Tropical island resorts represent some of the most popular vacation destinations in the world. Every year millions of busy and stressed people choose to spend their precious vacation time relaxing in tropical locations. Why? What makes these places so irresistible? Could it be the ideal lifestyle they represent, an environment where the pressures of everyday life can simply be forgotten and replaced with an attitude of contentment, ease, and general well-being? This slower, more relaxed attitude is fueled in large part by the natural beauty that surrounds you in tropical island locations.
If something has such a positive effect on your attitude and outlook, why should you settle for experiencing it just once a year during the holidays? What if it were possible to create a little piece of that? Island see in your daily life?
While you may not have an ocean on hand, you can absolutely create a beautiful tropical resort-style setting in your own backyard. Not only is it possible, it’s a lot of fun. And guess what? It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. With a little creativity, education, and guidance, you can turn your boring backyard landscape into your very own exotic, tropical Backyard Resort.
what is a tropical look In any case?
Tropical landscapes are, by their very nature, very informal. To create your Backyard Resort, your backyard landscaping will capture the wild and untamed mood of a natural tropical landscape. This mood cannot be captured by the boring, straight-ahead plantings of over-manicured shrubs that are so common in residential landscapes. The tropical-inspired garden will be much more casual, with seemingly random patterns of trees, shrubs, and foliage.
The exotic and tropical look of your backyard resort will be achieved by combining a wide variety of shapes, forms, colors and textures. Banana plants with their large, dramatic leaves, beautiful foliage plants like coleus and ginger, open and airy ornamental grasses, beautiful vines, and tropical flowering plants all have a place. What may surprise you is that there is also a place for many of our traditional and more cold hardy landscape plants. Uniformity and normality are out; randomness and fantasy are in fashion.
So how do you do it?
If you were lucky enough to live in an area that never has to suffer from prolonged cold weather, you probably wouldn’t be reading this to begin with. He would have a year-round growing season with no fear of sub-zero temperatures, and he could grow whatever he wanted. For most of us, that’s not the reality, so we’ll have to get creative if we want to create that exotic, tropical backyard landscape, our own little tropical escape.
The approach we will use is very simple. We will create our backyard complex by combine exotic-looking tropical plants with well-adapted plants that look tropical or look good in a tropical setting. The trick is learning which plants and how to combine them to create that exotic, tropical look. We are going to use a simple layered approach.
At a high level, this is what you should do: create a solid foundation, create the effect of tropical scenery, and add the finishing touches.
Create a solid foundation
The good news is that this can start with what you already have. Here, use only things that are winter hardy. This is the skeleton of your garden landscape and we want it bad. Large trees, evergreen shrubs and understory small trees and perennials that return year after year will lay the foundation. This is completely specific to your area.
Anything with large, dark green leaves works great, and evergreen works even better. Ornamental grasses like Pampus and Maiden are great foundation plants. They seem to add a carefree feel to the landscape as they move in the wind. You should be able to find several that suit your area. Finally, try to find some color for the base. Any shrub or tree that flourishes and is well suited to your area is great for your foundation. Crepe myrtles are a favorite in southern landscapes.
Remember, the idea here is to establish that permanent foundation. You’ll definitely want to wear things that are reliable in your area and won’t succumb to the winter cold.
Create the tropical landscape effect
Now that you have a base or background, it’s time to add the tropical effect plants to turn that normal backyard or poolside landscape into your own tropical paradise. Here, you will be using true tropical plants that should be treated as annuals in your area, unless you are willing to go to great lengths to protect them from the winter chill. There are many plants that are tropical or subtropical that, with a little protection, will grow back each spring (eg, bananas, elephant ears). Then there are the interesting tropical-looking plants that may not have a problem with winter weather.
For the tropical effect, you must have at least one palm tree. It is difficult to imagine a tropical landscape without the presence of palm trees. The reason palms are not used more in southern landscapes can only be attributed to a lack of information. Plant one and you’re sure to hear more than one “You can’t grow that here!” There are several palms that can handle very low temperatures with little or no damage. Windmill, Sabal and needle palms come to mind.
The palms create the tropical foundation, now you need to enhance the tropical effect. To start, let’s add some bananas, cannas and elephant ears with their huge leaves. They are all very easy to grow, and with a little work, can be protected to keep them coming back year after year. Yucca and large ornamental grasses also add a great tropical effect. Add a little spark of royal color with tropical hibiscus, coleus, and Mandevilla and you’re sure to start humming Jimmy Buffett and reggae tunes.
Get creative here and have fun. Try seemingly crazy things. As an example, I have grown papayas, angel trumpets, candle trees, and castor plants for years, treating them as annuals. Talk about a tropical effect that will turn heads!
Add the finishing touches
The plants you use in your garden go a long way to creating that tropical, resort-like setting we’re after, but there are other things too. Good use of containers can greatly enhance the overall effect of your backyard resort. Containers allow you to create lush gardens in places where it would otherwise be impossible, such as patios and decks. Tropical hibiscus, mandevilla, and bougainvillea make a statement in containers.
Here is a great tip. Go to the houseplant section of your favorite garden center. Of course, there is really no such thing as a houseplant. All plants want to be outside and will do best outside. Many so-called houseplants are actually tropical understory plants that will work wonderfully on a covered patio or deck where they are shaded from direct sun. Experiment with some of these plants and you will surely be amazed at the results.
Now, let’s go beyond that and into an area where you can be really creative and let your personality shine through… garden art There are no rules of any kind here. Simple things like adding tiki torches along a pathway can make a real statement. For more information, create a faux Mayan ruin surrounded by tropical-looking foliage. If you don’t have a pool, build a small pond complete with a waterfall. Or suspend a comfortable hammock between the trees, complete with a fake (or real!) parrot watching over you while you relax. Remember, there are no rules here. This is all about you. Have fun.
Backyard Resorts – There you have it…
I sincerely hope you find this fun, useful, and at least marginally instructive. This little hobby has been an absolute joy to me over the years. Remember, my intention was never to give you a Backyard Resort in a Box, with step-by-step instructions on exactly what, when, and how to do everything. That wouldn’t be possible in a single article, and even if it were, it would take all the fun out of this little adventure. The idea is to give you a taste of what’s possible and hopefully whet your appetite with some ideas and tools to get you started. Beyond that, you have all kinds of creative license to create your own personal Backyard Resort. Now, start and, above all, Have fun.