Tropical garden Novice

Definitely the green one and even the black, with a deep mulch. Came through -7C this winter

 

Agreed, even here Hedychiums are August/September flowerers, but better late than never!

 

Well, you can say that but if by the time they flower its constant rain and cold there is little point in growing them, I've had a couple of Hedychium's that wouldn't flower until late October/ November.
I dumped them.

H. Tara, H. gardnerianum and H. densiflorum are the best for me.

 

I've several hedychiums growing happily outside, unfortunately here they don't flower until late in the season.
Agree about dahlias and ricinus.
Bamboo is quite good, I have Phyllostachys nigra which is more of a clumper than spreader.

 

You can treat Colocasias like Dahlias, dig them up and dry the tubers, that is what I have done for a number of years.

 

Thank you for all you replies.

@Plantminded , @JWK I think my first job is to make a list of plants I already have that would work in a tropical garden. We have quite a few ferns, couple of hostas and I also have a Miscanthus which is a bit swamped where he currently is. I have a lovely large Phormium in a big pot, can’t remember the name at the moment .but it’s one if the pink/purple ones. It’s raining, yet again, so I will have to take a mental wander round.

That’s interesting re Cannas @noisette47, our soil is a heavy loam so can get quite wet overwinter would that be an issue?

@pete We lost everything we overwintered in the greenhouse (dahlias, succulents, agapanthus, lemon tree) winter 22/23 But I might risk some dahlias again this year and I can hear the siren call of Agapanthus. I did have one if the latter survive which was in the ground (all the rest were in pots) but I’m wondering if it’s coped with this very wet winter. If you’re Cannas in Kent don’t get going until August, they’d probably be even later here?

 

Just to clarify the cannas, if left in the ground over winter they usually show above ground in late May or early June, around here, but flowering is usually not until August.

I find its best to grow them in containers, even if you plunge the containers in the ground, you can then lift and store frost free before dividing and repotting in the following spring and get them growing earlier in the greenhouse.

 

That's the irony...they're moisture-loving plants It's the combination of cold and wet that rots them, but I've always found a thick mulch enough to protect them (on clay). Much trickier to overwinter them potted up, IME. As for the late flowering, a lot of 'tropical' plants have stunning foliage in their own right, so plan for that with the flowers as a bonus? E.g. Cannas 'Stuttgart' -variegated, Wyoming - purple, Durban - multicoloured and stripey, Dahlias Bishop's Strain and Ricinus - dark leaves, Hedychiums Dr Moy & Verity - variegated.
I'd say that the biggest drawback with a genuinely tropical border is that there's very little to see in the winter, so if it's in full view of the house, could be a bit deadly and would be better to use large-leaved evergreens as per your original plan

 

Making a list of your existing plants is a good idea @Butterfly6. I was going to say as @noisette47 has that tropical borders can look miserable in winter. Your Miscanthus and Phormium will still give interest though. If they are a bit congested you could also divide them for extra plants . I like my garden to look alive over winter and use shrubs like Griselinia, Bay laurel and Euonymus to add structure, as well as many grasses and Phormiums.

I don't have a greenhouse so only grow hardy plants as I don't have the patience to dig things up and store them elsewhere over winter! The only exception is a tree fern which I protect with fleece when the temperature approaches zero!

I was also thinking that if you want to post a photo of the area, this might also help with suitable suggestions.

 

Hedychiums, fatsia, bamboo...mainly fargesia as no thuggery, trachycarpus, chamaerops, canna, dahlia, fuchsia, annuals, phormium...cookianum hybrids as they are smaller, euphorbia, oleander, hybiscus syriacus, zantedeschia, eucomis, leycesteria, yucca and a shoe horn because there is always room for more!

 

Good suggestion @Plantminded re posting a photo and may well do when I’ve decided where it might be. I want to do a major rejig of the garden and have a couple of options re location.

Good point re winter interest and that may help me decide on location mmmm….lots to think about

 

Yorkshire kris on youtube has a wealth of experience and lots of video's on what does well in our climate.

A few plants that i haven't seen mentioned which are generally hardy in our climate if given a little protection from a mulch are colocasia pink China, melianthus, tetrapanax and some schefflera.

We have free draining sandy soil here but I've left my dahlias in the ground the last 5 years and simply put a layer of soil as mulch that is topped by a heavy topping of bracken, which stops a lot of the moisture making its way through. This seems to work with canna as well but they are a lot later and they can rot if they get to wet which makes it worth taking at least part of the tuber to overwinter inside.

 

Thanks for some more suggestions, @Thevictorian. I’ve always grown and kept my dahlias in pots previously. I’m not sure I could risk them in the ground here overwinter, our soil is a lovely loam but on the heavy side. It can be quite wet in winter even if a relatively dry one weather wise but then given the greenhouse massacre maybe I should try it and see.

 

How could I forget pink china, I only bought one last summer?!
Growing eddoes from the supermarket gives a quick and cheap foliar display and I forgot melianthus as well...I have too many plants... and by too many, I mean fading grey matter to remember just what I have
Dammit, tree ferns, don't forget the tree ferns!