I’ve always been a huge fan of exotic plants—though I didn’t realize it at first. My idea of the perfect place has always been somewhere with a warm climate, plenty of sun, the sea, and landscapes filled with palm trees. Luckily, I live in a beautiful corner of the Mediterranean, close to the water. I’ve found that sunshine and the sea are a perfect remedy for many ailments. Nature, the sun, and the sea are among the best ways to enrich both body and soul.
At the beginning:
My garden sits in a small village on the central Adriatic, in USDA zone 9a. I plant only species hardy to zone 9a—able to tolerate minimum temperatures down to −7 °C (19 °F). The property has a lovely view of the surrounding islands, and one is so close you can easily swim to it. The garden covers about 1,800 square meters. To begin, it was necessary to clear the space of dense, overgrown vegetation.
The idea for my exotic garden began with tropical plants that couldn’t survive here without protection. The site is near the sea and sunny year-round: summers are hot and dry, winters are relatively mild with adequate rainfall. Temperatures rarely drop below freezing, but every few years winter can be surprisingly cold—brief dips to around −6 °C (about 21 °F) can be devastating.
My first big mistake was planting palms that weren’t suited to my hardiness zone—or were right on the edge of survival. I lost them all: Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, Archontophoenix alexandrae, Ravenea rivularis, Phoenix roebelenii, and, among others, Phoenix dactylifera, Livistona australis, Livistona chinensis, Syagrus romanzoffiana (queen palm), and Parajubaea torallyi. I may try Syagrus, Parajubaea, and P. dactylifera again, as they can sometimes make it here. Many plants were planted with optimism, but after winter frost and wind I had to dig them out and start over.
Lesson learned: I’ve stopped planting species for warmer zones. Because I don’t live at the garden full-time (it’s an hour from my home) and can’t protect plants well in winter, I now focus on species that thrive here without protection.
The terrain is arranged on two terraces. In the lower section I preserved beautiful, large gray rocks and designed the area primarily for cacti—though I eventually planted a few palms there as well.
Some of the exotic plants I’ve grown successfully include the following palms and companions: Phoenix canariensis × Phoenix reclinata; Phoenix sylvestris; Chamaerops humilis (including var. cerifera and var. vulcano); Washingtonia robusta; Brahea armata; Butia capitata; Cycas revoluta; Yucca elephantipes, Yucca rostrata, Yucca gloriosa, Yucca aloifolia; Dasylirion wheeleri; Echinocactus grusonii; Agave americana and Agave americana ‘Marginata’; Lagerstroemia indica; feijoa; bottlebrush (Callistemon viminalis); and olive (Olea europaea). I also grow Mediterranean citrus (lemon and clementine) and fruit trees such as fig (Ficus carica), plum (Prunus domestica), and Granny Smith apple (Malus domestica ‘Granny Smith’).
Due to the appearance of Palmkiller-RPW (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), which devastated palm trees and the area around me, I decided to reduce the planting of palm trees, and further concentrate more on the cacti, yuccas, and exotic bushes and trees. A special inspiration I received when I visited an exotic garden in Monaco. The garden is a warmer zone of mine, but a lot of wonderful species can grow as well in my garden.
