Florida Garden

Christmas Palms

This is a total story of crappy gardening. Essentially in late 2009 or early 2010 I put a Christmas Palm on either side of the house, again in the hope that they would grow tall and then get some sunshine.

Well, one is dead already and the other, like many of my other plants is actually smaller than when I first planted it. I hope its roots are growing but as far as im concerned its just hanging in there by its teeth.

Christmas Palms August 2013

The saga of the Christmas Palms continues with almost no growth at all ever. They do look a little more filled out though, so perhaps there is hope.

Christmas Palms December 2012

Hardly palms at all, more like weeds. If I didnt know where they were they might get chopped down.

Christmas Palms February 2012

They dont look much better for the winter, these guys are true survivors.

Christmas Palms November 2011

Got another Chistmas Palm at a garage sale for $1 to keep the other one company. The first one which has been there as long as the Queen palms in the front, nearing 2 years or so is still just a leaf poking out of the ground.

Christmas Palms

I really liked the idea of the Christmas Palm too what with its little berries and stuff and it would look good if it would only survive.

Just so its clear, the photo to the left is June 2010. The one on the right is April 2011, and you can only just make it out behind the Blueberry plant. Fingers crossed that it makes it through another year, In fact, a lot of my garden is a disaster zone. If you look even closer at the bottom center of each photo just a tad to the left you can see the brave indication of a crouton plant. Again, its actually alive, but not that you'd know it and it certainly wont win any prizes unless they give out medals for plants that gave their lives in battle. Also, just so its clear, the hole under the house is pretty much the only hole left but is the entrance to the cats lair. I have cats living under my house. They might have something to do with the difficult time the Christmas Palm is having there.

Actually, just found a picture of the East side of the house where you can see the Christmas Palm. It is officialy dead now, just a clump of dead brown straw coloured waste.

August 2011

I think the latest photo, just two prongs growing up, is typical of how things work, its looking healthy, but its nothing on what it was or what it should be. Im only hopeful that seeing its been there for 2 years now that it will have found its roots, like the Croton and demonstrate a little vigour.