underplanting ideas?

I need to underplant a section of my tropical garden mainly beneath a large trachycarpus. It is in a sunny/partial shaded spot. The plants either side are musa bajoo and on the other euphorbia mellifera. Any ideas?

Thanks. GF.

 

Hi GF, a couple of pics of my Tropical border started last year, and some of the plants i used...

 

Thanks very much for that. It's given me some ideas.

GF.

 

Hi there. Sorry to butt in, but Dee, what's that growing directly under your banana ? I've seen it before but it never really struck me, until seeing it as you have it Cheers...freddy.

 

GF, How about Persicaria 'Red Dragon'. It is fully hardy and yet looks very tropical.

Freddy, I'm guessing but it looks like Brunnera 'Jack Frost'. If not, I'm sure Daise will put me right soon.

 

Hay Blackthorn, Brunnera jack frost it is, according to the label its a perennial but they have been there all winter, even with all the snow, They have small blue flowers at the mo, but its the leave's i love.. I have 3, in sun and shade and they thrive, im going to try some cuttings once the flowers are finished
Also its a lovely bright green Freddy..
The Red Dragon sounds good, im going to google

 

Thanks for the advice. I bought brunnera 'Jack Frost' today and will try and get persicaria "Red Dragon' as that looks wonderful. Thanks for the help.

GF.

 

Daise, your planting is lovely. How did your bananas do in the winter? Mine is now a withered brown stick.

 

Its still wrapped up Blackthorn but ive had a peek and its Black :( im hoping it will come back to life if not im not gett'n another one

 

Hi Guys, Thought i would post a couple of pics of the Brunnera in flower, Nicer than i originally thought











Its really dull Today in Geordieland and they are shining :thumb:


Pic Taken from the Back Door..

 

Flowers too ! Can't be bad :thumb:

 

Persicaria is nice and easy from cuttings, so well worth increasing your stock :D

Dont give up on the banana just yet, all of mine were cut to the ground with the winter we had this year, and there are small shoots coming from all of them. Musa basjoo is root hardy to about -10 or maybe a little more with a good thick mulch. Once it returns give it lots of water and feed and im sure it will be looking good again.

Our underplanting has a lot of ferns, arums, hostas etc, Also Ligularia is worth adding, and many of the herbatious perennials look good under palms or bananas. If its a shady spot how about aspidistra, which are a lot hardier than most people would think - ours all took -8C without problem.

We have bought quite a few plants from Cotswold garden Flowers, which despite the rather cutesy name has some brilliant and unusual plants, many ideal for ground cover. They do mail order, but if you buy in person you get the bigger plants :D

 

Cotswold Garden Flowers is a great nursery. I live about 90 minutes away so I make a point of going there every summer. Looking forward to my next visit. I recommend it to anyone who can get there. It's a gold mine of plants! My banana is still showing no signs of growth but the roots look healthy so I'm living in hope that something will happen soon. I am quite excited though, as my trachycarpus is flowering again. Yeah!

GF.