When Tropical Gardening Works and When it Doesnt
When Tropical Gardening Works and When it Doesnt
Tropical gardeningthe practice of growing plants that originated in tropical areas of our planetis perhaps more popular today than ever before. After all, most of the plants we have come to consider houseplants originally came from the moist, steamy tropical areas of India, Central America and Africa.
Today, tropical plants can be easily incorporated into many North American gardens as well, especially those in milder climate zonesand tropical gardening style uses not only traditional tropical plants, but plants similar in appearance that thrive in temperate zone plants to create the feel of a tropical setting. Tropical gardens were considered high fashion in Victorian times, with the tropical plants placed in outdoor gardens during the warmer months of the year and moved into sheltering conservatories during the colder winter months.
Tropical plants have been used in outdoor gardens for many years. Did you know that annual plants such as geraniums, impatiens and begonias are actually tropical plants? Assuming that you live in a climate that is sufficiently warm and humid, you can use tropical plants in your garden year round. Even where winters are cold and freezing, if you plant your tropicals in pots and move them to a warmer location during cold weather they should be fine.
Tropical plants will not do well where there is little moisture or where temperatures are chilly even during summer. Locales such as the high deserts of the Southwest simply will not work!
Heat and moisture together push tropical plants to grow their best, so if you can provide those growing conditions indoors or out, even small tropical plants will grow and flourish; frequently growing into big, impressive plant specimens in a matter of a few months. Traditional garden plants may begin to appear straggly during hot, humid summer weather, but tropical plants absolutely love it, so place several suitable tropical plants in your garden and watch them get better as summer unfolds!
You can even give our indoor tropical plants some outdoor time during summer provided that you keep the soil around them moist and provide enough shade that they dont become sunburned. Tropical houseplants such as rubber plant, dieffenbachia, spider plant, spathiphyllum, pothos, and croton all make excellent additions to your tropical garden or your garden border.
For ease of care in colder climes, keep your tropical plants in containers year round. That way, you can place them near entrances and on patios and decks as well as putting them into the ground in your annual or perennial gardens.
• Creating Border Gardens
• Gardening in Greenhouses
• Users Guide to Growing Herbs in Pots
• Creating a Raised Bed
• Vegetable Garden Tips
