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A garden can be a place where people can relax their tired spirit and recharge their energy, while other gardens purely provide an escape from drudgery of the modern world. A tropical garden can do all of this and more. A well-developed tropical garden must surely be the closest place to heaven.
A tropical garden might be defined simply as any garden in a tropical climate, but there is more than just one way of looking at a tropical garden.
Any garden which seeks to imitate a mood or feeling which is perceived to be tropical might be described as a tropical garden, even if it is located in a sub-tropical or temperate climate.
Most people tend to think of the tropics as being hot, with lush vegetation. Consequently, certain types of plants will bring a tropical flavour to a garden; for example, palms, orchids and plants with very large leaves. A tropical mood can be further enhanced by using garden furniture made from bamboo, rattan, or in a style reminiscent of a tropical country (e.g. Singapore, Mexico, Hawaii or the Caribbean). Other garden features such as large terracotta paving, water features or large umbrellas will further add to the tropical feeling.
By introducing components and features which have generally been unique to tropical gardens, you can create a pseudo-tropical garden, even if it is not in the tropics. If your garden is in the tropics, your garden will have tropical features even if you try to create a style which is not normally considered tropical.
This ebook is firstly designed to help people develop a better garden in the tropics or sub tropics, but it is also a valuable guide to developing the impression of a tropical environment in other climates.
ISBN: 978-0-9872647-0-1
Pages: 103
Images: 70
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Table of Contents
Credits
About the author
Chapter 1 Garden design
Introduction
Designing your garden
Types of gardens
Designing your garden
Choosing plants for your design
Chapter 2 Components of the tropical garden
Entries
Creating a barrier
Garden buildings
Garden furniture
Time takes its toll
Paths
Chapter 3 Building the garden
Soils
Earthworks
Paving
Steps
Verandas
Buildings for storage
Where to build in the garden
Walls and fences
Wooden decks
Equipment, tools and materials
Get set for pruning and trimming
Safety with tools and equipment
Chapter 4 Outdoor living areas
Courtyard gardens
Gardening on balconies
Backyard playgrounds
Tennis courts
Barbeques
Chapter 5 Swimming pools, ponds and water features
Pools and spas
Water gardens
Chapter 6 Lawns
Creating a lawn
Maintaining lawn
Problems with established lawns
Chapter 7 Plants
Plants for different uses
Trees
Plants to avoid
Climbing plants
Herbs
Bamboos
Plants which tolerate salt (warm climate)
Colourful flowering and fruiting plants
Rockery plants for tropical areas
Gardening in dry tropic areas
Chapter 8 Growing and caring for plants
Plant establishment
Pruning
Topiary and hedges
Fertilisers and sprays
Fertilisers
Watering systems
Sprinkler systems
When to water
Garden conservation
Appendix
Distance learning and online courses
Certificate in horticulture
Advanced diploma in horticulture
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