Suggestions for Central FL bed plantings with robellini? (photos)

15 years ago

We're going for tropical in the front yard, we're 'do it yourselvers' new to gardening and are learning as we go :)

We planted a robellini last weekend and it's doing great. Now I've got to decide on and plant other plants in the bed so we can get the edging done and gravel in. Suggestions are greatly appreciated! We're in Central Florida and the house faces South, the overhang will provide partial shade in the afternoons.

Below is the bed from a side angle, I'll get a better photo this weekend.

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And below is a doodle for plants I'm thinking about. Ignore the orphaned yucca on the bottom, he should be up with the other 2. Any suggestions for this bed? The robellini is planted and doing fine, now we just need to add some plants around it before we get the edging and gravel (pea gravel the shade of sand). I LOVE the daisy bush (Gamolepis chrysanthemoides) and have wanted to plant one for a while, and they stay green throughout the year when they're not flowering. The yucca is ok, it's hardy and green (maybe look for soft leaf yucca). I'm open to suggestions!

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I think we need more color. I was looking for the name of the plant I know as Thai Plant, it's thin stalks aboud 3 ft high to start and has reddish pinkish broad leaves. Anyone? I think we'll add a small coquina or two to this bed too.

This is photo to give you a look at the whole house. All that's really there now are the azaleas up by the porch and the robellini. The rest is in my imagination. I'm focused on the bed with the robellini back closest to the house for now.

And this is without that center bed to give you a better view of the available room.

So suggestions are appreciated!

Also, side question - has anyone dealt with pea gravel instead of mulch? We're just tired of the fading and replacing the mulch several times a year, so we're really leaning toward gravel. I know it's more expensive up front, but less work in the long run?

Remember, I'm a newbie to gardening! :)

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Comments (7)

scully931
15 years ago
Hey, your doodles are neat. :-)

I have a section where I use pea gravel instead of mulch. I probably didn't use enough initially so I had to add some the following year. The thing is, if you start to dig to add new plants, move something, etc. it all gets buried the same as regular mulch. But if you're pretty sure you won't be doing a lot of digging, it does stay nice longer. You have to expect to add some over the years though. Also - once it is there, it's almost impossible to ever get rid of. The woman who owned my house before me used gravel (not a nice variety) and I am still digging it out three years later.
jenni232323
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for your note about gravel. I went out this weekend and went a little crazy. So far, this is what we've got - I counted, I planted about 21 plants last weekend (that's not including the multiple transplants of canna from my neighbor's yard!)! We went with yucca cane on the right corner, agapanthus, aztec grass, society garlic, flax lily, golden dew and canna - but many many of each. Flax lily, golden dew and canna are all in the back, not very visable in this pic. Most of the grasses aren't supposed to fill more than 2x2ft, so in a year or 2, I think it'll look full enough to be tropical, but not too full.

Last addition to come soon will be a Mandevilla (Dipladenia) 'Sun Parasol Crimson' aka Red Riding Hood that I'm going to try to train to climb the small part of the fence shown at the left, it's about 6ft high and 3 ft wide before the swing gate.

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Central_Cali369
15 years ago
I would have suggested some tropical-looking Aloes or other very sculptural plants. The phoenix already have an airy look so instead of adding more airy plants I would have added some plants with more defined shapes. The yucca could get very large (but it depends on what variety it is).

Try looking for Aloe Vaenbelenii, Aloe Alooides, Aloe Excelsa, Aloe Arborescens, Aloe Thraskii, manfreda species (macho mocha is a nice purple variety), Beschorneria Yuccoides, Aloe Striata, Agave Vilmoriniana, agave bracetosa, agave attenuata (many colorful cultivars), agave desmettiana variegata, furcraea species, blechnum gibbum, cordyline australis...

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Also, it would look nice with a large group of palms, not just two. They might look too lonely. plant them in groups of threes to give your yard a really full look.

just my two cents.
doooglas
14 years ago
Nice doodlez. For Larger palms see if you can get your hands on a reclinata or 2. They're a lot of maintenance but super nice. If you use red lava rock you would do well with Aechmia type bromeliads. Look up Bullis Bromeliads.
The red lava rock is the best way to go. I used 19 tractor trailer loads !
gusolie
14 years ago
Avoid rock on a southside exposure, it retains HEAT badly, to detriment in a southern subtropical climate.

Use a natural mulch like a bark so that soils temps remain cool. Rock will absorb heat, reflect more light in day, and then at night radiates that collected heat back, (just like the brick on your house does). Too high of temps at night is very strenuous on plants (unless they naturally are ultratropicals), usually causinga higher water need (you have sandy soils in FL, way waste water as it is!?!?).

Also, you're in zone 9 central FL--you will still have to worry of some plants recommended by other posters burning or turning to MUSH in a FEbruary frost or freeze every few years.
paulacat
14 years ago
The "thai" plants you're looking for are cordylines.
kpoon
12 years ago
Hi Jenni, If you are still on here and possibly looking for another option at this point for underneath your Robellini, try Caladiums. They are fairly shade tolerant and make a nice accent. Take a look at them on this page: http://orlandoplantsandtrees.com/palm-trees/pygmy-date

Here is a link that might be useful: Orlando Plants & Trees

Suggestions for Central FL bed plantings with robellini? (photos)

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Suggestions for Central FL bed plantings with robellini? (photos)

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jenni232323
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