Green Fingers: Rumble in the Jungle
It can be quite exciting creating a garden on a specialist theme or subject.
Variety is the spice of life and that is also true with gardening. There are infinite variations within the whole spectrum of gardening and that is what makes the whole hobby so interesting.
I am fond of most aspects of gardening types but there are some that do not float my boat. However, I can appreciate what it means to the gardener and do admire their dedication and interest.
I am not too fond of tree ferns, such as Dicksonia antarctica, as I think they look out of place in our landscape but I once saw an entire city back garden full of them and thought they were super.
The garden was in the middle of London and the owner just wanted to escape into a green oasis when not working. The tree ferns were of varying heights but their canopy was over 2m (6’) so that you could wander around uninterrupted and not see surrounding buildings or sky. Underneath were various native ferns and the ground was entirely covered with moss. It was one of the most peaceful, restful and happy places to be in.
It can be quite exciting creating a garden on a specialist theme or subject and it works with anyone who has a fixed idea or concept of what they want to achieve.
Some garden examples could include rockery, wildlife, seaside, pond, woodland, desert, heather, conifer, rose, Japanese, Mediterranean and tropical themes. The only possible downside to all this is that it could become boring after the novelty has worn off but then it can all be changed again!
I find that for even small gardens there is a solution to avoid that boredom factor and that is to make or create compartments within the garden with each section devoted to a desired theme.
There is something magical and romantic about tropical jungles and you can let your imagination go wild when planning this type of garden. First of all sheltered coastal counties would suit this type of garden as there would not be much frost to damage many of the marginal, hardy plants used.
To achieve the tropical look a large variety of exotic-looking plants of all heights will be needed and to get the structure right you will plant the taller growing plants first, which might include acacia, catalpa, palm trees, tetrapanax and bamboos (the latter needs its roots restricted).
After that, the medium and low-growing plants might include fatsia, fig, fascicularia, Gunnera manicata, ferns, hosta, canna, muscari, musa (banana), acanthus, teasel, datura, grasses, passion flower (climber), astelia, bergenia, and verbena.
Even if you do not want to have a tropical garden, the addition of some large-leaved plants would add interest to any garden.
Going towards a tropical theme would involve a majority of foliage plants but many would have flowers later in season.
Do add rotting logs or stumps, shaped stones 60cm+ (2’+) and perhaps construct a shallow pool (good for wildlife too).
Cover the ground with a layer of bark and overall you will have created a tropical jungle and achieved a wonderful microclimate too.
There is a month of grace before the gardening season gets into top gear and much can be done between now and then.
If you want to grow some fruit or vegetables, you can do some planning and preparing by deciding what to grow and then gather the materials together so you will be ready when the weather warms up.
If you have any queries or comments you are welcome to share them with me on 051-384273 or orchardstowngardencentre@hotmail.com and if of general interest I will include them in a future article.
