PALMS
::
TREES
::
TROPICALS
::
SHRUBS
::
GROUNDCOVERS
::
ANNUALS
::
PERENNIALS
::
GRASSES
::
VINES
::
WATER PLANTS
::
BROMELIADS
::
SUCCULENTS
::
BUTTERFLY PLANTS
|
|
T R O P I C A L  P L A N T S
Unfortunately much of the central Florida landscape is full of simple green on green woody plants. The Orlando landscape is astonishing bland and one must question, who stole the color? It's like the early scenes from the
movie Pleasantville. The film appears to be in black and white, but as each character opens their mind or changes from the perception of the Pleasantville tv show, then they begin to gain color. As those in color become more prevalent, the old black & whites become resistant to change.
It is unfortunat the central Florida has not opened its eyes to the possibility of COLOR!
The dark side of the lack of color issue is that thousands of different tropical plants will grow, thrive and survive our cold spells. Many years ago the staff of Land Art Landscape Architecture took a trip to
a nursery in Mascotte Florida, Smith's nursery. Mr. Smith has long since passed away and his children have sold the property yet his wisdom lives on. Mr. Smith had many varieties of cold hardy tropical
plans and his varieties were ever changing. We asked him why he was the only nursery north of Palm Beach that was growing tropical plants. His response was shocking, he said "nurseries grow what
the landscapes buy". Wow, landscapers who had the plant knowledge base of the central Florida 12 were dictating what nursery stock was available.
The lack of local growers did not affect the landscape designs created by Land Art Landscape Architecutre as we have agreements with south Florida nurseries for $100.00 shipping fee, no matter how bit or how small the order.
But the fishy truth is that the central Florida landscapers have little plant knowledge and are not in the right nurserymens circles to get premium wholesale pricing from superior nurseries.
Fast forward fifteen years and the staff of Land Art Landscape Architecture was at the largest nursery in central Florida and we were speaking to the owner regarding the lack of availability
for some of the basic tropical plants and he indicated, these landscapers don't buy plants based upon the plant, they buy the same twelve plants unless there is a bargain give away on clearance plants.
A footnote: please don't buy into your landscaper's sad story about plant availability, trust us, they are available at many nurseries! Landscape plans prepared by Land Art Landscape Architecture always come wiht
a plant list that lists suppliers and their telephone number. The sad truth about the practice of substituting is that a city or county final inspection will not accept an installation that contains
substituted plants. These plans are prepared with required percentage of low water use plants, native plants, wildlife feeder plants and food producing plants. When plants are substitued by
landscapes the property owner is put at risk of being forced to remove those plants and install the specified plants. The moral to the story is trust your landscape architect, his fee or profit level does
not depend on substituting plants to earn extra money. Ask yorself if you would accept purchasing a Mercedes and receiving a Chevy? So don't let your landscaper swindle you out of your tropical
plants, you worked hard for your money and you deserve the beauty of tropical plants.
|
T R O P I C A L S
Most of Florida is wedged in a horticultural No-Man's-Land, caught between Temperate and Tropical. It's not the long growing season which makes the difference.
Just as the scant chilling time which prevents us from growing Spruces and Spring Bulbs; it's the few hours of cold per year our gardens may experience that
drastically decides what Jungles we can grow or not grow. Some tropical plants experience a dry or dormant season in their native lands, some tropical come from high
altitudes which are exposed to cold; these beauties adadpt well to our climate. Of course the undying efforts and trials of Horticulturists and Nurserymen constantly expand our choices.
|
BIRD NEST FERNS
Asplenium nidus
|
|
|
This Southeast Asian plant screams Tropical Rainforest. The wide, almost glowing green fronds and tentacle-like new growth which uncurl from it's central growing point make it seem creature-like. Our Central Florida climate is well suited for this fern, being able to handle short durations of cold without problems. All this baby needs is a wind sheltered place under a tree: the shade and leaf litter provided takes care of it's needs. Though it may look like it needs constant water, this is not the case. If you meet it's conditions, you can have a head-turning, five foot high and wide plant in a few years!
|
|
VARIEGATED GINGER
Alpinia zerumbet 'Varigata'
|
|
|
With any kind of irrigation this Ginger will thrive. Perfect for that gloomy corner of a garden, the bright yellow stiped foilage even makes it's beautiful, exotic shell-like ivory and yellow colored flowers take a back seat.
|
|
WHITE BIRD OF PARADISE
Strelitzia nicolai
|
|
|
The huge sculpturesque leaves of this herbraceous tree are eye-catching, even from a distance. The bonus of this tropical plant are the large, very exotic blue and white flowers. It looks best in a wind-protected site, to avoid tattering of it's leaves and being truly tropical, deserves a warm spot. Planting next to a wall meets these needs, and at the same time shows off it's form best.
|
|
MONSTERA
Monstera deliciosa
|
|
|
Turn your Trees into the Amazon Basin! There is no plant that matches the feel that this treeclinger imparts. Its architectual leaves become more massive and lush coresponding to the omount of moisture the plants recieve. It grows slowly but surely up fissured barks, each leaf an artistic tableau, but never causes any harm to it's support, unlike Synogium.
|
|
TI PLANT
Cordyline terminalis
|
|
|
The Ti Plant was brought to Hawaii by early Polynesians as a utilitarian plant, but now it is enjoyed throughout the warmer regions of the world because of the outrageous colors of the foilage. Ultratropical in appearance, this plant has known to commonly resprout after being exposed to subfreezing temperatures.
|
|
PRINCESS FLOWER
Tibochina sp.
|
|
|
Brilliant purple flowers sporadically grace this tropical shrub. Several species, differing in leaf form and growth height are commonly available to Central Florida growers.
|
|
PHILODENDRONS
Philodendron cultivars
|
|
|
Recent Philodendron hybrids are the epitomy of form and color. Due to the non-vining traits, these elegant plants stay put wherever they're placed, only growing fuller with time. The foilage color is more intense in newer growth, so you can have several shades of color on the same plant. Due to the modest sizes, they can easily be protected on those rare freezing nights. Perfect for containers and poolsides, or anywhere a bold tropical touch is needed.
|
|
BANGKOK ROSE
Mussaenda erythrophylla
|
|
|
This sprawling woody shrub can reach up tp 15 feet, but in Central Florida it rarely grows that tall. Its thick, felt-like flower bracts, which range from white, pink to red, are the most stunning feature of this plant. Since the branches become somewhat bare during our Winters, this plant is best used incorporated with other foilage, yet as soon as warm weather approaches, it leafs out and blossoms as if Janurary never existed, thriving in our heat and humidity.
|
|
BROMELIADS
Bromeliad hybrids
|
|
|
Thousands of Bromeliad hybrids are suited for the homescape. Their perfect geometric form and insane combinations of colors give a splash of tropics wherever they are placed; thriving on the ground or mounted on trees. When those rare freezes loom, bromeliads can be easily covered or literally ripped up from the ground and brought into the home, chasing away those Wintertime Blues. Our favorite is 'Fireball', a vigorous dwarfish beauty that spreads by a constant production of pups. Good news; it has been recently proved that mosquito larvae are NOT hosted in the water that bromeliads hold.
|
MAIN
|
ABOUT
|
PROJECTS
|
POOLS
|
PLANTS
|
OPINION
|
DESIGN
|
VIDEO
|
IDEA GALLERY
|
CONTACT
2005-2019 LAND ART LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
Orlando FL Landscape Architect in Central Florida
|
