It's a degree of exuberance and lush growth that must come from summer heat and rains. While we grow all those subtropicals and more here in the San Francisco Bay Area, they would never quite look like this. I appreciate the sheer variety and color/foliage contrasts, but would be a bit claustrophobic on a day to day basis with it. I like a bit more spatial definition between plants and layers of foliage so that I can appreciate individual plants as well as how they relate to the neighbors. It reminds me a bit of some southern California palm enthusiast gardens where there are so many plants squeezed together it isn't restful.

Very well grown plantings, and nice combinations, but give them a bit more room:) to breath...

I like closely interwoven plantings as long as everything is healthy and flourishing, but I recognize that some prefer stretches of bare ground.

You may have hit on a key attribute I'm going for - "exuberant" - which, oddly enough I find restful as well. :)

Love it.

Love the second picture the most, the blend of contrasting Colors and forms really looks good. As far as being too crowded...... growing tropicalismo gardens in the north means growing a lush colorful garden that nearly explodes before frost finally cuts it down.....or at least that's what it means to me :)

The Pretoria canna looks especially awesome btw, as do the elephant ears.... and I could go on and on!

I'm surprised the pineapple sage didn't do anything as far as bloom goes, I'm a similar zone and managed to get a few blooms out of it before frost.... the foliage was nice on its own though.

How about some more grasses? The millet is nice (I should try it myself) but how about some papyrus or giant reed grass? Or giant purple pennisetum? The reed grass (arundo donax) is hardy and should reach at least 8-10 feet!

Got any more pictures?

I came across a picture of the golden pineapple sage yesterday. It must have been a late frost or maybe I didn't fertilize as well and as a result it bloomed well.... who knows... this was a couple years ago.

Very nice. I have cuttings of the chartreuse/golden-leafed pineapple sage doing well under lights and may try a new planting next spring.

What's the (Alocasia?) in the background?

I think it's Calidora but that's just a guess. The root overwinters well semi-dry with the cannas and the plant recovers well once temperatures heat up.

I only grew the salvia the one year and didn't bother overwintering it. Maybe it's time again. I've been relying on coleus more and more for the foliage effect. They overwinter easily, grow fast and can handle a little neglect now and then..... but.... maybe I'm getting bored with them?

Here's another shot including the chartreuse Salvia, Colocasia "Mojito" and dragon-wing type red begonia in the foreground:

I'm thinking about trying to incorporate flowering vines in the scheme for 2012, maybe Lophospermum "Red Wine" which is flowering like crazy in a high humidity light cabinet indoors this winter. Any suggestions for good vine candidates (and support structures)?