More great garden projects
You don't need a large space to create a convincing tropical retreat. Here's how Bud Stuckey, our test garden coordinator, brought to life this Balinese fantasy in a 10- by 10-foot corner of Sunset's test garden.
First, Stuckey built a small rectangular deck from ipé wood (optional, see plans below), securing it to a redwood frame. He angled the deck to face the best view out into the garden.
To filter the sunlight that reaches the deck, he built a palapa of bamboo poles and draped the crossbars with mosquito netting.
In a crescent of fertile soil adjacent to the deck, Stuckey planted a tree fern and summer bulbs with vibrant, tropical — looking blooms, such as cannas, dahlias, and Oriental lilies. He edged the bed with a ruff of lime green 'Angelina' sedum.
Between the deck and the planting is a creek bed of black La Paz stone (Stuckey mixed two bags of ½-in. pebbles with one bag of 1 ¼-in. stones). The stones cover a soaker hose that winds through the planting area to water the plants and periodically douse the space with a jungly mist. Sit on the deck and pull the netting around you, and you'll feel almost like you're floating in a cloud above a jungle of exotic flowers. "Zen meets the tropics," said one visitor who tried out the space.
BUILD YOUR OWN BALI HIDEAWAY 1. Make a frame of bamboo poles (2-in. diameter for vertical supports, 1 ½-in. for horizontals). You'll need a drill to make holes for nut and bolt to hold each pole junction together; hemp twine wrapped over each junction hides the hardware and gives a lashed-together look.
2. Sink vertical supports into 18-in. deep sand-filled holes
3. Drape and tie mosquito netting (available at REI and sporting-goods stores) loosely onto the poles.
4. For Sunset's retreat, Bud constructed a tiny deck on a redwood frame resting on bricks. He chose tropical ipé wood to add to the exotic effect (see plan above).
5. For your own private paradise, you can simply build the bamboo structure over a level patch of lawn or gravel. Adapt dimensions and materials freely to your taste.
Fresh Dirt: Get the latest tips, tricks, and planting ideas on our garden blog »
ENLARGE IMAGE
