Tropical Red
Tropical Red
Houston Tropical Landscaping
The fascination with tropical landscaping makes sense in Houston because of its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, cultural influences of the tropics, subtropics of Spain and Latin America which provide plenty of local inspiration for creating the tropical landscape design. Houston's architectural styles now popular including New Orleans plantation, Spanish, and Mediterranean all lend themselves well to tropical landscaping. The tropics diverse palate of lush plantings and bright colors inspire the most beautiful and prehistoric spaces echoing vacation or leisure. Often, because of budgetary concerns or lack of horticultural knowledge tropical landscaping is poorly executed because it is treated as just another landscape i.e. substitute oaks for palms and you're finished. When done well the tropical landscape is lush, beautiful, private, refreshing and becomes a paradise for retreat.
Landscape Design for the Tropical
The tropical landscape can adapt to any style of home. As in all good design the form and function of outdoor spaces needs to be sympathetic to the homes architecture and definitely include spaces for entertainment. Is the tropical garden formal or informal? Informal modern landscape design works well with the tropical because of all the exotic and funky plant forms available. Tropical landscaping done well comes about through the knowledgeable layering of tropical plant materials and the fun use of varying hardscape materials such as wood, concrete, water and stone.
Tropical Plants
Many landscape designs in Houston intended to hint at the tropical usually contain some palm trees, variegated gingers and some lolly pop shrubs and white rock. A sparse and haphazard approach to tropical falls somewhere between desert sparse, uninspired and just plain poorly done. In designing tropical plantings think lush green multi-layer forms from the tinniest ground cover up to the tallest palm tree:
• Palms-Mediterranean fan palms, pygmy date palms, medjoles, canary palms, and bamboos.
• Shrub Layer-gingers, philodendrons, bottle brushes, camellia specimen, cannas, caste iron plant.
• Accent Plants-Australian tree Fern, century plant, flax, alocasias, saw palmetto.
• Ground Cover Layer-alocasias, clematis vine, star jasmine, xanado, ardisia, liriope, monkey grass.
Tropical Hardscapes
Tropical patios and walks can also be infused with layering, color and alternate materials to play upon various planting layers. By creating multiple deck layers or steps that slow the viewer down enabling for more viewing of the lush planting layers and creating greater interest. Built elements that add creativity, color and fun to outdoor compositions include:
• Outdoor kitchens-in stucco with back walls of Spanish tile
• Palapas-kitchens that are separate from the house w. or without a thatch roof
• Wood Decks-stacked with rounded or curved edges.
• Waterfalls-a water element creates the sound of privacy drowning out urban noises.
• Tile Mosaics-with bright colors of the tropics-aqua blues, reds, and yellows turning a pool into a tropical piece of art.
• Garden art to include lamps, torches, ceramic pieces, funky benches and furniture.
Tropical Landscaping Fun and Retreat
Ultimately one is only limited by their creativity, design knowledge and tropical horticulture experience in creating dramatic tropical landscapes. Multiple layering of lush green plant materials, walks, variety in materials, and garden art to include; colored concretes, stone, metal, and tile bringing about the fun of retreat in the tropics. Approach the tropical landscape as a multicolorful journey-don't just have a mojito, throw in pinnacola's and dacaries and you too can create a tropical paradise.
About the Author
Jeff Halper is passionate for Landscaping and wants to share infomation about that passion. At
Exterior Worlds
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Landscape Design
How do I winterize my tropical hibiscus without bringing it indoors?
It is a 45" tall red tropical hibiscus planted in the center of my yard and has done beautifully all year. Now it is getting cooler but I can't bring it in the house. How do I prepare it for the winter and still have it survive? I'm in South Jersey. Thanks!
It sounds great & I am sure it is beautiful, but if you want to save if from winter weather you must unfortunately and carefully transplant it to a pot, change the soil and spray fertilizers during autum a slight prune would help it be strong for the next season. Take it inside the house or it will not tolerate the winter.
Good luck.
