This tropical garden with pond design can transform your garden into a beautifulYou do not need to travel to a tropical island in Asia or the South Pacific to escape the pressures of modern life - when you have a resort-style garden, every day is like a holiday.
Let yourself go troppo in
the garden! In tropical and subtropical regions of Australia, there's a growing trend for gardens that resemble the lush surrounds of five-star resorts we dream of visiting. Coming home to a resort-style garden is like being on holiday every day of the year.
Design
This Queensland garden is a good example of why hiring a professional designer is well worth the money - not only is the end result visually alluring, any potential problems can be addressed at the start. Although it includes all the standard features of a classic tropical garden - strong design elements, bold foliage, dramatic colors and flair - the resort style is more formal; colorful vistas, linear pathways and focal points create the structure of the garden and help link the indoor rooms with outdoor spaces. The paths and straight formal garden beds contrast with the 'jungle' plantings, while luscious palms, colorful foliage, timber furniture, Balinese lanterns and brightly covered cushions complete the resort style.
First impressions count, so the garden entry is important. Here, the visitor moves through a series of interconnected spaces, the which enables them to view different parts of the garden separately, like the pieces of a puzzle. Each space opens up more of the garden, so the visitor experiences Gradually the whole. Playing with visitors' perceptions is an art and it Gives the garden a great sense of fun. As in life, the journey through our living environments should be as enjoyable as the final destination.
Combining brightly colored foliage is the key to Achieving a tropical look. For maximum impact, position plants with red, yellow, orange, pink, purple and lime-green leaves next to Each Other. Colourful flowers, Reviews such as fragrant frangipani, heavenly hibiscus, ginger and dramatic ornamental canna lilies will warm up the garden and provide further contrast to the vibrant ground-dwelling and green foliage canopy.
Do not limit color to plantings - here, the beige fence was painted a strong purple and frames the garden like an artwork. The shades of blue, pink, red and orange used throughout the garden, change with the time of day and reflect the cheerful hues inside the home.
foliage
For the most part, tropical gardens Rely on foliage rather than flowers to create interest year round. Foliage should be flamboyant, lively and colorful, and plants must be chosen on the basis of the size, shape and texture of Reviews their leaves. Planting in groups of odd numbers (three, five, seven and nine) is a common trick employed by garden designers - it Gives a broad Brushstroke of color and texture, and makes a huge difference to the feel of the garden. Placing plants with contrasting foliage next to call now companies will create drama and interest.
In this garden, the understorey Consists of ground-dwelling plants that grow beneath the palms and trees. If you'd like to Achieve a-similar look, choose plants that are hardy and easy to grow, then plant them en masse. Here, bromeliads, flapjacks and crotons are crowded together, creating patchworks of color. For more information, check out our list of bold and beautiful plants for tropical gardens.
Trees
A selection of perfectly placed palms and bamboo is Essential for
Achieving a tropical look. Although they're Often criticised for growing too big or escaping, palms and bamboo will benefit the style and mood of the garden: they provide the Rustle of foliage in the wind, furnish your garden with a fern-like ceiling and dense green walls, and do a great job of privacy screening. There are a million varieties to choose from, so I recommend visiting a specialist palm or bamboo nursery where you can seek expert advice. Remember that not all varieties are suited to every climate, and smaller-growing or dwarf specimens are the best choice for pocket-sized courtyards and gardens.
If you love to cook, try growing Asian herbs and spices in your tropical garden. Not only do they Contribute wonderful flavors and aromas to a wide variety of dishes, they smell fantastic in the garden and help Deter pests.
Cardamom, kaffir lime, lemongrass, coriander and mint will grow well Among tropical shrubs in cool, moist spots. If you plant an edible ginger (Zingiber officinale) now, it will be ready to harvest in March or April - simply plant a healthy-looking ginger rhizome from the supermarket. To harvest, dig up clumps with a spade.
The hard yards
Dirty work
Gardening in tropical and subtropical areas requires a different approach to gardening in a temperate climate. Tropical gardeners rarely have to dig down to the plant, instead they layer the soil with compost, leaf mold, garden clippings and mulch. Leaf mulch layering is a process that Occurs naturally in forests and gullies, where soil fertility Resides In just the top few inches.
In the tropics, the best time to garden is early morning, before the heat and humidity build-up. Take a stroll around the garden each morning, pruning as you go, and finish at the shredder. All shredded material pruning should be composted, then Returned to the garden to maintain the natural cycle.
Do not expect a tropical garden to be maintenance free. Anyone WHO gardens in a warm, high-rainfall climate plants knows that explode out of the ground during wet periods. They must be pruned into submission or they'll take over. (The upside is that many rampant growers can be propagated from cuttings Easily grown from seed or.) The need for constant housekeeping means a good pair of secateurs is essential - use them to regularly tidy up any brown foliage, dead palm fronds and spent flowers .
Feed your garden with a mulch of organic manure call now spring, and spray all the foliage with a seaweed solution once every season to keep the plants robust and strong. In tropical gardens, it's best to keep the lawn area small - time spent mowing and weeding the lawn is wasted time!
Bright-leafed bromeliads will constantly surprise you with Reviews their hardiness and vigor. They flower only once but will continue to grow, sprouting new plants, or 'pups', from the side. When a pup Reaches about 10cm, cut it away with a sharp knife, then replant it in pine bark, not soil. Alternatively, leave the plant to clump naturally. Bromeliads do not have to be planted in the garden, they are just as happy attached to tree trunks or in pots.
Most ornamental gingers die down in winter, and you should remove all the shaggy, dying foliage. When the weather warms up, feed them with aged manure as soon as the new foliage Appears. Gingers Reviews their need regular watering during growing season....
