Mondomuse's Semi-tropical Shade garden

This little swath of land exists on a property I share with a 1910 cottage in front and my studio office located in the rear. Most of my other gardens exist on the property adjacent to this one. I love a short commute. The tall bamboo provides the backdrop for this setting, and has influenced my selections. There is a rather large ganesh-like water fountain at the base of the bamboo, with an abundance of camellias, palms, ferns, begonias, impatiens and various jades throughout this narrow 15′ × 40′ garden. The photo here only depicts a portion of this semi-tropical shade garden.

Other specimens include dracaena, Japanese privet, horsetail reed, golden bamboo, euphorbia, sansevieria, bay laurel, bamboo palm, hedera, nadinia, fuchsia, calla lily and campanula. There is a very tall New Zealand tree fern (Dicksonia squarrosa) by my door that further shades and cools this space. Many of the plants have been given to me over the years; this is really a goodwill garden.

There have been various fire pits in the center, for small gatherings on a chilly night. Blue and green floodlights are installed to highlight certain areas at night. Candles on wrought iron stands and tiki torches provide the finishing touch.