[davidnugent]

Here are a few tropical plant pics from Co Cork.Just incase anyone had any doubt to what can be growen in this country.

[Sive]

Beautiful photos, David, and very healthy-looking specimens, but I can't help feeling they look quite alien in the Irish landscape. Just a personal preference I suppose......

[davidnugent]

[spider]

great photos something to think about

[Sarah Evans]

Will have to get myself back down there. It was about 6 years ago when I first visited. Love the use of palms and bamboos....... Would love to own the place would even settle for the little cottage within the grounds

[Sive]

There is nothing wrong with this sort of planting done as an "exhibition piece" as it were, and there have always been gardeners who love the challenge of growing exotics.
However,you also have to consider the place of all this planting in our native eco-system.
I heard one eminent gardener say that we may as well grow plastic trees as grow eucalyptus as no native insect can live on eucalyptus. Contrast that with the potential for an oak tree to support 284 different species of insects, an ordinary silver birch 229 species.
And of course we all grow loads of non-native plants, but if you choose well, they can benefit local wildlife. Think of the relative newcomer, Verbena Bonariensis.....a feast for bees and butterflies.
It's just another way of looking at the whole topic!

[medieval knievel]

more pics from the bamboo park here:
http://stroma.org/galeria/thumbnails.php?album=26

310308022.jpg to 310308050.jpg on the next page.

[davidnugent]

[quote="Sive"]There is nothing wrong with this sort of planting done as an "exhibition piece" . That is all its going to be.dont worrie sive it wont take over the country birds will nest in palms insects will to,and by the way there are fruting date palms and will fruit here.The park is there to be enjoyed,our native trees will out number whats there.This kind of thing has been going on for centures,back to the first potatoes came in from south america in 1558.I think climate change will have a far worse effect on our eco-system than any plant.the fact that we can grow these plants here now shows our weather is warming up,and will have a knock on effect to our native plants that like a cooler climate to survive.

[Sive]

Fair enough David, point well made.
I suppose I am very aware of what a responsibility gardeners are increasingly carrying, as agriculture becomes ever more industrialised.
The very countryside that should be the refuge for so much wildlife is, in many cases, becoming the most hostile of environments, and gardens may well end up being sanctuaries. This has already happened in parts of Britain.
As Joni Mitchell sang: "You don't know what you got till it's gone" !!!!

[davidnugent]

I totally agree.plant a tree and you cant go wrong.

[JennyS]

[davidnugent]

Thats true,but also there growing them on the east cost and in northern ireland,and im growing them in galway for the last eight years,.The First one is a cordyline indivisa in castlewellan,Below is a plant zone map of ireland,all of the plants will survive in zone 9 up wards and in zone 8 with winter protection in frost,none off the plants in these pics have never been protected and are surviving perfectly.

[davidnugent]

Here is a good web site www.growingontheedge.net there is a good few irish on it growing tropical plants the same as me,which is good to know that im not the only tropical nut around

[Sive]

Wow, David, you really do have a passion for all these plants......I wonder where you spent your previous lives ?? !!!! Somewhere warm, sunny and balmy, I daresay!

[davidnugent]

Proberly here in ireland befour the last ice age,when we were joined to europe and the country was warmer and full of tropical plants ,It`s amazing what goes around comes around. Watch out next ice age on the way