC is lined with Wine palms,Brahea armata and edulis,Brachychitons,Jacaranda for half a block. Then ends at a fourway- whats on the other side of that fourway? a planting area- of PALMS!..lol.

And Jim,John Chen out in Livermore has a trunking Royal palm. Yeah,he covers and heats at times he told me via email. But it's impressive. And your additions that I read about on the net? Why not?...something has changed in the bay area..cold isnt COLD like before.

 

[Jim in Los Altos]

Great. I'm growing Dictosperma, Licuala, Roystonea, Clinostigma, Pinanga, Chambeyronia, Wodyetia, and tons other palms that "don't grow here.''

 

[Dypsisdean]

Amazing.

 

[Stan]

That last photo Jim- outstanding. No trades winds,no Gulf stream,not even a Madeira on an island to help...but you got Licuala looking great.
I do a lot of plant yacking to a ex Hayward and Fremont tropical plant grower who now lives in San Diego. He said in Hayward he had Spathodea grow to a tree in bloom,coffee plants that gave beans..Even said that before he moved he gave away large Triangle and Spindle palms to friends. Ok,the Spindle would get a few spotty fronds in winter- lol. I wouldn't mind.

 

[Jim in Los Altos]

I don't do anything special, just good all round gardening sense like lots of rotting mulch on the ground at all times, responsible watering, and a dense rain forest type planting regimen. That, on top of a good microclimate due to the moderating effect of the south end of the SF Bay and I'm able to grow mangoes, papaya, certain heliconia, hundreds of bromeliads, orchids and so on way up north here.

 

[Jim in Los Altos]

 

[Jim in Los Altos]

 

[Jim in Los Altos]

 

[Jim in Los Altos]

 

[Stan]

Very cool. The Biz reminds me of palmbobs photos of them in Singapore.

jeez,My nerves watching the Giants in the WS, and looking at garden forums!..

 

[Moose]

Very nice looking Northern California palms. Really creates a tropical look.

 

[KennyRE317]

Jim's garden is simply amazing regardless of location but the fact that he's in norcal makes it that much more impressive

 

[Dypsisdean]

Hard to believe - should give plenty of people outside of the tropics the incentive to push the envelope.

 

[ScotTi]

Jim, That is a great garden paradise you have created.

 

[Jim in Los Altos]

Thanks all, for the compliments. It makes the effort so worth it!

 

[junglegal]

Amazing garden Jim! I have admired your mad skills on IPS for years.

 

[Stan]

Is that Schefflera macrophylla or S.calyptratus? the old Tupidanthus?

 

[Jim in Los Altos]

Schefflera actinophylla. It gets those great red pencil like flowers.

 

[Stan]

Ah- great - not many to be found in the bay area,used to be none.
. ..I don't know why I called it macrophylla.