Weeks of dull weather have been blasted away by strong solar rays. I can’t resist sharing the vacation vibe with you all by paying a visit to the tropical beds. Many of these plants are hardy or need minimum protection so I use the term ‘tropical’ here to describe an impression of an exotic planting collection.
Stunning red hot pokers
These are star of the show at the moment – towering spires, some a metre and a half tall, burning in the sunshine and still glowing come twilight. I will be forever grateful to the gardeners of the Savill Garden for planting these en masse and bothering to label them as Kniphofia ‘Alcazar’ so that I knew what to buy to reproduce the effect at home. They are interplanted with a glorious single dahlia in burnt orange called ‘Bishop of Oxford’, the first of which flowered this week.
Dahlia ‘Orange Pekoe’
This is a stunning dahlia, a large meaty flower the colour of a Solero ice cream. It was the only dahlia bought from new this year and having been forced in the greenhouse is a couple of weeks ahead of those that were overwintered in the ground under a thick layer of mulch.
Begonia bowl
Sometimes the best way to create impact with a container is to forget variety and go all in with a single flower. These begonias were bought unnamed from my local farm shop and look amazing against the red hot poker background. I couldn’t have imagined a better result.
Calla lilies
I used to grow these in pots in the greenhouse but they more than hold their own near the front of these tropical beds. The speckled lance shaped leaves are interesting enough but this week the gorgeous cornucopia cup flowers have opened up in tartrazine orange. These were left in the ground and managed to survive the winter just fine.
Taro Plants – Colocasia esculenta
These were overwintered in pots of dryish compost in the greenhouse. They are now producing enormous fresh green leaves. The roots are edible but I am unwilling to sacrifice any to see what they taste like. This plant will give a jungle like atmosphere to any garden and would, I think, look amazing in a pot, if kept well watered.
Eryngium agavifolium
This plant has fabulous spiky leaves which, as suggested by the name, have the appearance of an agave. The tall flowers are impressive but if you look at the picture below, the silvery white flowers don’t really pack much punch when viewed alongside the oranges of the Kniphofia and dahlias. I can imagine that some might even cut the flowers off to focus on the leaves. However, they are very popular with bees and hoverflies so I will leave them be.
Tetrapanax papyrifer rex
These grow ever stronger in this sheltered corner by the wall. I did fleece them for the winter and whilst they would theoretically survive without protection, I think it helped the plant to bounce back quickly. Some of these huge leaves are 90cm in diameter.
This seasonal diary is part of a weekly link-up of garden bloggers from around the world, called Six on Saturday. For more information and links to other blogs crammed with gardening activity, check the blog of host The Propagator.
The red hot pokers and dahlias are a great combination, especially with the blue sky. I could easily imagine I was in a tropical type country seeing those views.
It definitely feels like holiday weather this weekend. I had a great compliment from my daughter who said, just like you, how lovely the red hot pokers looked against the blue sky. My children aren’t massively observant about what goes on in the garden so that’s a win in my book.
Wow – it’s looking fabulous Katharine. It’s interesting that you’ve been able to over winter so many of those plants outdoors too.
Some plants I do worry about but others I feel relaxed about leaving to the mercy of the weather. There are many plants here that I make sure I do dig up so it’s not a low maintenance area. It’s worth it though!
Nice choice ! Love the kniphofias and regarding the colocasia, is it “ potted in the ground “? I hesitated to put mine ( potted) into the ground for summer.
Hi Fred, no the colocasias are planted into the soil and will be dug up and put in pots to overwinter. It seems to work ok but I make sure the compost isn’t too wet over winter or they may rot.
I think the jungle look is very appropriate given the weather we are enjoying.
Absolutely – I was going to feature something else this week but these borders and the weather were a perfect match!
Just my sort of Six. I mention my love of large leaves in my Six. I’m growing Colocasia ‘Coco’ for the first time but it’s in a pot – too many slugs and snails.
I loved your selection for this week’s six and they certainly evoke exotic summers. However, could you tell me the name of the plant on the left in your first shot, please (the ‘shaggy’ looking one)?
Your taro plant looks so lush! I shall try colocasias again next year. This year I bought three caladiums, but think that I overwatered them as they rotted in pots in the greenhouse. 🙁
That’s a shame about the caladiums – they’re something I’m keen to try. Do you think you overwatered them in winter? I have tried in vain to find the label of the “shaggy” looking plant which is looking really splendid right now. I will keep looking and it’s possible I made a note of the name somewhere. I’ll get back to you if I find it.
Your kniphofias are stunning, mine are only just coming into bud now and your begonias go so well with them, really hot to go with our weather at the moment!
Hi Pauline – I suspect your kniphofias are now blooming beautifully.
You’ve achieved real drama in that border – I especially like the first photo with the bananas at the far end, really does look like the tropics!
Hi Sel, yes the bananas are probably the most evocative plant down there. They’re so lush.
‘Alcazar’ is amazing, though it might look out of scale in my garden. If I ever saw it for sale I would be unable to resist. It also sounds like I should try Calla lilies in the garden. They don’t look like outdoor plants, which has always deterred me from trying but is also why it would be great if they succeeded.
Hi Jim, Yes Alcazar is pretty huge. I’m writing this comment a week after that photo was taken and the flower spikes are nearly as tall as me (5ft 7). I know what you mean about Callas which is why I tried them in the greenhouse initially. I can honestly say that they look very happy outdoors here and probably would be even happier down there in Cornwall.