Even if you live well north of the equator and no where near the jungle, you can have the essense of the tropics in your own backyard. A few ground rules:
- First, do a little research about what grows well in your area. In the coldest zones you might need to substitute hardy types of bamboo, ferns, or bananas; in dry, hot areas consider bougainvilleas and palms rather than thirsty ferns. Swing by your local independent garden center for the best plants for your needs.
- Second, the essence of the tropical garden is dense planting. Only with a lot of plants in a small space can you achieve the desired jungle-like appearance. Create a wall around the garden – think vertical layers. Surround yourself in plants. And, remember that in colder zones or where planting space is limited, pots stuffed with tropical plants is always an option!
- Third, give into color. Hot, bright colors just scream tropics. Not only bright flower colors, but striking variegated foliage.And, speaking of foliage, tropical gardens need big leaves.
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