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...

Unusual autumn fruits. Akebia. As September deepens and the evenings grow cooler, I can feel the garden shifting. The wind whips through...

Hello and welcome back to Exotic Gardening with Yorkshire Kris ! Normally you’ll find me out in the garden sharing how I overwinter my...

If you’ve been gardening for a while, you’ve probably heard this advice a hundred times: “Never put a small plant in a big pot — it’ll...

Wide shot of the garden showing lush foliage, towering palms, and vegetable vines Introduction: Where Jungle Meets Kitchen Garden What...

How much?!?! Very often we can spend lots of money on our garden. New plants can be hard to resist when visiting nursery or garden...

So we've just had our first real blast of winter with temperatures dropping below zero right across the UK with temperatures dipping to...

Well it's been far milder than the average autumn with October and November being frost free here and very mild on most days AND nights. ...

So first things first. I've rather neglected these blog posts after I started them a year ago. I did start with the intention of doing...

This is a Calla Lilly Zantedeschia, which we grow next to the pond. It flowers in May, June and sporadically throughout the rest of the...

There's an essential part of the exotic garden that are overlooked, and they are the evergreen shrubs and small trees. These humble "in...

I have an exotic garden which means I grow palm trees. Like most people who grow exotic plants and want to try growing palm trees, the...

Wow! This is my first blog post in around 5 years! I no longer use my old blogger blog. Instead I've started this new website where...