Musa basjoo also know as the Japanese banana is a good choice for those planning a tropical garden in the UK as the banana is fairly hardy. It can grow up to 5m tall and provides a striking tropical appearance in the garden. In the UK climate the leaves will die back in winter although you can normally expect new growth from the ground in the spring. The plant will need winter protection. In London gardens which have there own micro climate you can often see the banana plants growing tall as they have maintained their trunk throughout the winter.
This is one drawback in colder areas as you will often unwrap the banana in the Spring only to find the truck has not not survived and you lost the height of the banana. However, you can still expect new growth from the base.