Garden Designers & Landscape Gardeners
Garden Buildings in South & East England
The Tropical Pool House in the English Country Garden.
Our knowledge of plants allows us to choose species from all over the world to achieve your desired planting style whatever the setting. In this pool house at the English Country Garden we used tropical plants because there is a winter minimum temperature of 15c, heated by solar panels. By using large planting containers the plants here can grow to a large size and completely screen the walls of the pool house.
Left - a pair of Adonidia merrillii palms frame the diving board with the large glossy leaves of the 'fiddle fig' Ficus lyrata behind. There are several named varieties of Hibiscus 'Rosa Sinensis' trained against the wall on the left.
Right - an aptly named flower of Hibiscus schizopetalus hanging over the pool. We designed the layout, specified the type of planting container, supplied and planted all of the plants in the pool house. We also return regularly to advise and oversee its maintenance.
Left - the amazingly detailed leaves of Jatropha multifida.
Right - you can see the Jatropha here leaning out from the wall and a purple creeping plant Tradescantia pallida 'Purple Queen' spills over the planting containers. Because we know many of the specialist plant nurseries from all over the country we can offer you unique and stunning planting compositions.
Left - the pink flowers of a small tree Plumeria 'Rubra' also known as 'Franjipani' are sweetly scented and when the two trees in the pool house flower the whole room is filled with their intoxicating tropical perfume in the evenings.
Right - the huge tassle like flowers of Thunbergia mysorensis hang from the creeping stems of this climbing plant as it twines around the roof beams.
The silver grey leaves of a palm Latania lontaroides make a strong contrast with the lush green back drop. We have several different palms, edible bananas that have produced several crops, ginger plants, different colours of bouganvilla, Jasmine, grapefruit, orange and lemon trees in the pool house.
Left - one of the many Hibiscus varieties with raspberry throated golden flowers. Red frangipani is in the background with Plumbago flowers in the top left hand corner and the elephant ear shaped leaves of Colocasia amazonica below.
Centre - another view of Latania lontaroides and the 'Chenille Plant' Acalypha hispida growing next to it, with the red tassle like flowers which it seems to bear almost all year.
Right - another plant that flowers for most of the year is Pachystachys lutea with the yellow spikes of flowers. It is growing here with the orange and yellow flowered Lantana camara in the background.
Top left - another shot of probably the rarest plant in the pool house - Jatropha multifida. You can see the lower leaves on the tree here have a lacy and intricate form.
Top right - a close up of Thunbergia mysorensis 'Ladies Slipper' flowers.
Below left and right - the flowers of a rampant climber that took over part of the pool house - Clerodendrum thomsoniae. The calyces that protect the flower whilst in bud gradually turn white.
