Tuesday, January 21, 2014

The Exotic Garden Revival

Just before Christmas and in the first two weeks of January a series of gardening programs were shown on BBC2 called The Great British Garden Revival and one of the topics they covered was Exotic Gardening. The series had ten episodes with each episode covering two areas of gardening that they reckon needs reviving in the British culture. So doing the maths that's twenty gardening topics or areas getting a thirty minute slot each.


There have been very few new gardening programs on British television lately so the idea of seeing a new gardening program is enough reason alone to be a little bit excited about it. But as you can imagine it was the exotic gardening part that we anticipated the most.


I won't go into too much detail reviewing or critiquing the show, there are other journalistic blogs out there who specialise in that sort of thing wherein they can be as praiseful or acid about the show much to their heart's content. For opinion's sake though I would say that...

The show on the whole and the exotic gardening section was enjoyable to watch and entertaining. If you haven't seen it yet but have the chance to then by all means do so. But if you don't, fret not and don't lose sleep over it, you haven't missed much either.

In the exotic gardening feature, one thing that did stood out for me was the over simplification of the process. But what can you expect from a one off thirty minute program covering a very broad subject matter? Certainly not a portion highlighting the difference between Xanthorrhoea glauca and Xanthorrhoea preisseii...

Neither of us are right type of audience that needs convincing that exotic gardening needs reviving. After all, we're both deep into this style of gardening and year in year out we wave the flag and do our share in promoting it. I'd say we were never the intended target audience for such a program in the first place. But it did get me thinking...

Does exotic gardening need reviving in the first place?

Yes it does as it did go into decline. But not because of the general reasons that were mentioned in the program but rather because of far more serious matters that had happened recently.

This time, coming not from a television presenter and their sometimes misguided researchers but from two amateurs that actually do exotic gardening....

The exotic gardening scene in the UK was robustly alive, at its peak, and thrived so well, from the nineties until the latter part of the noughties. The community of exotic gardeners were vibrant and more and more people were getting interested in this style. But towards the end of the noughties it suffered two major blows that sent this particular approach to gardening into a temporary decline:

The recession;

And the succession of harsher winters, the worst of which was winter 2010-11.



But before these two blows arrived, what was it like the last time exotic gardening did so well? Now let me remind you...

This was an era wherein winters had been mild and the economy was doing well. It was also a period wherein China and Vietnam had opened their doors and became more lenient with botanists and plant collectors, hence paving the way for even more new and never before seen plants to come in to the western hemisphere, on top of the already established set of exotic plants from the southern hemisphere (South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand especially). Now these areas have climates that are closest to ours, if not colder depending on the altitude of the plant origin, hence adding to the appeal of them, of new exotic plants being potentially very applicable to UK (and areas of similar climate) gardens. 

More importantly, this was an era that mild winters had been the norm and more and more plants that were previously not able to cope with 'traditional' British winters outside thrived in that period. Gardeners continued to experiment with borderline hardy plants and success rate was high. Plants that previously had been regarded as bedding before, grew into architectural forms and fascinated increasing numbers of people. Nurseries continued to develop and discover new varieties and cultivars of these borderline hardy plants, and the market for them were steadily increasing.

Tall, multi headed Cordyline australis became part of the norm for many British gardens, and for those seeking something more unusual you can also buy the likes of a Cordyline 'Jurassic Jade' and plethora of other named varieties. It was that kind of era.


It was also an era that the economy was booming, and a majority of people with employment felt more secure and better off. There was more spare money floating around to spend on frivolous things such as....plants. Especially exotic ones. The bigger the better. Property prices were booming and continued to rise. This made the business of property development very lucrative and people took more interest in improving their homes, both inside and out as putting on the right changes would have paid dividends in increasing the value of ones house into many folds. People moved around a lot more often too, riding on the sudden surge of property equity and finding themselves upgrading from one house to another, bigger and better each time.

