Today’s video is all about the easy to grow, beautiful and exciting plants I’d recommend for beginners starting a UK jungle style garden and comes from Linden Nurseries near Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire (Ermine Street, Appleby, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN15 0BZ). The huge array of unusual and striking plants available at garden centres, nurseries and online these days can definitely be overwhelming and it’s hard to know what will grow well in your garden and how much care they may need. I look at some of the low maintenance and tough plant ideas available at this nursery to form the basis of a lush UK jungle garden paradise along with care and planting tips. From Fastsia japonica ‘Spider’s Web’ to Schefflera taiwaniana, there’s certainly some exciting plants you can buy even on a small budget. There’s so many more choices available though whether you’re creating a full on jungle garden, a lush leafy border or pot and container display but hopefully these plant ideas get you started on your jungle garden adventure. It’s not just exotic specimen plants though, plenty of ‘regular’ plants like ferns, hostas, climbers and grasses can all be used to create the effect of a jungle and I look at my companion or filler plant choices at this nursery – perfect for tying a garden together, filling gaps in borders and softening the edges of hard landscaping. The jungle style can be perfect for transforming a shady garden, making the most of a small garden and also creating a cool, calming retreat full of lush greens through all the seasons.
Coming up next in this mini series are my choices for a tropical garden style, more great plants to combine with these jungle beauties if you love big leaves, bold colours and fast growing wonders to your garden so stay tuned! A big thanks to my local plant nursery Linden Nurseries for letting me film there (not a sponsored vid even if I sound like I’m on the shopping channel at some points!). If you can show them some love by visiting and maybe leave a review online once you’ve seen their huge range of amazing pots and lovely plants at fair prices I’m sure it will be appreciated!
0:00 Intro
0:12 Easy, hardy & low maintenance plants for a UK jungle garden
2:43 Fatsia japonica – tough, hardy & evergreen exotic plant
5:19 Fastsia polycarpa ‘Green Fingers’ – easy to grow jungle plant
6:52 Fatsia japonica ‘Spider’s Web’ – Variegated evergreen exotic for shade
8:38 Hardy Schefflera taiwaniana – an evergreen exotic for jungle gardens
9:46 Schefflera taiwaniana UK growing & care tips
12:36 Trachycarpus fortunei – add instant exotic impact with an easy windmill palm tree
14:39 Climbers to bring a jungle vibe and make the most of vertical surfaces
15:19 Ferns – plant a packed, leafy border with these green shade plants
17:47 My plant purchases and UK jungle garden ideas
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24 Comments
You were in the isle of wight lately right? Shouldve popped into big plant nursery as its not even an hours trip once ya get off the ferry
Ayyyy George is back!
At 2:09 what is that big grassy plant infront of your musa?
it would be nice if we had a summer to start a tropical garden !!! when we getting a full on tour of your jungle george !! take care buddy
Lovely to see you back again George.
Grow papaya trees. Big leaves, easy to grow from seeds. Buy organic one from supermarket will give you hundreds of seeds. Soak in water for a few days. Scatter in garden. In a few weeks 1 inch tall trees, in 1 month 6 inch tall trees, in 2 months 24” tall trees, in 3 months 48” to 56” tall trees.
Great to see another of your videos, George. A tip from my own experience: Coniogrammes emeiensis are not very hardy. I lost mine when we had a week of severe winter weather in 2021. Start protecting around minus 10.
Definitely add hardy banana to your list, callas and cannas
Good to see you back George, hope you’re all well. I’ve already started a new exotic/jungle garden and have used all of these suggestions, it’s looking okay, especially after the rain we’ve had.
I’d say a tetrapanax as an initial investment too, I bought a biggish one for £40, and it’s now roaring away. Could be my new favourite. ( No space for a gunnera unfortunately.) Also I have a few Ricinus too; easy to grow and practically instant canopy. Lastly grasses: I have Arundo donax (huge already) and hakonechloa for softening shady boundaries. Lots of flowers this year too but that might change. Thanks George, your advice has been invaluable.
Great video I'm in Lincolnshire and will have to take a trip up to here, said I was done with plants this year and now I'm eyeing up a fatsia green fingers and a taiwaniana which will fill a very bare gap in my garden 😂
Always makes my day when you give us another video George. Thank you. Beautiful nursery and great video. I need a spiders web fatsia to go with my other fatsias..
Good choices today. They all come together for a great starter tropical garden. I’d add a few bromeliads neoregelias for a pop of color
Your video had a profound impact on me. It made me think deeply about the subject matter.
What are those mini fine comb short palms in the pots called and how much do they go for at that size at 10:30 in the background? thanks.
Enjoyed hanging out with you again George. Love the ferns and the beautiful Canna that was in the background. Looking forward to your next vid. Xxx
Awesome, I have been tempted with them schefflera taiwaniana so many times over the last two years but they look so delicate I was concerned about getting them through a winter, do you think a plant this size would survive in a north lincs polytunnel this winter? Thanks again George
Cracking content as always 👌
What? No invite?!
good to see you giving Linden Nurseries a well deserved plug 👌
Is that Orostachys iwarenge at the end in your buys? I've tried it a few times but the slugs love it (same with the Conoigramme ferns)
Good video as always george! The growth of the fatsia japonica can be incredibly fast, last year I planted a small plant (2 two hands high) in the garden and this year it is already over 2 meters tall
Another enjoyable and informative video, thanks George. BTW…..does this nursery have a website or Facebook page for info etc?
I just picked up some Hakonechloa varieties to add some low foliage, they look a bit like a low growing fargesia rufa I think
👍 100%