Gain plant recommendations and design ideas from foreign travel that you can bring home
If you have the proficient luck to travel to other countries and see how other parts of the world garden , you know that it can be inspiring . I unremarkably return from travel wanting to incorporate what I have see into my own garden . Often , foreign travel takes us to climates immensely unlike than what we go through in the Southeastern United States . Our unequaled compounding of hot humid summers and wet wintertime makes this a singular place to garden . One of the best parts of gardening is experiment . I have both succeeded and failed in many garden endeavors . This often materialize when I try and repeat something I have see during alien travel that can not be done in my climate successfully . Here I ’ve compiled a few memorable lessons and ideas I ’ve gained after chatter more than 20 area on a quest to see the best gardens on the earth .
These ‘ Slieve Donard ’ Himalayan blue poppies ( Meconopsis ‘ Slieve Donard ’ , Zones 6–10 ) are seen thriving at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh .
Orange Oriental poppy are far promiscuous to grow in the American Southeast .
Find Substitutes for the Plants You Can’t Grow
travelling often frame plants in front of us that would be a challenge , or inconceivable , for us to produce in our part . My “ holy grail plant , ” a industrial plant that has captivated me since I first saw it in a hothouse 20 years ago , is Himalayan sorry poppy . This can relate to one of two similar - look species : Meconopsis betonicifolia(Zones 6–8 ) andMeconopsis grandis ( Zones 5–7 ) . These are both alpine plants native to the Himalayan Mountains , and both are mesmerizing . The problem for us in the Southeast is that at about 60 ° farad , these plants go into decline . They love nerveless soil and an cloud-covered sky . The most striking display of these poppies that I ’ve witness have been in other give in Scotland . I ’ve also seen gardener in the Pacific Northwest grow these plants with relative ease . The well word is there are lots of keen poppy we can develop and bask in our region . I particularly wish Oriental poppy ( Papaver orientale , Zones 3–9 ) . This is a clump - forming herbaceous perennial in the poppy family that is native to Central Asia . This plant presents its own challenges , as it does not like to be moved or disturbed , need in force drain , and can decline if it get exceedingly raging too quickly in the spring . The lesson here is if you discover a plant that is nearly impossible for you to maturate , find the next good matter .
For more substitutions for plants we ca n’t grow well in the Southeast , learn how tosatisfy your zona enviousness .
Embrace Our Native Plants
I have been lucky enough to spend some fourth dimension in European garden over the last several years . If you have chaffer many public gardens in Europe , you quick recognize they hump many of our North American plant species , in particular the Dominicus - love perennial we see on roadsides in the Southeastern U.S. It would be unvoiced to find a perennial perimeter in any well - experience European garden without a few of our North American native . We have a treasure treasure trove of aboriginal plants in our nation , and foreign gardener are tapping into their beauty . If you have n’t gotten to know Southeastern aborigine like Joe Pye weed ( Eutrochiumspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–10 ) , ironweed ( Vernoniaspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–9 ) , or the countless other of our native plants that show up around the humans , now is a good clock time . Gardeners in the U.S. as well as in Europe ( and beyond ) sexual love to give many of these plant alate spring haircut . This push their bloom afterwards in the season and keeps them from flopping over in the garden .
Grow Shrubs in Pots for an Effortlessly Formal Look
There is no rule that tree diagram and shrubs only take to live in the primer . Over prison term , I have been shamefaced of narrow - mindedness when it comes to my decent video display container . During strange travelling , I am often reminded of how wonderful shrubs can look in such container . you could complement these woodies with annual if hope , but often they look just okay standing alone . A boxwood ( Buxusspp . and cvs . , Zones 5–8 ) in a container can add a squeamish formal component to a garden . A blooming shrub in a container can be broken maintenance than one packed with annual plant . Additionally , when they get oversize , you may transplant them to your garden or simply start afresh .
Embrace Tropicals That Grow in Your Hardiness Zone
If you travel to tropical climate , you may chance yourself longing for the feeling of paradise in your home garden . tropic plants are one of the best additions to a garden , often bringing marvelous bluff - textured foliage and unusual flower forms . The best news is that there is a long list of tropic industrial plant hardy to Zone 7 and above . This include many gingerroot ( Alpiniazerumbet and cvs . , Zones 7–10),elephant ’s ears(Colocasiaspp . and cvs . , Zones 7–12 ) , and bananas ( Musaspp . and cvs . , Zones 4–11 ) . These plants are also sluttish to share with horticulture friends . Get to make love other gardeners and find out which tropical plant have work best for them . If you take to grow a non - stalwart tropical plant , you may be able-bodied to store it out of the low temperature during the winter in the Southeast and bring it outdoors again the following summer . Seethis articleon winter tropical works for more information .
Garden Travel Is Essential for Inspiration
you’re able to gather a lot of inspiration from travel . Looking back at photo from a trip can help remind you of originative garden element or rattling plant you were introduced to . In the end , having a flora or thought you gathered on a trip is a good reminder of the time you spend away . I love visitingpublic gardenswhile traveling abroad . They are often filled with great plants , civilisation , and new gardening idea .
I would know to pick up more about your best-loved gardening destination around the world . Add your top destination or any thought you have for garden locomotion to theGardening Answers forum .
And for more Southeast regional reports , clickhere .
Andy Pulte is a mental faculty member in the plant sciences department at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville .
exposure : Andy Pulte
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Seeing the tropical scarlet red passion flower (Passiflora miniata, Zones 10-12) growing in Costa Rica inspired me to grow this wonderful plant as an annual vine in my Tennessee garden. It also stirred me to grow our Southeastern native purple passion flower (Passiflora incarnata, Zones 5-10) which I had not grown in many years.
These ‘Slieve Donard’ Himalayan blue poppies (Meconopsis ‘Slieve Donard’, Zones 6–10) are seen thriving at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
Orange Oriental poppies are far easier to grow in the American Southeast.
Joe Pye weed takes center stage with several other North American native plants. Gardeners around the world love North American plants, particularly those that bloom late into the summer and in early fall.
I have found that many European gardens, like this one on the island of Isola Bella in Italy, contain boxwoods or other shrubs grown in containers.
Some tropicals, like this ‘Pharaoh’s Mask’ Colocasia (Colocasia ‘Pharaoh’s Mask’, Zones 7–10) can be grown year-round in the Southeast.
