A touch of California dreaming
Plastic garden furniture and pink flamingos might sound the height of tackiness, but they’re definitive elements of the fun-filled Palm Springs style. If you’re keen on creating your own slice of this Californian desert resort city at home this summer, here’s how.
Landscaping
We can’t all have a sexy low-slung modernist home with an in-ground pool, but a few landscaping accents can help create a similar look. Carved cinder block walls and crazy paving fit the vibe, as do pebble or rock gardens, rock walls and shady cabanas. Lawns don’t survive well in the desert, but a fake one would be perfect.
Furniture
Remember the white concrete table and chair set with the curlicue design that your nana had by the potted geraniums on her patio? Pair it with brightly coloured cushions and an icy Tom Collins cocktail.
For a more luxe and comfortable lounging spot, hunt out a vintage flutter chair or some retro-inspired wire furniture in a bright or pastel hue. And don’t forget a striped sun umbrella perma-tanned skin is best left in the 1950s. It’s hot during the day, but at night the desert air can have a chill so a fire pit is the perfect way to keep the party going.
Garden
Cacti and succulents rule in arid Palm Springs. The columnar San Pedro, round ball shaped parodia and spiky agave are some of the most common.
The stiff, architectural leaves of snake plants and mother-in-law’s tongue work well in garden beds or pots, as do palms. The tall spindly palms that are seen throughout the town are usually of the Mexican or Californian fan variety.
Accessories
You’re aiming for maximum fun at all times so consider a blow-up pool if you don’t have the real deal, and add a croquet or badminton set to the entertainment mix.
Classic cocktails or mocktails are a must, topped off with a paper umbrella if possible.
And there is something about the gaudy plumage of the flamingo that just works with the vibe. Staked in the garden or floating in the pool, they’re the perfect finishing touch.