Sunken Fire Pit Update 2023 - Raised Beds, Rare Palms & Desert Planting!

Today’s video is the long-awaited update to my Fire Pit series, my biggest sunken patio and raised exotic / Mediterranean bed garden build project! Progress has been slower this year but I’m excited to share with you what I’ve been working on and reveal the garden transformation so far. The atmosphere is really starting to develop now I’ve got some more of my sculptural, drought-tolerant and tough Yuccas, Agaves, rare hybrid palms and other annuals in the ground and growing away – the general theme is desert / arid / Mediterranean with a bit of a naturalistic and coastal edge. If you want some hardy exotic plant ideas and garden theme inspiration for sunny borders and sandy / stony well-drained gardens then look no further! From a huge specimen Olive tree to tough and hardy palms and a selection of striking yuccas, my goal was to create an area of planting that can be really enjoyed and give the wow factor in summer but with the toughness to not depend on winter protection and summer watering. There might just be a couple of planting surprises and design evolutions though, including the planting of an ultra-rare palm you might not have seen before… I hope you enjoy the garden transformation so far and please leave me a comment if you’ve got any ideas or suggestions on how I can make it even better!

0:00 Intro
0:37 My biggest garden project – the story so far
1:21 Life update / excuses / unnecessary monologue
6:15 My spring garden project progress - raised beds plus palm & yucca planting
8:21 U.K. tropical style garden project - sunken seating area & fire pit tour
12:09 Desert island border - Jubaea chilensis & Mediterranean sun-loving plants
15:37 Exotic plant bank / raised bed with colourful succulents & huge palms
19:10 Cold-hardy hybrid palms & a rare Butyagrus eriospatha feather palm
21:54 Chamaerops humilis 'Vulcano' & Jubutia hybrid feather palm specimens
22:24 George's Jungle Garden Fire Pit & sunken patio project progress reveal
23:04 Tough and cold hardy yucca plants for hot, dry & drought-tolerant gardens
29:00 Building a raised bed to improve drainage for exotic & tropical style plants in full sun
35:46 Yucca linearis / linearifolia - stunning and incredibly hardy exotic specimen plant
37:06 Desert palms, sedums, Agave ovatifolia & Kniphofia northiae in raised gravel bed
45:12 Fast growing evergreen Eucalyptus trees for small & large gardens - huge growth rate!
48:48 Cordyline australis winter damage, recovery and dead Butia odorata
54:19 Beautiful scented roses for wildlife and summer colours - yes, really!
57:45 Yucca rostrata 'Blue Swan', red hot pokers, arid planting & olive tree

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