Tropical Gardens

The Tropical Garden is bursting with colour, life and the cool relaxing atmosphere of a tropical oasis retreat.

Use of lush green plants and foliage, palm trees, bamboo and brightly coloured flowers will set the style apart. In the Tropical Garden, expect tropical fruit trees, shaded canopies, fragrant flowers, dramatic colours and even, if feasible, a poolside setting. Lots of lush, bright green foliage, cool shady areas, and bursts of flamboyant colour will set the tone.

Water is often utilised in a tropical setting, whether it be a swimming pool or a pond. This can also be paired with oriental or island inspired statues and figurines. If you are looking for a bright, colourful and relaxing garden space, the Tropical Garden is hard to go past.

A Tropical Garden will be founded on good quality soil with access to plenty of moisture. There is no specific structure to follow in terms of design, and in fact a lack of structure is encouraged to replicate an authentic tropical rainforest atmosphere. The aim is to keep the appearance as natural as possible, by clumping and mass planting, combining tall palms with underplanted foliage.

Lots of colour is essential, beginning with masses of shiny green foliage and bold, colourful plants such as cordylines, flaxes and crotons. These types of colourful foliage will provide the tropical colour year-round, while tropical flowers will bloom only at certain times.

A beautiful Tropical Garden can be cultivated regardless of where you live and the size of your garden space. Tall, shaded canopies fit the theme well, however smaller dwarf specimens can also be suitable to create the atmosphere and still provide the necessary foliage colours. In a small garden a tropical flair can still be added by incorporating smaller-growing or dwarf specimens, and adding timber furniture, Balinese lanterns and brightly coloured cushions.

If you are working with a smaller area, focus on bright coloured plants and features. For larger gardens, it may be more difficult and expensive to fill out the space with lots of foliage and trees. In this case you can experiment with features such as a wooden walkway, pebbles and stepping stones.