Lovely. I just got back from the Seychelles. Similar gardens. Lots of China roses. But it all depends on where you are.

Awesome thanks for posting that. I am in the same situation of planting subtropicals and tropicals together with roses. No way am I gonna give up either so they will just have to learn to get along LOL! I just got 2 new variegated bougainvilleas today- bright orange and reddish pink with variegated leaves. I already have a variegated white flowered one that turns to light baby pink.

Adam, roses are not a problem in Florida if you pick the right ones and amend the sand a lot. I recognized your name as someone who recently Liked my blog's Facebook page. If you go to the actual website, it might be easier to wade through the 3 or 4 years of posts on roses that are there. You may know that I have been pretty much inactive in the garden for the last two years, but the roses have handled the neglect amazingly well.

I think gardens reflect their geographic location, so I think it's perfectly right for your garden to look like the link that you included. I have gingers, but I'm too far north for the tropicals. Would have to replace them every year - except this year.

Sherry

If only sweat were irrigation... my rose list

Hi Sherry, I have a actually referred to your blog quite a bit. Alkaline sand and nematodes are apparently common to Perth and Florida!

sherryocala, I love your blog site there.... and all those Daylillies.... your front garden area is gorgeous..... I notice you have the rose 'Lady of Megginch' and wonder how this one does for you....? I grew it once but I wasn't that struck on it.. such a floppy necker... perhaps it does better in Florida...

..as for roses with tropical plants...well, believe it or not, I'm trying to do something like that here, albeit I cannot compete with Bougainvilleas, but I do grow some plants that might be considered sub-tropical and one certainly is.... things like Pittosporum Tobira, is right in amongst my shrub roses... Euphorbia mellifera from Madeira is there as a backdrop and is 6 feet tall.... Fuchsia's are very useful companions, and Griselinia's from NZ.... I have 'Bantry Bay'... which I admit was developed in Ireland, but it's not that hardy.... and of course Yucca's..Phormiums.... things like that.... these have all survived here for over 5 years now...

and I fill in with tender perennials, like Alonsoa...Cleome's... Heliotrope....

..my tropical plant is a hybrid of the Surinam Cherry [Eugenia].... and I grow it with rose 'Kew Gardens'...photos below... British gardeners would be forgiven for thinking it's a Photinia 'Red Robin'...but the leaves are smaller and retain their bright red colouring for much of the summer... Myrtle like flowers from August with ripening fruits the following Spring..... hardy to -7C... it's holding on here with protection...

Oops, now I remember, Adam, you're in Australia not Florida. :)

Thank you, Marlorena. Your garden must be stunning. Your pics are great.

Sherry

The flowers aren't that flash, but the perfume of this frangipani is like jasmine and mangoes

I have them spaced apart because of the level of shade I generally plant sub-tropicals in, but I love having both roses and sub-tropicals in the garden. Abutilon, shrubby or climbing species Fuchsias, Brugmansia, Cantua, Cuphea, and more tender species of Salvia all mingle in shadier parts of my yard or areas I've replanted in my parents' yard. I also grow a Deppea splendens in a 10 gallon container for now.

There's a playhouse with a Banksia Lutea growing up it in my parents' yard amidst the shadier and more subtropical plantings in the vicinity. 'Moonchimes' Abutilon and Acanthus mollis clumps are near the Banksia that make for a lush look. It also focuses on lighter colored flowers in the shade that pop during the day and at night. I love the look! I've found some success with Rosa rugosa -my mom is trying Rubra, I'm trying Alba- near Abutilon and Cantua in lightly-shady spots that border dense shade. There are also yellow Clivias in the area that look just great next to Rugosa alba in particular.

I'll try to get some pictures up soon!

Jay

Rugosas were a spectacular failure for me. It was like they didn't want to live. I'll stick with teas, chinas and the odd Austin. They look more tropical anyway.

Im going to plant some varigated yucca lillies adjacent to the frangipani in the new bed. Roses, prickly pear, butia, yucca lily and Bird of paradise should mix well.

I have the Double Rangoon creeper (aka Drunken Sailor vine). It doesn't smell like cantalope but like the sweetest sweet tarts candy. I always smell it before I see it when it blooms. I just love it. I am in a 9a and it has rooted itself through the pots and will freeze back and return again from the roots.

Here is Cerise Plumeria

Blueberry Thrill tropical hibiscus.

Shooting Star brugmansia et al.

