Extended Weekend Getaways Sometimes, you just need to feel like you’re on vacation when you’re at home. And whether you’re dealing with a strict budget, no time off, or simply just didn’t have a chance to book yourself a getaway, you should still be able to get that ‘vacay’ feeling!
And one of the best ways to get it from the comfort of your own space? By designing your graden to be a bit more of a tropical paradise! And yes, it’s more than possible to do so when you’re living somewhere a bit chilly, overcast, and not at all tropical in nature.
You’ve got a bit of hard work on the horizon, of course. But if you want to get a slice of the Maldives or Florida Keys when you’re just lounging on your own patio, here’s what you need to do.
Achieving the Look
This will be the first thing on your mind, obviously. How do you achieve a tropical garden when you’re not in a tropical environment, or indeed, living anywhere near tropical temperatures?
It’s tough, let us tell you that straight off. But it’s not impossible. You just have to be careful about certain hardiness factors, such as:
Your soil and moisture levels
Tropical plants have evolved to live in extreme environments, usually where there’s either a lack of water or a lot all at once.
Think about succulents here, in terms of withstanding desert conditions, as well as leaf palms that stand up to the monsoon season rainfall.
Your own soil needs to have this same kind of extremity to it, and that’s hard to achieve.
Think about average temperatures
Again, tropical plants can deal with heat – and very high heat at that! It’s why a lot of tropical produce is grown under climate controlled conditions within greenhouses. It’s hard to achieve the same thing with the average temperature outside.
So, what tropical plants can be planted anywhere?
It’s a tricky question. But you don’t have a tropical environment to make use of, so it needs answering!
You don’t have the required ambient temperature, nor the humidity levels, to get tropical plants growing naturally. As such, you might have to bend the rules.
Instead of planting genuinely tropical species that require all of the above and more, go for plants that just have a tropical look to them instead.
These plants are more hard-wearing, cope with lower temperatures and humidity levels, and will be much easier to care for within your back garden.
Plants that are either semi-tropical or simply have a tropical look include:
- Bird of Paradise – good for gardens that get a fair share of sunshine, but aren’t always sunny.
- Jasmine – good for gardens that have a more mild temperature all year round.
- Chenille Plant – pop it in a window box so it can get some rays whenever they’re out!
- Hibiscus – great for gardens that get a bit of sun and a lot of shade.
Create a Relaxation Space
Tropical gardenscapes are made for relaxing in. So follow suit! Make sure your own garden has a dedicated relaxation space for you to use whenever you feel like it.
Remember, the tropical view you’re seeing outside your back window isn’t just for show. It’s for the times when a staycation is a necessity!
And no matter what you like to do to relax, you can make a vacation space in your garden that takes you away both mentally and spiritually.
Choosing your space
When choosing the right area for your relaxation space, there’s a few key considerations to go over:
- What do you want in the space? Is it a patio or deck? Is it more a wild lawn with a raised level for a lounger or hammock? Think about what tropical paradise suggests to you and then go all out!
- How big do you need it to be? Come up with a rough all round measurement, whether it’s an X by X or a simple square foot number. Get the dimensions of the furniture you’re planning to fit, as well as required foot space, and go from there.
- Draw up a quick floorplan, to make sure you’re aware of roughly where everything you want to include will be able to go – and try to make sure this is to scale!
Tidy it up first!
Once you’ve picked out the perfect space for your relaxation zone, you’ve got one big job ahead before you do anything else: tidying it up! Without a good tidy, you won’t see the potential in the space that’s really there.
We recommend a proper tool kit here, including equipment like electric lawn mowers, edge strimmers, and a wheelbarrow for easy transport of all the clippings. Plus, a pair of proper gardening gloves, just in case there’s anything sharp on the ground!
Make it feel private
Privacy is what makes it easy to relax, even when you’ve dressed the garden up in exactly the right tropical package.
Indeed, think about what you experience when you’re on a tropical vacation and having the best time. It’s that intimate, closed off, relaxed feeling that comes with having a bit of space that’s miles away from anything!
As such, if the relaxation space doesn’t feel as intimate as a hotel room balcony, bathroom with a sauna attachment, or a private AirBnB on the water, you need some more foliage, fencing, and shade.
Make Your Garden into the Best Tropical Destination
You might never want to leave it again! After all, it feels like you’re in a different country, can sit back and sip a pina colada, and your own couch and TV are just on the other side of the wall!
Plant with a tropical theme in mind, make sure you have a relaxing space set out for you and your loved ones, and make sure it’s easy to take care of things once you’ve got them set up. That’s the true vacation experience – knowing there’s very little effort required from you!
