How to Create a Tropical Garden Mitre 10 Easy As Garden

Deciding on a planting theme can be a real help when it comes to choosing which plants to grow. I'm going to show you how to create a tropical garden. But whatever theme you end up choosing, one simple rule will help you get it right. Well-designed gardens have plants that cover three categories, feature, filler, spiller. And the best thing is that this rule can apply to any scale of garden. The feature plant should be the focal point, usually giving the garden height. The filler provides the next layer and fills out the design. And lastly, the spiller is often something like a ground cover. A great tip to accompany our golden rule is that within this layout, to add diversity, mix and match plants that offer fragrance, foliage, and flowers. I'm going to be keeping things really simple today. Our plants are going to go into some pots so that on the deck, we can arrange them best to fit into the space. I'll kick off with our star jasmine. So I've set up our pot with a really good base layer of pot power, which has got everything you need for growing in pots. Next one, and the last one. Right, so those look like they're at a good level. Now we just fill it up with some more pot power. Keep in mind, this pot power will reduce a little bit over time, so put in a little bit extra. And then just a little pat to secure the plants in their pot. Don't forget a quick water, and let's get them on the deck. So I've chosen the Australian frangipani as our feature for its lush, evergreen foliage. It's the tallest one at the back. Our next layer down is our fillers. So we've got some lovely vireyas, as well as our bird of paradise with the flowers and the bold foliage. And then the last layer down is our spillers. It's our star jasmine for its beautiful, fragrant flowers, and these beautiful bromeliads for all year round color. And there we have it. I'm pretty happy with that. Feature, filler, and spiller. If you're planting into the ground, add some organic compost to the soil, and mix it through the existing soil so it doesn't burn the roots. Make sure you factor in the full-grown size of your chosen plants when planting, and leave enough space around them for growth. Some tropical flower varieties are vireyas, which are amazing in bloom and grow to around 1 to 1.8 meters. The classic tropical hibiscus, with a number of varieties, and the bird of paradise, which is hardy and brings a lot of structure to a garden. If you're after fragrance, gardenia are great as a ground cover, or can fill out to a small shrub. Australian frangipani are easy to grow and attract tuis in spring. For a fragrant climber, stephanotis grows to around 4 meters, or star jasmine, a popular climber or ground cover. In terms of foliage, cannas grow well and offer a wide range of different colored leaves and flowers. The puka is an iconic New Zealand native that has huge, glossy leaves, or tropical cordylines, which are great for adding color without a flower. Make a bit of a plan, then take your plant choices in store to check they'll do well in your region. It's a pretty simple regime when it comes to watering and feeding tropicals, and it's mainly focused around summer. Water well and often to keep the soil moist. An application of mulch should also help with this. Feed them monthly over summer, most like a slow-release fertilizer like nitrofosca, but a few, like gardenias, prefer something more acidic. You'll know if you need a more acidic fertilizer if your leaves are turning yellow. With those two simple rules, feature, filler, spiller, and foliage, fragrance, flower, garden design should be a whole lot easier. I'm a big fan of the tropical theme, as these plants stay green right through winter. But the same principles apply to any garden design. So go get stuck in. It's easy as.