Re: Usage of palms in medit-climate gardens

--- Jason D <jjuania@yahoo.com> wrote:
> To All,
> In a month I'm giving a talk on palms for the
> California Horticultural Society in San Francisco.
> I'll provide an introduction to the family with a
> focus on species for use in northern and central
> California.
> In the interest adding perspectives, I'm curious to
> hear from you about garden uses and planting styles
> both in California and other medit-climate zones.
> Here
> in northern California usage is narrow and often
> formal, but I know that in other areas it's more
> varied.
> Thanks in advance,
> Jason Dewees
> San Francisco, California
> 


>From what i've noticed in Santa Barbara, Palms tend to
make up a huge part of the specimen planting in many
people's yards, and even government buildings (such as
city hall). Unlike here in Northern California they
tend to use them for formal avenues (even moreso than
LA or Beverly Hills i'd say, you couldn't throw a rock
without hitting an avenue of them). 

I think what's limiting here in Northern California is
the selection tends to be poorer (with Washingtonias
and Phoenix canariensis making up the bulk), and
Nurseries not specializing in suitable palms for
northern California, so people tend to stick to your
basic clone of Eastern type gardening. 

It's quite a shame, but i am noticing more palms like
Queens (Syagrus) and even Archontophoenix
cunninghamiana being tried (which is what i'm
experiementing with). I am also attempting to see if i
can grow Ravenea rivularis. So far results aren't too
promising but last winter we hit a low of 27F which is
the usual low here (very rarely do we drop further
such as in 1990). 

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