I've had my flower beds for 10 years and I'm going to have to google most of what everyone is wanting just to see what they are and what they look like. My top 5 right now is 1. Spuria Irises any color. 2. Oriental Lilies 3. Asiatic Lilies 4. Flowers that bloom until the first frost. 5. Different color day lilies I have no idea the names of the ones I have. I've been trying to put a name to them but so many of them look alike. I am cleaning off my hillside and have black raspberry vines if anyone is interested. I also have Purple Wisteria, old fashioned purple lilac bushes, and a weeping willow tree that I can take starts from get them rooted and send. I don't like taking starts from those unless someone wants them. I've never shipped a plant so I may need some assistance on how the best way is to ship.

I live in Meridian, MS., which is probably not much farther north than you are. The Bloodgoods (purpley red all spring and summer, red in the fall) do extremely well here, and so do the species Japanese Maples. A Bloodgood that is about 15 feet tall is likely 20 years old or more. I believe that it's the fancy hybrids and grafted trees that are pretty well disastrous this far south, though I understand that Seiyru does well too. What's important is getting the conditions right: afternoon shade, if possible, and consistent moisture, though not soppy wet. The species is far more tolerant of our heat. Mine gets sun nearly all day long. They will grow much faster and be much, much less expensive. Mine has red new foliage and stems in the spring, green in the summer, and brilliant, fiery red in the fall. It has just as nice a form as any of the fancy ones. I bought it two years ago for about $80 and it was about five feet tall when I bought it. It's coming along very nicely. If you have a friend who has a healthy, happy maple, ask for seedlings. They seed like mad around their base where they are happy and the seedlings will be the species. Look for one with pretty leaf form and color. Or...ask for seeds. I have a friend who grows JMs from seed and sells them at our Master Gardeners sale. Seiyru has very lacy leaves, is green in the summer and butter yellow in the fall. I have seen it a few places around our town and it is beautiful. A two foot one is about $125. See what I mean?

Dav- I hear your plea. I have the same issue. We purchased a home a couple years ago. Backyard had existing pool and hardscape, surrounded by many plants and fruit trees. We had most prior landscaping removed and I had a "tropical" design done and installed. I was on a fairly tight budget (I didn't know it was "tight" at the time) so they used lots of queens, agapanthus, hibiscus, bird of paradise, etc. Essentially all the "tropical" stuff you can get at Home Depot. I began adding/replacing some elements with other plants I bought. The overall look improved as my skills increased. One of the biggest reasons for my success in "getting it" was this book: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1561582328/qid=1122653709/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-7357636-6356020?v=glance&s=books It has lots of pictures, but more importantly, he talks about colors, texture and canopy, the three things that change a garden with some tropical plants into a tropical area. Very subtle, but once you read it, you'll get it. One final caveat that has come up in talking to friends that are doing their yards. I've found I'm in the middle of the road in gardening. I don't hate it, and I do love when an area's plants finally achieve the look that I want. But, if my garden/yard were done, you would not find me whiling away my time gardening. So, I'm sort of an interested amateur. Now, this matters because as you move up the chain into more and more tropical looking stuff, the more work it takes to maintain them. You have to understand that in So. Cal, you can't just plant the jungle and forget it. It takes nearly constant care of some sort. The stuff you have now takes little/no ongoing care other than proper watering and very occasional fertilizing. Hope this helps. aiki

I would suggest that you return to the EXACT same spot -- which means not any DIFFERENT spot* -- where you took the first picture and capture the rest of the scene. Pivot the camera to the left and right and show what flanks the first picture, overlapping with it some. Generally, it's awkward planting annuals around the base of a large woody plant, due to root obstructions and the the need to "turn" the soil. Would suggest you move color areas to flanking the front door and instead place permanent groundcover in the tree island. *Not trying to insult your intelligence here, but in almost every case -- 100% so far -- when I've asked for such pictures, people insist on taking them from another new spot. I guess they think that's somehow helpful, but it makes it impossible to mesh the pictures together.