Preamble

Introduction

Travelling to different places and seeing new plants is always exciting for keen gardeners. In 2003, I paid four visits to Rio Claro in Brazil, situated about 150 miles inland from São Paulo, and there the climate is subtropical, which allows a different range of plants to be grown than in our temperate climate.

Although Rio Claro is not the most distinguished-looking Brazilian town, the surrounding countryside is often beautiful, and to my English eyes appeared exotic. There are acres of sugar cane and extensive orange groves. With such an abundance of sugar cane it is hardly surprising that the Brazilians make it into a drink. The cane is simply crushed in a machine, and the resulting juice, which tastes like a sweet version of the smell of new-mown grass, extracted. Along the roadside, vendors offer this drink, called 'garapa de cana', either neat, or flavoured with ginger. Likewise, because oranges are so plentiful and cheap, you can drink fresh orange juice at any time - indeed, every household has its own orange-juice extractor.

Flowers

A significant group of the plants cultivated in Rio Claro are grown outdoors in England. Camellias and roses flourish as do many plants that we use for summer bedding. However, the subtropical climate encourages our bedding plants to reach a new potential - Salvia splendens (Scarlet Sage), for example, can reach a height of six feet and Impatiens walleriana (Busy Lizzie) grows wild, self-seeding.

Many of the plants we grow in a greenhouse or as house plants can also be seen outside. Rows of hibiscus are planted as hedges or as specimen trees dotted along the central reservation of a dual carriageway. Cactus, too, usually opuntia species, feature in hedges, as well as Euphorbia milli var. splendens (Christ's Thorn), its spiky branches and stems forming considerable protection from children at play or roaming dogs. Orchids, if adequately shaded, thrive outdoors as do bromeliads, many of which are native to Brazil. In order to mimic their natural growing conditions, they are either tied to branches of trees or wedged where the branches fork.

As in England, the popular names of plants reveal the affection with which the flowers are held. For instance, Busy Lizzies are called 'Maria-sem-vergonha' (Mary without shame), and fuchsias, 'Brinco-de-princesa' (Princess's earring). Bougainvillea is known as 'Primavera' (Spring) and another climber, Clerodendron thomsoniae, 'Lágrima-de-cristo' (Christ's tear). An even more evocative name is 'Beijo-pintado' (Painted kiss) for Impatiens hawkeri, and, best of all, 'Amor-perfeito' (Perfect love) for the pansy!

Trees

Some of the fascination of the trees grown in Brazil must reside in their strong colours. In England the nearest we can approach a blue-coloured tree is the lilac, but in Brazil there is the Jacaranda, native to Bolivia and Argentina, clothed in spring with its profuse panicles of purple-blue flowers. No less spectacular are the red and orange-flowered trees, such as the Flame Tree or Flamboyant, which is often planted in groups or rows for maximum impact.

Fruit

Finally, one of Brazil's glories - its fruit. On sale in supermarkets is an extensive collection of temperate, mediterranean and tropical fruits, ranging from the apples, plums and strawberries that can be grown in our climate, to the bananas (several types), melons (ditto), papayas and pineapples of warmer climes. More exotic subtropical and tropical fruits include acerola, caju, goiaba, graviola, pitanga and the fruit of the Passion Flower, 'maracujá'. Rio Claro has several shops that serve a wide range of freshly made fruit juices and in its restaurants it is not unusual to see displayed a list of around twenty varieties available. For those who love fruit, Brazil is a paradise.