Not A Grumble in the Jungle

The paved area at the back of the house sits in deep shade for most of the morning and then blazing sunlight until dusk. I tried roses, cottage style pots but they didn't like it; the poor things wilted in the heat of the afternoon. The area looked stark and unfriendly with no planting at all so I decided, on a whim, to try more exotic things. I shouldn't really call it a jungle since some of the things I am growing there wouldn't survive in a jungle at all. It is a mix of small palms, bananas, bulbs, fuchsias, anything that enjoys or will tolerate unrelenting sun.

I bought cheap palms and bananas from the garden centre department at the supermarket.  When I brought them home they were small plants but I was astonished at how quickly they grew. By the end of teh summer, the four inch high banana plants were taller than me! Since I am new to this style of gardening, I stuck to easy to grow varieties that would put up with growing in pots. Along side the more unfamiliar things I grew the old favourites, hostas, agapanthus, shuttlecock ferns. I added a water barrel with a small pump so I could have the sound of water, placed a bench beneath the kitchen window and enjoyed my morning coffee there, surrounded by plants.

The hardest thing was dismantling it all and putting it in the greenhouse for the winter. I am so worried some of them won't survive. The worst thing of all was cutting back those fabulous banana plants when they were in full leaf. I brought the smaller ones indoors so I could continue to enjoy them. They've done well indoors apart from filling the house with tiny flies. I sprayed with neem oil which kept the infestation down to a dull roar.

I can't wait to do it again this year, using last year's mistakes to make it better and adding to the variety of plants. There are some fabulous facebook pages where I gleaned loads of tips and advice. Some of the  jungle gardens are truly amazing but I don't think I am ready to do away with my cottage planting completely. I like having different areas. The rose garden is fragrant and beautiful, the fernery is dense and green and cool, the long sunny borders are bright and colourful but the jungle is immersive and tranquil requires very little fussing.