Hence this was the era of property makeover shows, both interior and exterior. The interest of the viewing public in improving the house and garden were at an all time high. There were a plethora of garden makeover programs on tv all proclaiming that by making your garden look better and putting in improvements made a house increase in value and more saleable. 

And with these garden makeover shows, more often than not designers used architectural plants to provide instant impact and pleasing changes to the gardens they had put their hands on to. And more often than not, these architectural, instant impact plants were exotic plants.


And the more exposure these exotic plants got, the more people got drawn and hooked into this style. One moment they are staring at an Ensete ventricosun 'Maurelii', or perhaps a Phyllostachys aurea, Trachycarpus fortunei even, and throw Agave americana too for good measure. Relatively inexpensive plants and readily available. The next moment they're considering putting in a special order for a one metre trunked Butia eriospatha.

Exotic gardening then was going from strength to strength and so were the nurseries catering to such style of gardening.

But came the recession and the trilogy of harsher winters. And to make matters worst, they both came at the same time.

And so the recession came and suddenly the financial security of many people was shaken to the core. Debt and borrowing was high. Companies and business were closing left, right, and centre. People were being made redundant and losing their jobs. Property prices started to plummet. And for a period people simply stopped unnecessary spending.

Bad news for business, and that included the plant nursery trade.


And then throw in to the mix, the series of harsher winters. So many exotic gardens were devastated by this successive harsh winters. At the worst of it nearly all Cordyline australis were cut back down to the ground. Some Trachycarpus fortunei were killed off in northern parts of the country. So many large and expensive specimens were wiped out in those three winters. Confidence in exotic gardening had plummeted, even amongst its die hard enthusiasts. Disheartened by the losses in their garden, some exotic gardeners never did replace the ones they lost, for a fear of losing another one again, and on the whole became more reluctant to spend.

Unfortunately, it was not just the gardens that suffered losses but the nursery trade too. Heating an entire growing site is not always feasible if not downright impossible. Nor is it always economically viable. So many stocks were lost in those three winters and entire collections and propagating materials being wiped out were not unheard of. So many rare and unusual plants were lost during that period, some forms would presumably take a long time to return to UK cultivation. It was at this time that one nursery told us of their aim to heat a greenhouse up to the balmy temperatures of -3C.

The loss of stocks had set back many nurseries and some struggled to make a decent living, particularly those who had imported plants from warmer climates often on credit terms. How could these nurseries make money when they had such stock losses? And with the recession not many people were buying. And those who can still had the resources often faced a reduction in choice. 

Loss of stocks, no income, and we saw so many nurseries close down in the past few years and some of the ones remaining, struggling.

Double trouble and suffer the exotic gardening!


This decline however is temporary. We believe that the popularity of exotic gardening will be revived and regain its former glory.

First of all, with devastation comes adaptation. Those who continued to persevere with this style of gardening have adapted and learned their lessons and as a result, continue to have good looking gardens that are just as good, if not better than what they had before.

And the signs of recovery from recession is starting to creep up and looks like property prices are increasing again. Which could mean a resurgence in home and garden makeover shows, etc. And the cycle continues...

As for the winters, well it's looking like we're in for a mild one temperature wise this time but to be honest, better safe than sorry. Three bad winters is enough reminder never to be too complacent and base your garden in a mostly borderline hardy planting scheme. There are so many hardy substitutes out there that are able to give that exotic, jungle style look with the risk of winter death very minimal. Experiment and roll the dice too of course, you might get lucky for years and years and it's in experimentation that gardeners learn which ones are a lot tougher (or not) than first perceived.

A question of money and finance, is exotic gardening an expensive style of gardening? Do you have to fork out loads of cash to have the look you desire?

The answer is no, not at all. It is completely possible to have an exotic garden even on a tight budget. Not all exotic and exotic looking plants are expensive, in fact most of them are not. And for some plants, you can always start from small as some of them size up relatively quick.


