I'm Colombian and grew up surrounded by tropical plants. Colombia is incidentally one of the countries with the largest variety of fruit in the world. The tree tomato fruit (tomate de arbol) is a staple in any household, regardless of iincome level. Most tropical fruits are highly acidic, i.e: pineapple, passion fruit, and the tree tomato. In Colombia, we have a longstanding culture of making juice. There is fresh juice made every morning AND often, every afternoon. This is where the tomate de arbol comes in: peel them, put them in a blender, add water and sugar/stevia. It has a very high content of antioxidants and has been proven to protect against hyperglycemia. Have too many? Peel and freeze them in bags, you'll have juice all year long and a lovely gift for your guests. I find it amazing to see how appreciation for tropical plants has increased in recent years. Most impressive to me is to see these plants in interiors. Yes, we've always had anthuriums, begonias, and peace lilly indoors, but It's a wonderfully fresh perspective to see monsteras and crotons indoors! We would never put a monstera inside, except for houses that have an atrium (my aunt grew an obliqua). The same goes for crotons indoors. They can withstand the cruelest amount of sun and heat. We would never think of this! I now live in a place with 4 seasons, and I am making my new place home by growing bird of paradise, heliconia, traveler's palm, colocasia, alocasia, anthuriums, caladiums, and monstera indoors. My project this year: a potager garden. Foxglove and butterfly bushes seem incredibly romantic and exotic to me.
Super video Craig. I remember your first Tiny tropical garden videos. Same time I got serious about changing my garden to an exotic style. You've done great with the transformation of your garden and career into horticulture and setting out on your own with the plant sales . First class👏👏👍
I seem to like keeping myself busy 😂 I appreciate all your support Vincenze, it means a lot 👍 We are all on a constant learning curve, who knows whats around the corner! 👍🌱🌴
I Use a Aquaculture trick to feed and water my plants thru heavy drip emitter tape hidden in the root system. I Take the daily filtered water from a 1200 gallon fish tank buried like a pond and remove the solid waste then pump the nutrient rich liquid manure thru the drip tape system and everything is extremely happy growing there. The excess water goes out to fields and my two large greenhouses also.
Keep on coming with the great productions Craig, I believe in your project and your approach to delivering it, even though finding a new gardening channel on RU-vid, every other day is a commonalities for me, they’re the ones that stand out in the crowd. 0:53 0:53
thank you for that wonderful list! I currently have Banana, Alocasia, Colocasia, Fatsia, Canna, Aspidistra elatior, and woodland ferns in addition to Turmeric and Ginger plants. I am in east Texas!
Nothing beats basjoo and tetrapanax. Largest ons in my yard zone 8 are up to 4m...basjoo needs a bit of protection, but tetra's are rocksolid, and provide that jurassic style
Graig, good video, but your out of order not mentioning that T Rex has a very invasive root system, and would quickly get out of control in a small garden. I have been selling T Rex plants taken from suckers from a tree in my neighbors garden. The suckers come from the tree, across his garden, by passing several obstacles placed to deter them, under my fence, under the paving slabs in the sun house and up through the floor, lifting the slabs in the process. I have relaid the floor, but they still they come, they lift the slabs with ease My concern is one day they might get in the drains! I have a dozen plants potted up and ready to sell at the door at the moment! The parent tree I must say is magnificent , but I fear the suckers will get under his bungalow eventually.
Hi Graig, love your videos. just wanted to say I’ve taken your advice and have introduced a tetrapanex t-rex into my modest jungle. i’m hoping the shade they produce gives my long suffering Fatsia the chance for the leafs to reach their full potential. keep it up mate your a natural 👍
I just found out how to look after Darmera peltata thanks to your video can u say how to take cutting of it as iv got it living in my pond mixed in with a lot of pond grasses thanks
An excellent video Craig, I love tropical gardens and veg growing and we are very lucky to have 2 parts to our garden so I have divided the 2 gardens 1 for veg growing and where I made my large victorian greenhouse and the first part which is where I am slowly growing a tropical garden, thx for the tips and tricks on these amazing plants.
i was wondering, after watching several videos from the UK, why no one of you has Monstera deliciosa in their garden? To much trouble to keep it protected during winter? They do survive mild frost. The only ONE time I had frost in my garden, it was for one night only, even though my cavendish bananas, Jackfruit and lichee suffered some loses, not even one of my 10+ monsteras felt it. Some of them in pots, but most are planted directly in the ground, to grow freely and be the monsters they are.
I live in Fresno California, which in the summer gets to be triple digits and then the winter may be gets down to 35°. What tropical plants can I put in full sun in the in my garden? I already have banana plants I have Kanas and I have the large palm tree. Oh, and I have elephant here, but my elephant ears are under my patio.
Love your videos. Any ideas or source(s) to find 'Woodwardia radicans' in the US? Keep striking out in my searches. Lovely plant. Thanks for all your information, Mike.
Hello 👋🏻 I am very new to your channel and live in Northern Ireland, I would love to attempt Musschai wollastonii from seed, I was wondering would you be interested in sending me some and I can PayPal you of course - I’m in preparation of starting an exotic border in 2023 - I know this video was one year ago - chancing my luck 🍀
It is a very similar leaf but Muscschia get MUCH larger. The flowers are very different too, it's a more open cluster of individual red or yellow flowers on the ones I have seen flower.
The sales of some Gunnera species have been banned due to it's invasive nature. Other species are being introduced now that still look amazing, if not a little smaller.
