Death in the Orchid Garden
Page 28
Any person who has visited the tropics will observe one thing: Tropical landscapes are crowded with tiers of plants. When you try to replicate this look in your own backyard, you must do the same thing—closely group the plants together to achieve a luxurious jungle atmosphere. You can make the job easier by borrowing a trick from professional landscapers. They insert free-standing potfuls of plants into a garden to fill bare spots. A water container filled with lotus plants or a pot of brilliant blue agapanthus would be a perfect choice.
Most gardners work on a budget (although some don‘t and even go to the trouble and expense to import rented palm trees for their summer gardens). With a modest amount of money, you can work the same magic as the pros by cleverly populating your garden with “doppelganger” plants that will over-winter. Then, when spring planting season comes, you only need to buy a few fast-growing tender plants to create a tropical Eden.
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Copyright © 2006 by Ann Ripley
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Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 2006926708
ISBN: 978-0-7582-0820-0