How I Create a Holiday Feel in a Garden

Returning from a summer holiday can leave us longing to return to warmer climes.  I'm often asked to include plants which remind clients of their holidays. So can we bring that tropical feel to our gardens in the much cooler midlands?

YES we can, the key is to select from a range of lush foliage plants and tropical looking flowers which can transform a space into a bright, fresh & invigorating space. 

Tropical foliage
Bamboo – a classic for an exotic garden, the foliage looks and sounds great when caught by the breeze.  I choose varieties that are well behaved and true clump formers like Fargesia robusta. They can be grown in large containers if they are kept moist.
Bananas – hardy varieties (through most winters) include Musa basjoo with huge paddle shaped green leaves on long sturdy stems and Musa sikkimensis which has bronze markings on the young leaves and trunk. Both will reach approx. Height of 3-4m (10-13ft).

Fatsia – with huge evergreen glossy palm like leaves this is a popular shrub.  It can get quite large and benefits from being in a sheltered spot to avoid frost damage to leaves in spring.
Phormium & Cordylines – strong statement plants both of these produce strappy evergreen leaves in a variety of colours.  They are suitable for pots or borders and heights vary with variety. Note that only the green form of Cordyline is truly hardy, the red and striped forms need some winter protection.
Palms – hardy forms like Trachycarpus fortunei can be an expensive investment but as they are such great statement plants you only need one to transport you to the tropics!

Exotic looking flowers
Hardy:
Hemerocallis – the Day lily come in a huge range of colours and heights. ‘Stella d’Oro ’ is rightly popular for its bright yellow blooms in summer.  ‘Pardon Me’ is a rich wine red variety great for hotting up a border.
Climbers – Passion flowers like Passiflora caerulea or ‘Constant Elliot’ are hardy in this area and produce exotic-looking blooms in blue/white.  Campsis bear exotic clusters of pale yellow-orange trumpet-shaped flowers perfect for warm pergola or wall.

Tender:
Dahlias – Well with such a huge range of colours and forms and great exotic-looking foliage these are a must for a tropical style garden. Cactus types have zany pointed petals.  Reds, oranges and yellows with dark foliage give a wow factor.
Cannas – tender and needing a little care in winter, these amazing lilies have bold foliage topped with stunning brightly coloured flowers throughout summer. Happy in sun or shade and all manner of soils, these are very adaptable plants.
Gingers - Hedychium coccineum the Scarlet Gingerlily, is a robust tall-growing hardy Ginger from the Himalayas. It produces startlingly beautiful flowers in late summer. These prefer a warm sheltered spot and all the water and feed that you can give them.
Begonias – popular bedding plants for hanging baskets and containers they can also look fantastic in containers in an exotic style garden.  I'd group them with grasses and ferns in containers for a lush look.  Begonia rex are grown for their striking foliage and are perfect for shady spots.


So there are many options for giving a garden a summer holiday vibe. If you'd like to transform your garden, I'd be happy to chat through how I can help, so do get in touch.