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This website describes some of the more tropical type planting in our Bursledon garden, and outlines the volunteer conservation projects in the local area. The site has been constructed using Microsoft Expression Web 2 editing software.

Use this link to see photo of musa basjoo fruit forming. The summer weather having been fairly poor, the bananas are unlikely to ripen. 

Update on 18th January 2009. The bananas didn't ripen, and in fact did not increase in size from photo above. The prolonged cold spell has killed many of the echiums, hopefully the larger ones will survive to flower. Banana plants have also suffered. The larger ones outside have had their stems frosted, so we will be starting with new shoots from the roots this summer. Several of the smaller mediterranean fan palms have expired.

Several Chinese fan palms have been lost, some of which were under polythene covers. Quite a useful winter for showing up plants that may well survive recent mild seasons, but will not tolerate colder conditions.

2nd October.  The echiums are looking good and will be getting protection soon. The met office prediction is for a less cold winter.

9th November. Some woven brushwood protection has been put round the echiums and bananas. Most of the potted palms have been moved into the greenhouse or under polythene cover. The agaves are in the plastic mini greenhouse. November has been pretty wet. Most of the smaller potted palms are under polythene which will prevent them getting waterlogged.

6th February 2010. The pond liner had started to leak, and today we replaced it. The old one was very hard and brittle. Filled it with rain water from the water butts - no shortage of water at this time of year! We relocated three frogs into smaller sink pond, hopefully they will move themselves back now that their original home is refilled.

Tropical planting

Photo above shows musa basjoo, the hardy banana plant, in summer 2006. These plants survive in the ground over winter in this area when the stems have reached a reasonable size. In severe winter weather they can be killed to the ground, but will grow again from the root. This has happened in the winter of 2008/9. New plants have emerged from the roots and by August have become quite large. Update on 3rd September. They are probably as big as they will get this year. Will give them some winter protection in November.

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