So, you want to give your backyard a makeover? How about giving it a Balinese design which has become so popular all over the world?

Balinese garden designs include a number of elements besides the regular foliage and flowers. The design incorporates water, teak furniture, lanterns and Balinese embellishments like statues, vases, pottery, gates and ceremonial umbrellas.

Remember the entire theme is Asian, so the foliage should be lush and green replicating the tropical jungles (in a more civilized way, of course).  The plants which can be used are cordylines, palms and ferns, that is, plants with large leaves and long stalks to create the structure in the garden. 

Once these plants are set in the framework, then fill the gaps with smaller plants with brightly colored leaves.  The idea is to have varying heights and different kinds of leaves. The flowers you could plant should be large and ornate. Some of the more popular ones are hibiscus, lotus, oleander, torch ginger, lantana and orchids.  You could ask at your local garden center to what is available in your area.

Water is an important part of a Balinese garden and will add to the beauty greatly.  It could be a small plug in fountain, a mist maker, bowls with floating flower or candles or a rock garden water fall.  A word of advice, fountains are not essentially Balinese, so if you want to be really authentic you should go for water sprouts which are available in intricate designs.

If you have enough space in your backyard you could also incorporate a pond with water lilies.  Running water in a setting of lush green foliage would recreate a typical Balinese garden.

Artifacts and statues will go a long way in creating the ethnic Balinese feel.  The statues you can choose range from animals and birds to those of gods and goddesses.  When you do select a statue of a god or goddesses, do a bit of research before you set it in your garden. You could put it in a wall niche or in a corner or amid the foliage.   

A Balinese garden is a good place to entertain, so you have to plan your lighting well.   Make sure that the lighting showcases your artifacts.  You could light some lamps and floating candles, especially if you have a statue of a god or goddess.  Lanterns are also a good idea to light up the garden.  There are two types of lanterns to choose from, the thumb rule is to go with what pleases you best.

Above all, the garden should be colorful and bright.  The colors to use are red, orange, indigo and gold.  So go in for embellishments like candles, cushions and pots in these colors. 

If there is a covered area in your garden, where you could place some furniture go in for rattan chairs.  You can also invest in a teak divan or a day bed.  Cushions and throws could make the area very colorful.

Teak nowadays tends to become black because of the pollutants in the air.  This can be a problem if you want your teak furniture or your boat to look attractive.  Just scrubbing it will not help.  The natural grains of the wood will show only with oil, sealers and varnish.
The first step towards caring for teak furniture is to get it clean.  Use only the mildest of cleaners. A mix of detergent like Wisk and chlorine bleach in a 75:25 ratio with a pinch of trisodium phosphate could be applied on the wood in the direction of the grain.  After a few minutes when the mix has done the work, wash it thoroughly.
You could use a cleaner with oxalic acid if the stains are stubborn. Apply the cleaner evenly with scotchbrite or with a wool pad and leave it on for a few minutes.  Then scrub the wood to remove the stains.  Never use steel wool as it would leave marks on the wood.  Keep the surrounding areas free of the cleaner.  After the wood is washed, let it dry.

When all other methods have failed and the wood is still stained, you could go in for two part teak cleaners which are acidic in nature. Once again wet the wood and clean with a nylon brush.
Oil helps to bring back the colors and the grains on the wood.  It also helps to restore the natural oil and resins in the wood.  But this is something that you can’t use too often as the teak will not last long.  In fact, the teak would last longer if you don’t oil it.  Oiling teak does not protect it but it will bring back the golden color you so love.
The two oils used on teak is general linseed or tung oil. Though tung oil is more water resistant than linseed, there is not much difference after a few months, especially in the case of boats.   This is because both the oils carbonize and become dark.  Some of the branded products in the market address these issues.  So ask the other boat owners around you before you make your final selection.
Sealers are also popular with boat owners, mainly because it makes the teak more durable and because it is easy to use.

The products seal the moisture and dirt out while keeping the natural oils and resins in.  Sometimes, the wood has already lost all the natural oil, so restore the natural oil with teak oil after you have cleaned and bleached it.  After a couple of weeks apply the sealer.
Make sure that the surface is oil free before you apply the sealer.  Apply the sealer just like you did the oil, unless the instructions say otherwise.  Wipe away all the extra sealer with a rag and apply more coats till you get the matte finish.

The best protection for the wood comes from varnish as this would keep it from drying out and splitting. Once the wood is varnished it would be protected from stains.  However, the varnish does not protect the wood from the sun.  Some of the products in the market now come with ultraviolet inhibitors-sun screens.
The varnish is likely to last longer if applied right. Remember you might have to apply at least six coats. Even if you don’t get the perfect finish on the first attempt it will still look good. 
ends