Has anyone else planted on concrete? Last winter I brought in a truckload of potting soil mixed with chicken compost, & had it dumped at the end of my too-long concrete driveway. I formed it into a 3-ft-tall mound that bisected the drive by half and carved out a path down the center with stepping stones & large enough for a wheelbarrow.

Then in spring, I transplanted most of the tropical plants scattered all around my large yard, and even tho I have had only one summer to observe my big project, I am very happy with the results. People kept warning me/asking me "How can the excess water run off?" "Won't minerals from the concrete leach & harm the plants?" Since I had researched this topic, I felt, & feel comfortable with what I created. Wish I could remember the title of the book, but it was "Planting on Hard Surfaces" I think. This is an exposed, very sunny/hot area, dry in the summer & rainy in fall/winter.

So far I have in this tropicalesque garden: New Zealand flax, kniphophia, miscanthus, clumping bamboo, lots of canna clumps, bougainvillea in a pot, musa basjoo, zinnias, dahlias, many many Asiatic, Oriental, Orienpet & Trumpet lilies clumped according to color; eucomis, clivia, red asters, blue hyssop, 8 "musa" that remained short all summer ( don't think they are 'basjoo'), several hibiscus, incl Dr. Moy; elephant ears, clematis, other annual vines, ginger lily 'Gardnerii', tree tall dill, amaranthus varieties, sedum, euphorbia characias Wolfenii, euphorbia lathyrus, a ferny groundcover euphorbia, nasturtiums, sunset sage, red-flowering climbing beans, datura metel, cobea, McClea poppy, clumps of ricinus, candelabra mullein (6 ft tall, self-seeding), 100 blue-violet glads, 100 mixed glads, erongynia (sp?) & honeysuckle. Off the pavement due to deep roots, I planted cordyline (cabbage palms, 4), 2 windmill palms, tree dahlia, eucalyptus, buddleia, brown turkey fig, interspersed with some taller grasses, & a very large gunnera.

I would love to hear from others who have tried anything similar to this. Now that fall is here, I am busy editing and rearranging this garden so it will have more greenery, less flowers, & look more tropical. I'll add birdbath & a sitting area. I'm so proud of what my efforts brought about, & I love when walkers pause and look. Hope to share pics next summer.