The Palm Centre

I was looking for a small palm tree and couldn’t find any at the local garden centre. Heard about this place on the radio and searched for it on the internet. If you are in the market for a palm for your garden, roof deck or balcony then the Palm Centre is the answer.
It’s in a beautifil location on the outskirts of Richmond, slightly tricky to find and has a huge stock of palms ranging from small plants to larger specimens.
They also have outdoor ferns, citrus plants, olive, bay trees and many other specimen plants to enhance your pad and create that feeling that you live in a tropical place, when really you don’t.
The staff were really friendly and very helpful in helping us select the right variety and wrapped it up tightly in plastic film for easier transportation.
We bought a few items and the prices were very reasonable and the quality of the plants is high. Now my neighbours are asking where I bought the palm tree from! This is it.

As a Japanese garden designer, I usually buy plants from a Japanese specialist nursery, but just for a change, I bought a bamboo from Palm Centre for my garden. The bamboo arrived in a very good condition. The plant was of high quality at a reasonable price including the transportation. This bamboo has grown better than the others and I am very happy with its performance. Last year, I saw beautifully-​maintained Japanese weeping pagoda trees at the opera house garden in Odessa, Ukraine, which inspired me a lot. I searched that tree in this country, but due to the past harsh climate years, it appeared extremely scarce. This shop is only one (as far as I knew) which was able to procure that unique tree. Unfortunately I did not buy it but found the capacity and capabilities of this garden centre quite good.

I ordered 2 palms online with Palm centre and I received the palm like 10 days later! I was surprised as there are located not far from my place. Anyway, I received a fantastic palm and the other one was half dying. Besides, they didn’t provide any advice of how to feed the palm. When I contact them to have further information I didn’t even get any reply from them. They just ignore me.
I have to find out not even on their website but in another one how to feed my palm. It’s very disappointing and I would never order again!

This is predominately a trade place but also open to the public. I often go there if i am seeking inspiration.
As the name suggests they specialise in Palms, ranging from tiny baby plants which you can lovingly nurture, and think In a few years given the right climate you will grow to be that size… or maybe not ;) Or if you are lacking the patience and wish to make an immediate impact in your garden then there are colossal size plants.
It is easy to get attached and over awed by their beauty and stature that you kind of forget the logistics of how you might possibly manœuvre such a fine specimen, a crane or forklift truck perhaps.
There is also a section for Bamboo plants which is one of my favourite places to stroll down, first eyeing the traditional Golden Bamboo but then been lured by the gleaming and seductive Black Bamboo with its wonderful architectural form. This is one plant where if you start with a nipper, it will grow and grow… until you have a pantomime cast on your doorstep requesting to rehearse there. It is a strong and exceptionally hardy plant and if your not careful will take over the garden in no time, which can be great if that is the desired effect, personally I prefer to contain their growth and show it whose boss… they still flourish.
Then there are the banana plants or Musa Basjoo very hardy and can quite happily flourish in our climate out doors. If planted correctly it will produce many babies which you can then transplant else where. I have successfully grown them to over 20ft, but I would add they do need shelter from the wind.
I obviously am not going to list the Palm Centres entire stock list, besides I don’t know it. They do though have a web-​site where you can browse.
If Palms or tropical plants do not stir your passion and your searching for something nearer to home. Then they have a wonderful selection of Olive trees, and as you look at these old trees you wonder what things they will have witnessed. Again it hard not to be taken by the larger plants and you might say to your partner, remember that holiday in sunny … you will both sigh, or one might mumble begrudgingly… but in the end you decide to find a home for this magnificent tree.
I have not given the Palm centre 5stars for two reasons, the first you have to pay for delivery, does not matter how much you spend. and secondly they will only deliver to the front gate… after that its your responsibility… there are ways round it. but that does urk me a tad.
However, I do still rate the place and if you are wanting something different, or your just about to create your garden then its worth going.
I should point out its not cheap. especially if your going for large plants. However its what i call a good investment and it can bring endless pleasure.