In setting up your perfect lighting scheme with lights that promote an adventurous or mysterious mood, tiki torches certainly give you the best bang for your buck. Nothing says tropical paradise like some bamboo torches stuck in the ground. But we're not all fortunate enough to have ground in which to stick a torch. Heck, some are making due with little more than a balcony! Are those poor souls out of luck? Not at all. They simply need any of a number of patio torches to set the same mood.
In the brief time I sampled city living (it wasn't for me) I often visited a neighbor (it wasn't for her either) who did everything possible to fool her senses into believing her 8th floor apartment was actually a generous room in a tropical resort hotel. She accomplished this largely through the inclusion of an obscene number of plants throughout her one-bedroom dwelling. There wasn't a room in the house that wasn't stuffed to overflowing with greenery.
Her green thumb extended to her balcony where leaves in every shade of green almost completely obstructed the view of the concrete jungle beyond. There was little she could do to overcome the sounds of the city, but a couple water features dampened the din a little. Between the plants and colorful décor, it was easy to forget the metropolitan madness beyond her little sanctuary.
My friend also enjoyed having guests over for some of the most amazing meals I've ever enjoyed. She was as talented in the kitchen as she was with keeping tropical plants thriving in a mid-Atlantic climate. Exotic spices and Caribbean flare were common themes. Of all her gatherings, my favorites were those in the summer where we dined on her heavily planted balcony. Lighting the scene, of course, were patio torches.
If you're like my friend, a Tarzan or Tarzana plucked from the jungle and forced to live in an urban setting, you can follow her lead by cultivating an obsessively green thumb. You can also light your setting using patio torches which are ideally suited for environments where there isn't much (or any) ground in which to stick a tiki torch pole.
Your obvious first choices are table-top patio torches. Though they sport a comparatively smaller flame, table-top patio and deck torches do a fine job of illuminating smaller settings. These are ideal choices for balconies or other severely limited spaces. Rail and deck mounted models may also be an option if you have a balcony railing to which they can attach.
If you have a bit more space (but still no dirt) and no overhead fire hazards to worry about, you have a little more flexibility. Again, consider patio torches that offer mounting brackets for use on fence or deck posts. Another option may be a propane tiki torch with a built-in base. These can be rolled around and staged on just about any flat surface. My friend employed another creative solution for her balcony. With plenty container plants all over, she had imported all the soil she needed for actually planting a real tiki torch. Simply fill your planter with soil, insert your torch in the middle and then plant around it. She did, however, cut the pole down a bit so as not to have a flame licking the bottom of the balcony overhead.
The point of this post is to help you see that limited space or limited land doesn't necessarily mean limited fun or options. Creative solutions and available patio torches can help create a lush and tropical setting out of even the most urban of jungles. Do give some extra thought to safety, though. My friend learned that lesson the hard way after leaving her torches out (but extinguished) after one of her gatherings. A strong wind toppled one of her table-top torches which then rolled off the balcony. She found the shattered remnants in the parking lot the next day. Fortunately, nobody was hurt and nothing was damaged.
Happy torching!
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