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How to start a tropical garden
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Posted by sammyseagull SA Aust (My Page) on Tue, Mar 23, 04 at 4:56
Hello all
I would love to turn my barren backyard into a tropical paradise......But where to start?
I have no big trees for shade for those tropical plants to grow under (hot Adelaide summers would kill most of them!!) so I was wondering what to start with. As much as an elm is not tropical I wanted one as a big shade tree. Can you mix and match? We have hideous units behind us which I would love to screen out also. Fast growers would be good and I adore palms......am I asking too much?!
I wait in anticipation......Thanks |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: How to start a tropical garden
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| I would use clumping bamboos to screen the units then try some palms in front of them.The bamboos should provide a screen very quickly. |
RE: How to start a tropical garden
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| Bougainvillea and Hibiscus grow fast and dense if they are pruned regular, both like plenty of sun. I dont know any fast growing trees apart from some natives, but my Poinciana (Delonix regia) is making fantastic growth in its second summer likely due to the rain we have been having here in Brisbane, and as Richard said Bamboos are great screening plants. MM |
RE: How to start a tropical garden
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Thanks MM, Hibiscus sounds great. I planted a bougainvillea
just before christmas over a rain water tank. It was a chuck out at K mart for 50cents - almost dead. With a little watering and not much else, it has gone crazy - very bushy & just under 2m high. I am very happy with it.
Richard, I like the idea of clumping bamboo. Is this non invasive?
Cheers, Sam |
RE: How to start a tropical garden
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| Clumping bamboo is not invasive, but running bamboo is MM |
RE: How to start a tropical garden
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The clumping bamboo I've seen for sale is very expensive.
I believe you can mix and match - others may disagree. That huge shade tree (or trees) would be very desirable ... |
RE: How to start a tropical garden
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| Being in South Australia with your hot dry summers and cold winters, might rule out a lot of tropical plants. Check out the Botanical Gardens and gardens in your area to see what might be growing there. Once you have created a micro-climate in your garden with some of the bigger plants the small more sensitive ones can follow. I would not worry too much about mixing and matching. Contrasting leaf shapes are great. If you are in a frost prone area you will have to think carefully. You might think about getting a tropical look that would include deciduous plants and herbaceous perennials. Consider the mix of foliage plants you could have. Even stuff like Tuberous Begonias, New Zealand Phormiums and Cannas might survive with some careful watering, shade and wind protection. A pond with waterplants can add to the look as well. |
RE: How to start a tropical garden
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| If you want to buy bamboo get it mail order I did, comes bare rooted wrapped in moss, but half the price of nurserys. I know you can grow banana's in Melbourne dont know if they fruit though. And there are lots of tropical plants you can grow there in the right position, so you should not have too much trouble in Adelaide,but where I lived in Melbourne close to a river on a low slope I could not grow Hibiscus so it is position again. Good luck with your Tropical garden. MM |
RE: How to start a tropical garden
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| If you can find one, the best shade tree for a tropical garden (in my opinion) is the Albizia (Samanea) Saman, or Monkeypod Tree (Rain Tree). They grow very tall, and have a great umbrella shape to them. |
RE: How to start a tropical garden
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| I don't think that Rain Trees will grow very well in South Australia, they are more suited for the tropics/subtropics |
RE: How to start a tropical garden
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I saw a segment on TV (probably Burkie)some time ago where you can get a tropical appearance without planting "strictly" tropical plants. Look for palms that tolerate some cold, lush looking plants that have the tropical look but are not tropical.
Check Burkes Backyard archives but be prepared to go back a few years. Doug. |
RE: How to start a tropical garden
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| How cold and hot does it get in Adelaide? Start with a canopy, have a look around and see what palms grow in the area. I would have to be the last person to tell you that it can't be done. I have a fully tropical garden in a frosty area. |
RE: How to start a tropical garden
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| I've started with Native Frangipani, Bananas and Cocos palms. They were planted last October or December and are now about 5-6' tall. I've given them a water with "Thrive" every three weeks and mulched them well to protect their roots. Philodendrons are bullet proof and look really tropical but do grow quite large. |
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