Hi, jenfm!
I am learning myself, so don't expect a lot of advices from me. I just want to tell you, I am exactly like you. Full sun/full shade problem is my biggest challenge. There was a topic about shade recently. I planted fern and ivy in the very dark corner on my backyard and they are O'K so far. I have two plants I would recommend to everyone: Iris "Regina" and Plectranthus Variegared. I have divisions of both plants in full sun, evening sun and full shade. All are FINE.
Maria

You're not alone. I'm dealing with the same situation and really want to get the ball rolling before the heat of the summer is upon us.
There was an article published last Saturday in the St. Pete Times in the gardening section which may answer many of your questions. Check out www.floridayards.org and browse through their site. Hopefully many of your questions will be answered there.
Good luck. I'm sure more will write back with other suggestions. The people here are always so helpful.
Sue.

The first thing you learn as a Landscape/Garden Designer is to free yourself from the tyranny of the plants. If you let a specific tree or plant rule the plan, then everything else must be subservient to it. Thus, the entire garden or design is focused around that one tree and you constantly try to match things to it and fail.

Step number one is always what are you trying to accomplish with your design? Are you looking to build shade, to make something disappear (i.e. power lines, a neighborÂs house, etc.,) or do simply want a special place to get lost in?

Once youÂve determined the goal, you next have to figure out how to get there. Use big trees and palms first. DonÂt worry about which ones theyÂre going to be yet; just what they are comes first. If you have power lines, youÂll need tall spreading trees to hide them from sight. If you want a tropical feel to certain area, you should figure on a large enough number of palm trees to accomplish that image. Again, the genus and species are irrelevant at this point. The simple fact of saying, "I want a grove of palm trees here." will suffice.

If your plan calls for a water feature, you need to determine where it will go and allow for the large plantings nearby.

Consider who and how they will get around your garden or landscape. Do you want to walk barefoot? Side by side? Do you need handicap access?

Once the big stuff is in place, at least on your plan, youÂll have the luxury of choosing the smaller plant material to fill it in and make the whole plan come together.

I know a lot of this seems very general and non-specific, but thatÂs the way the lesson is taught. The best advice I can offer you, if youÂre still unsure, is to bring in a trained designer, pay them a small fee, and have them give you firsthand advice.

Thanks for your advice fawnridge. The whole process can become overwhelming and everything you point out makes perfect sense. I've always read that it's best to start small (as far as area involved) and then work your way out. When we're dealing with the subtropics, our #1 priority is providing as much shade as possible and I agree with you, trees should go in 1st with plant choices a distant 2nd. We all know how quickly everything morphs in growth which is a nice advantage we have over folks that have to wait years to see their accomplishments in the garden.
Again, excellent advise. Thanks!
Sue.

Thanks to all as well, it's like Fawnridge has been to my garden (or at least the garden in my head). I do sometimes feel like I'm hemmed in by designing around a particular tree. I do have goals and plans for what function I want the beds to serve. And I actually do have an area in which I want a grove of palms, I planted it this weekend: a bottle, spindle, zombie, silver palmetto, wallichia disticha, several Macarthurs and a silver fan palm! That bed pretty much gets full sun. I've filled in between the palms with a few geiger trees, bouganvilla, plumeria, coonties and agave, and crown of thorns for color, hopefully all sharing the same sun and water needs. So maybe I'm not in as bad a shape as I thought. I've just been obsessing. Thanks also for the plant recommendations Maria and Sue, I have some yellow walking iris up against a stucco wall that does pretty well. Hope more good advice keeps on coming, I feel better already. Thanks.

Hi
Have been gardening on the same 35x75 postage stamp for 30 years which was a mature landscape when I got it .
Guess what I'm redoing it yet again lol When you think about it how good a garden ever be finished. Things grow ,they die, they get ripped apart ,frosted ,the state whacks a bunch of it down. Change is what happens .
The one thing a garden could never be is "finished" lol
This time I'm using my experience to decide.. Going to emphasize the parts of gardening I like and eliminate or limit the parts I don't. I HATE pruning ,lawn mowing ,hedge trimming,
I LOVE my specialized growing areas. Water gardens ,epiphytes,dwarfing experiments. The most labor intensive types of growing yet it NEVER seems like work to
me . I'm a collector not a landscaper. I never see the overall effect just individual plants. Wish I'd realized this years ago. Another thing I wished I'd grasped ,large plants take large care lol.No matter how big the lot it has limits.
You can bet you'll never see a specialized grow areas in better homes and gardens but wow is it exciting to see that Madagascan spiny leafed ,double flowering ,variagated,
moss,gardenia flower lol.
So I think the first question should always be "What do I want and how hard do I want to work to get it?"
I think most people,me included ,spend the first few years planting too much next few years removing that, then finally realizing I really didn't want that monster in the first place or geee I could have got a variety that only gets half as big or I could have kept that monster in a pot or geee I wish I would have lol.
Good luck with whatever you decide. gary

Wow Gary, I've read many of your posts and based on all your projects I thought you had acres and acres! Your post has also set me free, like Fawnridge did. Now I know I can admit I'm a plant collector and I love my labor-intensive special beds and the individual special plants. My husband said the other day "your beds are so much work, why do you want to keep reducing the grass and putting in more beds". I asked him "when have you heard me complain about the work?" He still doesn't understand. But I do have to keep a somewhat aesthetically pleasing outward landscape plan in mind for his (and the neighbors) sake. So now I know how to define and accept my goals and have some excellent practical advice too. You guys are the greatest!

