Genesis

This is the first post pertaining to the upcoming "The Rainforest Garden" website! I've wanted to write a book about creating exciting theme gardens much like those seen at zoos and theme parks for the adventurous gardener, but have settled for a blog and website in the interim.

A garden should not only be "pretty" but serve as a small excursion to distant locale, bringing visitors to destinations like Southeast Asia or Costa Rica, where one can sip passionfruit juice in a tranquil setting far from everyday worries. Although traditional gardens are appropriate in the right situations, A theme garden has the ability to bestow wonder and excitement upon those who enter, and will definitely make you the talk of the town. Gardeners can often become lazy, arbitrarily selecting run of the mill plants at the local home improvement store and lining them out in beds without any planning or foresight. If you make a grounded decision on the theme and use of your garden, you can create something extraordinary. Even if you don't live in the tropics, you have a lot of options available to give the desired effect.

This blog will be about what it takes to create a tropical paradise in warm temperate Jacksonville, Florida, where gardens are dominated by azaleas, crape myrtles and magnolias. If you have any questions, tips, or advice email me at steve_asbell@yahoo.com