Small gardens can actually accommodate a wide variety of landscape plants, ranging from plants grow in flower pots to small trees. It is not always that small garden design have fewer plants and less variety than big gardens landscaping but what is important is to avoid growing large landscape plants that can cover the small plants from direct sunlight and compete for nutrients.
Here, I would like to share the top 5 landscape plants of my choice for smaller gardens in Malaysia, which will offer all round interest and colors to your home.
Alocasia Lowli
This plant is originated from limestone regions from southern Sarawak of Malaysia. It has a big and long shaped dark green leaves with white bold veins. It requires high humidity and low temperature of around 20°C in order to grow well. It can hibernate (not growing) during cold months if you grow this in highland.
Asparagus Falcatus
This is a quick climber trees that can grow well in shady gardens and only tolerate minor sunlight. It has thorns and can use as a safety hedge when you grow it along the fence of your little garden. It will grow up though, so you have to trim it from time to time and can be easily spread by seed and grown from cuttings.
Cactus
This is one of the most common small landscape plants for Malaysian home gardens or event big garden landscaping. There are many types of cactus plants and most popular is from the “Aloe” family like Aloe Aristata, Aloe Nobilis, Aloe Vera, etc. There are also cactus plant with big bulgy leaves like Agave Demestiana and Adromiscus Crispatus. It is suitable to grow cactus in a flower pot than grow on the ground as it can grow big.
Dieffenbachia
Another tropical landscaping plants that noted for their medium and small patterned leaves. In Malaysia, this plant is very common in home or office environment due to its tolerance of shade. You can grow this small landscape plants at your outdoor garden and once it reach the maturity, you can transfer it inside your home or office. The pattern leaves have a soothing effect which make it common to be placed in office or home environment.
Vriesea
This tropical plant of the botanical family is unique as there is a flower like leaves that grow up right in the middle of the plant. Different Vriesea family will grow into different colors from red, yellow to pink making more colorful for your home garden.
