Tropical help

We are in the process of finishing our side garden when that's done we want a little tropical feel to the back garden.

The above picture is from the house looking down

And this is from the corner looking up.
Bob's doing a raised gravel area with some sleepers near the house of which I'm going to soften the edges with some Sempervivum (if I can) and I just want to have some easy tropical "looking" plants in pots around it.We have a five foot high privet hedging all the way round and get full sun from first thing in the morning and it can get quite windy here.
Any ideas?
Helen.xxx.

 

H, for fairly hardy tropical looking effect Cannas, Cordylines Phormiums and Yuccas would do well, they can take the wind. Others will come up with some more I'm sure.

 

Hi Helen. If you want a palm then the hardiest are the various trachycarpus (is that trachycarpi?) but they can be quite expensive. What is easily obtained is the phoenix canariensis (canary date palm) which most supermarkets sell for about �£3-4 in spring. They are reasonably hardy and if you just use some hessian wrap for the first couple of winters you should be OK. I have 3 that survived for the last 2 winters, although of course last winter was a doddle, I could have left a strelitzia outside.

I don't know if Pete will catch this (probably) when he comes on but he is in a good position to advise, but of course he's in Kent which is milder.

A couple of calla lilies won't go amiss (you know, the arum type) they are available in colours as well as the traditional white ones and once established are gorgeous. I would post a pic of mine but of course they have finished flowering now so not very impressive.

Do remember that many sub-tropicals are fine here, far hardier than people think, but they really want planting out in late spring and then coddling for the first few years.

Any 'lily' is fine if you want flowers and the genuine lily (lilium) does well from seed so can be cheap.

Strongy's suggestions are of course all good. Remember that with cordylines and yuccas the green ones are the hardiest. Despite the fact that I am a few miles north of you, I am on the coast so my winters are milder.

Best of luck. I am all for the tropical look in Yorkshire. :D

Whoops, forgot to mention the good old Chamaerops humilis and its relative but beware of the spines.
Wilko in spring, about �£4 again.

 

Thanks Strongylodon I've seen a few of those plants around and I'm sure they will give the "feel" I'm after. :D


Wow Sarraceniac that's an essay thanks for going to so much trouble for me you're a darling!
I want something easy to look after not bothered about flowers and I really don't mind having to wrap things up in weather.
It's nice to know about the "green" plants too.

I have seen a lovely bronze plant with shape looking leaves but I haven't a clue what's it called my local council has used it in a few of their gardens (so I know its hardy) but I don't want to grow it that BIG so I'll have to see if I can keep it in a pot.
Thanks for your help people you are all so very nice. :D

Helen.xxx.

 

Helen, just because the local council has some plants out in summer does not mean that they will be out all year. They could put it under glass for winter.

The best thing to do is to phone your local parks and gardens dept., smile sweetly down the phone and ask to speak to a genuine gardener. No doubt one will not be available, but they are usually only to happy to phone you back with the answer. After all we all want to talk about our gardens and I find the Scarborough lot very friendly and helpful. In fact a neighbour of mine is known to get drunk and go out and help himself from the public gardens - we just can't prove it. :eek:

Seriously, the suggestions you have so far are all low maintenance. It's only when the plants are young that you have to do a bit of winter mulching. If you buy a bit bigger (and thus more expensive) you will have no problems with any of them.

 

Thanks John the plants in question are kinda like Cordyline australis 'Pink Stripe' but not if you know what I mean ( :rolleyes: )they are bronze in colour.
Whatever they are I know there are hardy as they were planted for the year 2000 and have had no protection at all as my mum-in-law lives in the village where they are planted and I just know she never misses a thing, if the plants were wrapped up for winter she would have phone me to tell me that even plants have a better winter coat than her ......bless her little cotton socks! :D
Although if I did have to ask I'm pretty good at chatting so wouldn't have too much of a problem there, only try to shut me up once I've started :D .
My goodness your light fingered, drunk neighbour seems just the person to have living near you if you have not many plants... :D or then again maybe not!
Helen.xxx.

 

Hi Helen, there's not much to add really. I agree with the others on the best plants to get, one of my favourites is Fatsia japonica, its fast and looks a bit tropical but quite hardy really.
Yuccas are always good for that tropical appearance and a good few are really hardy and flower well, but some can be a bit spikey.
I think your mystery council plant could be a phormium, they come in lots of colours and sizes these days.

 

T

 

Hi Helen, you could also try the hardy banana ( Musa basjoo ), Fatshedera, khaffir lilies, hostas, rheum and gunnera. David.

 

I have had experience of plant removal from the parks which p***es me off no end when I have grown them!!! Some will remove plants the day after they are planted and they have to be preplaced at the coucil-tax payers expense, enough of my rant, anyway hope you find some 'tropical' plants to start off with.

 

Also, tree ferns and, in the summer, Canna lilies. David.

 

I'm sure you are correct Pete I'ave looked it up and there is one Phormium called 'Bronze Baby' and that seems to be like the one I'ave seen.
Could I keep it in a large pot to stop it growing too big or would I have to get a dwarf one for that?

Fatsia japonica is a great idea so I'll be giving one of those a go too! :D

Helen.xxx.

 

Hi Daitheplant I'm already a GREAT fan of the old Hostas so I'm pretty sure some of my little guys will find their way into the Tropical scene and I'm sure they will be right at home along with the BIG guys.
Helen.xxx.

 

Good morning Helen, I only catch up with the chat on a morning as I don't use the computer much after about 5 p.m.

The phormium should be fine in a pot if you want to keep it small. It will grow to the confines of the pot.

 

Get down to B&Q for your palms they are not a bad price and you can get big ones, the trachycarpus is the hardiest and it grows pretty fast too, chamaerops humilis is very hardy too but slower growing, and you dont have to wrap them. Most tropicals like full sun, you say you get full sun in the morning, what about the afternoon? you'l have to watch where you plant things.