June 2011 / July 2011 | Tropical Transfermation

- For the Virtual Magazine Click Here | June 2011 / July 2011 article in Home Magazine.

- Jon George shares seasonal portraits of garden design tailored for our North Florida climate in each issue of the Landscape Calendar written for local magazine Home - Living in the Heart of Florida.  Check out each issue to learn secrets of how he and his staff create colorful landscapes any month of the year. You may contact his staff for questions at cottagegardensinc@yahoo.com.

June 2011 / July 2011 article

Want to have a landscape design that laughs at the heat? Tropical plants can add a touch of the exotic while offering a hardy solution for texture and color no matter what the location. Whether you are gearing up for the Fourth of July pool party or just need a relaxing retreat, careful selection of
plant material is a must given the wide range of temperatures we experience here in North Central Florida.

Some tropical plantings are root hardy meaning they will always grow back from the roots in a single season, others are evergreen year round. Such is the case with this tropical corridor that we created for a couple in the historical district in Gainesville Bold foliage textures like the Asian elephant ears and white bird of paradise regrow to more than eight feet tall each summer. Evergreen Mexican fan palms were brought in to provide instant shade from the hot afternoon sun and a permanent backbone for the design.

For this inviting pool garden arbor in South Gainesville (above right), I chose the purple flowered vine called Milettia, known as summer wisteria. Tropical in origin, this twining vine grows quickly but is not
invasive like regular wisteria. Clusters of deep violet flowers complement the semi-evergreen foliage.
A stacked stone wall transformed a barren courtyard along with a fountain edged in moss rock for this
shady garden getaway in the northwest side of town. This homeowner wanted a private retreat to view from her window in the main living area. We used cold-hardy bromeliads and gingers to give a tropical flair and soften the rough textures of the stone.

- Jon George shares seasonal portraits of garden design tailored for our North Florida climate in each issue of the Landscape Calendar written for local magazine Home - Living in the Heart of Florida.  Check out each issue to learn secrets of how he and his staff create colorful landscapes any month of the year. You may contact his staff for questions at cottagegardensinc@yahoo.com.