Driving through Twickenham yesterday and near the Green there was a
Paulownia in perfect full flower, my wife exclaimed " that can't be a
Jacaranda", but it did look that good.
Most gardeners seem to coppice them annually so they get the huge leaves but
maybe it's better to let them grow if you have the room. It's obviously
taken what the last few winters have thrown at it and survived well.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK

On 2013-05-21 23:07:54 +0100, Bob Hobden said:

Driving through Twickenham yesterday and near the Green there was a
Paulownia in perfect full flower, my wife exclaimed " that can't be a
Jacaranda", but it did look that good.
Most gardeners seem to coppice them annually so they get the huge
leaves but maybe it's better to let them grow if you have the room.
It's obviously taken what the last few winters have thrown at it and
survived well.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK



Ray was told they're grown as street trees in Moscow where it's the
leaves they go for. We don't know if that's true but it does show
they're tougher than one might suppose, if this is the case.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
Driving through Twickenham yesterday and near the Green there was a
Paulownia in perfect full flower, my wife exclaimed " that can't be a
Jacaranda", but it did look that good.
Most gardeners seem to coppice them annually so they get the huge leaves
but maybe it's better to let them grow if you have the room. It's
obviously taken what the last few winters have thrown at it and survived
well.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK


Mine is having a really good year this year, only problem we ever have is
someone (me) planted a large bamboo too close and in high winds it whacks
the flower buds off over winter!!

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

You need a lot of room. Also it can be difficult to see the flowers unless you have a vantage point from a raised location, or can get a long way back from it.

There was a large Paulownia I knew at university in the 80s and it flowered fine after the cold winter of 1981/2 when temps fell locally to about -15C. Given its maturity if must have come through the cold winters of the early 60s too.

It grows in a continental climate so it is used to cold winters. What is good about it is that it flowers and grows well even in the cool summers of Britain, whereas many trees from continental climates don't do well unless you give them a hot summer, however winter hardy they may be.

On 2013-05-22 10:13:33 +0100, Charlie Pridham said:

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
Driving through Twickenham yesterday and near the Green there was a
Paulownia in perfect full flower, my wife exclaimed " that can't be a
Jacaranda", but it did look that good.
Most gardeners seem to coppice them annually so they get the huge
leaves but maybe it's better to let them grow if you have the room.
It's obviously taken what the last few winters have thrown at it and
survived well.

-- Regards
Bob Hobden
Posting to this Newsgroup
from the W.of London. UK


Mine is having a really good year this year, only problem we ever have
is someone (me) planted a large bamboo too close and in high winds it
whacks the flower buds off over winter!!

Ours died quite a few years ago and we keep talking about planting
another and never doing it. I've just thought of a place that might do
where an Embothrium died in a very cold spell a couple of years ago.
Must remember to talk to The Boss about it!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On Wed, 22 May 2013 11:33:56 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2013-05-22 10:13:33 +0100, Charlie Pridham said:

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
Driving through Twickenham yesterday and near the Green there was a
Paulownia in perfect full flower, my wife exclaimed " that can't be a
Jacaranda", but it did look that good.
Most gardeners seem to coppice them annually so they get the huge
leaves but maybe it's better to let them grow if you have the room.
It's obviously taken what the last few winters have thrown at it and
survived well.

As chance would have it, I took a sandwich to the gardens at Trocadero at
lunchtime. The Paulownia (I think Imperialis) line the fountains and are
dotted through the gardens. They're in full bloom at the mo, fabulous,
there are some very large ones. I put a couple of pics (on the wife's
account) at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9158563...th/8785370510/

telephone pics so the colours aren't very good, but they are lovely.
Interesting there are a number of newly planted ones, clearly they're
replacing as they go.




--
Gardening in Lower Normandy

On 2013-05-22 14:37:22 +0100, Emery Davis said:

On Wed, 22 May 2013 11:33:56 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2013-05-22 10:13:33 +0100, Charlie Pridham said:

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...
Driving through Twickenham yesterday and near the Green there was a
Paulownia in perfect full flower, my wife exclaimed " that can't be a
Jacaranda", but it did look that good.
Most gardeners seem to coppice them annually so they get the huge
leaves but maybe it's better to let them grow if you have the room.
It's obviously taken what the last few winters have thrown at it and
survived well.

As chance would have it, I took a sandwich to the gardens at Trocadero at
lunchtime. The Paulownia (I think Imperialis) line the fountains and are
dotted through the gardens. They're in full bloom at the mo, fabulous,
there are some very large ones. I put a couple of pics (on the wife's
account) at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9158563...th/8785370510/

telephone pics so the colours aren't very good, but they are lovely.
Interesting there are a number of newly planted ones, clearly they're
replacing as they go.

Fabulous trees & the pics give a good idea of what mature ones look like.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

"Sacha" wrote

Emery Davis said:

Sacha wrote:

Charlie Pridham said:

"Bob Hobden" wrote
Driving through Twickenham yesterday and near the Green there was a
Paulownia in perfect full flower, my wife exclaimed " that can't be a
Jacaranda", but it did look that good.
Most gardeners seem to coppice them annually so they get the huge
leaves but maybe it's better to let them grow if you have the room.
It's obviously taken what the last few winters have thrown at it and
survived well.

As chance would have it, I took a sandwich to the gardens at Trocadero at
lunchtime. The Paulownia (I think Imperialis) line the fountains and are
dotted through the gardens. They're in full bloom at the mo, fabulous,
there are some very large ones. I put a couple of pics (on the wife's
account) at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9158563...th/8785370510/

telephone pics so the colours aren't very good, but they are lovely.
Interesting there are a number of newly planted ones, clearly they're
replacing as they go.

Fabulous trees & the pics give a good idea of what mature ones look like.


Drove past again today coming back from the Isabella Plantation in Richmond
Park and had my camera with me this time. Saw three other ones in flower
today Sunbury way but none as big as this one.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhobd...7633575934049/

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 2013-05-22 16:44:05 +0100, Bob Hobden said:

"Sacha" wrote

Emery Davis said:

Sacha wrote:

Charlie Pridham said:

"Bob Hobden" wrote
Driving through Twickenham yesterday and near the Green there was a
Paulownia in perfect full flower, my wife exclaimed " that can't be a
Jacaranda", but it did look that good.
Most gardeners seem to coppice them annually so they get the huge
leaves but maybe it's better to let them grow if you have the room.
It's obviously taken what the last few winters have thrown at it and
survived well.

As chance would have it, I took a sandwich to the gardens at Trocadero at
lunchtime. The Paulownia (I think Imperialis) line the fountains and are
dotted through the gardens. They're in full bloom at the mo, fabulous,
there are some very large ones. I put a couple of pics (on the wife's
account) at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9158563...th/8785370510/

telephone pics so the colours aren't very good, but they are lovely.
Interesting there are a number of newly planted ones, clearly they're
replacing as they go.

Fabulous trees & the pics give a good idea of what mature ones look like.


Drove past again today coming back from the Isabella Plantation in
Richmond Park and had my camera with me this time. Saw three other ones
in flower today Sunbury way but none as big as this one.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobhobd...7633575934049/

Wow! It looks particularly exotic in that location. Wonderful specimen.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk