Episode: #7 14/10/2006
Presenter: Phil Dudman

Many Queensland gardeners are asking right now, how do you create a garden with a lush tropical feel that will keep looking good even in dry times? Well, at Botanix Lifestyle Garden Centre, their expert design team has put together some marvelous displays to help show you just how easy it is.

One of the most important things is to choose specific plants that are drought hardy while giving you the tropical look that you are after.

Another thing is to think about laying them at different levels. It gives an instant look of lush tropical foliage but most importantly they work together to shade and protect each other and create a humid microclimate around the leaves that helps the plants to conserve moisture.

Palms are an excellent start for casting shade and they leave plenty of vertical space below for layers of planting. Plants like cordylines (Cordyline australis) and Dracaenas (Dracaena marginate) thrive in a little dappled light under palms and they are a fabulous way to bring a range of colours and textures to a shady spot.

Cycads (Cycas revolute) are super tough and they work too. Down at ground level, go for things like rhoeos (Tradescantia spathacea), liriopes (Liriope muscari), philodendrons (Araceae), clivias (Clivia miniata) and bromeliads (bromeliaceae) which always look great together but most importantly, they are very drought hardy.

Here is something that is perfect for a courtyard or balcony. It is the gorgeous Lady or Raphis palm (Rhapis excelsa). The mass of foliage is very striking, but the other thing you will love is its multi-stemmed clumping habit. It makes a terrific screen and filler in the garden, but in a pot, they are a stand alone tropical feature that makes a bold statement even indoors and it doesn?t need a lot of water.

If you are serious about developing a tropical feel, then you must look at installing a few water features about the place. There are lots of attractive features to choose from at Botanix and when things are dry, the simple trickling sound helps create a sense of endless supplies of water.

It is worth your while investing in a few stunning pieces too like sculptures and statues. They are the things that give every garden a finishing touch and keep them looking special even in dry times. Something like the frilled lizard made from recycled metal will certainly give you that wow factor you have been looking for and every sculpture you see is unique.

There is no shortage of ideas here, so if you want to learn more about how to create a lush tropical oasis that will survive the dry then head on down to Botanix at Wellington Point in Brisbane and be inspired

Botanix Lifestyle Garden Centre

www.botanix.com.au

Nelson Road
Wellington Point QLD 4160

Mon-Thurs 8.30 - 5PM
Friday 8.30 - 9PM
Sat/Sun 8.30 - 5PM

Phone: 07 3822 1111
Fax: 07 3822 8055
Email: info@botanix.com.au.