PERFUMED PARADISE IN A BOX

WHY NOT CREATE ....a lasting memory of a glorious holiday you spent in a tropical paradise? To bring back those memories, consider designing your own small 'pod' or grove of frangipanis, in either your front or back garden (or both!). It's a super simple, and very low/no maintenance gardening option, once established.

There's nothing like the heavenly perfume of some of the world's favourite frangipanis, growing happily together, with a few pretty underplantings, to help you achieve this yourself. Frangipanis are being recognised more and more by professional landscapers as drought-proof gardening options for the future.

Plan now for next spring, by ordering your own box of 'perfumed paradise' - including the world famous "Singapore Evergreen" plus at least three more varieties of highly-perfumed frangipanis. It's extremely easy to root your frangipanis through the winter months, so they are ready to plant out in spring. Then you can watch them take off before your eyes next summer!

For WA customers, I offer this 'PERFUMED PARADISE IN A BOX' option for only $100, including postage (Australia Post). For interstate customers, I will need to get a prior quote for your freight, probably about $20 extra, but still very good value. Because of the length of our boxes (over a metre long) I always try to send branches as long as possible, so you have a head start, growth-wise. This means that you are working with 'old' wood down at the end to be rooted, and will get a better and more viable root system to start you off.

Here's a lovely shot of a frangipani grove, courtesy of my friend Emerson Willis, in Texas, a world-famous authority on plumeria. Just imagine walking through his garden, with his trees in full bloom, tantalising your senses!

FOOLPROOF FRANGI-GROWING!

Look at the lovely root system above, all ready to go in soil. Isn't it gorgeous? Take the scary "will it root?" part out of the equation. My friend and fellow FSA member Michelle wrote a short, easy-to-follow article for "Frangipani Facts" - our society's quarterly journal. I have her permission to share it with the general public, so please feel free to click on Michelle's link on the 'LIVING GIFTS' page, to try bag-rooting for yourself. So easy!

Believe it or not, this ACTUAL rooted cutting went back with my friend to French Guiana, and is now a healthy young tree of Aussie Fruit Salad.

My friend May has given me permission to use this photograph of the early plantings in her frangipani grove, in the Perth metro area. Only a few years later, and this garden is truly glorious beyond words. It really is THIS simple to achieve a look that will be the envy of all around you, using low to no water at all, once your grove is established. THANKS MAY!

This is a small snapshot of part of another grove supplied by my friend Kathy in the US, showing how tightly-packed your frangipani trees can be, and still grow happily together. This shot was only just taken for me as I type this page, so it's still late spring in the US, and not too many flowers to see yet. Can you imagine the amazing panoply of colours and perfumes in Kathy's grove, in full summer? My nose is sniffing the screen, almost, as I type this, Kathy...