If you’ve been fortunate enough to travel to other countries and see how gardening is done in other parts of the world, you know that it can be inspiring. I often return from my travels with a desire to incorporate what I’ve seen into my own garden. Often, traveling abroad takes us to climates that are very different from what we experience in the Southeastern United States. The unique combination of hot, humid summers and wet winters makes it a great place to garden. One of the best parts of gardening is experimentation. I’ve had both success and failure in many of my gardening endeavors. This often happens when I try and replicate something I saw on my travels abroad that just doesn’t work in my climate. Here, I’ve compiled some of the most memorable lessons and ideas I’ve learned from visiting over 20 countries in my quest to discover the most beautiful gardens in the world.
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Find replacement plants for the ones you can’t grow.
Travel often exposes us to plants that we would find difficult or impossible to grow in our own region. My “holy grail,” a plant that has fascinated me since I first saw it in a greenhouse 20 years ago, is the Himalayan blue poppy. This can refer to one of two similar-looking species: Meconopsis betonicifolia (Zones 6–8) and Meconopsis grandis (Zones 5–7). Both are alpine plants native to the Himalayas, and both are beautiful. The problem for us in the Southeast is that at temperatures around 60°F, these plants will weaken. They like cool soil and overcast skies. The best displays of these poppies I have seen have been in early spring in Scotland. I have also seen gardeners in the Pacific Northwest grow these plants quite easily. The good news is that there are many wonderful poppies that we can grow and enjoy in our area. I am particularly fond of the Oriental Poppy (Oriental PapaverZones 3–9). This is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial in the poppy family that is native to Central Asia. It has its own challenges, as it doesn’t like to be moved or disturbed, needs good drainage, and can weaken if it gets too hot in the spring. The lesson here is that if you find a plant that you can’t grow well, find the next best thing.
For more alternative plants that we can’t grow well in the Southeast, find out how to satisfy your taste.
Let’s appreciate our native plants
I have been fortunate to spend time in European gardens over the past few years. If you have visited many public gardens in Europe, you will quickly realize that they are fond of many of our North American plants, especially the sun-loving perennials we see along roadsides in the Southeastern United States. It would be difficult to find a perennial border in any of the great European gardens that did not include some of our North American natives. We have a treasure trove of native plants in our country, and gardeners abroad are exploiting their beauty. If you have not yet come across Southeastern natives like Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium spp. and cvs., Zones 3–10), ironweed (Vernonia spp. and cvs., Zones 4–9), or our myriad other native plants that appear around the world, now is the time to do so. Gardeners in the United States as well as in Europe (and elsewhere) like to prune many of these plants in late spring. This promotes their late-season flowering and prevents them from falling over in the garden.
Grow shrubs in pots for an easy formal look
There is no rule that says trees and shrubs have to be in the ground only. Over time, I have fallen into the trap of being narrow-minded when it comes to my beautiful containers. On trips abroad, I often think back to how beautiful shrubs look in such containers. You can supplement these trees with annuals if you like, but they usually look great on their own. A boxwood (Boxwood spp. and cvs., Zones 5–8) in pots can add a beautiful formal element to the garden. A flowering shrub in a pot can be less maintenance than an annual. Plus, when they get too big, you can transplant them into the garden or just start over.
Embrace tropical plants that grow in your hardiness zone.
If you travel to a tropical climate, you may find yourself longing for a touch of paradise in your home garden. Tropical plants are some of the best additions to a garden, often offering gorgeous, deeply textured foliage and unusual flower shapes. The best news is that there is a long list of tropical plants that can withstand Zone 7 and above. This includes many varieties of ginger (high mountain range zerumbet et al., Regions 7–10), elephant ear (colocasia spp. and cvs., Zones 7–12), and banana (Musa spp. and cvs., Zones 4–11). These plants are also easy to share with gardening friends. Get to know other gardeners and find out which tropical plants work best for them. If you choose a tropical plant that is not cold-hardy, you can keep it out of the cold during the Southeast winter and bring it outdoors the following summer. See this article on overwintering tropical plants for more information.
Garden tourism is essential for inspiration
You can get a lot of inspiration from traveling. Looking back at photos from your trip can help you remember creative garden elements or amazing plants you were introduced to. Finally, having a plant or idea you picked up on your trip is a nice reminder of the time you spent there. I love visiting public gardens when I travel abroad. They are often filled with amazing plants, culture, and new gardening ideas.
I’d love to hear more about your favorite gardening destinations around the world. Add your top destinations or any ideas you have for gardening travel to the Gardening Answers forum.
For more Southeast Asia regional reports, click here.
Andy Pulte is a lecturer in the department of plant sciences at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Photo: Andy Pulte
