In Australia, the warmest, wettest areas are found on the east coast. It's home to our natural rainforests and has the best climate for growing lush, rainforest-style gardens.

Rainforest climate You don't have to live in the tropics to grow a lush, tropical-style garden but it will be easiest to achieve where summers are rainy and humid and winters are mild and sunny. That's the natural cycle plants from the world's warm areas expect, and if you live in climate zones Z6, Z7 or Z8, that's the cycle you have.

A rainforest look is also possible in climate zones Z4 and Z5, however, gardeners there should look not to the tropics but to the temperate rainforests of Gippsland, Tasmania or New Zealand for inspiration.

Maximise moisture Rainforest gardens need lots of water, which is why they're best grown in rainy, humid climates. But even along the east coast, there are plenty of dry times so make it a rule to constantly mulch the soil with compost, rotted manure and lucerne hay etc. As this rots, it forms humus, a soil-improving, water-holding substance essential for fertility. Mulching also encourages beneficial soil organisms such as worms.

Tip: To begin a rainforest, first establish a shady canopy with trees such as Wilson's lilly pilly (Syzygium wilsonii). Beneath, use plants such as crotons, dipladenias, palms and variegated umbrella trees.

Get the rainforest look

• The Mexican lily (Hippeastrum reginae) is one of the few bulbs which thrives in tropical and subtropical gardens. The plants grow well in full sun either in the garden or in big pots and they'll also bloom in partial shade.
  For special occasions in the garden, collect freshly opened flowers and float in a birdbath or bowl. With constant growth, there's usually no shortage of flowers in a rainforest garden.
  Groves of palms create an authentic tropical look and leave plenty of ground space for under-plantings. You can also use the smooth, ringed trunks to support staghorn ferns. Just tie them on with fishing line but remove the twine as soon as possible.
  If you want colourful flowers, almost year-round, nothing beats the easy-growing hibiscus. For beautiful blooms on hibiscus, prune one third of the shrub every October. This encourages growth and maximum flowers. After pruning, scatter blood and bone beneath each plant and repeat monthly until autumn. Hibiscus beetle is a common pest of hibiscus flowers. It eats pollen and damages petals. Treat with Confidor, a new low-toxicity spray. Small holes in leaves are caused by the jumping metallic flea beetle. This insect can be controlled with Baythroid, Mavrik or pyrethrum.
  Other terrific choices for a warm climate include golden candles (Pachystachys lutea), Brazilian red cloak (Megaskepasma erythrochlamys) and Chinese lantern (Abutilon x hybridum).
  Sun-loving cannas (1-2m) grow as well in Tasmania as they do in the tropics. Their big, loose flowers appear in spring and summer and come in a huge range of colours.
  Torch ginger is a clump-forming, tropical perennial which thrives in the shade cast by trees or palms. The magnificent, waratah-like flowers appear mostly in spring and summer but you'll have to live north of Coffs Harbour to grow it well.
  In warm climates, you don't have to rely on flowers for colour. Many tropical plants have brilliantly coloured foliage, the shrubby crotons being one of the best known. There are many forms and all grow in either sun or part-shade.