Suburban jungle with oriental twist
AT Little Indonesia, 20 Poston Croft, Birmingham B14 5AB
GARDEN SIZE 24x18m (80x60ft)
SITE North-facing
SOIL Heavy clay
FEATURES Collection of hardy exotic and tropical-looking plants; lawn; pond; terrace; seating areas; statues; bamboo hut with Malaysian canopy; Japanese teahouse and bridge; use of tender houseplants outdoors in summer; Buddhist statues to create shrine
VISIT Open by appointment 2019
CONTACT Dave by email at Patanddave76@yahoo.com or visit Dave’s blog at www.littleindonesia.wordpress.com
This lush and tropical garden in Birmingham has a delightfully jungly feel – inspired by a trip to balmy Cornwall. “It all began when I visited the Eden Project back in 2001,” explains garden owner Dave McKenna. “I saw a red banana plant inside one of the biomes and just knew I had to have one. When I tracked down my first Ensete ventricosum ‘Maurelii’ at a specialist nursery, it was like I’d come home with the Holy Grail,” Dave laughs. “I tried it in every corner of the garden to see where it would look best!” Over the years Dave’s fascination for exotic plants has continued to grow. “I visited the Eden Project every year for five years and kept discovering new plants,” he explains. “At the time, tropical plants were expensive and hard to come by, but in recent years, with warmer winters brought on by climate change, nurseries are being more adventurous in stocking tender plants. Nowadays you can buy a banana plant for as little as £5.” Dave’s tropical garden odyssey took an oriental twist when he decided to dig up the front lawn. “I was fed up bringing the lawnmower through the house to mow it,” he says. “So, I replaced the grass with stones and a pond, which gave a Japanese feel. It looked so good I decided to repeat the idea in the back garden too.” Dave built a pond, a tea house and Japanese bridge, then planted maples and bamboos to finish off this tranquil corner. “I’ve never actually been to Japan but it’s definitely on my bucket list,” says
“When I tracked down my first ensete, it was like I’d come home with the Holy Grail”
Dave. “I have been to Thailand a couple of times and to Malaysia. The children paid for my wife Pat and me to go, as a thank you for putting them through university. “When we went the first time I couldn’t believe the range of exotic plants growing like weeds along the roadside,” he says. Back home, Dave used Buddha statues and wind chimes to recreate a little South East Asian charm, then went on to build a bamboo hut with thatched roof and Malaysian fabric canopy. He planted canna lilies, colourful coleus and 50 new banana plants for a vibrant, leafy look. “I wanted to create surprises for our garden visitors and realised that a network of jungly paths was the best way ORIENTAL MEMENTOS (clockwise from left) Inside the teahouse; banana plants, acers, pelargoniums and cordylines on the patio; a large-leaved catalpa tree, with cannas; coleus and cordylines; a bamboo screen with Buddha head; steps lead between begonias and cordylines; hostas and fuchsias on the terrace CENTRE Windchimes add sound and movement
“The planting creates a screen so you can’t see the whole garden at once”
to do it,” he says. “The planting in between provides a screen that prevents you seeing the whole garden at once. Even better, it means I can fit in more plants!” Growing in such close proximity, the plants provide a mild and sheltered microclimate. “I leave lots of them outside over winter,” says Dave. “I cover their crowns with a thick mulch, put fleece jackets on the more tender specimens and pot up the banana plants to overwinter in my greenhouse. I’m also using more palm trees such as trachycarpus now, because they’re hardier than the banana plants but still add to the jungle theme. “My wife Pat tries to stop me getting carried away, but when she’s out shopping, I’ll slip in another plant or two,” he laughs. “I see my garden as a stage where I can create drama,” Dave says. “I like to think that the show at Little Indonesia is always worth a view.”