palms

You may want to try protecting them, put them in a greenhouse or wrap them in fleece. Read up on the variety, it will give you plenty of clues about hardiness.

They originate from Brazil so their idea climate is warmer than ours, but a company based in the UK does sell them. We have had some really bad weather conditions this year so that may have been the reason for your latest disappointment. I suggest wrapping up the trunk with fleece, stuffing some straw inside and tying at the top around the bottom of the leaves next to the trunk. I would keep them in a pot personally and transport them to a really sheltered warm spot in the garden, do not give them any water over the Winter period until about March, make sure your soil has plenty of drainage from grit. I wouldn't give up on them, but there are more hardy varieties out there which are very similar. There are a few varieties of Butia out there which could be hardier than Butia Odorata (Bonita). It may be worth contacting this place which sells them in this country

http://www.palmsandexotics.co.uk/plants/palms.asp

The only hardy palm for the UK is Trachycarpus fortunei. All the others would need a mild winter or greenhouse protection. You may need to treat them as annuals if you have nowhere for them to overwinter. It is often the damp and not the cold that sees them off. Also, in UK climate they do not get an early enough Spring.

Don't agree. All forms of trachy are hardy in the UK even T. princeps. As are also all forms of Chamaerops humilis, in fact they are hardier than trachies. I've got several. I also grow Washingtonia filifera, without fleecing outside in Yorkshire, and several P. canariensis (pictures on my page). The B. odarata, in common with the B. capitata is hardy to -10oC (after all it is only a var. on capitata) so fleeced should be OK even in Cheshire. I take it that you are fleecing the top Googie as well as mulching the base? Are they in a windy (even if sheltered) position? Wind chill has a lot to do with it. Can you give us more details on the micro-climate?

John.

I also grow T. Fortunei and P. Caneriensis. I have even seen the Cycads growing quite big where I live. If you are concerned that they might not make it through the Winter where you live then wrap it up or put it in a large pot and transport it into your Greenhouse if you have one. The larger it gets the more likely it will survive cold conditions.

Whoops. Sorry Andrea, I missed that until you mentioned it. How big are these plants when you buy them Googie?

John.