Beautiful.Here are some bromeliad logs and a yellow ginger. This ginger is super hardy and smell amazing.

China roses and Ixora chinensis, a winning combination.

Beautiful.Here are some bromeliad logs and a yellow ginger. This ginger is super hardy and smell amazing.

China roses and Ixora chinensis, a winning combination.

Globba Blue Hawaii

Globba Sangria

Marlorena: I love your color combinations. They are beautiful.

Adam: Wow those bromeliad logs are cool. Neat way to grow them!

I have several of the hedychium (butterfly) gingers. Many are supposed to be hardy to zone 7b (US zones). They go dormant here but return in the spring. I put some potted ones in the greenhouse last winter and they didn't go dormant lol. I pulled some out today as I have been slowly trying to get everything out of there.

The globba gingers (dancing ladies) are also pretty hardy and they are gorgeous but just much shorter. Many Curcumas also can be hardy. They all look tropical but can take some cold so great for people who don't live some where tropical. I grow my globbas and curcumas in pots and let them go dormant in the fall and dry out. Then I just take the pots and stack them somewhere frost free and forget about them till April then pull them back out, set them in the yard, and water them. Every few years I divide and repot them. Super easy lol. I could leave them in the ground here but we have a ton of Armadillos that dig them up. I left some Curcuma longa (turmeric) in my garden this year to see if the armadillos would get them or not. We will see in another month or so.

You Americans seem to have so many pests constantly undermining your gardening efforts!

I know our (cute, not scary) possums like roses and the parrots like the occasional chew, but they are pretty much set and forget in built up areas. Roos would be our equivalent of deer in peri-urban areas I guess, but nothing digs up and eats the roots that I'm aware of. I don't think I'd have have the patience to fight the likes of squirrels, gophers and armadillos!

Yeah the armadillos are the worst plant pests around here (besides the chickens lol). We used to have deer but now due to our dog, they stay out in the woods. Apparently, the dog doesn't care about the armadillos. The cat keeps the squirrels and wild rabbits away.

Here is a pic of my 2 new baby variegated bougainvilleas. They are so tiny!

I wish I could find a variegated purple one.

This is a plant you might like. It is originally from India and planted around Buddhist Temples. Nyctanthes arbor tristis/Indian Night Jasmine (aka the Lovers Tree or Tree of Sorrow) The flowers open at night and fall when the sun hits them in the morning. They are very fragrant -strong honeyed jasmine. Mine was about 8 feet last year. They can be trimmed in the spring right before flowering as they flower on new growth. They like hot dry climates but seem to do pretty well here. I have to overwinter mine in the gh due to frost. I barely water it in the winter.

There is a romantic legend about these trees. You can read about it here http://flower-tales.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-majestic-legends-of-sacred-sad-tree.html

Here is mine in the late morning after the flowers have fallen.

Sadly, I've never seen this offered for sale. and looking online it seems others have searched fir it in vain. They would probably grow very well here too.

I do however have the much happier sounding joy tree or michelia champaca. Everyone who a smells it asks where they can get one. Luckily it sets seed like mad. The fruit is also attractive to 28s.

..I've never heard of them but those Globba's are something else...... as in, stunning !

Thanks Marlorena. They are kinda segmented so when the wind blows it causes them to spin a little and that's why they are also called Dancing Ladies. They are kinda cool when they do that.

Adam, I love the Orange Champaca. I have tried a few different times to grow them from seed but it never worked. I think I must have had old seed. I also really want the Michelia Alba!

I have 2 Michelia Figos (banana shrubs) they are hardy down to zone 7. They have been blooming next to the patio the last few days and it smells like strong bananas and vanilla out there. There are a bunch of Carpenter Bees out there going crazy over them lol.

Jay: Your yard sounds heavenly. Yes post photos when you can :)

Sherry: I read some of your blog about which roses you are growing in Florida. I really enjoyed seeing what can be grown here. I am also interested in learning more about which clematis will work for me here. I noticed you had some planted with your roses and they look really nice. I am north of you on the NE Coast. I have a few of the same roses you have, that I just got. Rosette delizy and Maman Cochet cl. The Maman just put out two long canes and is flowering at both ends of them. I pinched off most of the buds but left one on each lol. I am anxious to see it bloom.

Unfortunately I can't give you any tips on getting them to germinate. If I put them in a pot, they fail. But they come up everywhere else. Other pots, in the garden beds, between the pavers.....