OK start for the Backyard Makeover? TIKI SUGGESTIONS

Well last summer we decided to take out a 2nd mortgage to make-over our backyard which consisted of a 50' x 100' dirt and weed lot and an old ugly 20' round AG pool and falling down rotten wood fence. So about $60k later here's what we ended up with (pics below). What I'm looking for is some suggestions on making it a bit more "tiki" back there...The tiki statue is was ordered today from Florida (being custom made...hey I wonder if the the guy who makes it is on here?) and I think I'll surround it with a bunch of tropical plants/flowers. Anyone have any recommendations on what i'm missing or should change? Thanks for any input either positive or negative!

By ahansen77, shot with Canon PowerShot SD200 at 2008-06-08

By ahansen77, shot with Canon PowerShot SD200 at 2008-06-08

By ahansen77, shot with Canon PowerShot SD200 at 2008-06-08

By ahansen77, shot with Canon PowerShot SD200 at 2008-06-08

By ahansen77 at 2008-06-08

By ahansen77 at 2008-06-08

By ahansen77 at 2008-06-08

-Adam

[ Edited by: ahansen77 2008-06-08 17:00 ]

#1, i have no idea what part of the country you are in #2,everything i see in the pics is plastic,or resin.

"just my opinion,i could be wrong"

[ Edited by: TIKI DAVID 2008-06-01 16:54 ]

There is way too much white all over. Maybe you could plant some tropical plants in front of the white walls, this depends on where you live. Or put some bamboo siding on the walls. You could cover the white bar furniture with some fabric and rope or paint and make it more tiki. You will need a lot of chatchkis all over to make this more tiki. Maybe look around on TC and get some ideas for backyard design. You have a great backyard with a nice pool. Good luck.

Good, canvas to start from. One thing about Tiki is you want to draw on as many natural elements as you can get: earth, stone, wood. White rarely exist in natural. Try adding more greens, browns, darks reds. If you want to go white, try more of a sandy buff color.

Definitely more foliage. Big Broad leaf plants (depending on your location, you may have to plant in containers and then move inside if your area frosts).

More wood elements. Bamboo, brushberry, or even reed, fencing, perhaps. Tikis, more Tikis.

The natural stone/rock waterfall feature is really nice. Add more of that.

white = jimmy buffet caribbean style look
browns and tans = tiki, hawaiian polynesian look.

get out your paint brush and you will be amazed at what a simple effect as a color change will do for your yard.

..oh yeah, where are all the other tikis???

"Don't sweat the petty stuff - pet the sweaty stuff!!"

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2008-06-01 20:41 ]

I don't see any rum, ice, mixer or tiki mugs in or around the bar...?!?

Hey there Hansens, your backyard ranks in the top 10 of backyards here on T.C.
You'll learn as you go!
Watch out for the 'koolkids' they hit low and hard and sometimes they leave bruises.
Good Job..
Looks like you'll need a good leaf catcher!

On 2008-06-01 20:40, Tipsy McStagger wrote:
white = jimmy buffet caribbean style look
browns and tans = tiki, hawaiian polynesian look.

get out your paint brush and you will be amazed at what a simple effect as a color change will do for your yard.

..oh yeah, where are all the other tikis???

---

"Don't sweat the petty stuff - pet the sweaty stuff!!"

[ Edited by: Tipsy McStagger 2008-06-01 20:41 ]

Thanks for your input! I think you're right about the caribbean style versus "tiki", i think most of that has to do with the fence. I was 100% against a white vinyl fence but found someone willing to do 350 ft of it for $2900 installed so it just made financial sense vs. well over $10k for a wood-look composite fence (I am all about NO maintenance so wood was out of the question). Once I did the white fence I decided to make the tiki bar match. I actually like it with the bright white concrete so I think maybe i'll just roll with the caribbean style since I can't really do much to the fence. That being said maybe I should add more bright colors back there that'll "pop" against the white fence?

On 2008-06-01 16:53, TIKI DAVID wrote:
#1, i have no idea what part of the country you are in #2,everything i see in the pics is plastic,or resin.

---

"just my opinion,i could be wrong"

[ Edited by: TIKI DAVID 2008-06-01 16:54 ]

New Jersey...you're right, lots of vinyl, composite wood, etc...with the yard makeover one of my top priorities was low maintenance. Even the pool is SALT so all I do is clean the filter once a month, LOL, no chemicals or anything to worry about, and the auto-pool cleaner is a godsend. Other than that I just mow the lawn once a week...haha

On 2008-06-02 05:01, TikiLaLe wrote:
Hey there Hansens, your backyard ranks in the top 10 of backyards here on T.C.
You'll learn as you go!
Watch out for the 'koolkids' they hit low and hard and sometimes they leave bruises.
Good Job..
Looks like you'll need a good leaf catcher!

