I've been on a tear lately, getting all sorts of plants I've wanted: neon pothos variegated philodendron chordatum 'black gold' sansevieria a lithops wandering jew- i didn't know how 'retro' these plants look. these and the sans make me feel i'm back in the forties. i have to start getting selective, because i'm running out of room. if i had all the space in the world, I'd get: monstera delisiosa african mask plant- i find these guys stunning, but just no room! I would like to get a fern of some type, but i don't know which would do best in my office.

I saw a photo of a church in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, where they planted phormiums in rows that all lead to the front door. Try to immagine the door as being a focal point and the rows all came out from the focal point in an array that resembled sun rays. If you want really sculptural plants, you could try agave desmettiana varegata, or agave attenuata, both of which are user-friendly agaves and provide sculptural impact. Agave Desmettiana variegata stays to about three feet in diameter and thee feet tall. Agave Americana Medio-Picta Alba is another agave that comes to mind, although that one does have sharp spines. Strelitzia Juncea, like you already mentioned is a good plant for your purpose. I would stay away from grasses that grow tall and untidy. They can completely defeat your purpose of contemporary. The dwarf fescue grass, like someone suggested is good because it is rigid, not tall and wavy. Although most tropical plants evoke a jungle look, some can actually be very sculptural. If you have the space, a Phoenix Canariensis, or Dactylifera could serve your purpose. It could be a focal point and also serve as a vertical component to your yard, since a traditional tree would also take away from the formal, contemporary look. Others that come to mind are draceana draco, Yucca Guatemalensis, Cordyline Australis "red star", Dypsis Decipiens, Bismarckia Nobilis. These last three provide color throught their foliage, and the bismarckia, especially, gives great contrast to green foliage. Dypsis Decipiens has reds, yellows and oranges in the emerging fronds and the upper portion of the trunk. The phoenix species provide color when they drape themselves with bright yellow-orange inflorescents, then followed by large clusters of fruit (if the palm is female). If you could find a phoenix rupicola, they have red fruit instead of yellow, and they really stand out.

Hi Trevisan, You might want to repost your message to the Australian Gardening forum...

It was very well maintained. What the usual story is around here- the home was sold to new owners who probably think of a rose as a garden plant,not that Monarch. You can see a photo I took of it on Dave's Garden. It- and this one- are the two largest in the photo collection. Ironic that the third largest in town? I just saw 2 days ago had been severely topped. I posted THAT on Dave Garden (bayareatropics) too, pre destruction.