Hardy Tropicals UK

Over the last few months, I've started to plant more tropical plants, albeit some not so tropical, since the last time I planted approximately five years ago. These new plants include: Tetrapanax, Melianthus Major, Phygelius sunshine. Cannas and Echium (from seed). I have other seedlings growing on Kitchen window sill: Naranjilla & Acanthus mollis, with a nicely but small growing Ensete maurellii in the spare bedroom accompanied by a couple of Colocasia esculenta ( see how they go). These will all be planted out next year if they survive! in the spaces you can see or in pots

I have ricinus carmencita red & pink, Thunbergia Alata, Amaranthus Crimson, Arctotis & other seeds to be sown in spring for bedding and to provide more colour.

Plants yet to purchase in the next six months are a few Heucheras, Brunnera macrophylla, Hedychiums, alocasias & the list grows


few pics of back garden before the season does it's worst..........

Coming along nicely. Only one thing I must comment on, turn that chair round a bit!

Beautiful! Love the phormiums and there doesn't seem to be a weed or stone out of place. I like the different seating areas as well. Definitely one of my favourite gardens!

Thats a lovely mature garden you have Gray , its nice to see some nanas that are not ripped to shreds. The view from your kitchen window is super, must help when washing up to have such an inspiring view

Trudytropics wrote:Thats a lovely mature garden you have Gray , its nice to see some nanas that are not ripped to shreds. :

Exactly, how do you have unshredded nanas.... particularly only living a couple of miles from my shredded, smashed and battered nanas

Also you have a some unusual plants in your collection. What is the plant in pic 3... a standard small tree with like large Rhododendron leaves ?

Trudytropics wrote:Thats a lovely mature garden you have Gray , its nice to see some nanas that are not ripped to shreds. The view from your kitchen window is super, must help when washing up to have such an inspiring view

Thanks Trudy.
The nanas have a few splits but with the surrounding large shrubs & Gable end of next door house protects the garden quite well from strong winds.

Kitchen window view is .............Washing up ..........I have to ask my Wife to answer that

you have a some unusual plants in your collection. What is the plant in pic 3... a standard small tree with like large Rhododendron leaves ?

Dave, yep that is a Rhododendron macabeanum-large shrub/tree type, but relatively slow growing so don't really have to worry about that! It has large creamy white flowers with purple markings on the inside in Spring. The leaves grow to about 30cm in length, the under sides are woolly & grey/beige in colour. Looks stunning in spring/early summer when the leaves are darker and stand more vertical.

flounder wrote:Coming along nicely. Only one thing I must comment on, turn that chair round a bit!

Jo A P wrote:Beautiful! Love the phormiums and there doesn't seem to be a weed or stone out of place. I like the different seating areas as well. Definitely one of my favourite gardens!

Thanks

Looks really, really nice.

looks great
i could live with tetrapanax running around but acanthus mollis is a thug i wouldnt plant again.still popping up in the front garden 3 years after digging it out.was only in for 3/4 of a season too

Dave Brown wrote:

Trudytropics wrote:Thats a lovely mature garden you have Gray , its nice to see some nanas that are not ripped to shreds. :

Exactly, how do you have unshredded nanas.... particularly only living a couple of miles from my shredded, smashed and battered nanas

Ah thats easy Dave, I do my Bananas differently now, you either have great big tall plants that get ripped to shreds and (IMO) look terrible or you cut the trunks down each spring and grow good looking plants at a lower level.
Also (and I know you dont agree with this ) grow sikki's rather than basjoos as they dont shred anywhere near as bad, kept smaller the fear of snapping trunks is also gone.
I winter Bananas now with around 4 foot trunks, they make good sized plants and they are so much easier to protect if doing so.

Yorkshire Kris wrote:Looks really, really nice.

Thanks Kris

redsquirrel wrote:looks great
i could live with tetrapanax running around but acanthus mollis is a thug i wouldnt plant again.still popping up in the front garden 3 years after digging it out.was only in for 3/4 of a season too

Thanks Red--for the info on acanthus mollis, this most probably with a few echiums be planted at the back of garden (not shown in pics) to under plant apple, kiwi areas where they can do as they please.....but give a bit of flowering height

I agree with the Acanthus, it was a plant I put in when I first started the exotic gardening style and I soon tired of it but it took years to get rid of.

nice garden

Mr List wrote:nice garden

Thanks Ken