Wow thanks for the great compliment! No worries I can take it as good as I dish it.
HAHA I haven't gotten around to sucking up all the pine needles yet, thanks for pointing that out LOL....i'll be sure to get on that this week. :wink:

Woah, don't you think the bar is a little close to the pool? I mean, sometimes you finish a strong rum drink at the bar, get up to walk to the loo, and you maybe don't have the balance you did just minutes before...

On 2008-06-02 05:35, ahansen77 wrote:

I was 100% against a white vinyl fence but found someone willing to do 350 ft of it for $2900 installed so it just made financial sense vs. well over $10k for a wood-look composite fence (I am all about NO maintenance so wood was out of the question).

Well good, then you're not attached to the look of the fence, which means you can cover it up with all kinds of fun stuff. I'm seeing lots of leafy plantings to blur the line between the forest backdrop and your yard. Anything that would break up that straight white line would be good. The bar definitely needs some darker paint too.

If you do decide to go caribbean, you're going to need bright colors. But seeing as you've already invested in that nice carved Tiki..

On 2008-06-02 08:11, bamboo stu wrote:
Woah, don't you think the bar is a little close to the pool? I mean, sometimes you finish a strong rum drink at the bar, get up to walk to the loo, and you maybe don't have the balance you did just minutes before...

am i the only one entertained by drunk people falling into pools???

Hmmm....I could cover the fence in this for about $150 per 50'
Not sure how long this stuff lasts though.


This is 2 rolls of natural bamboo reed fencing. Use this for your outdoor decor while providing the utmost in privacy. Each roll is 6' tall and 25' long. You are buying 50 feet. Cover up an unsightly chain-link fence or create a privacy screen on your patio with this natural Reed Fence. Made from reeds woven together with galvanized wire, it can be attached to an existing fence or to posts of your own. Great product with many, many uses.

and OR, you could create a green screen by installing 4 by 4 posts 8 ft. apart and attaching 4 by 8 framed or unframed lattice horizontal about 3 ft up from the grade. Then plant Lavender trumpet vine at center. Between those you can attach your reedboo. This will break it up nicely. In a few years it will look stellar.

On 2008-06-02 08:54, Jungle Trader wrote:
and OR, you could create a green screen by installing 4 by 4 posts 8 ft. apart and attaching 4 by 8 framed or unframed lattice horizontal about 3 ft up from the grade. Then plant Lavender trumpet vine at center. Between those you can attach your reedboo. This will break it up nicely. In a few years it will look stellar.

Great idea BUT i'm in NJ...zone 6....those need zone 9+...anyone know of something similar that is more cold tolerant?

On 2008-06-02 08:28, ahansen77 wrote:

Hmmm....I could cover the fence in this for about $150 per 50'
Not sure how long this stuff lasts though.


This is 2 rolls of natural bamboo reed fencing. Use this for your outdoor decor while providing the utmost in privacy. Each roll is 6' tall and 25' long. You are buying 50 feet. Cover up an unsightly chain-link fence or create a privacy screen on your patio with this natural Reed Fence. Made from reeds woven together with galvanized wire, it can be attached to an existing fence or to posts of your own. Great product with many, many uses.

This stuff looks SO cool, I've considered putting some Home Depot rolls up around my own ugly chain-link fence for privacy~ but couldn't figure out how I could cut it to fit on an average sized fence (about 3 ft. tall, I think) Does anyone have advice on the easiest way for a Gal to cut/attach rolls of reed fencing to a short chain-link fence? I have a cheapo jig saw and some basic branch trimmers. Thanks!

Weather is not the reedboo fence's freind. As for how long the it last, it'll discolor (going from straw yellow to dusty grey) in one year or less (depending on amount of weather and it's severity). Also depending on weather, it'll breakdown completely within a few years. It's cheap for a reason, but then it also makes for spectacular change in look if you need something in a hurry, for a party, or something.

It's easy to cut in half (height-wise). Just make sure you don't cut through the wire that has been woven lengthwise. I've put it up and then used branch lopers to cut it to the right height. When cutting off the length, I've gone through and manually re-tightened the wires so it doesn't unravel.

Hey Haole'akamai, what's the best tool you've found for cutting the bamboo rolls? Chief Bartender and I used a hacksaw because the circular saw and the jigsaw didn't work so well. It is labor intensive though.

Not sure if the Lavender vine would work there but it does survive the frost we have here just fine. DO NOT I say DO NOT plant Potato vine or Paraguay nightshade (same thing) unless you like pruning every 2 weeks in warm weather, frickin weed. Not sure what vines work well in Joisey. Good luck.

