A Garden in England Gets a Tropical Makeover
Lush foliage plants turn a plain and not-very-private backyard into a retreat that feels a world away
“I don’t often get asked for exotic, jungly planting,” says Fiona Green of Hertfordshire, England, “so it was a real pleasure to work from quite a different plant palette.” Her design for a verdant back garden with a tropical-vacation vibe is proof that ordinary, moderate-size yards don’t have to follow the pack.
Before: “The garden was fairly uninteresting — laid to lawn, with nothing really in it,” Green says.
Before: Green came on board after the owner had already started the renovation. “The garden was a bit of a bomb site. The owner, Malcolm, had started constructing a brick path through the garden, and had brought in lots of soil to create raised beds along either side of it,” she says. “But he was stuck for ideas on where to go next and how to achieve the vision that he had in his head, which is where I was able to help.”
Transforming the space became a team effort. “Malcolm did much of the hard landscaping, including the path, the beds and the small patio at the rear, with input from me, and I did all the planting,” Green says.
Transforming the space became a team effort. “Malcolm did much of the hard landscaping, including the path, the beds and the small patio at the rear, with input from me, and I did all the planting,” Green says.
After: Exotic, jungly planting was the order of the day. “We wanted the emphasis to be on leaf texture and luxurious foliage, not flowers,” Green says.
The plant to the right with fan-shaped, spiky leaves is Trachycarpus fortunei, also known as a Chinese windmill palm. The lush fern, Dryopteris affinis, adds a British woodland element to the mix.
The plant to the right with fan-shaped, spiky leaves is Trachycarpus fortunei, also known as a Chinese windmill palm. The lush fern, Dryopteris affinis, adds a British woodland element to the mix.
Another priority for Green’s client was privacy, and this was achieved with clever evergreen planting. And although the plants generally aren’t any higher than the existing boundary fences, the result is very much a sense of getting away from it all.
“Malcom has a very busy job and wanted his garden to be a real haven, somewhere he could relax,” Green says. “It’s a very narrow space, and it was overlooked by the houses on both sides, and while he got on very well with his neighbors, he didn’t necessarily want to see them when he was in the garden.”
“Malcom has a very busy job and wanted his garden to be a real haven, somewhere he could relax,” Green says. “It’s a very narrow space, and it was overlooked by the houses on both sides, and while he got on very well with his neighbors, he didn’t necessarily want to see them when he was in the garden.”
No lawn mower is required on Sunday mornings in this garden. The original lawn went by the wayside, as Malcolm didn’t want any grass or formal planting. His preference was for a softer style of design, rather than hard edges and straight lines.
The decision to go for a tropical planting scheme was inspired by Malcolm’s travels.
“He had spent time living and working in the Middle East and Africa, which I think had a great influence on him,” Green says. “He was very clear that he wanted an overall ‘green’ planting style with plenty of focus on contrasting leaf textures rather than flowers.”
“He had spent time living and working in the Middle East and Africa, which I think had a great influence on him,” Green says. “He was very clear that he wanted an overall ‘green’ planting style with plenty of focus on contrasting leaf textures rather than flowers.”
The seating area at the back of the garden gets sun in the morning. “This area is a real haven. It’s secluded and tranquil and the perfect place to sit with a book or the paper and a drink,” Green says.
Find outdoor pub and bistro sets
Find outdoor pub and bistro sets
Malcolm put up the diamond lattice trellis. It helps frame the seating area and provides a striking contrast to the lush greenery.
The path is made of reclaimed brick. The red hue complements the evergreen planting, and the pairing of these two elements gives the garden the feeling of a Victorian palm house.
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Although it’s still relatively rare for Green to get requests for tropical-style gardens like this, she says planting preferences are changing.
“Most of my clients still want a mix of all-year-round interest, with plenty of flowers, but structural planting is becoming popular, and I often use it as the backbone to softer planting schemes.”
“Most of my clients still want a mix of all-year-round interest, with plenty of flowers, but structural planting is becoming popular, and I often use it as the backbone to softer planting schemes.”
One of the things Green really enjoyed about this project was working with different plants, as well as using stalwarts like the big-leaved, shade-loving Fatsia japonica and the perennial switchgrass Panicum virgatum.
Most of the planting in the garden is new. An exception is the Dicksonia antarctica tree fern seen here in the pot. “It’s one of three that Malcolm already had,” Green says. “I put the other two alongside the path at the back of the garden by the patio, where there is plenty of shade. This one gets lots of sun but seems to cope OK.”
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A watering system on a timer keeps the planting irrigated and reduces maintenance time.
Green had to tackle a few challenges to complete the garden. “The soil needed quite a lot of manure added to it to aid fertility and water retention,” Green says. “And sourcing good-sized palms, particularly the Butia capitata, which is from South America, took a while too.”
This garden is brilliant proof that you can take an ordinary outdoor space and turn it into something exotic.
“I really love the finished garden,” Green says. “I had a cup of tea with Malcolm a couple of times, sitting at the patio at the back, and you could barely make out the neighboring houses. In this space, you really feel like you are somewhere tropical and far away.”
“I really love the finished garden,” Green says. “I had a cup of tea with Malcolm a couple of times, sitting at the patio at the back, and you could barely make out the neighboring houses. In this space, you really feel like you are somewhere tropical and far away.”
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Transport Your Garden to the Tropics
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Transport Your Garden to the Tropics
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Garden at a Glance
Location: Hertfordshire, England
Size: 474 square feet (44 square meters)
Designer: Fiona Green of Green Tree Garden Design