Gardens for Exotics - Getting Away at Home
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- Carol Wallace
- Carol Wallace
- Carol Wallace
- Cottage_Garden
- Carol Wallace
- Cottage_Garden
- Carol Wallace
- Kirk_Johnson
- Carol Wallace
- Carol Wallace
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» Carol Wallace - Lisa, thanks for the kind words. I've never used alocasia, a
Lisa, thanks for the kind words.I've never used alocasia, although I do grow (and forgot to mention) colocasia, which is another nice, large-leafed plant that gives a nice, tropical effect. And I have to treat that one as an anual here, too. I read somewhere that with alocasia in your zone you may be able to overwinter by simply cutting off the leaves and giving it a 2' mulch for the winter. <img src="http://www.suite101.com/userfiles/79/rhubarb.gif" alt="rheum" align=left>
Carol
virtually gardening
-- posted by Carol Wallace
» Carol Wallace - Ooops - sorry about that - 2 inches of mulch, not two feet! <
Ooops - sorry about that - 2 inches of mulch, not two feet!<img src="http://www.suite101.com/userfiles/79/rhubarb.gif" alt="rheum" align=left>
Carol
virtually gardening
-- posted by Carol Wallace
» Carol Wallace - Kirk, most of the plants I listed are not tropical - just tropi
Kirk, most of the plants I listed are not tropical - just tropical looking. And most of the ones I grow are scattered throughout the garden rather than massed to create a tropical effect, except in one or two spots where I used the tropical look deliberately, like around the pond.The large-leafed plants are valuable not only for creating aa tropical effect but for contrast when I find that I have too many plants with fine-textured foliage in one spot. <img src="http://www.suite101.com/userfiles/79/rhubarb.gif" alt="rheum" align=left>
Carol
virtually gardening
-- posted by Carol Wallace
» Cottage_Garden - Oh Carol! I loved this article but how could you leave out the
Oh Carol! I loved this article but how could you leave out the unearthly if not tropical-looking yet hardy lotus? There are even dwarf forms out now absolutely perfect for containers! Barbara Martin
The Cottage Garden Editor
-- posted by Cottage_Garden
» Carol Wallace - Because this was not an article about ponds. Actually, I had
Because this was not an article about ponds.Actually, I had to leave out a lot of good plants because the article was getting way too long. <img src="http://www.suite101.com/userfiles/79/rhubarb.gif" alt="rheum" align=left>
Carol
virtually gardening
-- posted by Carol Wallace
» Cottage_Garden - I know it wasn't about ponds -- more about creating the tropical
I know it wasn't about ponds -- more about creating the tropical effect without being in the tropics -- and actually one can grow lotus in a container on the the deck or patio (or in an ersatz pond like I do) and they really fit the bill.So does papyrus -- I grow that as a container bog plant in summer and bring it in for the winter as a houseplant.... Golly. You could have a whole entire SERIES!
Barbara Martin
The Cottage Garden Editor
-- posted by Cottage_Garden
» Carol Wallace - I only scratched the surface of things we northerners grow as an
I only scratched the surface of things we northerners grow as annuals that are really tropicals - or all the things we grow as houseplants that can come outside, and I didn't do much with bog plants, or even touch on water garden plants - it's really a huge topic if you think about it. I was just typing away having a good old time when I stopped and saw how long the article was getting and called a screeching halt.<img src="http://www.suite101.com/userfiles/79/rhubarb.gif" alt="rheum" align=left>
Carol
virtually gardening
-- posted by Carol Wallace
» Kirk_Johnson - I have tried lotus twice. They don't like cool summers, they nee
I have tried lotus twice. They don't like cool summers, they need warm, almost hot mud. On the Oregon coast and other English-type climates, they need to be grown in greenhouses. Not for winter protection, but summer heat.Kirk Johnson
Garden Design
-- posted by Kirk_Johnson
» Carol Wallace - I tried three times before I succeeded, Kirk - but only because
I tried three times before I succeeded, Kirk - but only because critters kept getting into the pond and damaging the tuber's growing tips.I just got this link from Barb Dorsett for a really tropical looking garden and pond in zone 6!
<img src="http://www.suite101.com/userfiles/79/rhubarb.gif" alt="rheum" align=left>
Carol
virtually gardening
-- posted by Carol Wallace
» Carol Wallace - It appears that a lot of us are growing tender bulbs and perenni
It appears that a lot of us are growing tender bulbs and perennials in colder climates, somaybe someone has a suggestion for me. I've had great success in overwintering brugmansias, cannas, dahlias, tuberoses and calla lilies, but have never managed to get a caladium bulb safely through the winter. Is there some special tecnhique that I'm missing? <img src="http://www.suite101.com/userfiles/79/rhubarb.gif" alt="rheum" align=left>
Carol
virtually gardening
-- posted by Carol Wallace
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