Wow! That's gorgeous! Now I'm sure you get more rain than we do, the dry season here (right now) is so absolute that ferns start looking really dried out. They come back when the rains start but I wonder if that keeps them from getting as big. If I want to keep the bromeliads and orchids looking good in the dry season I'll have to water them. They survive just fine, they are native here, but they dry up and shrink for several months.
Aren't they just. Mother nature may take all the credit with these.
Jonna our winters are bone dry, not a drop, the trees don't all loose their leaves however, only the ones that burst into flower mid winter, for example the Erytrina's and Ceiba pentandra or Kapok trees. The rest tend to change not loose leaves when the rain starts.
I grow quite a lot that needs water in winter, but to be honest after awhile things adapt a bit, more to my loathing of watering the entire property than anything else. Also I'm not fond of miles and miles of irrigation drip. But yes bromeliads I like to just keep with a little pool of water in the centre when I remember, but they are very forgiving and the selection is not even that critical. The ferns I hardly touch, just getting a spray if I am passing.
The key is to use as many local plants as possible as well, especially as the foundation. And plants from a similar climate. if something lags I let it except for a few speciality species like the water lilies hibiscus and palms. I give things +- three seasons to settle, unless it really tries my patience then it's turfed out sooner. Fair dues.
With stream water I am lucky, the orchids love a sudden surprise spray, except for most in fact that I have here that wont flower unless kept bone dry through winter. Those that like water like the untreated water very much. To be honest winter is the easy part, time to relax. Insect numbers are insignificant, drainage is no problem fungus rot mildew, nothing to spoil just relaxing.
Sonny I agree with you there, the less fuss the better. Not sure of what zone you're in, but I was just thinking how I used to garden in Northern Europe. Much the same. And even all the affects you can see in a tropical garden you can achieve very easily in a freezing cold one. Ferns for example are very easy and there are some magnificent hardies. If you mount one on a post like I do here just use a wide shallow pot instead and a giant shuttlecock hardy species, looks splendid.