Creating ideal tropical garden effect anywhere

New Year’s Day is usually when we make resolutions. It is also a great time to plan and create a special kind of garden to create that tropical look.

We create moods by the kinds of plants we use in our garden. Cactus and succulents plus lots of bright colors make a garden feel hot and desert like. Using pines, cypress and other high mountain or cool climate plants give the garden a Pacific Northwest look. And chain link fences might give a feeling of safety or jail depending on who is experiencing them!

While traveling in the Pacific Northwest a few months ago I was surprised to see palms, bamboos and other tropical looking plants used to create special effects in private and public gardens even as far north as British Columbia. In fact, the tropical effect created with palms in Victoria is very misleading, because much of the year, it is wet and cold.

The air of freedom and informality in Hawaiian gardens is partly due to the exotic plant materials used. It is also due to the “hang-loose” style of design found throughout the islands. This consists of mixing many bold and colorful shrubs, ground covers and trees in a relaxed, unregimented manner. The large variety of plants utilized in any particular garden has lead to the local label of “chop suey” landscaping. Our type of garden design often grows out of the Hawaiian love for plants. This is, “the more, the bettah” philosophy. It also develops from the giving nature of local folks. A plant is always an appropriate gift for any occasion. Before long, the garden and home are bursting with luxuriant vegetation. This type of landscaping gives a sort of well maintained jungle effect.

The best part is that the hang-loose look can be done anywhere there is a place to grow things. It can be achieved with almost any plants, but to develop that tropical look in cooler climates, the selection of materials should be those with a bold tropical presence.

Here are some tips for your mainland friends who want a touch of Hawaii at home. There are hardy temperate trees like the Albizzia julibrissin or Persian Silk Tree. Although very tropical in appearance, with its poinciana-like foliage and pink pompon flowers, this tree will tolerate conditions below zero degrees. The silk tree is native to Asia and can reach heights of up to thirty feet but is usually much smaller, spreading like an umbrella to twenty feet. The tree’s filtered shade allows grass and other plants to grow underneath. It also makes a very good patio tree.

The Gingko biloba or Maidenhair Tree is another “toughie” from China that will tolerate sub-zero temperatures. This tree is a living fossil from the era when tree ferns and palms were growing throughout North America.

Of course, a tropical looking garden must have palms, ferns, and even bananas. There are those that are fairly hardy. If you live in an area where temperatures seldom reach 10 degrees or colder, the Trachycarpus fortunei or Windmill Palm is a great one for the ultra-tropical look. It is relatively fast growing to about 30 feet. This palm should be used in groups of three to seven for a dramatic effect. The many healthy specimens in Seattle attest to this tree’s ability to withstand cold. In fact, there is a reported specimen in Sweden at latitude 57 degrees. Specimens are known to be grown out of doors in Japan, Scotland and Switzerland. Another much slower palm that is almost as hardy is the Chamaerops humilis or European Fan Palm. This clumping type has been known to sustain temperatures of 6 degrees above zero. There are several other palms that will grow as far north as Seattle like the Pindo palm, Dwarf Sabal Palm, Mazari Palm and Needle Palm. Some palm enthusiasts have even grown Ceroxylon palms from the Andes. These hardy species would likely do well in places like Volcano, Waikii or even higher.

When it comes to tree ferns, Hawaii boasts of forests of them. Unfortunately, Hawaii’s tree fern is much too tender to grow out of doors except in the most protected areas of California. A close relative from New Zealand is much tougher and will take temperatures down to twenty degrees. The New Zealand tree fern or Dicksonia antarctica can be grown in protected coastal areas of Washington and Oregon. They are slow growing but will attain trunks of 15 feet if given cool, moist conditions.

A Japanese specie of banana, Musa basjoo, is frequently planted in Britain. This banana is root hardy and regrows every year even after freezing to the ground. An even hardier specie is Musa sikkimensis from the Himalayas. This ornamental banana grows up to 20 feet in frost free areas of Hawaii at 3,000 feet elevation and has grown well as far north as British Columbia.

There are several hardy bamboos that will take temperatures near zero. Close relatives of bamboo like the Arundo or Spanish Cane from the Mediterranean can be used in areas where temperatures are below zero. Although this giant reed may freeze down in winter, give it a protective mulch with a good rich soil and it will grow from six to 15 feet in a summer. Another popular bamboo relative is Pampas grass or Cortaderia sellowana from Brazil and Argentina. This versatile clumping grass will tolerate dry to wet soils and temperatures close to zero if protected by mulching.

Nandina domestica or Heavenly Bamboo is not bamboo related but a look-alike. This evergreen loses leaves at ten degrees and is killed to the ground at five degrees, but usually recovers. In milder areas, Heavenly or Sacred Bamboo grows slowly to about eight feet and makes attractive patterns against a wall. It is also used as a container plant in the home.

The list of tropical look-alikes goes on and on.

You might consider trees like the hardy Eucalyptus species. These include the Cider Gum and Snow Gum, which survive temperatures close to zero. For moist gardens, try the Giant Leafed Gunnera manicata from Chile.

When it comes to fruits, the fig, pomegranate, olive and loquat can all be found growing as far north as Seattle on the West Coast.

Your mainland friends can experiment with these and others that nurseries and garden centers carry in their area or try some from more southerly locations. To avoid discouragement, check with garden books that cover plant hardiness. Sunset’s New Western Garden Book is a great help. Remember, hardiness fluctuates. You can increase hardiness by plant conditioning and protection.

Avoid heavy fall fertilizations, but also remember a plant underfed is prone to damage.

With plants that are marginal, place them where they will get full advantage of the warmer micro-climate in the garden. Temperatures are often warmer on the south sides of buildings, sheltered from cold winds.