Best place to start?

[Tom2006]

Hi guys...sorry if this is not the place...but over the next few years I would like to try and convert my entire south facing garden into more of an exotic theme. I live in east yorkshire so winters are normally long and wet although not that cold (last winter being the exception). Where is a good reference point to get me on my way please? I don't want to spend loads of plants that will just die and sadly I don't have room for a greenhouse to move plants inside during winter

[medjool]

Hi there
firstly Trachycarpus palms are a must and great looking.fully hardy where you live took -17c in Herefordshirte last winter,Fatsia Japonica for big leaves,and green Phormiums are stunning.

[Simba]

Not to mention bamboo....

[Tom2006]

thanks...I've got a few Trachycarpus but they are potted. I really need advice for the boarders really they are all approx 5-6' deep from lawn to fence.

[leewatson1980]

Nothing screams tropical quite like a clump/boarder of musa basjoo.

[Adam D]

Get yourself one of the bigger Euphorbias like stygiana, mellifers or pasteurii.

They have wonderful foliage and are evergreen. Normally hardy, although last winter cut mine down to the ground, but they have come back from the root.

[RogerBacardy]

My honest advice would be to get yourself a really good garden design book and have a really long think about the garden and how you want to use the garden, how you want it to look, your budget, what other family members want, the overall style, the landscaping, the materials and textures, etc..


Even if you're happy with the landscaping and just want to fill out the soft landscaping, then I would still measure out your garden and sketch a planting plan.

Could be that you want privacy from overlooking windows and carefully positioned plants would achieve that.

Or it might be that you need to introduce a windbreak, or want to screen the view of a shed, or not screen the view of a kids' playing area. Or you might want to think about putting the winter-interest plants where they can be seen from the window.

I recommend these books, the 2nd one is a very good starting point on learning about exotics and their hardiness, whilst the last one is packed full of inspirational and exotic gardens

[dave2166]

i would say any of the tropical books by will giles

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_nos ... will+giles

and also this book from christopher lloyd
nobody did colour like Christo

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Colour-Adventur ... 273&sr=1-9
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Exotic-Planting ... 73&sr=1-10

[Dave Brown]

The Subtropical Garden was my bible before the internet had really taken off.

You need a certain amount of initial planning but my garden has evolved by leaveing bits that work, and changing bits that don't.

[khaskings]

Buy a cheap Canary Island Date Palm, try to keep it protected and dry all winter, discover that it spear pulls regardless and never buy another, then buy everything else listed above.

Gosh, I sound cycnical.

[becky]

hi tom , welcome i would say tree ferns (Dicksonia antarctica,s) are great , they give a massive impression, and as long as you stuff the crown with straw there hardy , but ricinus are good as a summer bedding , they grow huge in one season, and are easy to grow from seed , no over wintering, although there highly poisonous but stunning, and no over wintering
gunnera s are fantastic for huge leaves , red dragon adds some colour and is great under shade areas

there's a meet coming up next Saturday at akamba in Birmingham, you should come there some great people and they have lots of good advice !! some people may have some bits and pieces they don't need, i know i might have some bits for you , i know its a bit of a drive but its worth it ,

[simon]

thanks...I've got a few Trachycarpus but they are potted. I really need advice for the boarders really they are all approx 5-6' deep from lawn to fence.

My advice would be to get the Trachycarpus in the ground. They will look much better than potted.

In your original post you said you wanted to convert your entire garden to exotics, then you tell us you are limiting yourself to the exiting 6' borders. Get the lawn up and do it properly

[Alexander]

Thetrapanax rex and hardy Hedychiums like H. densiflorum 'Assam Orange'' and H. spicatum.
Crinum powelii, C. bulbispermum, hardy Agapanthus.

Alexander

[daftbanana]

Tom, your going to end up with a long list of recommended plants and palms on here, I suggest you do a google or bing image search to see what they look like (if you don't know) and you will perhaps have a better idea of what effect you want to create where, and how it will look.

Also the exotic reference forum will give you some great tips on care, propogation and overwintering etc. of your chosen plants.

[Simba]

Tom, your going to end up with a long list of recommended plants and palms on here, I suggest you do a google or bing image search to see what they look like

Perhaps even more importantly - take a look at the garden photos of other members (and on other sites too) and see what features in their gardens that you really like that you can replicate in yours, maybe substituting a different variety of plant or two in the process.