Defining a 'tropical' plant

20 years ago

Hi All,

Having laid the foundations for my garden as 'Aussie rainforest with selected exotics', I have recently turned my attention to my courtyard. Wanting a small number of large plants with impact (over the distraction of a lot of smaller plants ), I found myself looking at Yucca and Agave. The 'style-gurus' would have it that these are plants more suited to a Mediterranean or Mexican-style courtyard, but I'd argue that they sit well with plants like Strelitzia, Gingers, bamboo and palms.

Some might say 'OK, but isnt that true of almost everything ?' - to a point, it is, but their green and variegated foliage blends in more successfully than the grey foliage adopted by many plants from the 'dry summers' school. I'm also struck by how successfully many gardeners have incorporated trees like Eucalypts and Melaleuca into tropical gardens - whatever rules one needs to follow in a tropical garden, the 'cottage' feel gives us a freedom that isnt apparent in a lot of other themes. Anyone have any experience melding 'out-of-the-box' choices into their tropical garden ?

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Comments (5)

User
20 years ago
Hi Artie, well you should see my garden I have things all over the place mixed with things I shouldn't I guess, but they all seem to go ok together. I too have Agave and Yucca in a dry kind of orange gravel garden (in pots) and at the back of them is a row of Hibiscus, and a huge gum tree with bougainvillea growing against it.

I have roses under gum trees, I plant things next to things I should not but they look ok, on our 3/4 acre its very hard to have these formal kinds of gardens like the so called guru's have on those show. To each his own and we just try to do our best, but I must be doing something right, as people passing by always say nice things about my garden, and thats what its all about with my mix up Tropical. Native. Cottage, and Exotic Plants. Cheers..MM.
artiew
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks MM, but I've seen photos of your garden, and its streets ahead of my efforts. You know my feeling on roses in the Australian landscape, but the rest sounds charming. Mentioning the Boug raises a sore point - the $1000 I spent having various trees lopped (and stumps ground out) seems to have eradicated everything bar the two Bougs at the front - they have both stuck their heads out of the 'scorched earth' that the loppers left behind, clearly thrilled to see the Spring sunshine and the steady supply of water I lavish on nearby 'desirables'. I suspect that I'll need chemicals to get rid of these unstoppable relics from the previous owner's single-minded dedication to noxious weeds :)
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hey Doug, I was just at the Galleria H.D. about a week ago & I'm sure I saw some chinensis there. Did you look inside the greenhouse where the indoor tropicals are? Regardless, I wouldn't buy one this late in the year, as you'll have little chance of it surviving planted outdoors unless we have an extremely mild winter. I'd wait till spring & allow the roots to get established before the next winter. And I sure wouldn't buy a common plant like this at Plant Odyssey. While I do believe in supporting the local independently owned nurseries, you'll pay 4 or 5 times more for a chinensis at P.O.. Home Depot usually has huge ones for 5 or 6 dollars all year long. The last time I was at the Galleria H.D. they still had three or four windmill palms in the outdoor nursery for 23.95 each. They would be a much better buy for you in terms of long term survival. But again, I would wait till spring to plant a windmill also. Hope this helps. john
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goldhills
20 years ago
A garden is what you make it. It shouldn't matter whether you want all plants with bright yellow flowers or a rainbow coloured collection. A garden should reflect its owner and their likes, not to suit what others think is or isn't right. If you like it go for it.
ashmeri
20 years ago
My garden is full of my "Passions" at the time of buying.
Granted I have an acre to play with but the soil is not good so we have to bring in soil for the different gardens started and I have to consider the water situation as we only have dam water.
I think gardening is for variety and the pleasure you and family get from plants.There is such a wide selection to choose from.
I am so pleased that years ago I started a bird garden in a very dry corner, now that the birds are happily feeding there I have all of a sudden started a Rose garden in front of it. Looks great it does too..
My DH gets a funny look when I come home with a different plant, guess he is wondering where the new garden will be started.!!!!!!

Marion
DClews
20 years ago
Here in SW Qld, gardeners who are passionate will have anything in their garden that will grow and survive the summer heat, and the winter frost. Many gardens look tropical although there are plenty that look like dustbowls.

Tropical can be more the 'feel of tropical' rather than traditional tropical, and cottage-garden style gardening with the appearance of luxurient growth works well to create a tropical look.

Many successful gardens here have local natives plants and shrubs, palms - dates, the dreaded cottontail (G) gums, agave, cactus, and yucca, pomegranates, and some of those annuals that keep coming back, and perenials that cannot be killed which provide the important understory. These are all mixed up with no much regard for the tidy, ordered look which is promoted by the magazines and TV programes.

I have an area in our 3/4 acre that is slowly being developed into a 'dry' rainforest, with easter/christmas cactus, and several other rainforest cactus in baskets, a few hardier bromilliads, a couple of staghorns, and crowsnest ferns, at the moment the area is under shade cloth, (and palm thatch for the summer) Eventually the couple of shade trees planted will grow tall enough to protect the area that used to be an old chook house. The bush poles making a structure for the hanging baskets, and the essential hammock. The 'rainforest' takes minimal precious rainwater, which mostly goes on the fruit trees, and vegetables.

My cactus garden, with resident yucca and agave has a bougainvillea in one corner and is shaded slightly with a gum so that the cactus do not get burnt by the westering sun. Neither look out of place. Nearby is a trellis which by next year, I hope, will be a riot of bougainvillea, and hibiscus. These are still no more than rooted cuttings siting in the shadehouse at the moment. Hopefully they will be big enough by the next good rain to plant out.
regards
Dorothy

Defining a 'tropical' plant

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Defining a 'tropical' plant

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artiew
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