The idea of mixing tropical plants with perennials and hardy annuals has been around since Victorian times. It is now enjoying a newfound popularity because tropical plants are more widely available. Gardeners who want to bring the lush beauty of tropicals to an existing garden, or who want to create an authentic vintage garden, will delight in The Exotic Garden. Although tropicals are novelties in temperate climates, they can successfully be grown anywhere. Iversen shows how tropicals can easily be used as annuals to perk up a garden with color during non-blooming seasons. The author's expert advice shows how to grow tropicals in beds, borders, and containers, select and combine plants, and use the tools of color, texture, and form. Plus, there are special overwintering tips and a full color glossary of more than 100 plants.

"Gardeners ready for something different will appreciate...Chapters on form and texture and color supply readers with the tools they need to create the lush jungle-style gardens and dry Mediterranean-style gardens featured...practical guide to exotic gardening rounds out the text."-- "Gardener." "Gardeners grow everything everywhere...The gardens in "THE NEW EXOTIC GARDEN."..are good examples. Each one, including the author's own garden in Norwich, England, is a dramatic allusion to somewhere else, somewhere equatorial."--"The New York Times."

“Fearless Gardening encourages you—exhorts you—to boldly go forth and claim your garden as a space of joy and creativity.” —Jennifer Jewell, creator and host of public radio’s Cultivating Place Embrace your inner rebel and create the garden you want—even if it breaks the rules. Loree Bohl, the voice behind the popular blog The Danger Garden, shows how it’s done in Fearless Gardening, with zone-busting ideas and success stories. Bohl’s own gorgeous home garden inspires, with agaves that shrug off ice storms, palms that thrive in the rain, and planting risks that are beautifully rewarded.

Discover everything you need to know about designing, choosing and planting cacti and succulents to create a drought-tolerant garden in this lavishly illustrated guide with experts forecasting reduced summer rainfall, xeriscaping – the practice of landscaping with minimal water – is now a popular choice for many gardeners. In this comprehensive guide, expert sub-tropical garden designer Paul Spracklin shares his extensive knowledge of creating dry gardens with detailed descriptions of more than 400 varieties, and what you need to know to care for them. Whether contemplating a new design for a complete garden, a makeover for a sunny corner or simply a few containers for the patio, xeriscaping represents a viable option for future-proofing your garden. Written for the gardener, designer, enthusiast and horticulturist, this book provides: • Expert advice on drainage and planting mediums • Design know-how on xeriscaping your garden • Practical advice on planting and caring for succulents in beds and containers • A comprehensive directory of over 400 varieties