Yep, I am counting the days until spring. I went to Home Depot during lunch and ending up purchasing a beautiful "Mammy" Croton.

I have Brugmansia, Tropcial hibiscus, Hedychiums, hoyas, curcumas, alocasias, colocasias, Dwarf Cavendish bananas, clerodendrums, Trachycarpus fortunei, plumeria, mandevilla and passifloras. Thankfully, some plants can be stored dormant -- but I have tons of things that need to be kept actively growing over the winter.

While I know that some of these plants are not technically considered tropical, I am quite content with my "tropical look".

Hi, I would love for my garden to have a more tropical look so do any of you have a list of tropical flowers that I can start from seed now and will flower this summer?

Alzypelican,
I cannot think of any tropical plants that would reliably flower in the first season if started from seed. In my mind, I view a tropical garden as one that is lush, green, with dramatic foliage. To incorporate a more tropical look, you might consider growing castor beans (easily started from seed) and elephant ears (Colocasia esculenta). Add a few potted tropical bloomers, such as tropical hibiscus, for a dash of tropical color.

Oh yes, spring fever bad!! For a while we didn't have much snow so I could pretend that it was right around the corner. Now we're buried and supposed to have below zero temps by the weekend. It's the very worst of winter.

I've been thinking about starting a few seeds. It's probably way too early but I have to GROW something! :)

By this time last year I had my garden all planned out. So I'm trying to be more patient and not drive myself crazy this time around. I do have a rubber tree, tropical hibiscus and a small musa basjoo inside, so I have a little tropicalesque company.

alzypelican, I can remember what you are going through--I used to live in Fargo, ND. I didn't realize where I was going with my love for tropical plants then, only after I moved south and could grow my "house plants" outside, did I know I needed the foliage and colors of tropicals to keep me sane through a ND winter. I had all colors of coleus outside in the summer, then took cuttings to root for house plants through the winter and set them outside again in the summer. Also, I loved the purple and white datura, I would start it in late February to set out the first week of May and have flowers off and on all summer.
Another great colored plant is the purple leaved amaranth. Looks like a grass but will set the seed head in time for you to enjoy that part of it if started indoors. As tnshadylady says, castor beans grow up there, altho they may get "leggy" if started this soon. Do you have grow lights set up in your basement? That's where I overwintered most of my "outside" houseplants and started seeds in Fargo. It was cool enough to keep them at a slow growth rate but the lights allowed them to grow without "stretching for light".
Linda