That reed fencing from Home Depot is thin enough that it can be cut with a good pair of sharp scissors. Just wear gloves and you won't get blisters. I cut enough that way to cover the botton 3ft of my son's room. No problemo.

On 2008-06-02 17:15, GatorRob wrote:
That reed fencing from Home Depot is thin enough that it can be cut with a good pair of sharp scissors. Just wear gloves and you won't get blisters. I cut enough that way to cover the botton 3ft of my son's room. No problemo.

Thanks! I'll give it a try. At least it's cheap enough to experiment with, and even if it does come out looking tacky... hey, it's Florida! We're allowed to be tacky down here ;->

one small gripe,
the spelling is wrong on the tiki bar sign.
just kidding,

Jeff Hanson (bigtikidude)
:wink:

[ Edited by: bigtikidude 2008-06-02 19:44 ]

Ahansen77, you can purchase this book (or get it from the library) called Landscaping with Tropical Plants, Sunset Books. There is a lot of info regarding planting Tropicals in cold climates, including the fact that you can plant some tropicals in containers put them outside in the summer and take them in the house in the Winter. The backdrop can be any green plant that works for your area, check this out if you get a chance. PM me if you want, and I will make some copies of the pages that will come in handy for you.

You can also try roll out brush fencing. Its a darker brown color and does not discolor over time. Might be usefull in the NJ cold, which we don't get in Melbourne!

Trims nicely with a hedge trimmer. Its a bit thin in spots so you might need to paint your fence a darker color first.

Makes a nice backdrop for Tiki's, Kentia and Majestic palms.

Hansen, first let me say that you have a very nice back yard :) I'm an architect (23 years) and would suggest that perhaps you came to the wrong place for inspiration on what to do with your yard. These boards are fantastic in defining the modern interpretation of what is "tiki", it is a distinct look and feel that once understood is easy to recognize. But I would suggest that "tiki" is not the look you are going for based on the work you've already done in your yard. The white vinyl fence, the white tiki bar with polished wood top and white stools, the white board-and-post railing around the deck, the deck furniture- it all looks great but it all most definitely is not tiki. That's not to say you can't have some tiki carvings around or have some tiki torches, those are great decorative touches that do not require you to go the "full monte". I for one would not suggest that you try and cover up your vinyl fence or hide anything else in your yard. It is what it is. It's not "tiki", but there's no law that states we all must have 100% tikified bars, yards or pools :) Add the decorative touches that you personally want and post the pics on the Gardenweb or TroubleFreePool forums, they'll be more receptive there. I'm not trying to belittle the TC forums, they are truly inspirational. I just don't think your design focus is in the same place as these forums (and there's certainly nothing wrong with that, my backyard project is also going in a direction that's "not quite tiki"). Good luck!

[ Edited by: TikiTres 2008-06-04 12:12 ]

On 2008-06-04 12:11, TikiTres wrote:
Hansen, first let me say that you have a very nice back yard :) I'm an architect (23 years) and would suggest that perhaps you came to the wrong place for inspiration on what to do with your yard. These boards are fantastic in defining the modern interpretation of what is "tiki", it is a distinct look and feel that once understood is easy to recognize. But I would suggest that "tiki" is not the look you are going for based on the work you've already done in your yard. The white vinyl fence, the white tiki bar with polished wood top and white stools, the white board-and-post railing around the deck, the deck furniture- it all looks great but it all most definitely is not tiki. That's not to say you can't have some tiki carvings around or have some tiki torches, those are great decorative touches that do not require you to go the "full monte". I for one would not suggest that you try and cover up your vinyl fence or hide anything else in your yard. It is what it is. It's not "tiki", but there's no law that states we all must have 100% tikified bars, yards or pools :) Add the decorative touches that you personally want and post the pics on the Gardenweb or TroubleFreePool forums, they'll be more receptive there. I'm not trying to belittle the TC forums, they are truly inspirational. I just don't think your design focus is in the same place as these forums (and there's certainly nothing wrong with that, my backyard project is also going in a direction that's "not quite tiki"). Good luck!

[ Edited by: TikiTres 2008-06-04 12:12 ]

Thanks I was thinking the same thing, what I've pretty much decided on is to create a tiki-ish "area". So I'm going to put all the tiki-inspired stuff around the tiki bar (if you can technically call it that) and the waterfall area and just go for an overall "tropical" / caribbean look with the whole back yard. Basically I just want it to be a nice relaxing place to chill after a hard days work....

