Robert,
Those are some great pictures! Thanks for sharing them, what a huge patch of figs. It looks like there's a huge silk tree in the background of picture 1 if I and see it properly? Also in picture 3 what is the pinnate leafed palm in the background? A Jubaea?

Bill

Nice pics! Does the pinnate-leaved palm (jubaea?) go unprotected?

Great pics
Everything looks nice and healthy.

Nice! Where you there on a recent trip?

Cheers, Barrie.

Hi all,

Thanks for having vewed the pics. They were taken 2 years ago, in July. Unfortunately I can not identify the palm in the background, but I know that currently Jubea is not part of the experiments. As for palms, it is mainly Trachycarpus fortunei and wagneriana, which forms bulk of the plantings. No palm with pinnate leaf has been tested at all. The Sabals and Rapidophyllums are not available in Hungary, yet.

An interesting thing: you know, the Mediterranean plants receive most of their rain in the winter half year. Under continental climate conditions in Central Europe, we have little rain in the summer and freezing temperatures in the winter. This is a killer combination. Some experts suggested to change the life cycle of these MEditerranean plants by giving them ample water throughout the growing season and fertilize them substantially until end of July. This would allow these plants to fully make their growth potential in the sumer half year and they can harden up (build enoug carbo-hydrates) for the winter in the second part of the summer. So far, this seems to have worked. One indicator plant could be the pomegranate: its new shoots exactly show the hardiness status (the youngest parts are almost translucent); turning into woody texture only around in late September-early October.

I think I will make sure to water my plants quite well even in Oakville, where the precipitation is at least 30% more (and evenly distributed throughout the year) than in Hungary, giving them a boost.

Do you have any experience on when to stop fertilizing/watering in East US/Canada?
Thanks, Rob

Gorgeous pics, thank you.

Pomegranate? Sheesh, I'll get H into this tropical growing stuff yet!
He inhales pomegranates....

ample water throughout the growing season and fertilize them substantially until end of July. This would allow these plants to fully make their growth potential in the sumer half year and they can harden up (build enoug carbo-hydrates) for the winter in the second part of the summer.

With the exception of additional water in August, that's my timing for watering and fertilizer, even for plants that are in pots and go back inside for winter.

Barb

Thanks, Barb, so August it is.

(I used to buy pomegranates of Kazakh origin, from the ex Soviet Union. They were much smaller than the good Arab stuff from Lebanon, but imagine th feeling.... So, most of Kazakhstan is viciously cold and only a small part in teh south is relatively mild. Summers are scorching hot, though.....)

Hi Bill,

Yes, it is an Albizia in teh background. (the horticultural story is that one plant has been left in the garden by a forest inspector. He even forgot about it until a couple of years later, when the new tree started to bloom; it is very subtropical and fragrant even.)

Albizia has proven to be pretty hardy, but it seems that it needs warm summers, otherwise the new growth will not be vigorous enough to reach the blooming phase (flowers develop at the end of the current year's growth.)

Another species of interest might be a true Cupressus (C. sempervirens); the one that you see in Italy. The classical shape is due to its human interrelation; the original groves in Turkey look more like shabby spruces. This Anatolian colony is OK until - 30 C!!!!! Again, warm summers are needed to make it grow out its current year's potential... I think the Okanagan Valley would be just a wonderful backdrop for this plant (right, Barb?)

These are beautiful indeed.

&imgrefurl= http://it.gardening.eu/piante/Alberature/Cupressus-sempervirens/3319/&usg=__D13NnYmBRh2wK0APMTahdhXz2Vw=&h=412&w=300&sz=47&hl=en&start=2&itbs=1&tbnid=E_tD9Va9kz2UjM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=91&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCupressus%2Bsempervirens%29%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26tbo%3D1%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch: 1"> http://image.gardening.eu/piante/Immdata/cupressus_sempervirens_fastigiata.jp g" target="_blank">http://image.gardening.eu/piante/Immdata/cupressus_sempervirens_fastigiata.jp g"/> &imgrefurl= http://it.gardening.eu/piante/Alberature/Cupressus-sempervirens/3319/&usg=__D13NnYmBRh2wK0APMTahdhXz2Vw=&h=412&w=300&sz=47&hl=en&start=2&itbs=1&tbnid=E_tD9Va9kz2UjM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=91&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCupressus%2Bsempervirens%29%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26tbo%3D1%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

All we need are some Roman gladiators for the authentic look...

Barb

Thanks Rob.
Silk tree's do well here in Mass. I almost forgot about them. My friends house in zone 7 Cape Cod has a neighbor with one that is spectacular!
There all over the place down there. There are some around here too, people should plant them more since they are hardy and bloom well.

Thanks again,
Bill

Thanks Bill. You guys may have some beautiful Magnolia grandifloras, too, in South Mass., am I correct?
Rob

There scatered around here and there. Some of them are really giant like the ones down South.
I have three that are coming along pretty well for there fist winter.

Bill

Here is links with great pictures from Budapest BG 'ELTE'. They have T. fortunei, Sabal minor (protected and unprotected), Phoenix canariensis, Cupressus sempervirens, Punica granatum, Albizia julibrissin, Pinus pinea, Arbutus unedo, Laurus nobilis, Ficus carica, Musa basjoo, Yucca elata, Yucca glauca etc.
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=F3EC476660E17F7C

Winter protection for Phoenix canariensis and big Sabal minor
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=878F9255F3C0686F

T. fortunei
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=C818D336DAE8EF0D
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=F7EBFD474BB40129
Unprotected S. minor
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=E062EE61BFCB2A55

Yucca elata
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=ED92C53D518C80A1
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=688C58AD4795E3DC
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=BE06E369EC5DC270

Arbutus unedo
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=E92A18CC743D6B15
fruit
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=65814F6922432DA2

http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=B44F1A29DA02D53C
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=64E3D1A2B4453B46
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=777562E30AE9BF88
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=431569593563247E
Loquat, Fig, Yuccas, Agave, T. fortunei, Wollemia nobilis etc.
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=DB91314DA6245EFD
T. fortunei, M. Basjoo, Loquat, Yuccas, winter protection for P. canariensis
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=081500A008C92E89
After winter - Y. elata, Yucca hybrid, Y. flaccida/filamentosa, Y. glaucca, Ficus carica, Phoenix canariensis, Phoenix reclinata, Sabal minor, Musa basjoo, Loquat, Italian or Mediterranean Cypress...
http://exoten.dyndns.org/cgi-bin/archiv.cgi?function=2&index=3DA43011AB1D2EB8

Henoh, such incredibly large specimens, with only basic plastic winter protection.
Incredible success story.

The CIDP looked rough after the winter.
Its location against the buildings would be a nice microclimate too with reflected heat off windows.

The Sabal in with the CIDP will probably win for space long-term 😆 😆

Thanks for the great photos!
Barb