After a memorable vacation with our loved ones, all we want to do is keep these memories as close to us as possible. And to do that we sometimes go to lengths like recreating the same visual appeal in our landscape. But there are other reasons too for making your garden look cool and appealing, like increasing the resell value of your property or just to show off a dramatic landscape to jealous neighbors. A good way to do that would be to include palm trees as a part of the landscape design.
Today, this concept is outstandingly popular because these elegant and sophisticated plants can transform the look of any property. We’ve compiled some very cool and intriguing palm tree landscaping ideas for you which you can find in the lines below.
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Palms for Landscape Décor
Let’s start with understanding how useful it can be to add palm trees to your overall landscape plan. These magnificent plants do more than just enhance the beauty of your garden; they provide shade and screening, make proper use of vacant areas, and can vine up any tree canopy. You can use palm trees to add a tiny accent to the overall garden design, or make them the most prominent theme in your garden.
There are endless options when it comes to size range of these plants, making it convenient to select the most-appropriate ones for your garden. Note that palms are compatible with groupings, and can also function solitarily. Combining palm trees with other plant varieties make them appear extraordinary, but there are certain palm varieties that work better as backdrop for exclusively-colored plants.
You can either go for an informal or formal landscape design when using palms. Options in palm varieties include short palms, tall palms, leafy palms, and thick palms among others. Now, it is time to discuss some basics about growing these plants in your landscape.
Growing Palms in Your Garden – The Basics to Know
Did you know that palms are not trees? You heard that right! These are known as monocots, which fall into the category of grass-like plants that flower. Let’s learn more about these fascinating plants.
The Common Fronds- Well, if you’ve already started looking for palm varieties in the local nursery, you are probably acquainted with words like palmate and pinnate. These are simply different types of palm leaves, which are commonly referred to as ronds. Both these types enhance your landscape with different shapes and textures.
The pinnate fronds can be described to appear like feathers that have leaflets growing out of each leaf on the stem’s either side. Palmate fronds, on the other hand, appear like the shape of a fan. The leaflets in this type grow out of one shared point, which is located at the base of the leaf. They usually resemble the human palm or a fan.
Is Palm and Cycad The Same Thing? While several features of cycads and palms are similar, like their leaves, trunk, and their overall structure, the two are not the same. Many mistake cycads to be palms, which can lead to confusion in the future. These plants are not related in any way. One big reason why the confusion prevails is because these plants have similar names. For example, the sago palm is not a small palm tree but a cycad.
With all these information in your head, now it’s time to know how to buy palm trees for your garden.
Palms Trees Planting – Buying Guide
The first part of palm tree landscaping ideas is about planting them. Always have a visual image of what you want exactly your garden to look like before you head out to buy palm trees. You can begin by taking measurements of the features existing in your garden along with the gaps that lie between these features. With the help of paper, mark these distances, and then scale down the measurements.
Proper Species and Size Selection- With more than 3000 palm tree species available, it might get exhausting to select the best one for your garden. You would be greatly helped if you opt for professional assistance from credible nursery with specialization in this plant species. The ability of palm trees to withstand extreme weather conditions is a crucial factor when opting for a palm variety. The overall budget and design are other factors that will assist with narrowing down to a specific species. But it is best if you opt for a palm type that grows locally rather than import a species that may provide unfavorable results.
The Soil Drainage Aspect- Are you aware of the drainage quality of your garden soil? Do you take interest in such matters? If yes, then you must know whether water stagnates in your garden, or drains away from your plants. Most plants generally thrive on proper drainage. Clayey soil retains water, while the sandy type allows efficient drainage, and you must opt for the latter with an incline or slope (only a bit) to ensure proper drainage.
Where to Plant Them? Light plays a crucial role in deciding the right spot for planting a palm tree. The area you select for planting these plants must be exposed to proper sunlight. While not all palm varieties grow in direct sunlight, you must know if your selected palm tree thrives in shade or sunlight. The way these plants grow also affect their positioning in the garden. Find out if the palm you select yield fruits that will mess up your pool, path, or patio, or does it come with large, showy leaves so that you can place it in the backyard.
Maintaining Palm Trees- There is variation in the level of drought-tolerance and maintenance requirements in the 3000 plus palm species. Shade and sun requirements are also different for different species, and so is their winter care. Taking into account the maintenance level of palm trees will help you once you have executed your landscape plan.
However, if you have don’t have the energy or time to take care of a palm that demands high-maintenance, you should either let a professional handle it, or choose an alternative plant that can do without care and attention in terms of fertilizing, watering, disease prevention, and trimming.
And finally, do your homework properly before getting on with the landscape design, it will help you in the long run.
Striking Palm Trees Landscaping Ideas to Make A Pinterest-Ready Garden
We have compiled a staggering 12 intriguing ideas for including palm trees in your garden to give it a stunning makeover.
1. The Beach Transformation
Get the vibes of a beach in your backyard without having to own a beachside property. Irrespective of your garden being a beach house, you can still use palm trees to incorporate the feel of the beach. The entire outlook of your landscape will be enhanced with a sensory and tranquil experience that is brought about by these plants. To get a specified beach look, opt for the classic species such as the Sabal Palm to ensure that you get the desired effect.
