Tropicals & Tender Perennials: New Family Photo, 0 by DaleTheGardener

DaleTheGardener wrote:
MM, before I get side tracked by my gardening opinions....The Brom guy I recently did some business with is Jungle Gems, Marty, in St Pete by appt only. Another is Chula also by appt only, out in Lutz. They have huge collections, in the hundreds, and usually expect you to spend a lot if you are not a regular. As for a more modest spender I will have to ask around. If you have a wish list or a general description (Like-purple leaves w/spots or golden giant that I saw growing in full sun) I maybe able to help. I have one garden I take care of that has over 100 different named varieties and sometimes we have to thin them. The owner of the garden recommends that you go to the Brom Society meetings. You don't have to be a member if they are friendly. They give away plants as raffle prizes or just give them away because they have so many. But that is here in Tampa. Orlando may be different.

I agree with you on easy, colorful, florida weather tolerant plants. I try to use high contrast in plantings. There is nothing more boring than a green hedge, with a green groundcover flanked by two green shrubs pruned into cones.

In a backyard garden I am planting now I am using green banana (tall 12-15') and giant bird of paradise as the background/screen plant. In clumps in the mid bed area randomly placed varigaeted ginger and pink Ty plants in varying numbers (3 & 2 or 1 & 3), 42 plants total, those are what I call the bones of the garden or the main theme plants. It is the mid height that people notice most. As a groundcover I am using a deep purple wandering jew and green one too. After the ginger and ty are in place I will go through and place the accent plants. 6 bright red croton, 3 red corkscrew croton, 7 more croton of diferent types, some colorful dracena. Then the green plants-5 Xanadu, some 40 smallish green colocasia, couple tree ferns for the shady corners, green ginger, some raphis clumps here and there. And viola - a fruit salad jungle landscape, just what the client asked for. Lots of colorful foilage with some green to seperate and contrast the brightness. Lots of warm colors, red, yellow, pink & orange. And a few annuals in the front border, because I can. It is only about half planted and she likes it already.

And here is one of the beds that inspired it....