Have no knowledge whatsoever of tropical plants/gardens, but I do love them. I think your plan looks grand, and I think you've gone about it the right way by planning it out but then building it slowly.
Id definitely agree on a pond liner rather than preformed, which despite what you'd think will be much more difficult to install. With a liner, you just dig a hole and that's pretty much it!
The one thing I would say is before you get too many plants in I'd get the structure sorted out first. Lay out your paths, get your pond in, the arbour etc. If money doesnt allow then I would at least lay them out using string and pegs, so that you get a sense of what the garden will feel like to walk down, sit in etc.
Personally I'd also get rid of the grass now. It doesnt suit a tropical look, and it will likely be hard to maintain a small nice lush lawn in that space with the high fences casting shade and you walking over it whilst you do the other work. I agree bark chips would look great. They are cheap if you buy in bulk, and you might find it will give you the sense of it being a tropical garden much more quickly than if you keep the lawn. You will be able to plant directly into the bark if it is just on top of the soil, giving you the beginnings of the look you are after very quickly once you get some plants in, and the bark will break down into the soil over time and help the structure of it. (you might want to put a base under the paths though),
Presume you've seen Monty and gang laying the pots out, working out where they go, before digging holes for them.
I love the way you're just going for it!
Some other plant suggestion... Stuff that grows quickly ....
Paulownia tormentosa. From seed. 8ft tree within 18 months. Massive leaves. The tree is pollarded to force large leaves and stop you having a 40ft tree.
Sorbaria sem, small shrub for its amazing foliage....and unlike our native trees it actually leafs up as early as Feb. My fuschias are still all sticks! Cheap to buy, grows quick, spawns suckers, which is one mans problem, another mans gift when trying to fill an garden.
Ginger....foliage plant. Still awaiting my seeds to germinate.
We visit (for the cafe ) and see their great plants ... we’ve not used their mail order as we’re so local but I know folks who have and they tell me they’re very reliable. They’re also very helpful ... I’m sure if you phoned or emailed for advice they’d help you out.
I have no no connection with them other than as a satisfied customer.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
You could remove the grass altogether and have bark paths, which would look great under a dense jungly canopy where grass would struggle. Maybe a "stream" from the small pond at the back leading to a bigger pond nearer the house?
I like the idea of the bark paths. In the top corner I intend to put a garden arbour. I was going to lay white spar leading up to that and around the pond but yes bark would be much more natural. For now I will keep a good proportion of the lawn I think at least until the plants I put in start to mature.
You can always remove more grass later, if (or should I say when ) you want more space for plants.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Posts
Guys tonight's I called into my local Range shop and they had these in the garden centre. What do you think for starters.....
£37
£22.50
£15
They also had some quite large fatsia japonica for £7
cheers
The others are fair prices IMHO.
Id definitely agree on a pond liner rather than preformed, which despite what you'd think will be much more difficult to install. With a liner, you just dig a hole and that's pretty much it!
The one thing I would say is before you get too many plants in I'd get the structure sorted out first. Lay out your paths, get your pond in, the arbour etc. If money doesnt allow then I would at least lay them out using string and pegs, so that you get a sense of what the garden will feel like to walk down, sit in etc.
Personally I'd also get rid of the grass now. It doesnt suit a tropical look, and it will likely be hard to maintain a small nice lush lawn in that space with the high fences casting shade and you walking over it whilst you do the other work. I agree bark chips would look great. They are cheap if you buy in bulk, and you might find it will give you the sense of it being a tropical garden much more quickly than if you keep the lawn. You will be able to plant directly into the bark if it is just on top of the soil, giving you the beginnings of the look you are after very quickly once you get some plants in, and the bark will break down into the soil over time and help the structure of it. (you might want to put a base under the paths though),
I love the way you're just going for it!
Some other plant suggestion... Stuff that grows quickly ....
Paulownia tormentosa. From seed. 8ft tree within 18 months. Massive leaves. The tree is pollarded to force large leaves and stop you having a 40ft tree.
Sorbaria sem, small shrub for its amazing foliage....and unlike our native trees it actually leafs up as early as Feb. My fuschias are still all sticks! Cheap to buy, grows quick, spawns suckers, which is one mans problem, another mans gift when trying to fill an garden.
Ginger....foliage plant. Still awaiting my seeds to germinate.
Thanks. I've just placed an order for one of their fern collections so will let you know what they're like when they arrive
We visit (for the cafe
... I’m sure if you phoned or emailed for advice they’d help you out.
I have no no connection with them other than as a satisfied customer.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.