Balinese / Thai Garden

[beanbagdan]

Hi all
We are about to commence some work at our place to create a Balinese alfresco / pool area. Currently it's just a large undercover boring area, tin fencing and a whole lot of yuccas around a kidney shaped pool.

Going to erect bamboo screens over the tin and find some value palms to plant. We are in Wodonga so very hot summers and very cold winters.

8649886499

I know it's a bit twee to create a Balinese garden area, but having spent many holidays there and embracing the peace and spiritual nature of the garden, we are convinced this is what we want.

Anyone have any projects they would like to share? Plant advice especially

Cheers
Dan

[lazydays]

http://www.renovateforum.com/f196/stuffed-up-painting-merbau-help-99918/

I'll take some more photos for you tomorrow and post em up for some ideas. I just kept using google and adopted some designs for outside use. Basically used bamboo, treated pine 4" X 2"'s and sleepers.

[beanbagdan]

nice work! Looking forward to more pics

[lazydays]

Just took photos as promised.

It's about 80% finished. One path to complete, some more plantings, getting a couple of scoops of mulch this arvo etc etc.
A lot of the smaller screens and buddah houses etc are just ideas floating around to utilize any scrap timber and off cuts left over.
The round river rocks that I have balance together (cheat and drill a hole down the middle to hold em together) may be turned into a water feature by pumping water up through the middle. Garden lighting still to be added. Deck has nice lights of a night but photographs poorly (well I photographed them poorly)
The 3 heads in a frame came from viewing an online shop and it was an indoor feature with more of a bookcase look with silver heads on a stainless steel rod...my version is concrete and sleepers. Hope you get some ideas from the photos or even bounce some ideas back to me.
The deck path is being left alone until all the work is finished and then cleaned up and re-painted.

OOpps, exceeded limit of photos.......I'll play around later and do an upload.

[lazydays]

Try again............mmmm, sorry still over quota even when I try to upload only a couple but they are still within the limits. Can anybody tell me the quota and how it can be overcome. I've already deleted a lot of photos from old posts.

[lazydays]

Take 3.............easier to upload to my flickr a/c.....got to link below and look at Front Garden Set

Flickr: gary & deb's Photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/gary_deb)

[beanbagdan]

Thanks Gary, the garden is fantastic!
My guess is that we will not be able to grow many of the plants you have, but I will head to the garden centre for advice

[lazydays]

You appear to have a great blank canvas. I'd go with wicker type furniture, coffee tables etc. Have a look at ebay, they have lots of tropical type styles. Then I'd go bamboo type screens placed around the place similar to my design. An off the shelf water feature, then some plantings in big pots. There must be "cheat" type plants that will grow in your area and still give a tropical look. Make sure the pots have feet under them for drainage but another important benefit is that you can put a trolley under them and move them around.e.g. when the summer western sun hits them move them around to a shadier place etc. don't forget concrete statues will grow anywhere in aust.

[Moondog55]

The idea of planting a lot of things in big pots is a good one.
First thing though ; have you considered putting a decent sized shade sail over the pool to start with?? and Balinese inspired waterfall/ waterspout as part of the pool??.
Kentia palms in pots in shaded areas in summer and move them to a warmer area in winter, clumping bamboo in really big pots will grow high in 2 seasons if the frost don't get it.
bamboo screens and wind-chimes of course.
Slap the concrete statues with a thin paint of plain flour, sugar and milk and they will look a 1000 years old in a month also consider buying the BROKEN bigger pots, and half burying them in the ground to give a shaded refuge for groundcovers