To create a Tiki Paradise this Spring and Summer, or to give your garden area a tropical flare, it’s time to get into some Tiki decorating. By using bright colors, bamboo and some decorative thatched grass or a thatched roof material, you can set this backyard space up in no time.
It’s really simple to get a Pacific feel in your backyard without spending a ton of money. If you have metal furniture, you can choose some bright pink and aqua colors to paint chairs and tables. Then incorporate bamboo torches along the area. With wooden furniture, throw a few brightly colored outdoor pillows in the chairs and you have instant Tropics. Surround your seating area with bamboo or wooden poles, and string different colored lights from pole to pole to outline this space.
Flower pots can be painted and placed around the yard with bright perennial flowers planted in them. Bamboo grass or thatch can be purchased in rolls and placed on the roof of a gazebo or a roofed seating space. The thatch can be rolled onto the roof and attached. Thatch is sturdy and weather resistant for the most part.
Tiki masks and other Tiki décor may also be added for extra effect to your backyard paradise. A Tiki thatched umbrella or even a bright colored umbrella with a parrot or Toucan bird added to a picnic table will be the extra touch your backyard needs to complete the Tiki feel. A water source is also nice if you want to get closer to the Pacific reality. Listening to water is healing and soothing.
Fountains or small ponds are easy to install in the backyard space and the benefits over time will be both for you and for the rest of wildlife in your area. When I put a little pond in my backyard, I used a small kid’s pool shaped like Mickey Mouse. I dug out the space, put a pond liner in the pool, and placed flat rocks around the edges to cover the liner. Then I put a little fountain in the middle and hid the cord under the rocks and ran it through the plants to my outlet. There are also solar powered fountains that you can put in ponds or bird feeders as well. You can go as simple or as elaborate as you can imagine. The Internet is your friend when it comes to designing a pond or fountain.
The main idea for your backyard Tiki space is to create a paradise for you, and your family and friends. This should be a space where you are able to find more moments of Zen than you do work. When you go into your Tiki Paradise, you should be able to sit down, relax and enjoy the idea of the tropics. You should be able to take in the beauty of nature with the colors, and bamboo combined to make the Tiki space happen. As you get used to your Tike space, you will probably add and subtract items as you learn more about Tiki décor. Always remember the main goal is to be able to sip your favorite drink while reading a book, or just enjoy the space by taking a nap on the new hammock you decided to add.
Friends will think you spent a fortune on your Tiki paradise, when in fact you are using paint, a few bamboo torches and even fewer purchases here and there. Colors should pop and bamboo should be ever present. And if you have room, put a wooden-carved or cement Tiki statue for good luck!
