I'm Colombian and grew up surrounded by tropical plants. Colombia is incidentally one of the countries with the largest variety of fruit in the world. The tree tomato fruit (tomate de arbol) is a staple in any household, regardless of iincome level. Most tropical fruits are highly acidic, i.e: pineapple, passion fruit, and the tree tomato. In Colombia, we have a longstanding culture of making juice. There is fresh juice made every morning AND often, every afternoon. This is where the tomate de arbol comes in: peel them, put them in a blender, add water and sugar/stevia. It has a very high content of antioxidants and has been proven to protect against hyperglycemia. Have too many? Peel and freeze them in bags, you'll have juice all year long and a lovely gift for your guests. I find it amazing to see how appreciation for tropical plants has increased in recent years. Most impressive to me is to see these plants in interiors. Yes, we've always had anthuriums, begonias, and peace lilly indoors, but It's a wonderfully fresh perspective to see monsteras and crotons indoors! We would never put a monstera inside, except for houses that have an atrium (my aunt grew an obliqua). The same goes for crotons indoors. They can withstand the cruelest amount of sun and heat. We would never think of this! I now live in a place with 4 seasons, and I am making my new place home by growing bird of paradise, heliconia, traveler's palm, colocasia, alocasia, anthuriums, caladiums, and monstera indoors. My project this year: a potager garden. Foxglove and butterfly bushes seem incredibly romantic and exotic to me.

@GrowParadise

Жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for sharing this. I love hearing from gardeners with a really different perspective from me, fascinating😁🌱🌴👍

It's so dangerous watching your videos!! I watch a bit then run off to eBay and buy too much stuff! Excellent content

Super video Craig. I remember your first Tiny tropical garden videos. Same time I got serious about changing my garden to an exotic style. You've done great with the transformation of your garden and career into horticulture and setting out on your own with the plant sales . First class👏👏👍

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

I seem to like keeping myself busy 😂 I appreciate all your support Vincenze, it means a lot 👍 We are all on a constant learning curve, who knows whats around the corner! 👍🌱🌴

Thank you. Exactly what I needed

Great overview

Fabulous work. 👏

Great plants and advice

I Use a Aquaculture trick to feed and water my plants thru heavy drip emitter tape hidden in the root system. I Take the daily filtered water from a 1200 gallon fish tank buried like a pond and remove the solid waste then pump the nutrient rich liquid manure thru the drip tape system and everything is extremely happy growing there. The excess water goes out to fields and my two large greenhouses also.

wow so many beautiful big leaves unique plants

very helpful, and enjoyful

Great info - great video, very helpful in establishing my tropical garden.

I actually did find this extremely helpful and interesting. Love your tee shirt 👕

Those tropical huge plants, just loved them! 😍

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

thanks 😃

Absolutely beautiful big leaves plants , really love them all .

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I love jungly leaves so much 😀

Brilliant video, thank you!

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching 👍

Great information. I got tons of bananas and love them but I’ve got to try growing Gunnera

Another super video, lots of info, I’m just starting my exotic garden 🪴 thank you 🙏🏻🇬🇧

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks jon, I'm glad it helped you out 🙂👍🌱

Lovely big leaves thank your for your beautiful learning video

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

No problem, thanks for watching 👍🪴

Great video. And some I didn't know about. Thanks for sharing.

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching Jane 😀🌱🌴💚

Hi Craig. Gordon Walker. Here. How did I miss this one no idea. Another excellent one so informative. .

the will all make great contrast when planted with small leaved conifers or bamboos.

Wow thanks so much!

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

No problem Linda, I am glad you enjoyed it 👍😃🌴

Great and very useful video!

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

Cheers mate 👍

Keep on coming with the great productions Craig, I believe in your project and your approach to delivering it, even though finding a new gardening channel on KZread, every other day is a commonalities for me, they’re the ones that stand out in the crowd. 0:53 0:53

❤❤❤ Fantastic ❣️Thanks for the wonderful tips that helps me to create my jungle garden in The Netherlands.👍🏽

@GrowParadise

Жыл бұрын

No problem, thanks for watching 😁

An excellent video Craig, I love tropical gardens and veg growing and we are very lucky to have 2 parts to our garden so I have divided the 2 gardens 1 for veg growing and where I made my large victorian greenhouse and the first part which is where I am slowly growing a tropical garden, thx for the tips and tricks on these amazing plants.

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

I’m glad you liked the video, your garden sounds amazing! I’d love to grow some veg, maybe I can find a empty spot somewhere in my garden 😂

@ironian24

2 жыл бұрын

@@GrowParadise you can grow veg anywhere really, if your short on space pots are a good solution.

thank you for that wonderful list! I currently have Banana, Alocasia, Colocasia, Fatsia, Canna, Aspidistra elatior, and woodland ferns in addition to Turmeric and Ginger plants. I am in east Texas!

