March 20th has been declared "climate crisis action day" by a laundry list of credible and quasi-credible (and some not so credible) groups. Tomorrow, concerned citizens will converge on the nation's capital to express their concern about human-fueled global warming. What's ironic here is that while they'll be protesting rising global temperatures, the sensitive palms in my back yard will remain wrapped in blankets, and heating cables, on the first day of Spring. I'm not here to say that the 8 billion humans who inhabit our planet aren't affecting the environment, but I'm curious to see how Al Gore, who is testifying before Congress today on this very topic, explains why temperatures are also rising on Mars, Jupiter and Pluto.
On another note, I've purchased two new palms. One, the European Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis) will be placed on the slope of my south facing front yard. This is a location that is very exposed, and dry - which should be suitable considering the natural range (arid Mediterranean regions) of this cold hardy palm. The specimen will likely need to be protected for at least 3 winters before I give it a try on its own.
The second palm is a Chinese Fan Palm ( Livistonia chinensis) - which will be placed in the back yard and will need full protection every winter, as its cold-hardiness is rather limited (probably much below 20 degrees F will do it in). The first Palm I ever purchased was a Chinese Fan Palm - probably about 25 years ago, so this will be a valuable addition to my collection, and a living tribute to a hobby that's been with me my entire adult life.
Here's the makeshift greenhouse I constructed last winter to ensure the survival of my prized Mexican Fan Palm. The Mexican Fan Palm is such a rapid grower that it will likely be taller than the garage next year...necessitating some creativity on my part when it comes to heating...
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