One person I know is looking to get rid of their palm tree, as it doesn’t fit well with the cottage they live in. Another is looking to do a garden makeover with palms. I think I have the solution!

Buried within everything else here is the palm tree. I’ve no idea how to proceed with this, so do some research online. While some people say they can’t be moved [without dying], I suspect they can if you’re quite careful. It’s sometimes wise to remove some of the branches before moving as this stresses the tree less, reduces the moisture lost through evaporation, etc

Here is the palm halfway through getting it out of the ground. As I said I’ve never dealt with palms before and don’t know what to expect, so we start by digging a hole which is much larger than the root system. To my surprise there’s less root than I expected there to be (which is good in this case), although the heavy clay soil may have had something to do with it.

After a very careful drive (mainly through back-lanes) we arrive at the palm’s final resting place. The new owner said they would take care of it from then on, planting and watering etc.

Here it is in it’s new surroundings. Happy days!

Update: Seven months later I’m invited to the new owner’s house, and the tree is still looking good!