The Jungle Garden

Overview

This book takes the "houseplant look" outside by exploring the wonders of lush, green, foliage plants that are hardy in the garden to -10F. Unlike flowers that fade, these big-leaved, larger-than-life plants provide year-round impact for decades and small, urban gardens that are well protected are the perfect home for them. Expert horticulturist Philip Oostenbrink has been an enthusiastic grower for years and in this book recommends the best hardy, foliage plants for texture, leaf shape, and color. Jungle gardens can be shady and immersive, sunny and open or somewhere in between and there are plants suited to all these environments including purple-leaved bananas, desert-island palms, spiky agaves, architectural Pseudopanax, and succulents such as Echeveria and Aeonium. Beautiful special photography by Sarah Cuttle features standout jungle gardens that demonstrate how to combine foliage plants effectively and create backdrops and container displays that make the plants pop. This book is the irresistible next step for all houseplant addicts and for all who are ready to embark on their very own jungle adventure.

Author Biography

Philip Oostenbrink began gardening at the age of 4 and the jungle plant obsession took hold after a trip to Tresco, a subtropical island off the UK. After teaching horticulture at a secondary school for 8 years, Philip changed direction and took up positions at notable British gardens such as Canterbury Cathedral and now Walmer Castle where one of his first projects has been to plant a jungle garden in the moat. He leads tours of the garden, writes and broadcasts on his specialisms, and holds 3 national plant collections.