Today Cherry Ong is taking us on the road again to the iconic Butchart Gardens in British Columbia. There are many beautiful sights to be seen in these gardens, but today we’re focusing on some of the tropical plantings. It’s just the kind of escape we need as the weather starts turning cold for most of us!

Butchart is known for its over-the-top plantings, and this display is no exception. Tons of annual and tropical plants make quite the display. The huge leaves on the right side of the image are Alocasia ‘Sarian’, which is sometimes grown as a houseplant when small but really shows off when it gets huge like this in the garden. It can’t take freezing temperatures, so it will have to move somewhere warm for the winter.

This combination of a dark-leaved elephant’s ear (Colocasia esculenta, Zones 8–10 or as a tender bulb) and variegated Swedish ivy (Plectranthus ciliatus, annual or houseplant) makes a high-contrast planting.

Orange, bell-shaped flowers of an abutilon (Abutilon hybrid, Zones 8–10 or as an annual or houseplant). Abutilons are sometimes called flowering maples due to the shape of their leaves.

Cissus discolor (Zones 9–10 or as an annual or houseplant) has incredible foliage, with patterned silver on top and dark red on the bottom. It is a vine and will cover any structure with its lovely leaves.

Orange impatiens (Impatiens walleriana, annual), yellow-leaved pineapple sage (Salvia elegans ‘Golden Delicious’, Zones 7–10), and dark red leaves from Hibiscus acetosella (Zones 9–10 or as an annual) make an intense color combination.

Alocasia ‘Sarian’ has incredible leaves.

If you have pictures of warmer times in your garden or gardens you’ve visited, please send them to the GPOD! We all need a tropical escape this time of year.