What kind of gardener would ever try to grow tropical banana trees in Central Illinois? Mark doesn’t just try, he does.
Mark has turned his yard into a tropical paradise, apart from his arid desert cactus garden, of course!
How does he do it? Read on to find out.
Mark’s tropical garden extends around his house. He gave us several tips on how to overwinter tropicals. One important thing to do is wait until after the first frost. If you dig them up too early, they may keep growing.
The pond is full of tropical plants. Can you see the waterfall at the left? Many of the plants are in pots that can be brought in over the winter as houseplants.
The garden includes a hardy banana plant. Unlike the tropical banana plant, it does not need to be dug up and taken indoors.
Wait until the ground has frozen to mulch the plants you leave outdoors.
Mark’s cactus garden stays outside all year. There are two secrets to having a cactus garden in Central Illinois.
The first is to get cactus that have naturally located themselves as high and north as possible.
The second is to plant them in a raised area on the south side of the house. Here they get sun in the winter, heat from the house and protection from the north wind.
By raising the level of the cactus garden, water will not collect. Water is much worse than cold on the health of the cacti.