Besides shoveling all the cinder and gravel, I obviously enjoy watching the palms and other plants flourish. Here are a couple of photos comparing the newly planted baby palm with the palm today.
The Metroxylon amicarum next to my front gate was planted in December 2013 from a 5 gallon pot. The palm is growing into a monster after nearly seven years, but has not quite started to trunk yet. Over the years I have tried and failed to germinate dozens of M. amicarum seeds. This spring I finally hit the jackpot with one. I already have a spot in the garden reserved for it once it has a few more leaves.
I got the Corypha umbraculifera as a seedling at the February 2017 HIPS banquet. I was warned that they are super slow growers, but I was motivated by photos of large trees. After three years it is beginning to take off opening a new frond about every five weeks. It is almost five feet high. At this rate it should start to become an eye-catcher in another few years.