Creating a tropical paradise in your back garden

With its tropical climate of warm and humid days and heavy rains, Malaysia lends itself to lush, tropical gardens. In most cases, the natural beauty of Lambir Hills National Park in Sarawak, or even one of the other rain forests in Malaysia, inspires this style of garden.

This is a garden fashion highly sought after in the United Kingdom. Many townhouse gardens emulate this exotic look. However, most homeowners struggle to achieve the end-product in such a cold climate. Luckily, in Malaysia, the conditions are perfect for landscaping one’s garden this way.

Rules or guidance apply to accomplishing this outcome. You may ask, “Which plants will grow in a tropical garden?” or, “Is a tropical garden low maintenance?” Although it is possible to achieve this on your own, the best idea always is to consult a professional landscape designer: such a professional will have expert knowledge of which plants will work in which soil and whether to plant in full sun or shade or part-shade. True, this may cost more. However, the results will be worth it.

Irrespective of which approach you take to establish your tropical garden, the elements of this garden style remain standard. Here are some ideas that you can consider when designing your outdoor paradise.

It’s all about the foliage – from shades of green to yellows and reds.

Unlike an English-style garden, a tropical garden, which is often centered on blooms, is more focused on using contrasting clumps of foliage as part of the landscaping. Various shades of green may be grown;  foliage such as crotons will add color. The flowers are an extra feature, such as put out by the hibiscus plant or even the bird of paradise, but this landscaping look incorporates foliage rather than flowers.

Great shrubs you can select from, including the Paper Gardenia. This will offer dark green waxy leaves and fragrant flowers. A hibiscus will attract birds and butterflies. Alternatively, you could plant an Ixora, which will flower throughout the year, or even a hardy bougainvillea.

A relaxed, informal style of planting

Inspired by a jungle look, this is a free-form style with high-density planting, which is more concerned with vertical planting. This means using tall palms like Majestic or Sago palms, for instance, to draw the eye upwards. Orchids may even be grown in the nooks of fir trees for visual interest. Also, plant the trees in odd numbers, like three or five, as this will help with a more natural look. Don’t plant the same type of plants in rows.

This style of garden, lacking formal hedging, uses free-flowing swathes of bamboo as an informal hedge to provide screening. In fact, nothing is formal about this planting style.

A tropical garden can be a low-maintenance garden if the landscaper has a good working knowledge of the growing habits of each plant. In any event, as with any other garden style, mulch will help keep weeds to the minimum.

No space is too small.

Internal courtyards can become mini-forests. Planted up with tree ferns for a dramatic year-round interest or heavily over-planted with smaller ferns or grasses for a lush look, these internal gardens may become a visual escape to the heat, adding to the relaxed feeling inside the home.

Also, if your garden is small and you want privacy, consider a vertical garden. Not only will you have a screen between you and your neighbor, but the look will be swanky and on-trend on one side of your patio. Interplant with moth orchids, bromeliads, ferns, and other smaller plants, such as herbs, for instance, coriander and mint, to create this living green wall.

Creating outdoor living rooms

You can create an outdoor living space with a solid stone patio base or even a tiled floor. Use weatherproof wicker-inspired chairs and a good-quality table for outdoor dining and lounging. To keep it practical, there are wonderful collections by some of the best fabric houses, suitable for outdoors, being weatherproof. The selection of various colorways will depend on your own preference.

However, if you have the space, do consider adding a roof over your patio, to which you can add folding shutters. This will allow you to use the area even when it rains. You could even install an outdoor kitchen.

Do add a water feature.

A fountain or a koi pond as a focal point will help to draw the eye and add visual interest. However, you need not have a fountain − a swimming pool can be a stellar water feature while also an escape from the heat. Note that a pool can set you back around RM50K to RM100K, and there are maintenance costs involved. However, speak to a professional swimming pool installer who will be able not only to quote you but provide you with important advice on caring for your pool.