Having laid the foundations for my garden as 'Aussie rainforest with selected exotics', I have recently turned my attention to my courtyard. Wanting a small number of large plants with impact (over the distraction of a lot of smaller plants ), I found myself looking at Yucca and Agave. The 'style-gurus' would have it that these are plants more suited to a Mediterranean or Mexican-style courtyard, but I'd argue that they sit well with plants like Strelitzia, Gingers, bamboo and palms.

Some might say 'OK, but isnt that true of almost everything ?' - to a point, it is, but their green and variegated foliage blends in more successfully than the grey foliage adopted by many plants from the 'dry summers' school. I'm also struck by how successfully many gardeners have incorporated trees like Eucalypts and Melaleuca into tropical gardens - whatever rules one needs to follow in a tropical garden, the 'cottage' feel gives us a freedom that isnt apparent in a lot of other themes. Anyone have any experience melding 'out-of-the-box' choices into their tropical garden ?

I have roses under gum trees, I plant things next to things I should not but they look ok, on our 3/4 acre its very hard to have these formal kinds of gardens like the so called guru's have on those show. To each his own and we just try to do our best, but I must be doing something right, as people passing by always say nice things about my garden, and thats what its all about with my mix up Tropical. Native. Cottage, and Exotic Plants. Cheers..MM.

Marion

Tropical can be more the 'feel of tropical' rather than traditional tropical, and cottage-garden style gardening with the appearance of luxurient growth works well to create a tropical look.

Many successful gardens here have local natives plants and shrubs, palms - dates, the dreaded cottontail (G) gums, agave, cactus, and yucca, pomegranates, and some of those annuals that keep coming back, and perenials that cannot be killed which provide the important understory. These are all mixed up with no much regard for the tidy, ordered look which is promoted by the magazines and TV programes.

I have an area in our 3/4 acre that is slowly being developed into a 'dry' rainforest, with easter/christmas cactus, and several other rainforest cactus in baskets, a few hardier bromilliads, a couple of staghorns, and crowsnest ferns, at the moment the area is under shade cloth, (and palm thatch for the summer) Eventually the couple of shade trees planted will grow tall enough to protect the area that used to be an old chook house. The bush poles making a structure for the hanging baskets, and the essential hammock. The 'rainforest' takes minimal precious rainwater, which mostly goes on the fruit trees, and vegetables.

My cactus garden, with resident yucca and agave has a bougainvillea in one corner and is shaded slightly with a gum so that the cactus do not get burnt by the westering sun. Neither look out of place. Nearby is a trellis which by next year, I hope, will be a riot of bougainvillea, and hibiscus. These are still no more than rooted cuttings siting in the shadehouse at the moment. Hopefully they will be big enough by the next good rain to plant out.
regards
Dorothy