Add a touch of the tropics to your garden

As summer temperatures start to rise and early spring annuals start to fade, it's a good time to replace spent plants with ones that thrive in hot weather. Tropical plants that can be used on patios or in garden beds include cannas, bananas, hibiscus, dwarf citrus trees, mandevilla, blue potato tree(Lycianthus rantonnei), agapanthus, bougainvillea and elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta). They might not quite reach jungle-like size in moderate climates, but they will provide a great show of color throughout the summer and into the fall.

Tropical plants like mandevilla can be used in patio
containers and landscape beds to add  a touch of
the tropics to summer gardens.