Palm Trees

Where would we be without the Palm Tree. The symbolic unique structure of the palm tree  reminds us all of one thing or another. For me, Palm trees provide a tropical setting along with the holiday feeling. It can be a constant reminder of the holiday atmosphere we all strive to surround ourselves in. If we include Palm trees in our landscaping we can transform our gardens into our own tropical getaway. All we need is a little planning, some help from a garden expert in giving advice of what and what not to plant, as well as a little imagination and we can build our own paradise. We are able to bring the holiday environment to our own homes. Apart from adding value to the property, it adds charm. You no longer need to get away when you have it all at home. When we include palm trees into our lives, we invite a range of bird life into it as well.  

Palm trees have that warm tropical feel that we all can relate to in one way or another whether it be one of our holidays or a trip to the beach.  They can transform any landscape into a tropical or rainforest setting with a minimum of effort. When you utilize palm trees in your gardens, it is very easy to transform any piece of dirt into a lush, warm atmosphere. If you include the humble palm tree in your project, it can provide you with the necessary shade to be able to start a rainforest project. Use the palms to provide the top layer of shade to protect your upcoming rainforest plants from the burning sun. Once you are able to provide a shade layer, it is easy to include the green lush undergrowth of ground covers and dense undergrowth.   Because most palm trees enjoy full sun, they are an ideal top layer of sun protection.

When planning your garden, remember that most palm trees grow to approx  6- 10 metres. They can provide filtered shade in a  planned location and also offer its natural beauties of the humble Palm Tree.  If you include a pool into your setting, take into account the seed pods that drop down at flowering time. Make sure you plant away from the pool or pond edges, so the seeds don’t fall into the pool or pond. Palm trees planted close to pools can have disastrous affects on pool filters when the seeds get caught in filters and creepy crawlies. Filters become blocked and damage can occur. When planning your garden, plant palm trees well away from pools, but close enough to enjoy the filtered shade and tropical effect.

Knowing what we know these days, don’t let anyone convince you to plant Cocas palms.  In the early days, they are easy to maintain, but once they reach an average age of 7 years old, they start to produce a bunch of yellow to orange fruit. They are home to cockroaches, spiders, ants and bugs and they attract bats if the fruit is allowed to ripen. They are one of the dirtiest palms to have. If not cleaned regularly, they are very untidy as there old leaves do not fall off easily. Once out of reach for you to clean, it is an ongoing maintenance issue to keep them looking good which is an ongoing expense that can be avoided with a little understanding and future planning. In my opinion, Cocas palms should be classed as a noxious weed. They are a messy, vermin ridden palm tree that when planning our garden, we should not consider in our garden environment.