How to Establish an Exotic Garden

Exotic gardens are not just for the tropical islands of the Caribean. You can get a tropical look with the right plant characteristics and the right colors.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Garden fork
• Garden spade
• Exotic plants

1. Get the area ready for planting:Weed the area well before planting any new material. Ideally the area will be also be free of existing plants and shrubs. Sometimes this is not possible, so working around the existing larger plants is necessary. When the planting bed is weed-free, amend it with lots of good compost to give good drainage. Most plants, exotic or otherwise, hate wet feet, so getting the drainage sorted is an important step toward success of an exotic garden.

2. 
   Elephant Ears have Large Exotic Leaves

   Look for plants that exhibit an exotic feel. An exotic garden relies on lush green growth and vibrant color. Large leaves such as those on palms and ficus trees give this general tropical impression. Balance the greenery with bright red, yellow and white flowers.

3. 
   Exotic but Hardy Banana Trees grow in Zone 7

   Pick the plants. Getting the right plants for the garden will depend on your location. There are far more exotic plants for Florida than there are for Ohio, so be careful if you order the plants from the Internet.Many exotic plants, though, can be grown either as annuals or by lifting the plant and wintering in a basement. This is true of cannas, which give bright green or bronze leaves and are topped with vibrant red or yellow flowers all the way until frost. Elephant ears can be treated the same way and, if started indoors early in the year, they will become quite large by midsummer. Some bamboo can also be grown in the north, but as with all bamboo you need to be careful that it does not get out of bounds.From Zone 7 and southward, both cannas and elephant ears are perennial and do not necessarily need to be dug up each fall. These warmer areas can also grow hardy banana trees, which develop enormous leaves atop woody trunks. There are also hardy palm trees that will grow in Zone 7. Windmill palms are perhaps the hardiest, and although you can bring this inside each winter, it does get very large.

4. Add extra color to your garden with annuals. Some annuals such as petunias come in a wide variety of colors, but the bright white balances very well with all the green from your larger exotics. Bright red from geraniums also draw the eye toward the planting area.

5. Water the newly planted area when you have finished. Press the soil firmly down around the plants to ensure that the roots have adequate contact with the soil and water.

6. Mulch the newly planted area. Mulch keeps the root zones moist and cooler than surfaace temperatures, and in borderline areas, mulch can make the difference between a perennial making it through the winter or not.

Tips & Warnings

• Always check labels for the size of the plant or shrub; do not try to grow exotics that are too tender for your area unless you can bring them in over the winter.