A two tone Tree Fern a mixture of the old and the new fronds, the dark green being obviously last years flush, makes a nice change while they last ;D
(http://img299.echo.cx/img299/8726/2tone5ex.jpg) (http://www.imageshack.us)
Roy that is lovely. Did you tie up the fronds and protect them for the winter. They look in good shape, mine were battered to bits (forgot to wrap in bubble wrap) Naughty Mimi must do better ;)
Not sure what Roy does, but i just stick a bit of fleece in the centre, and wrap a bit round the top of the trunk/bottom of fronds.
Mine is still desperately trying to prodcue new fonds!!!! And it was wrapped, and molly-coddled. Think it's spoilt. But yours is beautiful . Lottie
This last winter I did it the same as Dawn only I used straw instead of fleece but also put an upturned plastic pot over the straw in the crown to keep it dry (In case it froze). The year B4 I did the same but tied the fronds up vertically, the outcome was the same although I think this winter was milder than the previous for us. ::) ;D
I was given this tip for new growth by architectural plant nursery: Give it a feed of Baby Bio. Works wonders apparently, and they do this with all theirs. Mine must like its home as it manages exceddingly well it by itself : 18 new fronds this year so far.
If I were in London Dawn, especially in the city area, I would not bother to pamper my tree ferns as they will keep warm from the heat of the city buildings in winter, I believe there is a very large unprotected Phoenix caneriensis date palm (CIDP) in London City somewhere. :o 8)
Perhaps someone in London will post us a picture of it, It's enormous :o 8)
Wow. Will see if i can track it down. I'm in London, but South East London, and in an open area (river & park at the front) - abeit my back garden has other gardens & houses around it which give a lot of protection. Am quite blessed with the climate here. I'm along the Thames, near Woolwich, and the climate is quite unique - what we call 'esturine evenings' (and mornings) that we get near the river.
Lots of annuals/bedding i just leave in and they survive to come up the next year - pelargoniums, lobelia, dahlias, osteospurnams, all just get left in the ground. Have a lovely banana and canary date palm, plus 2 big spikey things that I forget the name of (meant to move these 2 in my conservatory as are in pots, but it never happened...). These are in my back garden, as well as a few other 'tender' plants that I more or less leave to their own devices. I don't pamper my plants at all I'm afraid - they either survive or they don't - I don't deserve them to do as well as they manage to.
It's gorgeous Roy and looks so healthy.
wonderfull Roy makes mine look sad