Tropical Gardening

Tropical Gardening: Your Ultimate 2025 Guide

Cairns and Tropical Gardening » Tropical Gardening: Your Ultimate 2025 Guide

Tropical Gardens Australia

Tropical Gardening is our passion. We love growing fruit and vegetables in the tropics. This page is a resource for the novice backyard gardener living in the hottest and most humid part of the planet.

The biggest difference between gardening in temperate regions and the tropics is the seasons. As opposed to the four seasons common in Europe and the US, in the tropics there are just two seasons. That is the ‘wet season’ and the ‘dry season’.

Tropical gardens in Australia often feature lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and designs suited to warm climates. Popular elements include palms, ferns, and brightly coloured plants like bromeliads and hibiscus. However, our main focus is growing plants you can eat.

Tropical Gardener

Small Tropical Garden Ideas Australia

The basics of gardening are the same wherever you live. You need soil, water, fertiliser and time to care for your garden (e.g. weeding etc). However, people from other climates move to the tropics and battle against the conditions.

People like to grow all the food they are familiar with. However, it is better to grow fruit and vegetables that thrive naturally in the tropics. Fortunately there are a variety of tropical fruits and vegetables to choose from.

Tropical Garden Plants

We divide tropical garden plants up into two categories, tropical fruits and tropical vegetables.

For low-maintenance designs, choose tropical plants adapted to the region’s climate.

Tropical Fruit

Some of the tropical fruits to grow include paw pawcustard apple, black sapotepassion fruitguavakumquatrambutan and Jaboticaba.

There are also many fruit trees that originate outside the tropics, but nevertheless thrive here. Most notable of these are a number of citrus. Consequently, you will come to love all the many fruits that thrive in our warm and humid conditions.

tropical gardening - mango
Tropical Gardening (mango)

Tropical Vegetable Gardening

It is also easy to grow tropical vegetables, including sweet potato and cucumber. Tropical gardening allows for Asian Greens like pak choi and tatsoi. You can easily grow pumpkin at home. However, many vegetables can only be grown in the tropical winter. This is due to the intense nature of summer in the tropics.

Tropical Gardening with Herbs

We have also looked at herbs that can make it through a hot steamy tropical summer. We have listed some of the wonderful tropical herbs you can easily grow in your garden.

It is well worth having a container to grow herbs such as Thai chilli, coriander (aka cilantro), basil, stevia, garlic chives and Vietnamese mint.

Tropical Gardening Ideas

Some other ideas when gardening in the tropics, are to grow in raised self-watering containers. This will help with pests and drainage in particular. A lot of plants perform best in loose, well draining soil. Grow in self-watering (wicking) beds to save on water. If you do this and mulch around your plants, your water bill will thank you. 

Tropical Gardening and Sustainability

In this age of Climate Change, it is more important than ever to live sustainably. This is another great reason to grow your own food.

The distance which food travels before it is consumed is described as ‘food miles’ or ‘food kilometres’. The greater the amount of food kilometres, the greater the amount of fossil fuel consumption.

However, to minimise climate change we have to minimise fossil fuel consumption. Growing as much food as possible at home (close to you) is an obvious way to minimise food miles and assist in the fight against climate change.

Another benefit of gardening is that you can save money. These goals often go hand in hand. For example composting at home is great for the environment and saves you money on fertiliser. Consequently, this page is aimed to help you towards these goals. So join us and get gardening in the tropics!

Tropical Garden Ideas Full Sun

Getting it right means getting two important things right. It means planting at the right time of the year and planting the right seed.

We tell you what grows best at certain times of the year. This information is also available from the gardenate website. Simply fill in the appropriate field to find out the best time to grow where you are.

However, we are going one step further and finding out what varieties or cultivars of plants do better in your tropical food garden. Hopefully this information will help you, but feel free to let us know your experiences, so that we can build a bigger common wealth of information for everyone.

Tropical Garden Design Australia

Designing a tropical garden in Australia involves creating a lush, vibrant space that thrives in the warm climate. Focus on plants like palms, ferns, heliconias, and bromeliads for a dense, exotic feel. Incorporate vibrant flowering species like hibiscus and frangipani.

Use features like water elements, stone paths, or bamboo screens to add depth and tranquility. Ensure proper drainage and rich, organic soil to support growth. Strategic layering of plants and adequate shading can mimic the natural structure of a tropical rainforest.

Simple Tropical Landscaping Ideas

Here are simple tropical landscaping ideas for a lush and inviting garden:

  1. Layered Planting: Use tall palms and ferns as a canopy, mid-sized shrubs like hibiscus, and groundcovers such as bromeliads or grasses.
  2. Water Feature: A small pond or fountain adds a cooling effect and tropical feel.
  3. Pathways: Stone or gravel paths bordered by plants create natural flow.
  4. Outdoor Furniture: Add wooden or bamboo seating with bright, tropical cushions.
  5. Lighting: Use soft, solar-powered lights to enhance the evening ambiance.

These features create a relaxing tropical vibe with minimal effort.

Tropical Fruit to Grow


You can grow many tropical fruits including paw pawpassion fruitguava, black sapote and rambutan. So you will come to love our tropical fruit trees and tropical vine reviews.

Tropical Vegetables


Tropical gardening can include vegetables that are not always well known to European gardeners. However, if you live in the tropics you need to grow food that thrives. As a result, tropical vegetables fit the bill.

Tropical Herbs Listed


Many herbs struggle to make it through a hot steamy tropical summer.

We have listed some of the wonderful herbs that will thrive for you while tropical gardening.

Tropical Citrus


Tropical citrus trees include fruit trees native to the tropics and citrus from other climates that also grow and thrive in the tropics.

Grow Food at Home


Grow your own food at home. A food garden can be a precious resource when times are tough. Research what food grows easily in your area.

Urban Composting


Urban composting tips to help you compost at home. It is more important than ever to be sustainable.

Tropical Vines


Tropical vine fruit and vegetables come in various shapes and sizes. They range from the small, such as passionfruit, to the massive, such as watermelon.

Smart Wicking Bed


The green smart wicking bed is a clever way to grow healthy home vegetables sustainably.

Collecting Seeds


Collecting and storing seeds for tropical gardening is something worth doing. We collect seeds from tropical fruits and vegetables.

Cairns and Tropical Gardening