Hardy Tropicals UK

Posted: **Sun Sep 15, 2013 11:57 am**

Kristen wrote:[ Image ]
Jungle Entrance

Due to the enormous Leylandii hedge curving round the back, against the prevailing wind, it is very sheltered, and I'm very pleased with the "Banana Skyline"
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The Musa sikkimensis are in their 3rd year (grown from seed)

I'm also pleased with the jungley-look
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Persicaria Red Dragon, and friends, spilling over onto the path and with Canna musifolia grande (from seed this year) on the left, and Ailanthus just beside it (stooled for the first time this year)
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A bit further along:
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Amaranthus Foxtail which I rather like the look of. I've grown several other Amaranthus this year, as a trial, and I like all of them

At the end of the island:
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Coleus from seed, as last year, although the Arundo donax have not done well (I now think they need much more water than they have been getting - although just possibly they need a year or two to settle in)

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Canna Cleopatra
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including chimera flowers

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Ensete maurelii (1L pot in May 2012) with Begonia luxurians in front and the white pendant flowers of Nicotiana sylvestris, and then Paulownia tomentosa to the right (stooled for the first time this year)
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Ensete montbeliardii (1L pot in May 2012) with Tetrapanax papyrifer rex to the right (planted out for first time this Spring)

Wow Kristen not sure how I missed this update! What an epic tropical "room" looks very well protected from the elements too, with supurb growth

Is that some kind of feed in the Dicksonia antarctica crowns?

Posted: **Sun Sep 15, 2013 12:25 pm**

cordyman wrote:What an epic tropical "room" looks very well protected from the elements too, with superb growth

Thanks

I think "sheltered" has turned out to be far more important than "full sun". In Summer the sun is high enough that it gets into the garden for several hours of the day, and in Winter I don't care ...

Is that some kind of feed in the Dicksonia antarctica crowns?

Nope, just that when I water I fill those 1L bottles from the watering bucket, they have a small hole in the neck. It would work better if I cut the bottoms off 'coz I could then fill them "instantly" by dunking them in the bucket.

I'll put some irrigation spaghetti up there next year, didn't get around to it this year - hope they will be OK with my adhoc watering ...

Posted: **Sun Sep 15, 2013 12:53 pm**

Some more photos - looking more jungly

pleased with this Brug, more floriferous than ones I have grown before. I'm going to ditch the ones I grew from seed, and the fancy hard-to-please ones that I have bought, in favour of the ones that perform well - such as Grand Marnier (not sure what this one was, I think it came from kevins Scales at last year's NGS)

Walking South through the garden:

All the tall plants have got a bit weighted down with the rain, so crowd the path even more:

and then looking back to the North:

Really pleased with these Nicotiana sylvestris as they must be 8' tall - going to keep seed from them in case they tend to taller:

This Amelanchier has grown surprisingly quickly. This is Year Two, I'll stool it from next year:

and this T.Red which Simba gave me last year. I never got around to planting it out last year, so this is its first year in the ground/ Its leaves are much more deeply grooved than the one I bought:

and a Gunnera nearby, which is doing OK but I think hampered by the soil in the margins being very shallow:

Posted: **Sun Sep 15, 2013 1:28 pm**

even more great pics!

This is amazing

such a great colour, almost a orange hue to it, i'm going to find a species that performs well with a good colour and buy already established hopefully next year, ....

Posted: **Sun Sep 15, 2013 3:38 pm**

cordyman wrote:i'm going to find a species that performs well with a good colour and buy already established hopefully next year, ....

The proprietor at East Ruston Old Vicarage swears by Grand Marnier as being the best Good Do'er, and a chum of mine has it at the top of his Good Do'er list. So if you buy one that on is worth consideration Others on his Good Do'er list are Charles Grimaldi, Sunset/Maya, Rozenquartz, Langenbuscher Garten, Mobisu, Arborea, Goldflame, Super Rose, Berkongigin (sp?? Bergkonigin perhaps?) and Schlossburg

Posted: **Sun Sep 15, 2013 3:40 pm**

Kristen wrote:
cordyman wrote:i'm going to find a species that performs well with a good colour and buy already established hopefully next year, ....
The proprietor at East Ruston Old Vicarage swears by Grand Marnier as being the best Good Do'er, and a chum of mine has it at the top of his Good Do'er list. So if you buy one that on is worth consideration Others on his Good Do'er list are Charles Grimaldi, Sunset/Maya, Rozenquartz, Langenbuscher Garten, Mobisu, Arborea, Goldflame, Super Rose, Berkongigin (sp?? Bergkonigin perhaps?) and Schlossburg

supurb list Kristen, bookmarked for next Spring!

where is the best place to buy and for a display like yours can I buy as a 1 foot plant?

