A Tropical Oasis

This tropical zen garden located on Michigan Street was home #5 on the Lakes & Hills Garden Club Tour 2016.

This densely planted, tropical garden is a little oasis tucked into this small neighborhood. It might be a small garden space but this gardener was not afraid to go large with bold tropical plants. You enter the garden through a narrow pathway that is chock-full of wonderful foliage specimens. 

The pathway leads to the first of 3 secret garden rooms spread throughout this property. It is a cozy space in which to sit and relax in this gem of a garden.

Amazingly enough, this gardener was able to include two very large containers in to this space. One container held a super-sized dark-foliage plant, while the other was packed full of a bevy of tropical beauties. 

Dividing this first secret space and a second one is a wonderful glass conservatory. What a surprise it was to find this unique structure in the middle of this small backyard.

What a great space to view the garden from on a chilly night, while enjoying dinner. 

On the other side of the conservatory is the 2nd garden room. It is a meditation space in which to relax while listening to the sound of soothing water gurgling in the fountain.

It is a very calm space with less vegetation.

As we leave this space we pass by a selection of colorful crotons in containers,

 which leads us into the 3rd garden room located on the other side of the house. It, too, is a more peaceful and calming area in which to sit and contemplate life or the garden.

One of the beauties of this garden is that you have no idea, whatsoever, that these incredible spaces can be found behind and beside this home. As you can see, the walkway out of the 3rd room is disguised by a grouping of plants that hides what lies behind it. Very clever!

Sometimes front yards are quite different from backyards --- more contained and proper, as to fit into the neighborhood. Not this one! This gardener continues to display his unabashed love for the tropical jungle feel and its rain forest plant selection. 

It contains a bit more colorful foliage and is crafted together beautifully creating lots of interest.

A few of the plants packed into this area is snake plant, pentas, crotons and bromeliads.

Baskets of lush foliage hang beneath the windowsills, while ferns meander up the trunks of palm trees.

Another view of the plants contained in the front yard garden bed.

 This masterful gardener has maximized the use of a countless number of plant varieties into this small garden. It would be interesting to know how many different plants are planted in this garden.

Everywhere you look is another area to be studied and admired.

On the corner of his garden out by the road is a bed of drought resistant plants basking in the full sunlight. Great use of this, most likely, hot and dry area.

There are a ton of wonderful ideas to be borrowed from this garden for the gardener who leans toward the tropical jungle style of gardening.