Color in the courtyard

This tropical retreat is easy to maintain and full of interesting details.

Don't want to spend your evenings mowing the grass? Landscape architect Jeff Thompson of Orlando didn't want to either. By taking advantage of existing features in his backyard and adding some new ones, he transformed it into a quiet, low-maintenance hideaway.

Begin Here

The trees behind the house presented an opportunity for the new design. They offer shade and help create an instant ceiling for this outdoor room, while an existing fence encloses the sides. Jeff chose pavers for a floor because he could install them without hiring a contractor. He added a bench and hung glass candleholders to provide light so guests can gather in the evenings.

Well Placed

Once the space was in order, it was time to add plants. Jeff wanted an exotic, tropical look, so he chose palms and bird of paradise for their lacy and lush foliage. Bromeliads became important to his design because they provide exotic leaves in an array of colors. Most of these were then planted in pots. "The containers allow me to locate the bromeliads at focal points in the garden," Jeff says. "They elevate the plants as well, making them easier to enjoy. Also, I can bring the pots into the garage when there's a threat of a freeze."

The heights of the palms and bird of paradise provide a transition between the patio and the overhead tree branches. Jeff used a low-growing ground cover, dwarf mondo grass (Ophiopogonjaponicus 'Nana'), between the pavers to soften their lines.

A subtle touch in the plan was using a pineapple cutout in the bench. A symbol of welcome, pineapples are in fact bromeliads. By repeating their form in the design, Jeff relates the bench back to the shapes of the bromeliads used throughout the garden, bringing it all together.

GENE B. RUSSELL

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Sep 2003
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