Today's atrium house differs greatly in many ways from its
Roman antecedents. But, like those ancient dwellings, it offers a private
garden world to those who dwell in crowded urban and suburban centers. In all
but very warm climates, the modern atrium is ordinarily roofed and lighted by
skylights, clerestory windows, or a plastic bubble. Each of these can provide
for ventilation during warm weather, with vents that can be opened when
necessary. The atrium need not be placed at the exact center of the house.
However, it should be positioned so that the main living rooms can share in the
delights of a garden that winter cannot touch, a constantly green vista in all
the months of the year.
More than in other forms of indoor plants in Dubai gardens, plantings of an atrium should be
chosen with due consideration for local climate. In warm regions, you can grow
almost anything in an atrium that will grow outdoors. On the other hand, in
colder growing zones, the atrium would, in all likelihood, be operated as a cool
greenhouse (night temperature in the 50s, day temperatures in the 60s), thus
ruling out heat lovers such as the amaryllis, and slowing down growth of house plants in Dubai preferring warmer
house temperatures.
But choices are still vast. Such broadleaf evergreens as
camellias, azaleas, and gardenias make excellent choices, and all can be kept
to desirable heights with pruning. Grass is not a good choice for ground cover,
since it requires mowing. But periwinkle, pachysandra, ajuga, dichondra, ivy,
and many others make a green carpet that takes little attention other than
watering.
A good-looking, minimum-care, atrium fairy garden in Dubai is easy to grow if the gardener relies on
smaller shrubs and trees (not deciduous varieties, which require a period of
cold and dormancy), ground cover, and foliage plants. As with outdoor plants in Dubai, it is easy to
have splashes of seasonal color with container-grown flowering plants that are
easy to lift and replace when period of bloom has ended. Simplify watering
chores a great deal by adding a water outlet to which a garden hose can be
connected. An atrium garden also needs floor drains for excess water. A path of
brick, flagstone, or gravel offers easy access to all of the planted areas.