4 Tips for a Tropical Backyard Oasis

This July we're dreaming of island living with warm sun, a relaxing atmosphere, and tropical foliage for miles! If you're right there with us, it's time to create your personal tropical backyard oasis. Designing a private retreat in your Charleston yard is easier than you may think. Transport yourself to a tropical destination without ever leaving your home with these four tips!

Use cold hardy tropicals for paradise vibes all year long!

The only way to achieve a tropical landscape in Charleston is with foundational evergreens and cold hardy tropicals! 🌴 Mixing classic shrubs like sweet viburnum with cold hardy palms will you give you all the tropical vibes you're looking for and still look good and green through the year. So many beautiful tropicals can die in our winter frost, so make sure you're doing your research and using cold hardy options for any foundational plantings in your space. Some of our favorites include: pindo palms, silver saw palms, chinese fan palms, and lady palms!

Create private destinations in your garden! 

The key to designing an oasis is creating somewhere for you to retreat and relax. This can be anything you personally find useful, wether that's a comfy lounge chair for reading or cowboy pool to plunge into! Adding "rooms" to your backyard creates interest and gives you somewhere private to unwind, close your eyes, and pretend your on a tropical vacation! This lounge features matching terracotta pots for a cohesive look, and the various shapes and sizes still keep the design interesting!  

Don't be afraid of color!

While green is our favorite color, you can make your space feel more like a tropical paradise with bright pops of orange, pink, and yellow. Add colorful pots, bright blooms or funky foliage, and garden accents with pattern and texture to increase the tropical vibe of your space. Experiment with shell ginger and hibiscus for tropical foliage and blooms, plus lean into terracotta and warm toned containers!

Experiment with "houseplants" in the shade!

Adding true tropicals like your favorite houseplants to your container gardens and in your shady spaces instantly transports you to a tropical jungle. The plants like philodendrons, calatheas, and ferns that you keep inside thrive in shady humid jungles in other parts of the world! These plants will love our warm humid summers and as long as you keep them out of direct sun, they will thrive in your backyard oasis. This pot in the middle photo below pairs broad leaf elephant ears and rex begonia for a striking display of interesting foliage! Bonus! The begonia adds a pop of color so you don't have to rely on delicate blooms through the summer heat!  

Craving more tropical vibes? We're celebrating our 7th birthday for 7 straight days next month and ending the week with an epic summer party with food, music, product drops, and palm tree deals that can't be beat! Mark your calendar for August 10th-16th and stay tuned to our Instagram for all the details!