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

Wow! Your garden sounds beautiful 👍😀

I just found out how to look after Darmera peltata thanks to your video can u say how to take cutting of it as iv got it living in my pond mixed in with a lot of pond grasses thanks

Hi Graig, love your videos. just wanted to say I’ve taken your advice and have introduced a tetrapanex t-rex into my modest jungle. i’m hoping the shade they produce gives my long suffering Fatsia the chance for the leafs to reach their full potential. keep it up mate your a natural 👍

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Paul, sounds like your Fatsia will thrive with a bit of shade. Thanks for your kind words 👍😀

Would Woodwardia radicans survive in full sun? Keep up the great stuff 👍 😊

It’s also worth looking at a Loquat which is evergreen, quite hardy and easy to grow from seed.

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely, great suggestion 😁

Which climate zone in the UK are you in? You say cold hardy but unsure if any of these are good for my climate zone.

Where doi find these large plants in affordable zone9a?

I live in Fresno California, which in the summer gets to be triple digits and then the winter may be gets down to 35°. What tropical plants can I put in full sun in the in my garden? I already have banana plants I have Kanas and I have the large palm tree. Oh, and I have elephant here, but my elephant ears are under my patio.

large leaves are an adaptation to shady wet conditions.

@Gggls844

2 жыл бұрын

Where do I find it?

I have some of these in our garden and have found if you plant a bergenia (elephant ears) in the shade the leaves grow very big.

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip Bryan, I know there are some Berginia cultivars with HUGE leaves too 👍

Nothing beats basjoo and tetrapanax. Largest ons in my yard zone 8 are up to 4m...basjoo needs a bit of protection, but tetra's are rocksolid, and provide that jurassic style

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

I agree, they are both fantastic plants! 👍

Graig, good video, but your out of order not mentioning that T Rex has a very invasive root system, and would quickly get out of control in a small garden. I have been selling T Rex plants taken from suckers from a tree in my neighbors garden. The suckers come from the tree, across his garden, by passing several obstacles placed to deter them, under my fence, under the paving slabs in the sun house and up through the floor, lifting the slabs in the process. I have relaid the floor, but they still they come, they lift the slabs with ease My concern is one day they might get in the drains! I have a dozen plants potted up and ready to sell at the door at the moment! The parent tree I must say is magnificent , but I fear the suckers will get under his bungalow eventually.

Thank you for your video but you didn't tell us how much sun each plant can handle

Love your videos. Any ideas or source(s) to find 'Woodwardia radicans' in the US? Keep striking out in my searches. Lovely plant. Thanks for all your information, Mike.

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, sorry I'm not sure about sellers for the US.

@johnofarrell1860

Жыл бұрын

I have lots

You really need to add alocasia and colocasia to the list please.

i was wondering, after watching several videos from the UK, why no one of you has Monstera deliciosa in their garden? To much trouble to keep it protected during winter? They do survive mild frost. The only ONE time I had frost in my garden, it was for one night only, even though my cavendish bananas, Jackfruit and lichee suffered some loses, not even one of my 10+ monsteras felt it. Some of them in pots, but most are planted directly in the ground, to grow freely and be the monsters they are.

Craig, which of these are you planning to sell in your shop this year?

@GrowParadise

Жыл бұрын

Hopefully Tetrapanax, Musa basjoo, Gunnera, Cyphomandra and more! 😁

@charliebrown9188

Жыл бұрын

@@GrowParadise I've added your website to my list of plant suppliers ;-)

Craig how much space do you need to give t-rex? I want to plant between yucca and fatsia spiders web

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

They can be quite space hungry when they are short, as they develop a trunk the leaves will be over your head so no problem at all 👍

@murph6510

2 жыл бұрын

@@GrowParadiseThanks . the only place I can find them are £75 at the moment so might leave til next year when I've cut the lawn down even further !

Colcasia or tarro has big leaves also called elephant ears

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

True, it's a great name for them!

I have visit de shop but could not find thes seeds or plants????

@GrowParadise

Жыл бұрын

Keep an eye out, I grow plants in limited quantities so they sell out fast.

I live in the USA and it’s very hard to find true manicata and I can’t get them from the uk

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

The sales of some Gunnera species have been banned due to it's invasive nature. Other species are being introduced now that still look amazing, if not a little smaller.

Musschia wallastonii looks and sounds, (by the description), to be like an echium🤔

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

It is a very similar leaf but Muscschia get MUCH larger. The flowers are very different too, it's a more open cluster of individual red or yellow flowers on the ones I have seen flower.

can you grow these plants in big pots?

@GrowParadise

9 күн бұрын

Absolutely! Just make sure they get plenty of water :D

Hello 👋🏻 I am very new to your channel and live in Northern Ireland, I would love to attempt Musschai wollastonii from seed, I was wondering would you be interested in sending me some and I can PayPal you of course - I’m in preparation of starting an exotic border in 2023 - I know this video was one year ago - chancing my luck 🍀

No Elephant Ear plant?

@GrowParadise

2 жыл бұрын

Good addition! 👍

It's a big blue leaf