Hardy Palms, Cannes 1869-70

Gilbert Nabonnand 1829-1903,
and his sons Paul Nabonnand 1860-1937, Clement Nabonnand 1864-1949.

Invited to the village of Cannes by Lord Brougham. Gilbert laid out many of the villas established by Brougham's friends on the Côte d'Azur. (Villa Saint-Georges, Villa Laura Parc Bruny, Château Aboucas…) The establishment of the Villa Eléonore by the first Lord Brougham and Vaux in 1834 started a vogue for the attractions of Cannes among the anglo-aristocracy. The rose garden at Lord Brougham's Villa Eleonore was planned in 1865 by the noted horticulturist and gardener, Gilbert Nabonnand.

En 1864, Lord Brougham and Vaux l’ayant fait venir sur la Côte-d’Azur, il [Gilbert Nabonnand]créa au Golfe-Juan un établissement horticole qui ne tarda pas à prendre un très grand développement.

L'Illustration Horticole

Hardy Palms grown in open air and in pots suffered -6ºc without damage
Phoenix reclinata
Brahea dulcis
Chamaerops excelsa
Chamaerops arborea
Chamaerops Fortunei
Chamaerops Ghisbreghtii
Chamaerops humilis
Chamaerops Palmetto
Chamaerops macrocarpa
Corypha australis
Corypha Gebanga
Corypha spinosa
Cocos australis
Cocos campestris
Cocos chilensis (Molina)
Cocos flexuosa
Cocos coronata
Cocos lapida
Cocos peruviana
Cocos Romanzoffiana
Diplothemium maritimum
Jubaea spectabilis
Phoenix dactylifera
Phoenix farinifera
Phoenix reclinata
Phoenix sylvestris
Phoenix tenuis
Phoenix canariensis
Rhapis flabelliformis
Sabal Adansoni
sabal Blackburnianum
Sabal palmetto
Thrinax parviflora

CYCADS
Zamia horrida
Zamia villosa
Cycas revoluta
Cycas Riuminiana
Dioon edule

All these resisted the rigorous winter of 1869-70