Cooperative Living August 2014 - 26

GARDEN MUSE by Paula Steers Brown, Contributing Columnist
Patio
Paradise
D
o you feel a bit like
you are in the tropics just
sitting on your back deck this summer? Create a
lush tropical backyard mood by selecting a few specimen
plants that hint at the exotic with unexpected forms and
vivid color, and don't sweat the heat and humidity.
Elements of this garden are portable as some species can
be planted in large pots to be moved inside for winter
enjoyment. Many of these fast growers can be cut back
drastically to be kept in check if you prefer, but can be left
untouched if the thick look of eye-catching shapes and textures
at close range is pleasing.
A pool or patio area ideally offers both sun and shade -
areas for active play where you can be sun-kissed with
bronzing rays and vitamin-D-imparting vitality, as well as
spots of shady respite for cooling refreshment. Passionflower
(Passiflora) thrives in intense sun and humidity,
responding by spreading its vines thickly to produce cooling
shade, making it a good choice for an arbor over a seating
area. This gorgeous plant invites close inspection of its
intricate, exotic bloom, palmate leaves, tendrils, and fruits.
Its flowers are prolific and last from May to frost. Passionflower
can be pot-grown to control the spread of its numerous
underground shoots. A paradise setting I envision is
planting the vine on a freestanding A-frame support from
which a wide bench swing is suspended. Imagine swinging
gently, so embowered as evening falls, watching the performance
of lightning bugs. Ahhh, summer nights.
The banana tree's broad leaves certainly provide a
tropical look. It grows perceptibly fast through summer,
until frost, at which time it dies back to the
ground if left outside. Or, if planted in a pot, it can
be a focal point in a sunroom over the winter. In siting
the banana tree, provide some shelter from wind, as its
huge leaves can't take a beating unless protected by a
wall, fence, or other plants. Banana leaves can also provide
delight, taking center stage during a summer dinner
party. Simply harvest a leaf, flatten it, cut off the
spine, and spread cumin-sprinkled, marinated chicken
onto the leaf, shiny side up; after cooking imparts its
Top - trim side shoots to about 6 inches at year's end to
control any tangling of this exquisite climber, the passionflower.
24
distinctive flavor to the meat, serve the green-roasted packets
for guests to unwrap with smoky drama.
Trees or large shrubs that can be heavily pruned are good
choices for the patio paradise. Smoketree (Cotinus coggygria)
grows to 10 to 15 feet, but can be cut to the ground so that
the bright reddish-purple new growth is reinvigorated. Its
flowers are sparse, but its unusual hairy panicles create quite
a dramatic display when they emerge from June to
September, giving a smoky-pink effect. Vitex is a fast-growing
tree that provides late-season bloom in spiky lavenderblue
clusters. It can grow 15 feet high, but responds well to
severe pruning if a smaller size is desired. Mimosa (Albizia
julibrissin) is a slender, graceful native tree that grows fast to
20 or 30 feet. Its bi-pinnate leaflets give an airy, tropical
effect and the flowers, which look like little pink brushes,
bloom from May to August. While crape myrtle is rather
ubiquitous, it is hard to beat for summer color and interesting,
exfoliating bark, and its size is easily controlled.
Plants such as yucca, agave, and bird of paradise lend architectural
drama to any setting. Yucca is native with spear-like
leaves and dramatic 6-foot stalks of white flowers. Blue agave
(Agave tequilana) is an important cash crop in Mexico for
supplying the key ingredient in tequila, but the greener Agave
attenuata, an interesting sculptural succulent in the southwestern
U.S., makes an attractive poolside potted
plant and companion to any good frozen margarita.
Maybe the showiest of all plants for a tropical oasis
is one for which I have a soft spot because it is my mother's
favorite flower: bird of paradise. Its bright-orange
plumage is irresistible and always a conversation starter. Over
winter in a sunny room, I find myself talking to it like a pet.
Some perennials such as zebra grass or other showy miscanthus
such as " Variegata " are especially nice components
since they sway and rustle in the wind. Everyone loves a
bright hibiscus potted on the deck, but hardy hibiscus, a
plant I cannot live without no matter the style of the garden,
is especially appropriate for this garden. The gigantic, exoticlooking
bright flowers with overlapping petals around the
pronounced pistil and stamen make putting on a
Hawaiian shirt redundant. Their maple-shaped leaves are
A banana tree grows incredibly fast in the heat, taking the edge off
summer's sizzle.
Cooperative Living/August 2014
Cooperative Living August 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living August 2014
