30 Perfect Tropical Garden Ideas in 2023

Tropical garden alongside its tropical flowers brings a unique look to your garden area. Large leaves, lush green look, and a full garden are some of the features of tropical plants. These plants are common to tropical regions with a lot of rainfall and a humid environment.

Not living in a tropical area shouldn’t deter you from enjoying the beautiful tropical garden. Even people living in colder climates can adopt a tropical garden idea and create a center of attraction in their homes. You just need the right type of tropical flower and design; these carefully curated 30 Tropical Garden Ideas will take care of that.

tropical garden ideas

1. Plant Quick Growing Annual Flowers

Plant Quick Growing Annual Flowers

Plants like amaranths and dahlia bishop of Landfall are quick-growing plants you can quickly grow from seed stage to maturity in your garden. Growing the right fast blooming plant will let you enjoy the tropical garden anywhere in the world.  

2. Design your Garden with Vine

Design your Garden with Vine

This tropical garden idea involves the use of vines, which are naturally tropical plants to beautify your garden. Vines need a sturdy platform to grow on, fences and trellises can be the support system it needs to blossom. Placing the vines in strategic locations in your garden will increase the appeal.

3. Adding a Tropical Tree

Adding a Tropical Tree

Adding a tropical tree to your garden is a knockout design with great allure. However, it is tough to manage during the winter, that is why using a shrub and pruning it into a tree will make for a better investment for people in colder climates.

4. Get your Orchid to Align your Wall

Get your Orchid to Align your Wall

Orchids are the ultimate tropical flower, and placing them outside will instantly create that tropical feeling in your garden. Place their pots along your wall to beautify your whole home. Bear in mind that orchids are sensitive to direct sunlight and extremely cold weather. Place them under a shade when outside and take them in when the weather gets below 50°F.

5. Grow Quick Cannas

Grow Quick Cannas

If you’re looking for taller tropical flowers, the canna flower is your best bet. It is quite challenging to get tall plants in colder climes due to the frost affecting the top growth. Cannas will give you fast growth during the summer and can be salvaged during the winter and used again.

6. Install a Water Feature

Install a Water Feature

Installing water features like a small waterfall will not only create an ornamental feature that’ll attract attention but will also provide a humid environment that is necessary for the continued growth of tropical plants.

7. Add Mulch

Add Mulch

Mulching is vital for tropical gardening as it helps to differentiate between each tropical plant. It is also useful in preventing the spread of weed and loss of water from the soil through evaporation.

8. Let your Tropical Plants Grow into Each Other

Let your Tropical Plants Grow into Each Other

This tropical garden idea advocates for a fuller garden with little restriction. Letting your plants grow into each other will create a rain forest feel, which is akin to a tropical garden.

9. Incorporate Plants with Larger Leaves

Incorporate Plants with Larger Leaves

Large leaves bring that tropical feeling to life. Consider incorporating larger leaves into your garden to go with the shrubs and ferns. Plants like bananas can serve you well.

10. Create a Shade Cover

Create a Shade Cover

If you’re living in a sweltering region with fierce sunlight, you should consider adding a shaded area for plants like orchids that are sensitive to direct sunlight. A tree is perfect, but you can create other shade structures.

11. Add Brightly Colored Flowers

Add Brightly Colored Flowers

Instead of stocking with the regular tropical plants, this design advocates for the addition of brightly colored tropical flowers to spice up your garden. Place them between the natural plants for added allure.

12. The Sculptured Look

The Sculptured Look

This idea involves adding rocks, sculptures, and structures like a thatched bar to your tropical garden. It creates an ancient look and increases the ambiance. 

13. Hang Tropical Plants Along the wall

Hang Tropical Plants Along the wall

Tropical plants with large leaves like bananas can be placed in pots and hung along the walls of your home to create shaded areas for relaxation along the wall.

14. Patio Tropical Garden

Patio Tropical Garden

This idea will enhance your patio even if it is a small one on an apartment and create a rainforest feel. Simply line your patio with tropical flowers and let it run wild and thick. 

15. Tropical Pathway

Tropical Pathway

Line beautiful tropical flowers along your pathway and use colored pebbles and rocks to beautify the edge, as seen in the picture.