Tropical Red
OOTD: Tropical caribbean Queen look/ Red Mohawk Quick weave style
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Tropical Red $29.99 Jan Weiss Tropical Red - Photographic Print |
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A Close View of a Tropical, Red Flower $39.99 Michael Melford A Close View of a Tropical, Red Flower - Photographic Print |
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Red Hibiscus, Hawaiian Tropical Flower $27.99 Ted Mundorff Red Hibiscus, Hawaiian Tropical Flower - Giclee Print |
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Tropical $9.99 Tropical |
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Anthurium II, Red Hawaiian Tropical Flowers $27.99 Ted Mundorff Anthurium II, Red Hawaiian Tropical Flowers - Giclee Print |
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Close Up Image of Red Tropical Flower $19.99 Close Up Image of Red Tropical Flower - Photographic Print |
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Two Red Tropical Flowers Blooming in a Rain Forest $39.99 Todd Gipstein Two Red Tropical Flowers Blooming in a Rain Forest - Photographic Print |
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Blazing Red and Orange Tropical Storm Clouds at Sunset $39.99 Jason Edwards Blazing Red and Orange Tropical Storm Clouds at Sunset - Photographic Print |
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Full Moon and Red Light Reflecting in Water in a Tropical Setting $39.99 Mike Theiss Full Moon and Red Light Reflecting in Water in a Tropical Setting - Photographic Print |
Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Hobbyists Add Blue Bee Shrimp
How Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Hobbyists Are Adding The Blue Bee Shrimp
According to wholesale tropical fish supplier Gary Smith, of East Coast Tranship, the Blue Bee shrimp is a species that is becoming quite popular with owners of small aquariums. The Blue Bee Shrimp is comparatively new to the shrimp hobby, having first been introduced around March 2008.
This shrimp can be many colors and is occasionally hard to get because it is caught in the wild and is just recently starting to be bred by hobbyists in significant numbers. The Blue Bee is a species found in freshwater streams in China. So far most all of the Blue Bee Shrimp obtained by hobbyists from the pet store trade are wild caught. However, since breeding has begun, captive bred specimens should not take long to hit the hobby shelves.
Breeding the Blue Bee Shrimp
Successful breeding has been reported in a pH range of 6.5 to 6.8 with a temperature of 74 Fahrenheit. These parameters are very similar to the factors required for the Crystal Red Shrimp or Bee Shrimp. Since this is a close relative of those two species, Gary recommends that the same care should be applied to the Blue Bee Shrimp.
Feeding the Blue Bee Shrimp
It is best to do feeding once per day. Only feed an amount of food that the shrimp can finish within 2-3 hours maximum. It is not good to feed in excess and have food sitting for too long. Overfeeding is a known cause of death and can also cause water quality issues. Because shrimp are scavengers in the wild, they will eat anything they can find and are not accustomed to a constant food source.
Most freshwater tropical shrimps are undemanding in their care requirements. They should be kept in a well-established aquarium with no predators. The most important factor for water parameter is stability and as long as none of the water parameters are in the extremes they should be happy and healthy.
Because of the shrimps’ non-aggressive manner and their algae-eating habits, they are also widely popular in natural/planted aquariums. If there is not enough algae present, foods intended for aquarium fish and invertebrates can be used as a supplement to their diet. Another fine supplement is vegetables that have been boiled just until they are soft.
There are a good number of other distinct and colorful species of shrimps that can bring interest to small aquariums such as the Black Crystal Shrimp, Red Cherry Shrimp and the White Spot Shrimp.
About the Author
And to inquire more about our tropical fish, go to
http://www.tropical-fish-wholesale.com/price-list.htm
To see the pictures of these tropical fish noted in the article, visit our blog
http://tropical-fish-wholesale.com/blog
- East Coast Tranship, Inc. is a Freshwater Tropical Fish Wholesale Supplier that sells to the pet store trade only for over 25 years. We are a direct importer which means you save 50 to 70% over wholesale prices. To ask questions or place orders call 301-782-1025
Tropical Red