The seasonal change in the sun wrecked havoc on many of my plants first couple of years here in Florida because the winter sun would fry light-sensitive plants I put in the ground during spring or late fall. My solution was pots. I now rotate my potted plants around trees and near/away from house to keep them in mostly shade. Although, the price of large pots has made me consider becoming a potter.

Jen if you'd like some inspiration check out the link below. I think you'll like the tour of Ricky and Karen's gardens.

Here is a link that might be useful: Click here!

Lots of good advice here. The only thing I can add is that it's OK to try a plant somewhere and then move it if it doesn't work. Never feel bad about something that you have to change. No matter how experienced the gardener, we all have failures. (Well, maybe not Ricky, but the rest of us do!) I can't remember who said it, but someone here wrote that their plants had more frequent flyer miles than they did! I love that and it's very true for my plants too. I've been in my house 10 years now and this spring will be the 3rd time I've made major changes to the garden. Partly that's because I like to do it and get bored when everything stays the same for too long, but partly it's because conditions change. Trees grow and produce more shade. Shrubs grow and crowd out surrounding plants. Something dies back and suddenly there's bright light where there used to be heavy shade. Basically, it's all a surprise and I never know what's going to happen. Guess that's part of why I love to garden!
Enjoy!
Kate

Kate - I've killed two plants for every one that's survived in my garden. Of course, that was a long time ago when I still thought all palm trees had coconuts.

jenfm - I never know where to plant anything. I have lived in my brand new house less than a year and I do have acres and acres. Three actually. I was so overwhelmed, asked many questions here and then still couldn't figure it out so I will admit I just started putting things in the ground here and there. I have already had to move a few of them. So far most of the plants have forgiven me.

Yesterday I went looking for some plants for the north and east sides of the house. I went to a local nursery and described the areas very specifically and took the recommendations seriously. I did that because I was looking for long-term plantings and spent some money. Most everything else I grow from seeds or cuttings so I am more willing to take chances.

The other thing I have come to admit is that most of my three acres will stay natural, just like it is now. Fortunately it is quite a beautiful piece of land. I had much bigger plans until I realized that the scope of the project would take all the fun out of it.

I'm not sure it was any help to you but you can see we all have had the problem.

Lots of good advice on here so far. What they said ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

I sympathize with the site-anxiety. It seems like most of the plants in my garden have been moved at least once. Some many times. Just when I think I have it right, some cultural factor becomes apparent, and I've got to dig the thing up and scoot it elsewhere. But every mistake I've made is something new that I've learned.

I tell you, one thing that has helped extensively in my gardening experience is driving around other people's neighborhoods. I used to be a delivery driver, and aside from working, I would spend the rest of my time taking careful note of what I saw in people's yards... old growth that was obviously working in the spot it was in. I've ripped-off many of my best landscaping ideas from random strangers like that. :)

Another thing that I've found makes a difference is seeking out the toughest, most versatile plants... ones that will thrive in highly varied sun/moisture conditions. Of course, we've always got to keep around some picky, delicate things that won't tolerate anything less than perfect conditions. But if you can find genuinely carefree plants (and they do exist), sun/shade/wet/dry won't be so much of a factor.

good luck!

I tell you, one thing that has helped extensively in my gardening experience is driving around other people's neighborhoods.

The absolute best advice for anyone new to a neighborhood.

Jenfin
When we first moved here ,went to work before dawn and came home after dark. Even had very few weekends lol Not very good gardening hours?? lol Though I had an interest in
gardening it was something to get through as fast as possible.
Was given 25 potted orchids by moving neighbors and the only place I had to put them was in the screenroom. So every potted plant started ending up there .
I"m also a bird keeper and fish fanatic and since I have such a small area started combining space between these.
So fish became water gardens and birds became epiphyte areas lol. Have always been a Bonsai freak also but way too lazy to follow the rules .
I still refuse to believe Orchids are not garden plants or that I can't grow tulips and daffodils. I'm mostly cured of the temperate madness lol. Okay I still have some daffodils but gee they were soooo cheap and they're King Alfreds and Moon glow. for 20 centa. No more bearded Iris
and yes I still have some plants rated at 60 for a low and require 50 years to mature lol
had always thought I'd like to have a "large " garden but easy to see it's great I didn't lol
I still think the most fascinating part about plants is finding how far you can push them??lol
Anyway good luck with your project gary

msmarion, thanks for posting the garden shots.

I have to agree that the southern sun shift has also been a challenge for me and I guess pots are the solution.

I just started a year ago, so am making all the mistakes, and right now some shade-loving plants are getting too much sun under an oak tree(due to the angle of sun and lack of leaves on tree ) and even though the oak tree will provide lots of shade in the summer, I am not sure my dracaenas and cordylines will make it till then....what to do??