Phew! A Scented Garden
Clothespegs at the ready as you read about this
unconventional but apparently successful 'scented' garden. But don't
expect the perfume of flowers....
by Christian Toulza
Chamaerops No.28 Autumn 1997
When people find out that I like to grow Exotics,
they often ask me: "What is your garden like?" You see,
our region is famous for mimosa, jasmine, and orange. These trees
scent the air with beautiful perfume. So, people are usually confused
and surprised when I tell them about my "stinky" garden,
and they ask for an explanation, since they know that palms have
no scent.
My large garden lies in the south of France, on the
Northern Mediterranean coast, between the city of Perpignan and
the Spanish border. Lettuce and other early produce is raised in
the rich alluvial soil near rivers and streams. This soil would
be ideal and require no special care for growing palms. Unfortunately,
homes such as mine are often built in vineyard areas. Here the soil
is acidic, dry and compact. It is full of clay, littered with stones,
and has very little humus content.
The two basic elements that help me grow palms quickly
are watering and improving the soil. The expense of bringing humus
to a large garden is prohibitive, and good horse manure is rare.
In southern France we can use the residues of grape pressings, the
chips of crushed pruning wood, or the rich sludge from urban water
purification plants - human manure !
Even the smallest towns produce tons of sewage sludge
every week. Bulldozers push the sludge into small black mountains,
where it is left free for the taking. Most gardeners and farmers
are leery about using this free material. My wife, however, has
convinced me otherwise. She is a hygienist who looks after the staff
that filters and neutralizes the sludge. She has assured me that
the sludge muds are rich in nutrients and contain no harmful bacteria
or heavy metals. To be on the safe side, it is advisable to be vaccinated
against hepatitis and tetanus when handling the sludge, and it is
best not to use near wells or springs.
During summer, a truck dumps a load of sludge in our
garden, far from our house. The dry black pile, which looks like
volcanic gravel, is forgotten and left alone for the remainder of
the season. When the autumn rains start, we ask ourselves, "Where
is that awful stench coming from?" The black pile is now a
soft heap, giving off curls of stinking gas. The grass around the
heap is dark green and growing quickly. In two weeks it grows four
times taller than the rest of my garden grass.
Now there is no time to waste. We gather the rich
sludge as it is releasing great spirals of ammonia into the air,
and we use it abundantly: two wheel barrows full for each Phoenix
canariensis. Then we plough and bury the sludge in the earth. The
nasty smell disappears.
In winter, in spite of the heavy rains and the clay
soil, the Phoenix stay green and do not yellow as they did before.
During the spring and summer they grow vigorously, setting new large
fronds. By late summer, our fifty Phoenix are gorgeous and the air
is pure !
The sewage sludge has been very effective because
it releases nitrogen into the soil for months, but we have also
noted several additional benefits: the soil warms more quickly because
it is darker in colour and lighter in weight; water evaporates at
a slower rate; earthworms are abundant; the soil is softer and less
sticky because of the sands use to filter the sludge.
We now use the sludge every year for all our thirty palm species.
When we plant new palm tree we put 1 to 3 barrowfulls into the hole
(I dig large holes) and add Potassic soria (0. 10. 20). Then in
early March and October we add one half to one barrowful mixed with
weeds in the earth. When the soil is warm, from May to September,
I add two handfuls of complete fertilizer: (15. 5. 20. 2).
If you are visiting the Perpignan area, you are welcome
to come and see how we grow gorgeous palms in an arid landscape.
Then you can be the judge: striking oasis or "stinky "
garden ?
Since I have written about my Stinky garden, I have
learnt that some palms have another charm: their flowers are fragrant
and sometimes attract bees. Roystoneas and some Sabals seem to have
these characteristics. Do you know any palms that are hardy, fragrant
and attractive to bees? Really, they would be great for my oasis
and my bees!

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02-02-23 - 11:11GMT
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What's New? |
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New palm book |
Date: 24-05-2004 |

An Encyclopedia
of Cultivated Palms
by Robert Lee Riffle, Paul Craft. |
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New: Issue 48 |
Date: 24-05-2004 |
Chamaerops
48
has been published in the Members Area. |
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Archive complete! |
Date: 03-12-2002 |
All Chamaerops issues can now be found in the archive:
More than 350 articles are on-line! |
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Issues 13 to 16 |
Date: 28-08-2002 |
Chamaerops mags 13,
14,
15
and 16
have been added to the members area. More than 250 articles are now online! |
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42 as free pdf-file |
Date: 05-08-2002 |
Free
Download! Chamaerops No. 42 can be downloaded for free to intruduce the new layout and size to
our visitors |
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Issues 17 to 20 |
Date: 23-07-2002 |
Chamaerops mags 17,
18,
19
and 20
have been added to the members area. Now 218 articles online! |
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Book List |
Date: 28-05-2001 |
Take
a look at our brand new Book List edited by Carolyn Strudwick |
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New Book |
Date: 25-01-2001 |
'Palmen
in Mitteleuropa'
by Mario Stähler
This german book tells you all about how to cultivate your palms in Central Europe. more... |
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