Tropical Landscaping Overview
Tropical landscapes are certainly unique. They’re very different from the minimalist landscapes that some people enjoy. These areas tend to have a lot of vegetation. They’re incredibly colorful, with lots of multicolored flowers and striking green plants.
Tropical landscapes are generally for the people who like opulent outdoor design styles. While it’s possible to create a more understated tropical landscape, the people who go in this direction will frequently end up with something that looks very generic.
It’s easy to make a tropical landscape look sumptuous. People can consider lots of different tropical landscaping ideas, but they’ll usually create a landscape that is vibrant and luxurious one way or another.
Choosing the Right Plants
A landscape will only look tropical if it’s filled with the right set of plants. Designers will almost always include at least a few trees when they’re designing tropical landscapes.
While these areas can certainly look overly busy if they’re too full of trees, they will look strangely incomplete without them. Palm trees and trees with very large canopies of leaves can make any landscape look tropical.
Ferns can add a lot to all tropical landscapes, especially within flower beds. When flower beds literally just contain flowers, they might look somewhat out of place in a tropical landscape. Seed plants like cycads can also help.
Some of the best flowers to feature as part of tropical landscapes include brightly-colored begonias, bougainvillea plants, jasmine, orchids, hibiscus plants, and passion flowers.
It’s often best if people choose purple, red, pink, orange, or yellow flowers. They should usually choose bold and strong colors, and not understated colors like blue. Of course, if people add all sorts of different colors to their tropical landscapes, blue flowers could work.
It should be noted that some tropical plants are more resilient than others. Many of these plants will only be able to thrive in warm and sunny areas. These plants also tend to require a lot of water.
People will have to keep all of this in mind when they’re analyzing different tropical landscaping ideas. They might not be able to include the flowers and plants that they really like.
However, with careful planning, it should be possible for people to try different tropical landscaping ideas in a wide range of different areas. The people in relatively cool or dry climates just need to choose tougher tropical plants.
Related: 5 Garden Styles That Homeowners Love
Tropical Landscaping Ideas and the Focal Points of Landscapes
It’s popular to add pools and fountains to tropical landscapes. People can easily surround these pools and fountains with green plants and flower beds. Some people will add new trees, giving the pools and fountains some shade.
Generally speaking, it’s important to make tropical landscapes look lively, and a fountain or pool will certainly contribute to that effect.
The pools won’t have to look natural. It’s a good idea to create a contrast between the clear and almost artificial-looking pools and the dramatic vegetation of a tropical landscape.
People can create a similar contrast by using walkways, stone paths, stacks and piles of large stones, boulders, and subtle grassy areas. Adding these elements can help people avoid creating tropical landscapes that look too garish.
Of course, some people might not mind garish tropical landscapes. After all, this is a design style that tends to appeal to people who love plants in general and who think that rich landscapes are better.