Create a Tropical Oasis in Your Garden

Some people hate our steamy summers here in Maryland and escape to cooler climates, but the hot and humid weather is the perfect climate to grow all kinds of tropical plants.

If you have a sunny garden you have many options. Banana trees, Cannas, Hibiscus, Oleander, Gingers, Bird of Paradise, Passion Vine, Jasmine, and Mandevillas will all thrive in Maryland.

I’ve had a Star Jasmine tree for years that I take inside in November where it explodes into bloom and will scent the entire house with its fragrant flowers. The pot it is growing in has gotten so heavy that I have to root prune it every few years.

For shady gardens, try Elephant Ears, Caladiums, and Cannas for great foliage colors. Cannas will also reward you with some of the most vibrant flower colors around.

Tropicals have become widely available at big box stores and nurseries. When you plant them, be sure to add some good compost and fertilizer into the planting hole as they are heavy feeders. Any plant that grows with large lush foliage needs lots of fertilizer and water to give them some supplemental watering if we hit a dry spell. The large colorful leaves add a much-needed textural contrast to perennial gardens so I like to intermingle them in my beds. Tropicals such as Mandevillas and Hibiscus, which are known for their vibrant blooms rather than their foliage, are blooming machines and will flower non-stop all summer long.

If you can't bear to have the frost hit and lose all your beautiful plants in the fall, dig them up, pot them and bring them inside after removing most of the foliage. If your tropicals are in containers, you are ahead of the game. Just cut the plants back drastically to make the transition from outdoors to a chillier and darker indoors less stressful. Reduce your watering and keep it on the dry side all winter. Some plants like Cannas and Elephant Ears form large tuberous roots that can be dug up, shaken off, cut at the stem and stored in a cool dry area. Plant them out in the spring next year and start the cycle all over again.