Can't go wrong with scaevola (fairy fan flower). You may have to wait until spring to get some though.

Some people like portulaca (moss flower). I'm not one of them, but YMMV. Portulaca grandiflora (multi-petal version) might do. I just don't like the single varieties. But then you're not planting it for me, LOL!

How about an alyssum? Vinca? A short variety of floss flower? I think that's a trailing petunia in the picture you posted. That's a possibility, if you don't mind dead-heading. Or if there's a trailing version of the newer types that supposedly don't require dead-heading.

Does it have to flower? A trailing thyme would be attractive and it makes up for not being much in the way of a flowering plant by being so aromatic.

How about lobelia?

Ivy geranium might look nice - but I don't much care for the smell of the foliage of garden-variety geraniums. I'm not sure if the ivy-leaves smell as much or not. Or maybe I'm just super-sensitive to that particular odor and it wouldn't bother most people.

Short gazanias. They won't trail but as long as its sunny, they have very pretty long-lasting daisy-like flowers. They close up unless there's sun though.

I'd go for the fairy fan flowers (scaevola) myself. I love that plant. It comes in more colors than just blue-purple now. Try Burpee - but I don't think they'll be available for months yet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Some more ideas for trailing container flowers

Thanks for the helpful info.

I think my big concern is compatibility. I don't want the small plants to require enough additional water that I cause problems for the palms. I also don't want something that grows roots so fast that they cause problems for the palms.

All of the flowers listed above except possibly the lobelia are drought tolerant plants. I don't remember the water requirements for lobelia off the top of my head. Petunias are probably at the high end of that for water needed with scaevola being the most drought tolerant.

I doubt that any of them will compete with the palm. You will need to water a bit more for a week or two until the flowers are established, but they all should do fine on the same watering schedule as the palm after that.

Oh yeah, and probably geranium needs more water, plus it might get too big for the container. I was actually going by the size of the container in the picture you posted which of course isn't actually your container. Can you post a pic of your actual container, or tell us the size of the palm and its container?

So probably not geranium and maybe not lobelia. The rest should do fine depending on the actual container size.

It is about the same size as the container in the picture. I used about 30 gallons of mix in the pot. Here is a pic next to a #5 Cypress. See why I want to hid the ugly pot?

OOOOKAAAY, well Thyme isn't going to trail enough to cover that up, LOL! I bet lobelia wouldn't, either. That puts the gazania and the floss flower right out as well since neither trails at all. I don't think the moss flower will cut that either.

Actually of everything I listed, only the scaevola has a snowball's chance of spilling over enough to cover a lot of that up.

And it turns out there IS a trailing petunia that is both drought tolerant and doesn't need to be dead-headed. It is

Wave Petunias

That's Hot Pink Tidal Wave. From what I read on Park's site, you probably don't want Easy Wave because they've bred that to trail less; you might not want Shock Wave because that is also noted as being more mound-y and less trail-y. They don't specify for either how long they'll trail so who knows, I could be wrong.

Tidal Wave is a definite contender and Original Wave may do as well. It sounds like Double Wave would also do you, as it states they trail 2'.

They come in mostly shades of pink, red, coral, salmon, white, some variegated, and a couple in shades of purple.

Blue Star Creeper (laurentia) may work for you though I find conflicting information on its water needs. It is apparently an Australian native (as is scaevola) and one source states it grows in rocky dry areas (as does scaevola). However other sources peg this as a plant with "medium" water needs which should not be allowed to dry out. I suspect but cannot provide any supportive evidence that US growers unfamiliar with this Australian native may be mistaking water needs through the period of settling in after potting for long-term water needs; eg almost any plant needs more water at first after being planted or repotted than it will need later on. Possibly you could experiment with it in a hanging basket to determine its needs in your area. It is a very pretty and very trailing plant, and it is hardy to zone 9b which is where you are, I think.

Thompson & Morgan had seed for it at one time, I'm not sure if they still carry it.

Then there is Sanvitalia, creeping Zinnia. Definitely drought tolerant. May not trail enough though - 12" to 20" is its normal range. Seems to only be available in yellow. It also tends to form mats - so again it may not be the best choice for that planter.

