Over the last six years or so I've created a container border that houses my collection of tropicals during the summer months. There are usually between forty to fifty pots in the thirty-five foot long by ten foot wide border. From its humble beginnings in early June it explodes into an eye popping mass of color and form by September...
During early summer this garden looks more like a collection of pots than a garden.
The bare trunks/sticks are actually my mature brugmansias. The one in the right of this photo is my 'Charles Grimaldi' that I've had for six years now. It's a challenge getting it into the basement in the fall.
From these humble beginnings add some water and weekly feeding and a couple months of growth and voila!
The very large Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi' in the back of this shot is just budding up at the moment. I was very late getting it out of the basement and into the light so it's more than a month later then normal getting flowers but it looks like I'm going to have a great show before the freezing temps chase it back into the house for the winter. I'll have to post an update when it finally blooms. Even without the brugmansia flowers the abutilon, lantana, cuphea and dahlia carry the show and create a visual treat in this corner of the border. What's not to love?
Amazing! It is somewhat ugly at the beginning of the summer :). The yellow area of your tropical border looks especially good this year. What did you do different?
ReplyDeleteDespite the work, I can't imagine a garden without containers and tropicals.
Thanks Sue, I completely agree that it's not particularly attractive when I first get things outside beginning of June but it only takes a couple weeks or so to get enough growth to start looking OK.
DeleteAlso agree that the tropicals are worth all the effort they take. They are just wonderful and such an unexpected visual treat in our zone.
RE the yellow section, I added a large variegated lantana, yellow phygelius, and the pot on the extreme right with the acalypha and sweet potato vine. The yellow lantana and abutilon standards have almost doubled in size in the last couple years and are really adding great color to that section. Oh yes, the coleus in the pot with the cuphea are particularly nice this year too. I'm loving that C. 'Swallowtail'
stunning pictures...where do you put your "florida in the winter!!!!haha
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharon! All the 'keepers' go in the basement, either dormant in a cool, dark room or under lights after heavy pruning. Big job but worth the effort to have this tropical display in NH.
DeleteI give great credit to husbands who not only put up with our craziness and long garden hours but who actually assist with some of the heaviest work. Putting things indoors for the winter is no simple task! Your DH is also a great cook for the outdoor celebrations! A toast to all the helpers!
ReplyDeleteSo true Marie! I'm psyching myself up to begin the big fall move in that will be here before I know it. I really should start getting the calatheas and bromiliads in this week. I'm just not ready to admit it's time to start getting things indoors. LOL
DeleteOh Deanne, I adore your tropical garden! So many beautiful plants and the whole effect is stunning! Is your banana Musa 'Siam Ruby'? Our summers aren't hot enough for it here in western Washington.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks! Wish the Brugmansias were blooming but I was a bad plant mother and didn't get them out until it was almost too late so I'm just happy they are alive this year. anyway, yes the banana on the left is 'Siam Ruby' and the one on the right is Ensete maurelii... The Ensete can do dormant in the basement but I don't have a clue what I'm going to do with the Siam Ruby over winter. It's too big to take into the house. I'm hoping my friend with a greenhouse will rent me some space this winter.
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