When you think of tropical foliage gardens, you think of the tropics; of the sun and its warmth, of relaxing by a pool or taking a dip. The lush greenery, with palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze; of the garden and the vibrant colours which comes not from flowers but instead from the foliage, providing colour all year. Out of all the tropical foliage plants, cordylines are my favourite - from the many Cordyline fruiticosa cultivars (Ti Plants) to our more subtle native species; the diversity of leaf shape, colour and size never ceases to amaze me. Cordylines run riot in the tropical areas of my garden growing happily under the palms in light shade. They caught my attention around 4 years ago when I came across a Cordyline fruiticosa 'Rubra' and decided to give it a try under the palms, it grew well, coped with all that was dished up to it and added colour and form to the garden behind the pool with its beautiful red foliage. It was my first foray into growing tropical foliage plants that are normally considered to be indoor plants and the beginning of my cordyline collecting days. I have since joined the International Cordyline Society and my Cordyline collection is steadily growing. It has started to reach a serious stage with over 280 different species and cultivars, some of these are growing in more than one position as I sort out each one's individual preference. When I joined the ICS I was concerned about coming down with a condition that is still relatively unknown in Sydney, called 'cordyline madness', we would really like to see this change.
'Tropical Breeze' is open with Australia's Open Garden Scheme in 4th-5th April, 2009.
This web site was created June, 2001.
July, 2007
