How to Create a Tropical Paradise in Your Own Yard

It’s hard not to exhale and smile when you see pictures of beautiful tropical locations. You can practically feel the ocean breeze in your hair and smell the exotic flowers. What if you could recreate this same feeling in your backyard?

Picture walking out of your door and into your own lush, colorful tropical oasis. With a little imagination and planning, the tropical landscaping of your dreams can become a reality.

 

Palms

No tropical oasis is complete without a palm tree. Think variety: plant larger coconut palms to anchor your outdoor landscape and use the smaller sago palms or fan palms interspersed in pots or under more significant plantings.

Consider putting a hammock between two coconut palms for a relaxing place to read a book or nap through a lazy afternoon. Echo the look with an umbrella made from palm fronds for a tiki hut vibe while sipping on a frosty drink.

 

Flowering Vines

The options for flowering vines are endless. Vibrant color and intoxicating bouquets can drape arbors and hide fences. Bougainvillea, Mandevilla, Jasmine, Honeysuckle and tropical clematis can all coexist in exotic splendor.

These trailing and climbing vines add dimension and interest while providing hummingbirds and butterflies a constant source of food. Plant them on a pergola to create a shady retreat or a hidden grotto over a hot tub or pool.

 

Ferns

To achieve an authentic tropical ambiance, layering green plants of different textures and sizes is vital. Boston fern, asparagus fern, Dallas fern, and Australian tree fern all can be planted in the ground or hanging baskets and provide a perfect offset for the riot of color from the flowering plants.

They give a lacey and airy look when planted alongside walkways and under trees. Try putting some smaller specimens in pots on a bamboo dining table.

 

Tropical Shrubs

Gardenia, confederate jasmine, hibiscus, plumbago, and bird of paradise are just a few examples of flowering shrubs that have glorious color, ambrosial fragrance, and beautiful foliage. Plumbago adds a rare and unexpected blue flower to the landscape, while hibiscus comes in a variety of colors from white to yellow to bright reds and pinks.

Plant them in the ground or put in pots around features like pools or fountains to double the effect when reflected in the water. Bamboo, while technically a grass, is a hedge-like, quick-growing plant that is perfect to use for creating privacy as it grows tall and thick.

 

Large Leaf Plants

Jumbo elephant ears, split-leaf philodendrons, umbrella plants, and colocasia are all perfect for creating visual interest and dimension. The umbrella plant, also called Indian rhubarb, has leaves that can grow up to 2 feet wide and they grow in after the spikes of pink flowers that bloom first.

Elephant ears are instantly recognizable in a tropical landscape and make a perfect backdrop for blooming plants. Cannas are tall, bloom gorgeous flowers and have banana tree-like leaves.

 

Colorful Foliage

Add another layer of color and variety to your landscape by mixing in plants with brightly hued leaves. Bromeliads have beautiful green and white leaves that are tipped in bright pink. Coleus and caladiums have variegated leaves in combinations from green and white with bright pink to deep burgundy and dark green.

Mix them into beds among ferns for show-stopping interest or let them shine on their own in planters. Planters provide the option to bring some of the tropics indoors, as well.

When you are ready to turn your yard into a tropical paradise, Plant Professionals are the tropical landscape experts that can help you bring your dreams to life. Contact Plant Professionals today to find out their full range of products and services to get you started on your backyard oasis.

 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/hkhtt hj

 

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