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Create an exotic fantasy: flora for your home
Bring in a touch of the exotic to your home with plants that survive the winter when the low temperatures creep in
The Perfumed Garden is one of the oldest manuals on erotic fantasies, but now gardening is going more exotic than erotic, as tropical horticultural imports become the latest gardening buys.
Whether it's for bright colour, serene scents, or simply for something a little different to your bog-standard fern, exotic plants are a great way to give your home a euphoric lift during the winter months.
'With one of the warmest winters on record, it's one of the best times to stock up on rare and exotic plants,' says Simon Gridley, from Amulree Nursery in Norfolk.
Use our pick of the hottest exotic plants that come with added benefits.
Banana plants
'Growing bananas in the back garden, was virtually unheard of ten years ago in the UK. Now they're set to be one the fastest selling plants of 2007,' says Simon Gridley.
The lowest maintenance variety is called Musa Basjoo (Japanese Banana), a pleasing-looking plant with imposing and distinctive feather-shaped leaves. It's capable of surviving temperatures of -10C and guaranteed to give a jungle look. Although larger specimens will bear fruit, the Musa Basjoo is grown in the UK for ornamental value.
'Keep in a conservatory, or near a big window with natural light,' says Gridley. Water when the soil is dry and feed with a food like Tomorite (£4.50, www.greenfingers.com).
Tropicanna
Once a rare and expensive import from Australia and Africa, now DIY superstores like B&Q sell them at bargain prices, and they're easy to care for. Their payback is a vivid orange flower that bursts out in summer. In winter, the flower recoils to a cone shape, with leaves displaying a stunningly vibrant combination of pink, red, orange, and green, fanning out from a central burgundy vein.
Locate near a window in direct natural light and keep the indoor temperature above 15C. Water regularly and prune dull-looking or faded leaves.
Available from www.turn-it-tropical.co.uk or www.gardeningexpress.co.uk, ranging from £5 to £200, depending on size.
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