Posted: **Sun Sep 15, 2013 4:24 pm**

cordyman wrote:
Kristen wrote:
cordyman wrote:i'm going to find a species that performs well with a good colour and buy already established hopefully next year, ....
The proprietor at East Ruston Old Vicarage swears by Grand Marnier as being the best Good Do'er, and a chum of mine has it at the top of his Good Do'er list. So if you buy one that on is worth consideration Others on his Good Do'er list are Charles Grimaldi, Sunset/Maya, Rozenquartz, Langenbuscher Garten, Mobisu, Arborea, Goldflame, Super Rose, Berkongigin (sp?? Bergkonigin perhaps?) and Schlossburg
supurb list Kristen, bookmarked for next Spring!

where is the best place to buy and for a display like yours can I buy as a 1 foot plant?

Id root some cuttings of mine for you but the way they behave here and over there might be completely different.

Posted: **Sun Sep 15, 2013 6:40 pm**

What did you feed them tall Cannas on kristen?

Posted: **Sun Sep 15, 2013 8:10 pm**

Kristen wrote:
cordyman wrote:i'm going to find a species that performs well with a good colour and buy already established hopefully next year, ....
The proprietor at East Ruston Old Vicarage swears by Grand Marnier as being the best Good Do'er, and a chum of mine has it at the top of his Good Do'er list. So if you buy one that on is worth consideration Others on his Good Do'er list are Charles Grimaldi, Sunset/Maya, Rozenquartz, Langenbuscher Garten, Mobisu, Arborea, Goldflame, Super Rose, Berkongigin (sp?? Bergkonigin perhaps?) and Schlossburg

Noted. Thanks for the list.

Posted: **Sun Sep 15, 2013 8:19 pm**

Ahhh yes Whiskey, he does'e have an amazing garden with some off the wall ideas, loved his telephone box

There is deffinatley movement in that topiary garden, Its class

I read back in your thread about the chess topiary and choice of ground cover around each piece

Gogs has some good ideas, doesen't he. Someone else who thinks outside the box..

I tried a Brug again this year, they are just a bit too tender up here but this one got to about a foot and every leaf turned yellow and fell off leaving about 7 buds

which grew quite big and every one flowered! Beautifull yellow (more lemon) scented flowers. I was hoping it would grow as big as yours but im still chuffed it flowered..

Your tropical garden has done you proud again this year Kristen

Smashing.

Posted: **Sun Sep 15, 2013 8:54 pm**

Deedee wrote:Ahhh yes Whiskey, he does'e have an amazing garden with some off the wall ideas, loved his telephone box

There is deffinatley movement in that topiary garden, Its class

I read back in your thread about the chess topiary and choice of ground cover around each piece Gogs has some good ideas, doesen't he. Someone else who thinks outside the box..

I tried a Brug again this year, they are just a bit too tender up here but this one got to about a foot and every leaf turned yellow and fell off leaving about 7 buds which grew quite big and every one flowered! Beautifull yellow (more lemon) scented flowers. I was hoping it would grow as big as yours but im still chuffed it flowered..

Your tropical garden has done you proud again this year Kristen Smashing.

might try alot more water..when mine go more than a day with out a good soak they turn yellow fast.

Posted: **Mon Sep 16, 2013 10:15 am**

They are also greedy. It is said that you cannot overfeed a Brug. Worth putting a generous helping of hundreds-and-thousands in when you pot it, and also feeding it when you do the other plants.

Posted: **Mon Sep 16, 2013 10:22 am**

kata wrote:What did you feed them tall Cannas on kristen?

I don't know why they grow that tall ... there is a good mulch of manure on the bed, but the soil is very clay and only has a topsoil "colour" for a few inches. I have installed land drains, so it being well drained may help, and they get about 5L of water per plant twice a week, and I put a little Tomato fertiliser in each time. Doesn't seem like much TLC to me, but perhaps its just the right amount?

The spot is very sheltered, and quite heavily shaded - maybe they are stretching for the light too?

Posted: **Mon Sep 16, 2013 12:33 pm**

Thanks Miketropic and Kristen. it has been a dry summer also just fed once a week, same as the rest of the garden. Ooops..

Posted: **Mon Sep 16, 2013 2:35 pm**

The spot is very sheltered, and quite heavily shaded - maybe they are stretching for the light too?

Thanks, probably why my BOL grew so tall,

Guess where I will put my Cannas next season...

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Re: Kristen's Blog : Jungle Garden - Year 2 - Enjoying!

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Re: Kristen's Blog : Jungle Garden - Year 2 - Enjoying!