Today I am at the tropical garden of B.B. and Charlotte Gilmer just south of Greenwood, Mississippi, where they created an idyllic and colorful retreat right in the middle of cotton country.
Outdoor rooms and areas for entertaining are found throughout the garden. They illustrate Charlotte’s flair for decorating and making the most of recycled materials.
In the front courtyard, everything is coordinated blue including this tall planter, a recycled vent-a-hood, featuring an ornamental grass.
In the backyard, the focal point is the large gazebo. B.B. wanted the roof to be rusty tin and they were able to find recycled materials to fit the bill.
The gazebo receives hot, late-afternoon sun and it needed shade. So Charlotte made great use of old shutters and large, cane bamboo to create a colorful and unique addition that makes the gazebo much cooler.
The back of the property is just steps away from cotton fields. The landscape here, features tall, wispy, ornamental grass that sways in the prevailing breeze. And here again, recycled pieces make this garden special. Old, white columns provide a wonderful, architectural element.
Charlotte has also shown her expertise with color in other areas of the garden. In the front, the ornate, bottle tree echoes the colors of the nearby door frame and shutters.
In another backyard seating area, the leaves of the coleus mirror the colors in the Adirondack chairs.
The Gilmers’ creation of colorful, outdoor rooms and their use of recycled materials, have given this tropical garden even more pizzazz. I hope you can use some of their ideas at your home. I’m Norman Winter for Southern Gardening.