Garden Photo of the Day

GPOD on the Road: Tropical Looks at Butchart

Bold foliage from warmer times

By Fine Gardening editors

Today Cherry Ong is taking us on the road again to the iconic Butchart Gardens in British Columbia. There are many beautiful sights to be seen in these gardens, but today we’re focusing on some of the tropical plantings. It’s just the kind of escape we need as the weather starts turning cold for most of us!

Alocasia 'Sarian' to the sideButchart is known for its over-the-top plantings, and this display is no exception. Tons of annual and tropical plants make quite the display. The huge leaves on the right side of the image are Alocasia ‘Sarian’, which is sometimes grown as a houseplant when small but really shows off when it gets huge like this in the garden. It can’t take freezing temperatures, so it will have to move somewhere warm for the winter.

elephants ear and swedish ivy
This combination of a dark-leaved elephant’s ear (Colocasia esculenta, Zones 8–10 or as a tender bulb) and variegated Swedish ivy (Plectranthus ciliatus, annual or houseplant) makes a high-contrast planting.

bell-shaped flowersOrange, bell-shaped flowers of an abutilon (Abutilon hybrid, Zones 8–10 or as an annual or houseplant). Abutilons are sometimes called flowering maples due to the shape of their leaves.

Cissus discolor
Cissus discolor (Zones 9–10 or as an annual or houseplant) has incredible foliage, with patterned silver on top and dark red on the bottom. It is a vine and will cover any structure with its lovely leaves.

Orange impatiens, yellow leaved pineapple sage, and the dark red leaves of Hibiscus acetosella
Orange impatiens (Impatiens walleriana, annual), yellow-leaved pineapple sage (Salvia elegans ‘Golden Delicious’, Zones 7–10), and dark red leaves from Hibiscus acetosella (Zones 9–10 or as an annual) make an intense color combination.

Alocasia 'Sarian'.
Alocasia ‘Sarian’ has incredible leaves.

If you have pictures of warmer times in your garden or gardens you’ve visited, please send them to the GPOD! We all need a tropical escape this time of year.

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Comments

  1. User avater
    treasuresmom 12/17/2021

    Thank you, Cherry, for sharing all your wonderful pics.

    1. perenniallycrazy 12/18/2021

      You're welcome. This feels like eons ago now.

  2. btucker9675 12/17/2021

    Beautiful!

    1. perenniallycrazy 12/18/2021

      Wish I could grow my tropicals like them!

  3. alicefleurkens 12/17/2021

    How I wished we lived closer. we went there 45 years ago when living on Vancouver Island. What a treat, and I see it still is. Alice

    1. perenniallycrazy 12/18/2021

      Hope you can visit again Alice. Happy Holidays!

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