But if you let it, it can be a very expensive style of gardening, just like any other type of discipline or hobby. On bigger and rarer specimens, you may have to flash the cash in order to obtain them. That's just the way it is. But you are definitely in control, you can have it as inexpensive or as costly as you want it to be.

And now back to the title, will we see a revival in exotic gardening soon? Maybe not too soon but surely we will. Not because of a TV show but because of the passion of those who remain loyal to this style of gardening who may in turn help inspire others. This exotic gardening bug is very infectious after all, and with economic recovery the spread of which can go into all time high again.

Mark :-)

24 comments :

  1. I for one am now keen on exotics as I really slime big foliage but I am looking for hardy plants.

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    1. You won't be short on choices Helen, there are loads of hardy plants out there with big foliage.

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  2. Thoroughly enjoyable read thanks Mark. I had never really appreciated that Exotic gardening had ever been that popular except in late Victorian times. On thinking about it a bit more I realise that the Myles Challis books on exotic gardening were in the era you mention and he probably did more than any one else to cause a resurgence.
    Please do not promote the exotic theme too much as it could become common and that would just not do -)

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    1. Thanks Don! I think Myles Challis did contribute a lot to the resurgence of the popularity of exotic gardening in that period, on top of everything else that made it conducive to be so. The popularity wasn't in the same fashion (nor as high) as it was in Victorian era, it was on a different plane but high enough to sustain a profitable influx of so many rare, unusual, and large specimens. Those were the days!

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  3. Interesting post, Mark! I think you make good points about the impact of economic and climatic forces on gardening interests. Five to ten years ago there were quite a few good gardening shows on TV here in the US - these days, what's left is focused on garden rooms that have little to nothing to do with plants or gardening as an avocation. And we too have seen one independent nursery after another close their doors, leaving us with mostly cookie-cutter garden centers. I'm already wondering how this year's "polar vortex" may impact gardeners in the US and, locally, how what may be the worst drought California has faced yet may affect nursery offerings and, of necessity, my own plant choices.

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    1. Thanks Kris! We were actually wondering the same, about the effects of the recent polar vortex there and the drought on gardens and nursery trade, we were even talking about it in the car a couple of days ago. With regards to nurseries, yes there is also the issue of unfair competition from big chains that makes it extra difficult for independent nurseries to sustain their business.

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  4. I'm currently trying to make my garden here have a touch of exotic...but where I live it's pretty damn difficult. I'm mostly trying to accomplish it using super hardy araliaceous plants since they're about the most exotic thing that will survive our absurdly cold winters. We'll see if the Fargesia makes it... I'm always so jealous of the style of gardening you two achieve, in a way your exotic garden has been a big inspiration to my own garden. Maybe exotic styled gardens will start to kick off over here next?

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    1. That'll be great if it did Tom! There are so many very hardy and exotic looking plants out there that can give that 'exotic effect' that you can use in your garden. Selection may be a bit limited but it's definitely still possible :)

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  5. Fascinating post! The industry has suffered here as well because of economic woes and stiff competition from big box stores who treat plants as a loss leader to get people to buy other things. The "tropicalismo" movement is not finished but it isn't as popular as it once was. It will be interesting to see what the next 10 years bring.

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    1. Thanks Peter! Tropicalismo, I remember that book of the same name :) There is a parallel between events here and what transpired there. Very very similar with only the time scale slightly different. Popularity has waned but it'll be interesting to see what the next 10 years will bring indeed.

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    2. Popular or not, Tropicalismo is my kind of gardening on the edge in the sub-tropical Gulf South. A winter like the present one will weed out some 'iffy' plants. Others will rise from their roots. Those of us commited to starting over and willing to strike cuttings do not really mind..

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  6. This was a very interesting read. You've got me thinking about parallels here in the US, mainly the ones noted by the Outlaw and Kris, as well as the 2008/9 and 09/10 winters here in the Pacific NW. There will always be the die hards (no matter how much death we suffer) but we alone can't keep the great nurseries in business long term.

