By Yorkshire Kris – Exotic Gardening Every autumn, I take time to check in on one of my favorite long-term garden experiments — my row of Trachycarpus palm trees , all planted more than ten years ago  along the south-facing fence line of my garden. This lineup includes nearly every Trachycarpus species you can think of, from wagnerianus  and fortunei  to the rarer oreophilus  and geminisectus . This year’s report brings both successes and a bit of sadness , as one of the spec

🌿 Welcome to Exotic Gardening Weekly Hi, I’m Kris— and welcome back to Exotic Gardening Weekly ! If you’ve recently bought a red banana  ( Ensete ventricosum , also known as the Ethiopian or Abyssinian banana*), you’re probably wondering what to do with it once the weather turns cold. These stunning tropical plants create a bold statement in any garden, but they’re not frost-hardy , so they’ll need protection through the winter months. In this guide, we’ll go step-by-step t

It’s that time of year again — mid-October — and the garden is starting to wind down. The days are shorter, the nights are colder, and I know it’s time to start thinking about overwintering my tropical and exotic plants . This post (and video) walks you through my full overwintering regime for the 2025–2026 season , step by step — from lifting tender plants to protecting hardy exotics. Whether you grow bananas, cannas, or palms, this guide will help you protect your plants t

When I think of tropical gardens, I usually picture Bali or Barbados — not a garden in Lincolnshire . But that’s before you’ve seen...