Is this why my tropical plants don't grow so well?

After reading the forum description i may have worked out why my garden never looks like the others in this forum. lol

Still i don't do so badly!

This is my 1 year old Euc not sure it will make it to 2 years now!

My opuntia is holding out ok. His brother didn't make it through last year but this one is twice the size now.

My bamboo moso. The book says its not frost hardy but i live in hopes that one day it will be a monster!

The passion flower and cobea seem to be ok but they both stopped growing and flowering a long time ago.

The Olive has never looked better. It seems to love the cold. Normally to me this shouldn't grow this far north. But i think its taking advantage of global warming. lol

One of my Ricinus is still hanging on in there but all the rest are long gone. If it does make it through not sure what will happen this year. I have never had one thats 2 years old. If it gets to 2 years will it take the cold better next winter and then be huge? Or do i just chop it down?

I took this picture through the window (its too cold to stand out there any longer)

Hats off to you Mike!!
When I lived in England I had Phormium and Fatsia for a nice tropical look. Also a beautiful Yucca Nobilis. I wonder if it's still there... probably not, the people who bought our place had little kids.

I don't have a phormium here, but i did at the last house i love them. Grew some from seed once that was really rewarding.
I have the Fatsia though i took a pic of that looking sad this morning but i didn't think much of the picture. I'll post it here now.

I don't know Yucca Noblis I have the variegated ones but there not large, I have some cordylines and phoenix palms etc but the frost had melted in the early sun before i got outside.

Where in England did you live? I find everyone over here wants tropical looking stuff in summer time but not prepared to put the effort in early on. So they buy really dull stuff. Its such a shame as in England you can get away with so many interesting plants!
Did you find that? Now you have a different perspective.

Wow Mike! You definitely get an "A" for effort and a lot of patience.

Heheh.
Cheers. The struggle is half the fun. Last year was the first full year at doing anything properly. This year hopefully i can get some bigger better results.
My brugs are all in storage and hopefully they will be the show stoppers this year. I have tons of different Morning glories i'll start in March. Plus some other items Like Cardiocrinum and Echiums to give some height.

Just need a few more unusall plants and then i'm done. Lol Like thats ever gonna be finished!

Mike

LOL. You're right Mike. As gardeners we're never finished and there is always something we want to change. I initially wanted to have a garden that would remind me of a tropical rainforest, crammed with tropical and native beauties. About five months ago, my garden looked and felt crowded and unkempt so I began removing plants. I have accepted that my garden will always be a work in progress and that I'll always enjoy doing the work!

Mike I was in S. London for fourteen years and we hardly ever had frost, so my almost tropical plants did very well.
How old is your Fatsia? Mine got about 8 ft. tall in two years!!
Have you got the blue solanum vine? That is very showy and will grow fast. Gloriosa lilies? Can be grown easily from seed for a really exotic look.
I agree most people played it safe with the usual stuff, lots of camellias and rhododendrons etc.
Keep the pictures coming as your tropical look increases! I bet your brugs turn a few heads in the neighborhood.

I tried Gloriosa lillies once before but slugs seemed to eat the bulbs so gave up... How did you get round that one?
My Fatsia is quite old but its in really dry soil under a old Silver birch tree. Hardly anything grows there. My dahlia even lives there without dying in winter.
The solanum do you mean Glasnevin or ricatonii? (the spelling is wrong on those, sorry)
I have the the glaswhatsist called but only got it in Autumn.
South london would be great for tropical stuff. You would need drought tolerant stuff now though, they have hosepipe bans all the time now.

Mike

The solanum I had was Solanum crispum Glasnevin. A vigorous grower and seemed to bloom almost all the time.

Ah yeah ... love it... and got it.... Not flowering now though...
Even the snowdrops look like there cold at the moment. lol

Heres a Picture of some of mine Mike LOL Paul

Paul You allways manage to depress me. heheh

Do you have Ricinus? if so what happens in year 2?