Friday, January 31, 2025

Ferns on a palm, because why not? (and videos!)

If you've been following along here for any length of time you know I love plants growing on other plants. Jungle cactus winding themselves around the branches of trees, pyrrosia that have completely covered a trunk so it seems to be enveloped in green scales—these things make me swoon. You've also probably been witness to my tucking tillandsia and other bromeliads (Fascicularia bicolor for example) into the hairy trunks of my palms—Trachycarpus fortunei and T. fortunei var. wagnerianus. Today I'm sharing my latest crazy project, ferns growing on palms...

Here are two of my palms, photo from last October. In fact all the pictures in this post are from October, 2024. The trunk of the palm on the far left is covered in Passiflora lutea, a decidulous vine that dies back over the winter and then grows to cover the palm over the summer. On the far right is the palm we're looking at today. See the green bits? Those are ferns...

Growing up from the ground is Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Theta', an evergreen jasmine vine.

I love that vine, but I wasn't content to wait for it to cover the trunk and decided to experiment using these natural sort of pockets in the furry trunk...

I started with the Asplenium trichomanes you saw in the top photo, and was so excited I texted a friend to share what I'd done. She encouraged me to take it one step further and include a Pyrrosia lingua. Duh! Of course I should...

I'm not sure why I needed the nudge, I mean I'd thought about it... I guess I was just hesitant to do it in October, with winter on the way (Asplenium trichomanes is hardy to Zone 3, whereas the pyrrosia is a Zone 8 plant). She reminded me though, when dry pyrrosia a better able to withstand cool temps. 

So there you have it. Ferns on a palm...fun! You know I'll keep you updated on how they perform, so far they're doing great.

Now to those promised videos, first we've got a walk around the back garden that runs just over 4 minutes. As I say in my commentary, the date was September 11th, 2024.

This second video starts in the driveway and then I wander out to the front garden, it runs just over 5 minutes. I hope these add a new dimension to the the photo tours I shared earlier in the week—oh, and yes that sound you hear are my flip-flops! 

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

13 comments:

  1. I LOVE both videos, wow you really can appreciate the full plantings vs. photos. Huge fan of your Theta layering up the trunk, I'm always drawn to it when you post. And of course yes, stuff those pockets!

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    1. Thank you for your enthusiasm! Of course I'm scheming on the future ferns to add to the palms. If we were just a touch warmer there would be so many other possibilities.

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  2. I've never been a fan of palms (possibly because I grew up surrounded by excessively tall ones which always threatened to drop heavy fronds down on us) but you could change my impression with your decorative trunks. Great work on the videos!

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    1. Thanks Kris, video is just not something that comes naturally to me so I appreciate the feedback.

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  3. Your world-making is strong! When the front-yard camera video briefly swung around and included the next-door front lawn, it was a rude jolt to see the mundane and ordinary again, but it just strengthens how extraordinary your garden really is.

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    1. I like "world-making" vs. "place-making" which is so much more used, but I indeed are making my own world. Interesting that you noticed the neighbor's (brown) lawn. I took a photo for a talk that I did, to contrast it to the plantings... it's such a very stark difference!

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  4. Yay! Videos! It makes more sense of your garden's layout than photos alone. I spotted your Rhododendron williamsianum in a black pot: just like mine. How long it can stay in the pot, I wonder. Your variegated Aspidistra: drool worthy. Your back garden could have taken me 2 hours to examine.
    How much soil to you put in the palm pockets for the ferns?
    Is there activity in the small sidewalk nursery? Such a fun idea.
    Chavli

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    1. I am glad you enjoyed the videos! I'm not sure how long the Rhododendron williamsianum will be happy. I will try to remember to take it out before it's not. The plants in the palm pockets had about a third of the soil they came with (in 4" pots) removed before they were tucked in. As for the "little free greenhouse" yes, in the summertime there is a decent amount of activity.

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  5. Love the addition of the videos especially in the back. Gives a better idea of how it all flows and fits together. I noticed how blank your neighbours front areas look compared to yours. Surprised they haven't followed your lead. I am heading down to the NW garden show and will be there the first Wednesday. Will you be there? Would love to finally meet.

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    1. The neighbors are busy with careers and a young child, I don't think they have the bandwidth to care about plants. I will be at the NWFG Fest, but not on Wednesday. Will you only be there that day?

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    2. Unfortunately I will only be there on Wednesday. I made a mistake booking the trip so will arrive Monday and leave Thursday. Boo! Too expensive to change it now. Will have to try for another time.

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