Yes to Africa, China and India, no to South America, and I'm saying nothing about the Middle East. I can see Africa most days if the sky is clear. I just checked, I can make out the outline of the Rif mountains on the Morocco coast, though only just as it's hazy.
I do miss the run up to Christmas in downtown Toronto with the open air ice rink in front of City Hall, but travelling through the maze of underground malls isn't fun for a vegan. It got pretty raw in Minnesota a couple of times, my first winter there we had 44" of snow on October 14th and it was still there in places the next May. They say there's two seasons in Minnesota, winter and July, and the state bird is the mosquito.
That's probably gone way over the heads of most on here, but I'm chuckling inwardly. His show is very popular though, I used to watch it in Minnesota and Toronto when living there. I have an idiot nephew, I don't think they're that uncommon.
It was a garden I created, only 3 years old when the photo was taken, it had been all grass previously. I do know my plants, and how they work together. I was a head gardener of a 2.5 acre garden at one time, the tree that is breaking the horizon on the left at 11 o'clock is one I planted when it was about 2 feet tall.
It's OK, but like any tune that has other versions the listener is prone to associate the tune with the one that's been heard most, and in my case it's that dire rubber-lipped wrinkly that struts like he might have cerebral palsy.
Tigridia's, from a packet of Lidl's bulbs. I've grown them before in colder climates and their flowers were much smaller, these were at least 3" across if not more.
I like the Alstroemeria, they are at least from Peru, try Eucomis, though put them in a container as they might not be that hardy with you. Mirabilis jalapa ought to work too, easy enough to grow from seed, and once happy will self seed elsewhere in the garden. A yucca might give you added structure too.
To be honest Baz, there's not a lot there that you could call rockery plants (sedum and maybe gazanias at a push), but it does look good. The yellow echinacea put on a rather stiff display (what with being metal). What was at the back? If it's a veratrum, then I'm impressed, if a foxglove or verbascum less so. On closer inspection I'm certain it's a verbascum (79%)
Dave