Mike Palmer shows us how to weave more exotic planting into our gardens
I’ve been extremely lucky in my three score years, plus a few months, to have visited several so-called ‘exotic’ destinations, including the breathtaking Maldives, searing hot, dusty Kenya and a number of the stunning Caribbean islands. They all evoke wonderful memories of lush, tropical plantings, fantastic foliage and striking orange, red and yellow blooms.
Holidays abroad can hold very special memories and as gardeners, many of us will come home to find our tropical gardening dreams and inspiration shattered, as we step off the plane, reaching for a brolly, and a warm coat. But, fear not, despite the UK’s sometimes inclement weather, our exotic horticultural dreams can still become a reality.
Admittedly (and in the spirit of full disclosure) it’s unlikely we’ll be harvesting ripe bananas or mangoes from our gardens, nor picking heliconia (lobster claws) or orchids from our borders although, with ever-changing weather patterns, who knows what the future holds. But you’ll be pleased to know you can still get the exotic look by choosing trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals that will thrive in our gardens, some year-round, and others with a little protection. As always, my favourite mantra, ‘right plant, right place’ is vitally important, so check your soil and light conditions before you ‘jet-off’ to the garden centre.
Shady jungle-type plantings
Height and structure offer an important, dramatic dimension to any garden irrespective of its location or size, providing privacy and shelter to us and the wildlife that live alongside. It also serves as a beneficial and protective microclimate to the other plants in the area.
In a cool, shady border in my garden I have four stunning tree ferns, Dicksonia antarctica, that sit beneath the shade of a boundary wall and taller trees in a neighbouring garden. Each ‘prehistoric’, filigree-like frond can stretch up to 2m (just over 6ft) across, casting dappled shade upon a collection of hardy ferns beneath, including the stunning, spring-coloured, orange fronds of the Buckler fern Dryopteris erythrosora, soft shield fern Polystichum setiferum and the contrasting, smooth, glossy foliage of Asplenium scolopendrium, the hart’s tongue fern.
A host of cream-variegated, blue or green hostas makes great bedfellows, with Hosta ‘Big Daddy’ proving to be the hosta equivalent of Tyrannosaurus Rex and living up to its name, with oversized, seersucker-type, grey-blue leaves.
Hosta flowers will provide subtle shades of purple and white with their small, bell-shaped flowers on tall, elongated stems, but an additional splash of colour can be provided with trailing begonias, which will tolerate some dappled shade. I plant tall pots of B
