Tropical style gardening
THE most important thing a garden should offer is a setting that is both romantic and exotic in nature.
I think it should create an enduring positive vibe for the house owner, adding value both in terms of enjoyment and creativity.
It doesn’t matter if we don’t know how to design the layout or consult a specialist as we all are already living in a tropical country with a warm climate and plenty of rainfall.
The tropical heat is enough to meet the needs of various plant species albeit not suitable to many temperate specimens.
There should be a plan to build an indoor-outdoor link to share more areas for planting shrubs and trees of various height and create a lawn to reduce the heat.
Some orchids on tree stems and shrubs can save space, and epiphytes for colours and sculptural pleasure can be a welcome feature here.
The overall design needs to consider the heat aspect. Grow some trees for shade such as Christmas trees and palms, and frangipani or eugenia will have less problem with deciduous leaves.
For under-storey planting, we can choose shrubs-cycads, agave, cacti and succulents – yucca and hibiscus ferns and bromeliads species.
For ground cover, we can choose Japanese grass, vina and impatient. Hanging pots should have ample moisture, retaining materials such as organic composts and gel crystals.
Furthermore, a tropical garden can be incorporated with sculptures or sculptural plants to make an impact.
Below, are small tips and hints for beginners on the design of a tropical garden: Keep it simple Clean simple lines and a minimalist approach to design is always better than a busy appearance. Lest is best Recently, I redesigned my own home garden with this idea so that many of the rather old specimens in pots or on the ground were rogued or moved to leave space.
Create it to give it more space. Use a few larger pots or planter boxes instead of many smaller pots spread all around. Flexibility of use The courtyard may be shifted to enlarge space for gatherings or special occasions. It’s necessary to reserve some flexibility for the future.
As days go by, one is bound to gather more plant species, or even a bed or two of favourite veggies for the family.
A danger is falling into the collecting trap. The temptation is, more often than not, to jam the original design.
It’s best to choose both hardy and tender plants for the garden – hardy plants need little attention, but tender ones might struggle to survive. There is little altruism between shade and root.
Don’t overdo the garden art. One sculpture and one water feature are enough for an average backyard or front courtyard.
Look for something timeless rather than some Balinese urn that quickly becomes obsolete. There are a host of good materials we can pick and choose from.
Vertical gardens are an improvement element to enlarge space. To increase garden space, create the vertical garden or add a third dimension to the open space. This is getting popular worldwide.
Shopping malls and condominiums have been built in the middle of a busy city centre with vertical gardens on all sides to provide a cooling space of green to the original harsh environment.
There are many accessories for setting up the ‘V garden’ as long as there’s a blank wall or bare fence that needs beautifying. We can tend edibles, annuals or others with the ‘V gardening’ ideas.
Here are some practical DIY tips for vertical gardening: Hanging clay potted plants adds greenery without taking up space. Grow plants in plastic trays at a slanting angle to promote drainage and aeration. Trays come with mounting frames and are suitable to succulents. Trellis hanging on walls can be used for several types of plants. Fix hex wire netting to a frame next to the fence. Here, we can use ready-built plastic slanting pockets for planting. Hanging glass terrarium planters is
suitable for creating a community pot of flowers and daggling vines. Stack up crates as a vertical planter pyramid. Minimalist vertical garden uses stacked cedar boxes. attached to the wall for an aesthetic striking vertical garden. Cut empty plastic bottles into half and hang up with a cloth line. Use a ladder for less heavy objects, neatly stacked on the rungs.
Ideas should be practical and easy to apply and most importantly, the planters should provide the habitats for the greenery we want to establish.
The requirements are light, water and nutrient that any ‘V garden’ needs. An indoor ‘V garden’ is a test for the keen owner to be successful.
Happy Gardening!