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    1. Glad to hear that Loree :) There is a huge similarity indeed between what happened there and here. Occurence of harsher winters may have been slightly on different times but recession certainly was global. And yes you're right, we alone can't sustain the nursery business long term, there are so many factors affecting them. But in our own little way we can certainly help!

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  7. I'm always surprised at what all you are able to do for your exotic gardens. A lot is true dedication though for your plants that you keep potted and having your greenhouse. It is worth the effort though as your gardens always look so lush and lovely.
    Cher Sunray Gardens

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    1. Thanks Cher :) If there's a will there's a way!

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  8. Yes, I have seen those who bitch the gardening programmes, I think some of them have their heads too far up their own arse. Mind you if I want an exotic fix, I just nip over here.

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    1. Glad you visit our blog for an exotic fix every so often Alistair! Some of these reviews can be amusing to read but also sends signals to producers and tv companies that they should be more thorough and more careful now about the quality of programmes they produce. With the rise of internet and social media, the viewing audience now has a louder voice and more means to express their opinions.

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  9. Good analysis! And I'm sure you're right about a comeback - exotic plants just have so much impact, I think they're what get a lot of people interested. What made me laugh about the Great Garden Revival episode was James Wong saying (this is probably not quite verbatim, but it's close) "And it takes no more time that having an immaculate lawn and weedless flower beds". And we all know how much time THAT takes!

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    1. Thanks Helen! The oversimplification of the process and the effort needed in exotic gardening did stand out for us but we've given it some leeway as saying that it is hard work could put off people as well. And yes, an immaculate lawn and weed less beds takes a lot of time and effort to be as such. There's no such thing as low or no maintenance garden, a good looking garden at least but as long as one enjoys the process then that's the important bit.

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  10. I want to echo what others have already said: a great analysis indeed! Here in the U.S., the recession closed more nurseries than I care to even think about. Northern California lost nurseries that had been main stays of the gardening community for many decades. So sad. While the real estate market has come roaring back, those independent nurseries haven't. All many cities have are the gardening centers attached to the big home improvement chains. And unfortunately, all too many homeowners are happy with their run-of-the-mill selection. We need gardening to become a mainstream activity, much like it is in the UK. Then independent and specialty nurseries will become economically viable.

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    1. Thanks Gerhard! The recession took so many nurseries down as an aftermath and has affected so many parts of the world. Interesting to see the parallels to what happened here and there, the similarity and differences. The competition between large chains and independent nurseries is another tricky issue that is affecting the industry and it's pretty much the same situation here.

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  11. Excellent post guys, and much as I enjoyed the plant porn and sight of so many different presenters, far more informative than the tv series. There again, I wasn't exactly the target audience either! I suspect wwe are all going to have to acept that we face hughly variable and more extreme weather in all seasons, and will have to adapt our gardening accordingly. I keep thinkig of all those nurseries that lost trees in the gales. In fact I am wondering if that's why my plum trees haven't arrived, I really must phone about that...

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    1. Thanks Janet! It also crossed my mind how the nurseries affected by the recent storms will be especially those who lost field grown trees. Hopefully not that bad. And hopefully your plum tree will turn up soon!

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  12. We're fortunate to still have great choice of plants at our wholesale and retail nurseries here in the SF Bay Area, and exotic/subtropical/tropicalismo/subtropical desert styles have always had their fans here in coastal California. Mixing and matching from all the plants we can grow here in our generally balmy zone 9b/10a climate has been my personal design style for the past 30 years, with a personal twist from tropical cloudforest visits, living in both Southeast Asia and Brazil, and botanical tourism in South Africa, Mexico and the Mediterranean basin. More worrisome locally is the distinct possibility that the last few years of extremely dry winters are our new normal. Anything that requires irrigation year round may no longer be sustainable. It definitely has me concentrating on drought tolerant designs, and the need to pare down my 100's if not a 1000 of container plants. Maybe it's not a bad thing to have to reign in my collecting proclivities, and get these plants into the ground and favorite design client's gardens.
    David in Berkeley, California

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