Bring the tropics to your home

Create your own exotic getaway on your own doorstep! Fill your house and garden with the tropics' flowers and foliage with our selection of tropical plants for indoors and out.

Bringing the tropics indoors 

Many of our favourite indoor plants come from tropical climates, so they’re ideal for adding an atmosphere of lush greenery to your home. Here are three of our favourites:

• Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa )
  With its big glossy green leaves, this is one of the most well-known and popular houseplants. Please place it in indirect light and water when the top layer of compost feels dry to the touch.  In its native rainforest environment, the cheese plant uses aerial roots to climb trees, which is why it usually comes supplied with a moss-covered pole when sold as a houseplant. Gently press the aerial roots into the moss as they appear. 
• Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens)
  Areca palms look great in floor-standing pots, showing off their graceful arching stems and feathery palm-like leaves. They prefer indirect light, and the leaves will start to yellow if the light is too bright. Plant them in a well-drained potting compost mixed with sharp sand and water regularly, reducing watering in winter.
• Orchids 
  With their fabulously glamorous flowers, orchids are perfect for a tropical theme. Phalaenopsis orchids, the most popular type, prefer indirect light and love a humid atmosphere, which is why they do so well in bathrooms. Water them by standing the pots in a tray of tepid water for an hour so they can soak it up, then allow them to drain completely. 

Plants for a tropical garden 

Despite our temperate climate, there are plenty of plants available that will give you a gorgeous lush tropical effect in your garden. 

• Cannas 
  Cannas look good for months in summer, with their big, often vividly colourful leaves and magnificent tall flower spires.  In mild areas, covering beds with a thick mulch will protect the bulbs over winter. In areas with heavy frosts, plant cannas in pots and move them into a frost-free greenhouse over winter. 
• Hostas
  There are so many varieties of hosta available. Your biggest problem will be choosing which ones to plant. Their bold, fleshy leaves fit perfectly into a tropical garden. Look out for hostas with thick, ribbed leaves like Hosta ‘Halcyon’, which are less attractive to slugs.
• Fatsia japonica 
  This big-leaved shrub looks like a tropical plant but is fully hardy and will even grow in the shade. It produces large sprays of unusual round flowerheads in summer, adding to the exotic effect. 
• Fuchsias
  Known for bedding schemes and hanging baskets, fuchsias fit perfectly into a tropical planting scheme. They add a splash of colour that excellently contrasts with other plants’ lush foliage. They’re also great for brightening up shady spots as they thrive in less bright places in the garden. 

​Why not give your garden and home a new look this year? Visit our centre where you’ll find everything you need to inspire you.