@ woody, my main complaint about the wedge beds is not how they affect or don't affect maintenance, but that they look bad. To have the arrowhead shape bed greeting you as you arrive into its space is not friendly and welcoming. It's not attractive in ground hugging 2-d design. If it's a 3-d shape, it's attractiveness lessens with every inch of height it gains. The shape is in contradiction to the growth patterns of almost any plant. Usually these beds are planted in contradiction to their true shape which helps lessen the mistake of their existence. How about offering a picture of any pointed bed that proves me wrong? @ growsveges, overall, I like the shape of the beds/lawn in your last picture. It's remarkably similar to my first suggestion with a couple of detail differences. The only part of it with which I take exception is completely confining the walkway to the front entrance with a planting bed. If what was planted in the bed in front of the entrance was very low, I don't think it would be horrible. If it was very low, colorful flowers that added a lot of cheer, it could even be good. Other than that, it seems to some degree a contradiction to have an expanse of green velvet carpet that leads to the front entrance and then as visitors actually get there, tell them to go elsewhere and enter a different way. Even if people won't actually access the entrance via the front lawn, the appearance that they could completes a thought process that seems logical and sensible. Being confined by foliage along a walk is not necessarily a pleasant experience.

Spanish moss is either loved or hated. As a tree expert and my wife, Claudia is certified Arborist, most tree owners do not realize the danger what large amount of moss can do to a tree(s). Little moss is pretty to some and to many is a sign to stop it before it takes over the tree(s). Abundant amounts can smother small or even larger limbs. One pound of Spanish Moss will hold up to two more pounds and maybe more of rain water which then becomes three (3) lbs. Let's say the tree may have 500 lbs of moss and then it rains weight becomes = 1500 lbs. or 1200 lbs of living Spanish moss then it rains = 3600 lbs to a tree during a storm or even hurricane. Now, the University of Florida, back in the 80's, said that Spanish moss should be pulled out of citrus and crepe myrtles before the moss grows too abundant and smother the tree. How about a large limb in a majestic Live Oak? So, how to get rid of moss for those who loves trees being trees? You can spray with copper sulfate, staining problem, but it is a systemic and travels all through the moss. Also, copper in one ingredient in most or all dry fertilizers. Another note for your trees: Remember that most large trees drink up to 75 to 100 gallons of water a day. (These numbers can always be less or more) When you have couple of weeks or more without rain then I recommend that you give the tree(s) 50-100 gallons twice a week for each tree. Several trees (Live Oaks as well) died from a long drought last year and customers thought their sprinklers were doing enough for all plants. Hope this helps and sorry that I may sound that I hate moss but moss is a welfare plant. It can harm the tree, it use the tree and gives nothing good back except to some it looks artistic like it's a Florida tree. I look at a tree full of moss as needing help to lose weight when each tree has enough problems holding its own weight during storms. I love trees and saving them is fun and maybe soon I'll post on how long it takes water to get to the top of a hundred foot tree, live oaks struck by lightning on what to do, and more. I am not advertising but I gave the above information of my wife and I that we are tree experts. I have not listed any last names, websites, phone numbers, etc.

Hi pinkgator, Can you be more specific about where you live? Is it zone 9a or 9b? Makes a big difference to some of these plants. In your choices, astilbe is unlikely to do well as it needs more cold. Philodendron you have to look up the type individually for cold tolerance, but if you are 9b, there are many types that would work under your oaks. Leather ferns need a lot of moisture and would be unlikely to get that under oaks unless you sprinkle quite a bit or are able to water it with a hose regularly. Liriope are likely to do well. Caladiums are tricky. If you live in 9b, they have a decent chance of coming back each year. In 9a, I doubt it, but you could plant them as annual bulbs and they would be beautiful under oaks. I am in 9b/10a Sarasota, and I have loads of oaks. I have variegated ginger, understory palms (chinese fan palms, wallichias, arengas, cabada and several others), many types of philodendrons, bird's nest anthuriums, landscape begonias, white bird of paradise, firespikes, pentas, macho ferns, fishtail ferns, holly ferns, heliconias, cast iron plants for extremely dry, non-irrigated areas, beautyberry bushes, wild coffee, brunsfelsia, cycads (dioons, encephalartos, zamias, coonties), powderpuffs, crotons, acalyphas,shrimp plants, justicia golden flame, and many others I'm sure. The trick is to not disturb the roots when you plant, choose something that won't require much irrigation (live oaks can decline if they get pampered too much with water, thick mulch, added soil on top of roots), and add as little as possible in terms of additional soil or thick mulch. I love Meem's garden (Hoe and Shovel). In that photo you see variegated alpinia zerumbet (ginger), liriope, dianellas, landscape begonias (red and large round lily-pad types), holly ferns and saw palmettos. Browse her site and you'll get loads of ideas! Good luck and have fun. Anna

The local hardware store/garden centre sells them as $2 tubers. I'll bet most people have no idea what they'll end up with. The idiot landlord of a house in our street planted a row of them down either side of the block. Fast growing quick fix landscaping solution. They look about five or six metres now. Our neighbour has planted what looks like one about four metres from our house. He seems to have pruned it once or twice. Haven't seen it flower yet. Wish we'd put root barrier down that side. I don't really want to disturb the roots of our shrubs now by digging around but after reading the comments here I think I might have get a definite identification and do some careful investigation. Good luck mistymorn.