The Garden of Eaden: March 2024

How to Plant and Grow Musa basjoo - Hardy or Japanese Banana

The hardy Japanese banana is arguably the toughest of all banana plants and is super-easy to grow here in the UK. With roots cold tolerant to -15 degrees Celsius it is as strong as they come and they require next to no maintenance other that watering during periods of drought.

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How to Plant and Grow Ginger Lilies - Bare Root Hedychium

With milder winters, and a far better availability from our traditional garden and on-line retailors, Ginger lilies are slowly becoming the 'must-have' plants of the season. In fact, no self-respecting cold hardy, tropical effect and exotic garden should be without one, especially with a number of choice specimens capable of surviving outside in our UK winters - albeit in the milder regions of the southern and south-western counties. With so many fancy, as well as RHS tried and tested hybrids, available just how do you plant and grow bare-root ginger lilies (Hedychium hybrids)? English horticulturist Simon and Lorna explain how.

Tropical Gardens UK: RHS Wisley Exotic Garden March Tour Walk-Around

Although spring has barely begun to sprung, any good exotic, tropical effect garden should have something interesting to look at, at anytime of year! So Lorna and I took a rare opportunity to visit RHS Wisley this March to check out their exotic garden to see what, if anything, it has to offer. So why not join us as we embark on our RHS Wisley exotic garden March tour?

Tropical Gardens UK: Five Genuinely Blue, Cold-Hardy Palm Trees

If palm trees were not exotic enough for an English garden, there are a number of absolutely fantastic blue palm trees available too. All of which are capable of withstanding the freezing temperatures of England, although one at least will only survive the very mildest regions of the UK such as those hallowed Isles of Scilly. To find out more, check out English horticulturist Simon top five genuinely blue, cold hardy palm trees.

Tropical gardens UK: Exotic Garden March Tour Walk Around

March has brought with it a change in the air! The nights are milder and plants are racing to emerge from the soil. So its worth having a walk around the garden to witness the beginnings of new life, as well as enjoy the early flowering bulbs. So why not join English horticulturist Simon as he shows you what is on the move in his exotic garden in his monthly walk around tour?

Tropical Gardens UK: New Plants for our Exotic Garden

The winter calendar has finally clicked over from February to March allowing specialist nurseries to finally dispatched long awaited exotic plants to eager customers such as myself. Within just a few days, a number of packages turned up at our front door, so in this video English horticulturist Simon opens the boxes to find out which new plants for our exotic garden have arrived.

Tropical Gardens UK: Exotic Garden Jobs for March

With the milder overnight temperatures of March you can really begin to see plants waking up for spring. Early bulbs are coming into bloom and even hardier plants are beginning to break bud. This means it time to start preparing for the weeks and months to come to ensure the very best spring and summer displays. So check out English horticulturist Simon's exotic garden jobs for March to find out what he is planning for his garden.

Are Aspidistra elatior Cold Winter Hardy - Cast Iron Plant?

The Cast Iron Plant - Aspidistra elatior is well known as a popular houseplant of the Victorian period and for good reason. It is drought tolerant, cold tolerant, shade tolerant and capable of surviving the coal-smoke filled atmosphere of the Victorian drawing room. But is it tough enough to cope outside in a typical English winter? Well English horticulturist Simon says yes and in this video explains his thinking behind it.

Tropical Gardens UK: Can You Grow a Banana Tree Outside in the UK ?

As far as tropical-effect plants go banana trees (not a true tree) are arguable amongst the most iconic. So wouldn't it be amazing if it were possible to grow a fully hardy banana plants outside, all year round, in your own garden despite our awful winter weather? Well it turns out that you can - assuming you don't mind that it won't produce edible fruit, and it not just a choose of one, there are literally three banana and banana-likey's that you can take your pick from. To find out more check out English horticulturist Simon's top three hardy plants from the banana family.

How to Plant and Grow Magnolia x soulangeana - Saucer Magnolia, Tulip T...

Magnolia x soulangeana, along with its many gorgeous hybrids, is arguably the first full-blown, outstanding horticultural display of the spring. With its massive blooms opening up and unobscured by leafless stems it is no wonder that this superstar of a plant is so popular here in the UK. So to find out how to plant and grow Magnolia X Soulangeana otherwise known as the Saucer Magnolia, Tulip Tree or Chinese Magnolia check out English horticulturist Simon top tips in this video.