Treat Tropical Plants as Annuals in your Planters

Are you getting bored with looking at the same plants and flowers in your landscape year after year?  Do you think that the annual planting of marigolds, impatiens and pansies is getting a little old and played out?  Do you long for some kind of new wow-factor in your planters to kick the monotony to the curb?  If you are trying to think of annual plants and flowers that hit all your senses and get your neighbors talking, the solution is easy, incorporate tropicals into your planters!

Treating tropical plants and flowers as annuals awakens your senses.  You can now enter a whole new world of colorful, bold, glossy large leaves, ferny greenery and beautifully aromatic flowers.  Tropical plants will definitely make a statement in your planters and an impact to your property.

You don’t need to live in year-round temperate zones to have these plants thrive, because you will be treating them as annuals; our summers are perfect for seasonal display.  You will find that in the peak heat of our summer, when all other plants are struggling, the tropicals will be enjoying themselves, swaying playfully in the breeze.  If this sounds like just the right idea for your planters, here is a list of our top 5 tropical plants to bring new life to your outdoor living space:

• Pygmy Date Palm.  This dwarf palm, pictured above, is perfect for an annual planter application, adding height as a visual interest.  The movement of the palm leaves in the breeze not only look great, but the gentle rustle of the leaves really give you that relaxing vacation feel.
• Cannas.  Cannas are also great for adding vertical dimension to your planters; they can grow up to 5′ tall!  They provide a bold accent to your planters with their red, yellow and orange blooms against their wide, glossy green leaves.  This flower is one of nature’s great pollinators, so it’s almost guaranteed to attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.
• Hibiscus.  There are many varieties of Hibiscus, each displaying a different color palette.  We can safely say, however, that they are all stunning and make an amazing addition to your planters during the warmer weather.
• Mandevilla.  This fragrant, elegant vine is a must-have in your tropical arrangements.  The trumpet shaped blooms show in pink, red and white, gracefully winding up the planter’s trellis.  Mandevillas require full sun, so purposefully place these planters accordingly for happy, full blooms.
• Bougainvillea. This plant has full range of versatility.  This plant can be trained to manage itself within a planter or given the freedom, it can grow to a full size shrubs.  It can grow vertically up a provided trellis, or be left to its own devices by falling into charming arches that cascade over the planter’s edges.  Beware, the stems of this beauty are covered in thorns, so be careful while admiring!

If you are trepidatious about using tropical plants as annuals in your planters for fear of not knowing how to care for them, there are solutions.  Irrigation systems are perfect for the set it and forget it approach.  By plugging in the proper watering times into the timer, you don’t have to worry about over or under watering.  In general, tropical plants like moist soil, but not wet roots.  Implementing a drip irrigation system to your planters will keep them happy and healthy.  You can add some fertilizer to the planter as well as a little slow-release plant food for a more nutrient-rich soil.

Still not sure that you would be able to design tropical planters or how to care for them?  Talk to your landscape designer for advice or to create an arrangement that will have your jaw on the ground.  A professional landscape designer can easily turn your ho-hum planters into the perfect addition to your deck or patio.  Incorporating tropical plants with different shapes, textures, smells and movement will add a much welcomed dramatic flair that inspires and relaxes, all at the same time.  MasterPLAN Landscape Design can help with your tropical planters solutions as well as design a custom landscaping plan that is perfect for your property.  Reach out to MasterPLAN today to discuss the full potential for your backyard!