Tropical garden - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

A tropical garden features tropical

Tropics

The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...

plants and requires good rainfall

Precipitation (meteorology)

In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...

or a decent irrigation or sprinkler

Irrigation sprinkler

Irrigation sprinklers are sprinklers used on farms, golf courses, and yards, to provide water to vegetation and plants in the event of drought. They may also be used for recreation, as a cooling system, or to keep down the amount of airborne dust....

system for watering. These garden

Garden

A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...

s typically need fertilizer

Fertilizer

Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...

and heavy mulch

Mulch

In agriculture and gardening, is a protective cover placed over the soil to retain moisture, reduce erosion, provide nutrients, and suppress weed growth and seed germination. Mulching in gardens and landscaping mimics the leaf cover that is found on forest floors....

ing.

Tropical gardens are no longer exclusive to tropical areas. Many gardeners in colder climates are adopting the tropical garden design

Garden design

Garden design is the art and process of designing and creating plans for layout and planting of gardens and landscapes. Garden design may be done by the garden owner themselves, or by professionals of varying levels of experience and expertise...

, which is possible through careful choice of plants and flowers. Main features include plants with very large leaves, vegetation that builds in height towards the back of the garden, creating a dense garden. Large plants and small trees hang over the garden, leaving sunlight to hit the ground directly.

Tropical plants

The following are some examples of tropical plants to be used in tropical gardens or as indoor plants.

Hoyas

Hoyas are known as the “Wax Flowers” due to their texture and almost unreal appearance. They need relatively warm

Warm

Warm or WARM can refer to:* A somewhat high temperature.* WARM , a radio station licensed to Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States* WARM-FM, a radio station licensed to York, Pennsylvania, United States...

and humid conditions, but depending on the specific variety of Hoya, they can endure heavy rainfall for some months during the wet seasons just as they may also be exposed to long dry periods. They are commonly used indoors. They need indirect light

Light

Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...

, but the amount or required light depends on the variety. They need small amounts of water and the soil

Soil

Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...

is to be kept slightly dry since a very wet soil can end up killing this kind of plant. They can be grown in pot

Pot

Pot commonly refers to pottery, the ceramic ware made by pottersPot may also refer to:- Containers :* Plant pot or flower pot, a container in which plants are cultivated* Cooking pot, a stove-top cooking utensil* Chamber pot, a bedside urinal...

s that are not too big or in hanging baskets. They grow better if kept at a minimum temperature of 15 degree Celsius (59 Fahrenheit).

Banana plants

Contrary to common belief, growing banana trees is not that difficult and allow people to enjoy their own bananas. Also these plants can be used as windbreak

Windbreak

A windbreak or shelterbelt is a plantation usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion. They are commonly planted around the edges of fields on farms. If designed properly, windbreaks around a...

s. They need fertile soils, large amounts of mulch

Mulch

and organic matter, large amounts of nitrogen

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...

and potassium

Potassium

Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...

, warm temperature, high humidity, large amounts of water, and shelter from other banana plants. Banana plants are not to be exposed to strong wind

Wind

Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. In outer space, solar wind is the movement of gases or charged particles from the sun through space, while planetary wind is the outgassing of light chemical elements from a planet's atmosphere into space...

s and extreme weather conditions (too hot or too cold weather) with an ideal temperature being 26-30 degree Celsius (78-86 Fahrenheit). They stop growing below 14 degree Celsius (57 Fahrenheit). Banana rhizomes are planted upright and their roots have to be well covered with soil.

Bird of paradise

Among the many species of birds of paradise is the Strelitzia reginae, an indigenous plant to South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

and South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

. As a tropical plant, it grows in warm, humid climates. This exotic, colorful plant, with evergreen leaves

Leaves

-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...

resembles a bird's peak. It is an outdoor plant provided the weather is not too cold. Otherwise, it is better to keep it in a pot indoors. It needs rich soil as well as sun

Sun

The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...

or partial shade. Another requirement for this plant is a good drainage

Drainage

Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...

Ferns

Ferns are commonly used to give gardens a great foliage. Most ferns are easy to take of. They basically cannot be exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time. Moreover, their soil should always be moist. One way to keep ferns moist is by misting them.

Papaya tree

Papaya trees should be planted where they can be kept warm and free from wind and freeze

Freezing

Freezing or solidification is a phase change in which a liquid turns into a solid when its temperature is lowered below its freezing point. The reverse process is melting....

. They need enough water to support their leaves, but it should not be exceed as to a root

Root

In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...

rod. They also need a well-drained soil.