On 2008-06-04 12:11, TikiTres wrote:
Hansen, first let me say that you have a very nice back yard :) I'm an architect (23 years) and would suggest that perhaps you came to the wrong place for inspiration on what to do with your yard. These boards are fantastic in defining the modern interpretation of what is "tiki", it is a distinct look and feel that once understood is easy to recognize. But I would suggest that "tiki" is not the look you are going for based on the work you've already done in your yard. The white vinyl fence, the white tiki bar with polished wood top and white stools, the white board-and-post railing around the deck, the deck furniture- it all looks great but it all most definitely is not tiki. That's not to say you can't have some tiki carvings around or have some tiki torches, those are great decorative touches that do not require you to go the "full monte". I for one would not suggest that you try and cover up your vinyl fence or hide anything else in your yard. It is what it is. It's not "tiki", but there's no law that states we all must have 100% tikified bars, yards or pools :) Add the decorative touches that you personally want and post the pics on the Gardenweb or TroubleFreePool forums, they'll be more receptive there. I'm not trying to belittle the TC forums, they are truly inspirational. I just don't think your design focus is in the same place as these forums (and there's certainly nothing wrong with that, my backyard project is also going in a direction that's "not quite tiki"). Good luck!

[ Edited by: TikiTres 2008-06-04 12:12 ]

Oh my, sending somebody who spent 60 large on there backyard to troublefreepool....

I guess if you like looking at a white vinyl fence then it's your thing. It's also very bright and reflects a lot of heat. (not good). A flowery green vine will soften it, helps cool the planet, attracts birds, and insects that will pollinate other flowers (we need them), and gives you something perty to look at. This is just a suggestion from the Jungle Trader, (landscape contractor and designer). Look everywhere and you'll find it. Free advice.

On 2008-06-07 15:09, Jungle Trader wrote:
A flowery green vine will soften it, helps cool the planet, attracts birds, and insects that will pollinate other flowers (we need them), and gives you something perty to look at.

Could you make a trumpet vine grow there? These have a nice tropical-esque flower to them and they grow like mad. Don't think they need much water either.

On 2008-06-02 19:30, Moai_Mama wrote:

On 2008-06-02 17:15, GatorRob wrote:
That reed fencing from Home Depot is thin enough that it can be cut with a good pair of sharp scissors. Just wear gloves and you won't get blisters. I cut enough that way to cover the botton 3ft of my son's room. No problemo.

Thanks! I'll give it a try. At least it's cheap enough to experiment with, and even if it does come out looking tacky... hey, it's Florida! We're allowed to be tacky down here ;->

..if privacy is the issue...why cut it down at all??? just secure the first three feet to the fence and the extra three feet will stand on its own above it.....of course you will need twice as much bamboo rolls...

On 2008-06-08 09:27, Tipsy McStagger wrote:

On 2008-06-02 19:30, Moai_Mama wrote:

Thanks! I'll give it a try. At least it's cheap enough to experiment with, and even if it does come out looking tacky... hey, it's Florida! We're allowed to be tacky down here ;->

..if privacy is the issue...why cut it down at all??? just secure the first three feet to the fence and the extra three feet will stand on its own above it.....of course you will need twice as much bamboo rolls...

I thought of doing just that, but I'm very close to the Gulf & sometimes get rough winds during thunderstorms/hurricanes/etc. What do you recommend securing the fencing to my chain link fence with? Sorry for veering off the original post... THAT yard and pool looks fantastic so far, btw!

Stick with the caribbean look, much better

Yeah, great. Buffy rocks!

Get yourself one of these.

On 2011-03-08 08:05, lucas vigor wrote:
Yeah, great. Buffy rocks!

Scary you had that picture on hand,is that your desktop wallpaper?

Bar needs to be here not sitting in the dirt by its self.

On 2011-03-08 13:22, cribe wrote:

On 2011-03-08 08:05, lucas vigor wrote:
Yeah, great. Buffy rocks!

Scary you had that picture on hand,is that your desktop wallpaper?

Why yes, in fact it is. I am a huge fan of Jimmy Buffett and his vast catalogue of topical masterworks. Or should I say "tropical".

To answer your PM question/statement to me,

"Were you in the marching band in high school? explains a lot."

The answer to that question is "Ho". Not "yes", not "no"...simply"Ho".

And regarding your other PM to me just now:

"Your tiki is horrible.Its about to be spring, come out of your dark,colorless depressing tiki hole in the basement and into the world of brite light, girls in colorfull outfits, and happy people drinking, not worried about where they are going to find their next shrunken head."

It's not spring where I am. In fact, it is raining, the skies are gray and it feels like nothing is ever gonna change for the better, 'till the day I die. Happy now?

My two cents:

Unpainted tikis and plants.

And since you have all that white space, you could add some red, blue, green, and brown colored lights around. With plants and tikis casting shadows in different colored shadows...