Nice. I hope it doesn't get any direct sun though, as that will fry the plants. Here is a link that might be useful: Trini Garden This post was edited by triniguy on Wed, Jul 3, 13 at 20:36

Thank you both so kindly. Two weeks ago or three I went to the county fair grounds and got two trucks loads of "used hay" - urine soaked and full of dumplings! Yahoo! They have been having horse shows, so it is great stuff. You can put it right in your garden with no worries of it burning plants....as long as you water. There is shaved wood and wheat straw. Great for mulch. I have been mulching EVERYTHING. And I am now going to start loading up the wells around the fruit trees. That has cut back on the amount of watering I've had to do and it continuously feeds my plants. When I water, I run the sprinkler for an hour in each area so that it soaks way down deep. So once a week they get a full hour of water. It has helped a great deal. I was flat worn out dragging the hose around EVERY day. I even spray up into the trees so that it cools the air like a swamp cooler. It works! The birds love me. However, the heat is still scorching flowers and I am having trouble with the tomatoes. My big Beefsteaks haven't make one tomato yet - not one. The Romas and San Marzanos are finally making fruit and I am starting to get ripe fruit. The okra is growing well. The hay and manure has really helped them. I layed down cardboard between their rows and then piled on the hay. The Jalapenos and Hatch peppers are finally making fruit, and the Hot Hungarians, although they are slow. No zucchini yet, but they are now flowering. The musk melons are finally blooming and the Crookneck squash is covered in bloom buds - the hay mulch has been the trick, of that I am certain. I just came in from moving the sprinkler. Having well water allows me to use the sprinkler, thank God. As long as you let it run a good long while, it does really well. I trimmed the grass paths. It sure looks better! I hate it when the grass starts touching my ankles. Two of my cats were following me around meowing their heads off. I took them inside and they laid down on the cool kitchen floor and cooled off....and then went right back out there. Goof balls. I don 50 Sport sunscreen on my nose and arms and top my red hair with a big brimmed straw hat. I don't stay out very long. I am sitting here now in a t-shirt and undies, cooling off. :) The wind is hot - blowing strong out of the west. That is what is scorching the flowers. I just called the time & Temp - it is 103 with 79% humidity. Glad for the humidity, or we would be having grass fires again. ~Annie

Gorgeous gardens and plants all. Sunnywood: your beds are so neat and hostas are beautiful. Nelson and tj: dahlias are amazing. Irawon: I especially love your mini bed. I'm getting more into minis as I am running out of space. They are so cute. Here are a few of my favorite pics from 2015 Here are many of my minis. Stepping stone path through the hosta. Getting really crowded. I did some moving and thinning out at the end of the season. Blues look really blue in this shady area. Really missing my garden. Can't wait for spring!

The native Coontie cycad is smaller than sago palms,not sharp, and easier imo I grow them both in full sun and full shade. It sounds perfect for this. A very mature one might be more than 2 feet wide though (but again these grow pretty slowly).... Coral fountain plant might work here and there to tuck into places for flowers+textural interest. I grow some of mine in full shade but they are also a popular plant in Texas approved for full sun xeriscaping. If it weren't for the size limits I'd recc Firebush and Firespikes. I'd say they are containable, would not need more than an annual prune (assuming the Firebush doesn't die back) if their growth rate in Tampa is same as here. Firespikes hate full sun but mine tolerate it surprisingly well, they just will look upset... that's why I like to grow them under my unpruned firebushes (I just annually trim them a lil so they remain shorter than the bushes). Leadwort also probably gets too big but it doesnt mind hot sun nor a lot a shade. Begonia & Impatiens can work in shade but the sun part in the summer might be a dealbreaker without being protected by a larger plant overhead. An attractive large container and some other hardscaping features might help? My container dwarf figs go dormant in my zone 9 yard so they should not mind full shade in winter for example. Also I'd be careful with elephant ear.. they're a pretty nasty invasive species unless you get one of the tamer cultivars. I have a tamer cultivar (Black Coral) and even I keep it in a container, I see so many spread to forests around here.