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.

The Repurposed Cottage Garden

Located off of 1st Avenue, down a quiet, shaded, dead-end street is a wonderfully orchestrated cottage-style garden.  This is not your usual cottage garden ~ even though it contains many roses and blooming flowers ~ it also has numerous interesting items, all re-purposed to provide beauty or a new function.

You can already catch a glimpse as you approach the front door, that this is going to be an interesting garden.

As you step out of the house into the backyard the first thing that catches the eye is the sunken patio. When her children were young they had an above ground pool that was partially buried. When they removed the pool they tried to figure out what to do with this area, and this is the very clever result.

How unique to have a sunken patio area. It's a very inviting space!

To my left is another smaller patio area with chairs and a fire pit. Another very inviting space in which to sit and enjoy the many birds in her yard.

 Old pottery, a couple of rabbits and an old wheelbarrow up against a tree along with a pretty pink geranium are a welcoming touch.

Throughout Diana's garden you will find many birdcages, all purchased from local thrift stores.

 Some are on the ground - this one with a piece of resurrection fern inside of it,

while others hang from small trees.

Many vignettes, like this one, can be found throughout the garden.

An old bird bath now sees new life as a container for pretty flowers.

In the back of the garden ~ what once was a swing set for her kids, now functions as an arbor for vines, along with a swinging bench for adults to enjoy and a space for a collection of brightly colored bottles.

The morning sun was in the perfect position to showcase the blue bottles. How cheerful would it be to look out your back window and see these bottles all aglow every morning!

Here's a closer look at the other collectibles that sit atop the old swing set. All found objects that she likes.

And beneath the old swing set, tucked in amidst the ivy are a couple of old children's red wagons. A Perfect addition to the old play area for her kids!

Even the large Oaks are decorated in this garden with colorful lizards, bromeliads in wire baskets, and

old metal candle holders.

Rust is a favored patina in Diana's garden. She loves the age-worn look of items that she lovingly tucks into just the right positions throughout her cottage garden.

She's always on the look out for items in local thrift shops, and often times people offer her items because they know her talent for making them look great once again.

She often says that, "All my stuff is either chipped, broken or nobody wanted it." There's no doubt that she has a knack for taking chipped, broken or old stuff and giving it new life. This old bike looks great leaning against a tree outside her garden shed.

Old benches give a touch of age and rustic charm to her garden. An old mattress spring is a great place to display some chipped pieces of china as art. She sees a use for everything, and has an eye for putting stuff together into a creative vignette.

An old pair of shutters add interest to a blank wall. Tuck in a few iron cottage-style chairs, an old water pump and you've got an inviting space to sit for a spell and enjoy the water garden.

Buried in front of the pond is Casper, a beloved and faithful furry member of her family.

Hanging baskets of soft pink cottage flowers are a pretty addition.

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Touches of pink to go along with the soft teal aged-shutters add the pretty cottage touch to this area.

This is one of my favorites vignettes in her garden. She found this very pretty wicker chair along the side of the road. It had definitely seen better days - the seat was completely missing. To her it was still beautiful and she found the PERFECT use for it. Branches of this vintage rose now cover the missing seat and the combination of the two is a perfect marriage!

Got an old rusted out wheelbarrow? Don't throw it away! Remove the bucket, add a piece of flat tin to the top of it, and, voila' you've got the perfect spot for a country vignette.

Here's a close up of this simple but pretty garden decoration.

More vintage and chipped plates, along with a mirror provide decoration for a fence. And, of course, every Southern garden needs to have at least one bottle tree.

Diana spun her magic to create this decor with a  nice use of blue in her garden

Her attention to detail is what creates the wonderful country, cottage feel.

Touches of soft foliage and pretty pink flowers!

To me this area looks like it's right out of a magazine and is a nostalgic reminder of 'Old Florida' on a hot summer day. A rustic seating area in a shady spot with an old bicycle propped up against a tree trunk. All that's missing is a pitcher of sweet tea and two glasses.

More of that rusty patina on an old chair, from past years, that works as a place to display some pretty pink flowers and a metal piece of art. Simplicity!

Outside her back door is a colorful display of flowers in elegant pottery. Tucked in among all this beauty is another beauty - the gardener herself making sure that she takes the time to stop and smell the roses!

In this photo you can see a pet door in the bottom left corner. Her current dog is very tiny and only goes outside with her, so she found a way to make the old door pretty by putting a piece of ornate metal in front of it. I'm telling you this girl NEVER lacks for ideas!

I think you'll have to agree with me that Diana is the 'ultimate repurposer!" She definitely knows what to do with "chipped, cracked and old stuff" that nobody wants, and make it beautiful and useful again.

Hope you enjoyed the tour of her garden, and if by chance, you have something "chipped, cracked or old you don't want," send me an email and I'll pass the information on to her.