Most people know that coffee comes from the tropics. In fact, the latitudes between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn are often referred to as the world’s coffee belt. Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia and Indonesia are the top coffee producing countries, but the coffee plant can be grown in virtually any tropical country with adequate rainfall. So why don’t we see coffee being grown in the home garden along with other tropical fruits and vegetables? Well, we do, but it’s not commonly planted because roasting coffee is a specialised process that requires expensive equipment, and the qua ..read more

The Florida coastal city of Miami is characterised by extensive waterways, with roads and homes set amidst this aquatic expanse. In the thick of quintessential coconut palms and moored boats lies Coronado Residence, reflecting a calm and grounded lifestyle. The entirety of the property, encompassing both the residence and its environs, is infused with a Zen-inspired ambience, thoughtfully designed by landscape architects, Studio Arth, to cater to clients who are ardent advocates of yoga, meditation and mindfulness practices. As a nod to this theme, the landscape is designed to create a pause a ..read more

By engaging a professional landscape architect, this Florida family transformed an ordinary garden into a natural habitat for local flora and fauna. Nestled within the tropical paradise of Miami, South Florida, the Herring Residence is an exceptional example of how an evocative planting design can transcend the boundaries of conventional home gardens. The landscape design fosters an evolving and thriving ecosystem, where respect for the natural biodiversity is evident through the choice of the planting palette. The palette emulates nature, by adding color, texture, and vibrancy through plantin ..read more

When it comes to citrus fruits, the first ones that usually come to mind are lemons, limes, grapefruit, oranges, and mandarins. However, there’s one citrus fruit that’s more culturally significant in Southeast Asia than all the others: the calamansi. Popularly known as calamondin in the west, the calamansi (Citrus x microcarpa) is a citrus hybrid native to the Philippines and parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and southern China. It also goes by the name Philippine lime or Philippine lemon due to that country being the only major producer of this fruit, ranking fourth on the country’s list of grown ..read more

The coconut palm is ubiquitous to most tropical countries. A popular vision of the tropics is lounging by the beach while drinking from a fresh coconut. But that’s not all a coconut palm is good for. For those living in tropical regions, the entire coconut palm can be indispensable to their lives. The coconut palm goes by several different common names and nicknames in different countries, earning titles such as ‘Queen of the Tropics’ and ‘Mother Tree’. People in these countries often use the flesh and juice of the coconut fruit as part of festivities and worship ceremonies. But by far, the on ..read more

The Giant Elephant Ear plant is a striking and easy-to-grow foliage plant that can create some dramatic effects when landscaping the tropical garden. In some countries it’s commonly known as the Giant Taro, but taro is actually a species of Colocasia, whereas the Giant Elephant Ear plant is a species of Alocasia. Its botanical name is Alocasia macrorrhiza and it can be found growing wild in many parts of tropical Asia where it sometimes grows up to five metres high. It’s now widely cultivated throughout the tropical world where in ideal garden conditions it can grow to about 3-4 metres high. T ..read more

It is said that gardening in the tropics is easier than in any other part of other world because everything grows so fast and lush, and even those without a green thumb can succeed. But many tropical gardeners lament that they can’t grow orchids – or at least can’t get them to flower. Actually, orchids are amongst the easiest of all plants to grow in the tropics – provided you know what the key factors are to growing them successfully. If you don’t get one of those factors right or neglect it completely because you didn’t know about it, then your chances of getting your orchids to flower and s ..read more

In the tropics there are so many beautiful trees that are grown for their fruit that the ornamental value of them tends to be overlooked. Fruit trees are usually relegated to out-of-sight corners of the back yard and are rarely grown in the front garden. There is nothing to stop someone landscaping a garden using only fruit trees and fruit producing shrubs. The result can be quite pleasing. This doesn’t mean planting rows of mangoes and avocados across the front lawn. That type of planting is better reserved for the commercial grower. It means massing them together, just like ornamentals, for ..read more

Everyone loves the beauty of begonias, but some gardeners living in the tropics believe begonias come from cooler climates and can’t be grown in the tropics without a lot of effort. But that’s only true of the tuberous rooted begonias that are widely grown in temperate climates during their summer months. Most other types of begonias originate from the tropics or sub-tropics. Whilst a significant number of begonia species do grow best in the sub-tropics or tropical highlands, there is an equally large number of species that do just as well in the lowland tropics, especially those that are prim ..read more

Banana plants, with their broad flat leaves swaying gently in the breeze and clusters of bananas hanging from under them, are a common sight throughout the tropical world. But this is no ordinary fruit-bearing plant. Apart from the bunches of bananas that it produces, every part of the plant, from the leaves and the flowers to the stem and the roots, can be used in multiple ways. Perhaps that’s why bananas are associated with prosperity and fertility in several cultures and the plants are often considered an intrinsic part of many festivals and celebrations. Firstly, let’s put to rest one comm ..read more