How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

otorongo
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How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by otorongo »

Let's say you have half an acre in a tropical climate, like that of Costa Rica.

What would you grow to make it as stunning as possible?

I'm mostly interested in ornamentals (especially flowers) and fruiting plants, but any ideas are welcome.
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Dave Brown
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Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by Dave Brown »

In the shade with a long cool drink :wink:
Best regards
Dave
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Half Hardy

Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by Half Hardy »

Pineapple(ananas),bananas(not basjoo :) ),Bismarckia nobilis, Plumeria(frangipani),colocasia, alocasia ....just for starters. icon_sunny and a scots pine to remind me of home.
Last edited by Half Hardy on Tue Feb 04, 2014 8:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
otorongo
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Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2012 5:12 pm
Location: sub-subtropical London

Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by otorongo »

Pineapple would definitely be on my list.
I would include Passiflora edulis, Acai, and the some of the new Brugmania hybrids.

Bismarckia nobilis is hardy in zone 9a, I can grow that in London ;) so I don't think I'd grow it in a truly tropical climate, but thanks for the suggestions, Half Hardy :)
call

Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by call »

I wouldn't know where to begin :mrgreen:
lots of palms, bananas, bromeliads, heliconia, tropical gingers, orchids and tropical vines with flowers dripping down overwhelming the garden with scent drunken_smilie1 .
Big gushing waterfall going into little pools and a rope bridge, a Jungle hut and treehouse extending into the canopy and a place to sit down and watch the hummingbirds whizzing back and forth. :D :D
callin

Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by callin »

Carica papaya, mango trees, cherimoya trees and other good fruits that I m not aware of, for the moment.
Ofcourse tons of bananas, ananas, passion fruits. Not the least... gigantic Pomello citrus trees.
Good idea with the tree house and suspended bridges icon_thumleft and ponds with cristal clear water full of big koi fish. icon_thumright
Costa Rica... you just made me dream of it. :| Resting in pleasant shade with softdrinks like David saied. Ahhhh.....!!!
bordersboy

Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by bordersboy »

I would keep it simple ; 1 coconut palm
1 plunge pool
1 buxom serving wench
1 large Bombay g&t , nice mmmmmmmmmmmmm 8)
otorongo
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Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by otorongo »

Brilliant ideas, please keem them coming icon_thumleft

I like the treehouse and plunge pool / pond.

Papaya, mango and cherimoyas of course, and avocados :P

Heliconias, strelitzias, gingers etc. are very common in gardens in the tropics and therefore no wow effect, but I'd still have them.
Blairs

Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by Blairs »

The only tropical climate that I have been in was a trip to Maputo from Jo'burg. They had palms, some Musa and a surprising number of pine trees - posher the neighborhood the more pine you see! Do not remember many flowers but they are very poor. Very humid and sweaty.

Semi-tropical climates, then I have been to Florida and California. San Diego was a dry heat, Florida very humid. San Diego has a lot of succulents, so I could have an avenue of large Agave, a wall of Hechtia/Puya/Dyckia etc.

Southern Florida, is where I would do the jungle look with lots of musa, palms, thick verdant plants. I would love an Orange tree (not at all tropical looking) for the sake of groing me own oranges and would try Eucalyptus deglupta - that is the tree with the bark that looks like an explosion in a paint factory and is so different and other worldly that it is a must for me.
billdango

Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by billdango »

I used to live in the tropics and I still think the coconut palm is the most exotic of all plants.

My garden in Queensland had a variety of palms and some varigated hibiscus species.

I lived for a while in Townsville and Darwin and also for a short while in Cairns.

But I think Florida would be the best place to live and grow exotics.

I can,t really say what sort of plants I would grow as at my age I would be very unlikely to spend any long spells of time in the tropics in the future.

billdango icon_scratch
fern Rob

Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by fern Rob »

large pond with a island, a thin Eucalyptus canopy and tree ferns everywhere. :lol:
flounder

Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by flounder »

Two coconut palms, roughly a hammocks distance apart, a large pergola for the jade vine. Various bananas, thrinax, pritchardia and you have got to include bismarckia as growth rate is better in the warmer places. Dypsis decaryi is a must as is various fruit. A stilted open sided bedroom with a quadruple mosquito net is high on the agenda, the little devils always find me! I'm off to look at holiday brochures now :(
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

I would have to be different and plant a cottage garden lol.
Clive60

Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by Clive60 »

Sanchezia speciosa, Strongylodon macrobotys, Musseanda phillipica and erythrophylla would all feature in my tropical garden along with Colevilla racemosa (the one plant here that I have not actually seen). Cyrtostachys Lakka and Cocos would be the specimen palms. Heliconia and Plumerias are a must in any tropical sub tropical garden.
callin

Re: How would you design your garden in a tropical climate?

Post by callin »

I would add bamboos to the jungle, gigantic ones like moso bamboo.
Monstera deliciosa must be also on the menu.
Orchids growing on the trunk of the trees :happy:.

Come on Otorongo...be honest with us..did you win big at the lottery, or not..? or a distant rich aunt passed away and left you heritage :wink: icon_thumright. Your secret will be safe with us 8) .

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