Orchids

Night temperatures between 12- 18 degree Celsius (55-65 Fahrenheit), and day temperatures between 23 -26 degree Celsius ( 75-80 Fahrenheit) are fine temperatures for orchids. Orchids need sufficient amounts of light as well as humidity. However, there are many varieties of orchids and each of them features specific care needs.

Maintenance

A tropical garden is one of the most difficult gardens to build, or maintain, it becomes more difficult the more your local climate differs from the natural habitat

Habitat

* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...

of your plants. Key to a healthy tropical garden are lots of light and lots of water. The large leaves that feature in tropical plants require the soil to be humid at all times, so irrigation

Irrigation

Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...

might be a must-have for some gardens. Over-watering can kill your plants as well, as it will cause the roots to rot.

A tropical plant that is not cold-hardy should be brought indoors during the winter and returned to the garden for the summer.

Non-tropical climates

Tropical plants that work well in non-tropical climates include;

acanthus mollis
Acanthus mollis
Acanthus mollis, commonly known as Bear's Breeches or "Oyster Plant", is a herbaceous perennial plant with an underground rhizome in the genus Acanthus.-Etymology:...
Algerian ivy
canna
Canna (plant)
Canna is a genus of nineteen species of flowering plants. The closest living relations to cannas are the other plant families of the order Zingiberales, that is the gingers, bananas, marantas, heliconias, strelitzias, etc.Canna is the only genus in the family Cannaceae...
crocosmia
Crocosmia
Crocosmia is a small perennial genus in the iris family Iridaceae, native to the grasslands of Cape Floristic Region, South Africa.They can be evergreen or deciduous perennial herbs, that grow from basal underground corms. The basal, alternate leaves are cauline and distichous...

, aka Lucifer
passiflora caerulea
Passiflora caerulea
Passiflora caerulea, commonly known as the Blue Passion Flower or the Common Passion Flower, is a vine native to South America...
paulownia tomentosa
Paulownia tomentosa
Paulownia tomentosa is a deciduous tree in the genus Paulownia, native to central and western China, but invasive in the US...
secrecia
trachycarpus
Trachycarpus
Trachycarpus is a genus of ten species of palms native to Asia, from the Himalaya east to eastern China. They are fan palms , with the leaves with a bare petiole terminating in a rounded fan of numerous leaflets. The leaf bases produce persistent fibers that often give the trunk a characteristic...

Attractions

There are a number of attractions that feature a tropical garden including;

Australia: *Alma Park Zoo - Kuranda, Queensland

Kuranda, Queensland

Kuranda is a town on the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland, Australia, it is 25 kilometres from Cairns, via the Kuranda Range road. It is surrounded by rainforest. At the 2006 census, Kuranda had a population of 1,611.-History:...

Australia: *Kuranda Scenic Railway

Kuranda Scenic Railway

The Kuranda Scenic Railway is a name for the railway line that runs from Cairns, Queensland, Australia to the nearby town of Kuranda. The tourist railway snakes its way up the Macalister Range and is no longer used for regular commuter services. It passes through the suburbs of Stratford,...

- Dakabin, Queensland

Dakabin, Queensland

Dakabin is a suburb 26 kilometres north of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the Moreton Bay Region...

Canada: *Colasanti's Tropical Gardens

Colasanti's Tropical Gardens

Colasanti's Tropical Gardens is an indoor entertainment and shopping centre, situated in the community of Ruthven, part of Kingsville, Ontario...

Kingsville, Ontario

The Town of Kingsville is located in Essex County in southwestern Ontario, Canada, and is Canada's southernmost municipality with town status. According to the 2006 census, the population of Kingsville is 20,908.-Geography:...

USA: *Cedarvale Botanic Garden and Restaurant

Cedarvale Botanic Garden and Restaurant

The Cedarvale Botanic Garden and Restaurant are a botanical garden, cabins, and restaurant located off I-35 at Exit 51 , near the Arbuckle Mountains and one mile from Turner Falls Park in Davis, Oklahoma....

- Davis, Oklahoma

Davis, Oklahoma

Davis is a city in Garvin and Murray counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 2,610 at the 2000 census. Davis is the home of the 1979, 1986, 1990, and 1995 Oklahoma State Football Championship teams...

USA: *Reiman Gardens

Reiman Gardens

Reiman Gardens is situated on a 14- acre site located immediately south of Jack Trice Stadium on the Iowa State University campus in Ames, Iowa. Reiman Gardens is a year-round facility that has become one of the top ten attractions in Central Iowa...

-Ames, Iowa

Ames, Iowa

Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...

Thailand: Dokmai Garden, Chiang Mai.