2. Colorful, Dainty Landscape? Why Not?
Another Pinterest-worthy look for your garden would be experimenting with colors. You can even go monochrome by adding green to already-existing greens in the landscape. But an arresting look for your garden would be to incorporate different colors, or go for an exquisite palm variety.
The beaming red leafstalks of Red Latin Palm is a good choice in this case. Another colored variety of palm is the Mexican Blue Palm that comes with leaves in bluish-grey color. Based on how large and spacious your garden is, you can opt for either or both these plant varieties to make them stand out.
3. Think Hollywood Boulevard
Most of us dream of having a Hollywood Boulevard lined with luxurious California Fan Palm setting in our property. This retro aesthetic makes us nostalgic about the Johnny Cash days, and brings in images of poker games being played and cigars being smoked under the palms. To achieve this postcard look of your landscape carefully chalk out a design that ensures a well-maintained a symmetrical and bold foliage. If you are unsure of carrying out this design on your own, take professional help of a designer who can guide you through the process.
4. Privacy with Sophistication
Palm trees can efficiently provide privacy with their broad foliage and thick trunks. You can freely execute and cookout or barbeque, or take a sunbath in your garden without any peeks from nosy neighbors. For this, you’ll have to place the palm trees one after the other so that a wall is formed that staves of trespassers, prevent any unwelcoming stares, safeguard children by keeping them within the vicinity, and absorb noise.
A budget-friendly option for this idea would be the Areca Palm that include textured fronds in dense growth. These plants are efficient privacy barriers that can grow as much as 30 feet in length, providing an overall look of wall with arching, fluffy leaves.
5. Donning on the Rio Look
Speaking of luxury, the Botanical Gardens of Rio de Janeiro are well-known for growing royal palm varieties. The most ostentatious addition to this garden is the Pindo Palm, which is a stout and short palm tree with a majestic appeal. Incorporating a similar look to your garden would involve growing these classy, luxurious palms in your landscape. And the best part is that this species can easily withstand any extremity in temperature. This way you have a low-maintenance palm tree adding elegance and luxury to your garden design.
6. The Accentuating Game
To get a striking look for your garden, plant the palms in rows to flatter and highlight exclusive features of your landscape. If you plan on making the stairway a dramatic entry-point, or hope to impress your friends with a stunning new pool, then line up the single-trunk, tall palms that come with crowned leaves along these spots.
These are the options in single-trunk palm varieties for highlighting your driveway, pool, or the stairs:
- Foxtail Palm
- Alexander Palm
- Canary Island Date Palm
It is worth noting that if you plan to highlight a feature in your landscape, do not grow palms that can steal the attention, such as the Areca Palm with its dense leaves.
7. Going All Ancient Greek
Making a statement with palm trees is a good idea for your landscape design. But you must also take good care to ensure that your palms don’t get hidden or merged with the other plant varieties in your garden. Think of the ancient Greek times where the temples had a bath with palms providing shade around it. If you are the proud owner of a Jacuzzi or a hot tub, adding a pair of palms on either side would create a look that is similar to the Ancient Greek times.
8. Highlight your pool
Palms, being plants, provide the most basic advantage of shade from the scorching sun. You can use this to your advantage, especially when it comes to the swimming pool in your landscape. Growing palms around the pool will keep you from braving the sun’s heat, and refresh you as you step out after a good swim.
Some luxurious varieties that you can grow around the pool include the Pygmy Date Palm and the Pindo Palm, both of which excel in providing shade. You can place lounge chairs beneath the dense foliage of these palm varieties to get the feel of a beach vacation.
9. Is your Taste Mediterranean?
If you are obsessed with the Mediterranean geography, especially the Palmyra Palm variety (also called Asian Palm), you can grow them in your garden to get the Mediterranean look for your landscape. Today, it is convenient to get hold of this palm variety for planting it in your garden, and experts will suggest that you align 5-6 of these palms in a single file along your wall. This will help you achieve a backdrop that resembles the typical Mediterranean look found mostly in Egypt and Turkey.
10. Illuminate your Landscape
Have you ever thought of making your landscape glow after sunset? There is no need to put an end to your garden display after dark. To do this you’ll have to install some lights around the palms, and your landscape will sparkle when the guests arrive. No matter what variety of palm you plant, accessorizing them with lights will make your overall landscape look stunning at night.
11. A Grand Entry!
If you are someone who loves drama, then this idea will ensure that you get to enjoy a dramatic entry every time you step into your property. Just plant palms- tall, short, sturdy- as a frame to your house or entryway.
To incorporate the feel of paradise, add two palms like the budget-friendly Red Sealing Wax Palm’ on either side of the home, gate, driveway, or pool entry. Anyone who steps into your property will gawk in awe.
12. Reaching for the Stars
If you are willing to spend on majestic palms that can grow up to 50 feet or more in height, your landscape will draw attention on a daily basis. The Coconut Palm (up to100 feet on average) and Royal Palm (50-60 feet in height on average) are good choices if you want to implement this idea for your landscape.
Final Words
Now that you have so many cool and outstanding palm tree landscaping ideas you can let your creative juices flow in the right direction. These elegant monocots come with endless possibilities that can effortlessly fuse into your garden setting to provide you with desired landscape design.
