Michael's garden is located in Wuppertal, Germany, at an altitude of 150m on a northern slope. It is about 1000 square meters large and contains common garden areas and exotic parts. Among some of the many exotic plants that Michael grows is; Chamaerops humilis, Eucalyptus gunnii, Opuntia ssp., Yucca rostrata, Yucca filamentosa (the real one!), Yucca flaccida, Yucca gloriosa (various forms), Yucca recurvifolia (various forms) and Nolina ssp.

Besides the garden in Wuppertal, does Michael run a nursery "Tropengarten" with greenhouses near Düsseldorf, at a little village called Haan, about 15 km from his home and trial garden.

Yucca rostrata in Michael's garden.
Photo by Michael Lorek ©2000-2005

Here is a picture of some of Michael's Yuccas at the entrance to his house.
Photo by Michael Lorek ©2001-2005

Here is a picture of Michael's Chamaerops humilis and Trachycarpus fortunei, the 4 meter tall tree at the corner of the house is a Eucalyptus gunnii.
Photo by Michael Lorek ©2001-2005

The inner-city micro climate indicates an occasional minimum temperature of below -10°C. In 1997 this part of Germany had a very hard winter with a new all time record; one night was  -22°C, with an average temperature between -10°C and -18°C over two weeks and 0,5m deep frozen soil. The average year's temp. is 9,5°C. It's a humid climate on the borderline between maritime and continental climate. Therefore they sometimes have periods of severe drought frost periods over 1 or 2 weeks. But commonly their winters are mild ones.

Tropengarten
Dr. Michael Lorek
Grillparzer Weg 35a
D-42289 Wuppertal
Germany
0202/624433