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YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

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The ultimate guide to creating a backyard footy field

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Create your own tropical backyard oasis

Create your own tropical backyard oasis

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Build a stunning and serene backyard pond

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  1. Home
  2. Backyard Ideas

Turn your pool into a tropical paradise

Have it ready for summer. - by Greg Fahey
  • 26 Aug 2020

With winter wrapping up for another year its time to turn our attention to summer! 

WATCH: Pool to aquatic oasis 

With beaches a hot zone for crowds, you might be better off hanging around your own pool this year, so why not transform it into a tropical oasis? Adding these five plants to your pool will make you feel like you’re at a fancy resort without leaving your backyard!

Cannas

Cannas love the sun and heat, a common location around pools. Just remember to give them regular watering. Their wide leaves in a range of foliage colours add an instant tropical feel. Taller varieties have an even bigger impact and can be used to hide an ugly wall or fence.

plants
Getty Images

Palms

There’s nothing that says tropical like a palm tree! They’re perfect around pools as they don’t shed small leaves which make cleaning a nightmare and the wide fronds create welcome shade during the hotter parts of the day. Good varieties which won’t get too large are Golden Cane and Kentia palms.

plants
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Hibiscus

With their large, showy flowers that come in red, orange, pink and yellow, Hibiscus are a must-have for any tropical scheme. Select an evergreen variety so you don’t have any trouble with leaves falling into the pool. Hibiscus flower right through the summer swimming season. For best results prune in spring and regularly remove spent flowers to encourage more blooms.  

flowers
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Cordyline

Cordylines are a versatile plant with many different species and varieties that will suit most situations. If your tropical scheme includes palms, which throw a lot of shade, cordylines are perfect as they tolerate low light conditions. The wide foliage comes in shades of green, pink, purple and even black so you can use them to add colour too. The various varieties also have different growing heights so you can choose one to suit containers or for planting at the rear of garden beds.

plants
Getty Images

Agave Attenuata

While not technically a tropical plant, the Agave attenuata’s wide green leaves in attractive rosettes make it suitable for a tropical landscape. Virtually maintenance-free, this agave can handle full sun as well as low light conditions. Trim off the old withered leaves further down the stem to keep it looking neat.

plants
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YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR
Watch 6:32

YOU’LL NEED A WEDGE TO HANG THAT DOOR

{headline}

{headline}

The ultimate guide to creating a backyard footy field

How to make a backyard footy field

How to make a sandpit

How to make a sandpit

How to create a rock water feature

How to create a rock water feature

How to make sleeper seats

How to make sleeper seats

{headline}

{headline}

Create your own tropical backyard oasis

Create your own tropical backyard oasis

How to build a pergola

How to build a pergola

Quick ways to spruce up your home

Quick ways to spruce up your home

{headline}

{headline}

Make some shade

Make some shade

Say ‘bye-bye’ to garden weeds and pests

Say ‘bye-bye’ to garden weeds and pests

5 best planter boxes for your garden

5 best planter boxes for your garden

Inspiration and design ideas for DIY shipping container pools

Inspiration and design ideas for DIY shipping container pools

Build a stunning and serene backyard pond

Build a stunning and serene backyard pond

How to build a retaining wall

How to build a retaining wall

How to espalier

How to espalier

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