16. Grow Tropical Plants Along a Water Body

Grow Tropical Plants Along a Water Body

Do you have a natural water body in your home? A stream, river, or pond? Growing your tropical garden along these water bodies will create a unique look for your garden.

17. Use Block Beds

Use Block Beds

Using cedar blocks to make garden beds in the corner of your home and using a beautiful paint can create the ideal foundation for your tropical flowers, mainly when you have limited spaces in your yard.

18. Playground Fence

Playground Fence

Do you have a little lawn area for your kids? Using tropical plants as a fence around your lawn creates an enclosed space for your kids to enjoy.

19. Front Yard Tropical

Front Yard Tropical

This design is especially useful for your front yard. Create a little area from your lawn just in front of your front door, plant a tree as shade and grow other tropical low flowers under it.

20. Cover the Side of your Walkway

Cover the Side of your Walkway

If you’re looking to create something unique and a shaded area for your walkway. This design is the solution you need. Allowing your tropical plants to grow wild and cover the side of your pathway will create a magical feeling.

21. Tropical Plants in Stone Beds

Tropical Plants in Stone Beds

Using stones and mortar to create your garden bed filled with tropical plants of different sizes and colors. This design makes your tropical garden a center of attraction.

22. Tropical Plants with Gravel

Tropical Plants with Gravel

Your pathway can be styled in different ways, and this tropical garden idea uses gravels to beautify the tropical flowers planted by your pathway. Simply plant leafy plants and use gravels to cover the sides of the plants.

23. Cozy Tropical Garden

Cozy Tropical Garden

This design creates a cozy environment in your home. To recreate the idea in your garden, grow high rising tropical plants along the walls of your home and add smaller sized plants on the side. Put relaxation chairs and tables and enjoy the cool breeze with friends and family.

24. Mix Tropical Plants of Different heights

Mix Tropical Plants of Different heights

Do you want to make your garden stand out? Mixing tropical plants of different heights will make your garden more appealing, and the taller ones can serve as shade for direct sunlight intolerant plants.

25. Height Makes the Difference

Height Makes the Difference

Are you looking for more room in your garden? Or just looking for shade? Consider this garden idea. It incorporates tropical plants of considerable height that creates a shaded area for relaxation in your garden.

26. Tropical Garden with Various Colors

Tropical Garden with Various Colors

It is normal to find green colored tropical plants, but if you want to create something that’ll wow your visitors and make your garden the topic of discussion, then consider adding up to 4 different plant colors to your garden.

27. Tropical Pavilion

Tropical Pavilion

If you’re feeling creative, you can create a natural pavilion with tropical plants. Simply make the frame of the pavilion with bamboo for a more natural feel and grow creeping tropical flowers to cover the structure. Add a soft cushion made for outdoor furniture cover and enjoy your garden.

28. Swimming Pool Allure

Swimming Pool Allure

Do you have a swimming pool and would like to make it more attractive? This tropical idea uses tropical plants of different heights to beautify the pool area. Plant tropical flowers along the walkway to the pool, and taller plants over the relaxation area.

29. Use Concrete Pots

Use Concrete Pots

Concrete pots are not only beautiful but also creates a dull and modern feeling. You can plant your tropical plants in large concrete pots painted with different colors—Line the containers close to your front door for a beautiful view.

30. Small Backyard Garden

Small Backyard Garden

Having a small backyard shouldn’t stop you from growing and enjoying your tropical garden. This design makes use of a little backyard corner carved out with blocks and filled with fertile soil for your tropical needs. Plant a few small shrubs and fill with smaller flowers.

This list of tropical garden ideas is almost endless, but these are some of the perfect ideas you can recreate in your garden. It doesn’t matter if you’re living in frigid climes, you’ll find one for your needs. Feel free to mix more than one idea and see what you can create.

About Jennifer Igra

Growing up in Brooklyn, New York City known for it’s green gardens. Jennifer, a 30 year old gardener and green living fanatic started Igra World to share her gardening journey and increase gardening awareness among masses. Follow Igra World to improve your gardening skills.

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