Tropical Escape in Virginia

Palm trees, even in the snow

Today we ’re visiting Bill Hewitt ’s unusual garden in southeasterly Virginia , which he has turned into a tropical flight very unlike from the norm in his region . And it is one kind of escape to the tropics you may take in the current globe of travel restrictions !

My lovemaking of the tropics andtropical plantsmade me push the boundary of the “ stock Virginia landscape painting . ” I ’ve been growing tropicals and palms in Virginia for close to 30 yr . The diverse mood of southeasterly Virginia can bring highs over a hundred and low below zero . However , many of my palms and tropic plants have come through even the coldest of low .

It ’s a passion and a hobby that I ’ve had since I became a homeowner . Why would anyone not want their domicile to be a place of escape ? Do n’t wait for a vacation — take one in your own G !

We associate medallion Tree with very warm , icing - free climates , but there are a few varieties that can be grown in clime as cold as Zone 7 . TheChinese windmill palm(Trachycarpusfortunei , Zones 7–10 ) is one of the hardiest , and growing it in colder clime yield you the unusual visual of snow on palms tree !

Another brave palm unconcerned by a snowy winter day .

As leap arrives , the palms are joined by a more distinctive inhabitant of Virginia gardens , a wistaria ( Wisteriasinensis , Zones 5–8 ) .

Palms presiding over a darn of blooming spiderwort ( Tradescantia , Zones 4–9 ) , a perennial with grasslike leaves and over-embellished bloom in the summertime . Each individual efflorescence only lasts a day , but they are produce in teemingness to make a terrific showing .

Palm trunks dressed up with lights for the holidays , while a four - legged phallus of the household is ready for a biz of football game .

Wisteria blooming in tree diagram form . Wisterias normally grow as vigorousvines , but when staked up and carefully pruned , they can be grown to look like small trees . This can be a great path to ensure that this sometimes overly vigorous plant does n’t get out of hand and take over the whole garden .

Bill ’s Virginia tropics hunker down and waiting out the frigidity .

If you have to see ice in the garden , why not see it so dramatically and unusually on a palm ? This is a great visual reminder that with the right plant life alternative , you could create nearly any style of garden in nearly any clime .

Bill sent in so many cracking video that I ’m sharing them over two day , so occur back tomorrow for more of this unusual garden .

Have photos to portion out ? We ’d bang to see your garden , a particular collection of plant you jazz , or a wonderful garden you had the probability to jaw !

To relegate , get off 5 - 10 photograph to[email protected]along with some info about the plants in the movie and where you claim the photos . We ’d love to hear where you are located , how long you ’ve been garden , successes you are proud of , failures you learned from , hopes for the future , favorite plant , or funny stories from your garden .

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