Calibrachoa - Million Bells - may be a good contender. It is only 6" tall but trails up to 2'. However seed seems to be difficult to come by. Harris Seed has it but Parks only has plants. Looks like a petunia but its not. Needs no dead-heading. It is hardy in your region. It is a short lived perennial - about 3 years. Typical petunia colors, but more vibrant, I think. Not sure about its water requirements but I imagine they are much like its cousin, the petunia. The fact that its a perennial may be a drawback for your use; I'm not sure but it seems logical to me that a perennial is...

Well, maybe those petunias AREN'T such a great idea. Goggle your eyes at this account of failure to germinate

Now I'm going to have to get some Wave petunias and try starting them myself. Leave it to me to pick the one petunia in all the world that may not come easily from seed ...

Zen,

Thanks for getting carried away on MY project and setting yourself up for new things to do in YOUR garden.

A good example of how much I don't know about flowers is that I never considered seeds! As you can see by the 1/6 acre of dirt behind the planter, I have plenty to do without another different project like germinating seeds.

I love the Wave Petunia so just need to buy some small plants. After the grove area is done, I will have lots of empty pots that have citrus in them now so I can duplicate something like your picture for summer color.

I don't need to hide the planter completely, just disguise it a bit. I bought those two cement planters a few years ago mainly to help out the guy selling them. I was just tired of seeing them sit there unused and moving 100 pound empty planters again and again.

Having looked into it some more, I don't think those petunias are actually that much harder to start than any other petunia. I think you could successfully start those from seed. But, if you've never started seed before, you might want to start with something a little easier.

Think of that bare dirt as a canvas upon which you may express your deepest artistic visions!

You know scaevola would look great drifting down over the edge of that retaining wall ... and I think it is perennial in your area ... you might try a few along that wall.

Some scaevola here ... a little bit of Parrot's beak there ... Maybe some Chilean Glory Flower up at the top of the slope and let it spill down... don't know how invasive that could be though ...

I AM SO JEALOUS OF YOUR GROWING ZONE! LOL! I need to win the lottery and move to Hawaii!

OK, I gave in after seeing those pictures of Wave Petunias and spent some money with Park Seed. Just what I need, learning a new skill.

When I finally finish removing 10 yards of dirt from that area behind the palm, I will plant the citrus that are in pots and I will need to do something with the pots, right?

You can be jealous of the planting zone, but with every positive comes a negative. In this case, August water bill is $540. I'm reserving a space next to the 40' Avocado in that back corner for some big water tanks to store excess winter water for summer use. I only have to live to be 100 to reach payback on the investment even doing all the work myself and only buying materials. Also working on gray water recovery. It's a hobby and not supposed to make sense......right?

August water bill is $540

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH! Ack Ack Ack!

That is a pretty durn big negative! See, I really WOULD have to win the lottery to live in a better climate, LOL!

OK Greg, I finally heard back from Park's and this is what I got out of that conversation:

• Expected germination rate is 85% to 90%

• Recommended soil temp (for germination) is 70F to 75F. Temps outside that range will probably still germinate, but more slowly and perhaps with a reduction in germination rate if you get too extreme, about typical for other petunias with similar charcteristics

• Emergence time is expected to be about a week under ideal conditions (fluorescents, soil temp in 70-75F range); 10 to 15 days under less than ideal conditions. I'm not sure what the guy who got them to come up in 3 days had done - maybe he washed the pelleting off the seed first.

• light cycle for starting these light sensitive plants is 12 to 17 hours

And here's the kicker - since these are pelleted seeds, you have to dissolve the pelleting material or they won't germinate, which means you MUST top water or mist these seeds. Bottom watering is unlikely to dissolve the seed coat fast enough or completely enough to get good germination. I wonder if they put that on the seed packet, because it is certainly NOT mentioned online.

Misting seems in order or you run the risk of washing the seed into the media.

Zen,

Thanks for all the help. I've ordered seeds from Park. I actually bought a couple 4" Petunias and added them to the pot shown in picture. One is doing well, the other not. Interesting as both looked identical and both planted & watered the same. I assume Petunias don't survive the winter even here. However, Winter sometimes doesn't come until mid December.

I'll have to learn how to germinate seeds this spring. Darn, do I need to find room for a greenhouse, now?