Loquat grows well. Just needs afternoon shade and occasional magnesium feeds. Guavas, White Sapote, and Mangoes do as well, but those three require intensive frost protection (lights, blankets, et al) to prevent them from freezing to the ground. The biggest problem with growing tropicals out here is the winter frost. If you can overcome that, you're in good shape.

I wouldn't plant right up against them. I'd spread out a layer of mulch (we use pine straw but shredded hardwood is very nice) in a circle 5-6 feet all the way around the tree. Or certainly if you can get a nice carpet of moss going, that would serve a similar purpose. Then plant further out. I think planting too close is hard on the plants, hard for you to dig and to maintain (lots of root competition), and potentially stressful for the tree (depending on how much you do). A nice layer of mulch or moss is plenty attractive and restful to the eye. If you have any deer nearby, don't bother planting hostas. Getting fern divisions from your mom sounds like a good way to start (and economical). If you want to id them (the ferns), take a picture and post it on the Name that Plant forum.

You need to post more photos. It looks like maybe you could take out the grass growing in the bed next to the house on right side. A lot of people dislike 'meatball' shrubs but they don't bother me. I am not a fan of the center island. I would remove it and have grass there. Yes, I see there is a light there but it could be mowed around. Do you know the names of any of the plants? What USDA zone are you in?

Thanks for finding that pic, PopMama! I looked thru several pages and if it came up on my search I completely missed it! Liz, what you described at the swap was "more pink," so I hope what you remember is right! Please don't spend all your time looking for your pic, but if you should happen to run into it sometime over winter I would enjoy seeing it! If you don't run into it I will--hopefully--get to see it up-close-and-personal in spring! When that happens I will definitely be taking some of my own pics--however since google catastrophized WebAlbums a month ago I don't know if I'm even able to post links to my pics anymore! You mentioned that one of the Iris I got ['Superstition' and 'Abigail Provides'] was "shorter" than "others"--I think! If you did, was it 'Superstition' that was the shorter one? In the last couple days I got some big (2-3' X 18") patches of the "bad dirt" dug out along the walk by the side of my deck and, saving the more friable soil that was there, I've added a whole buncha home-grown, almost finished, compost to what was left! Have a "decent place" to plant both Iris now and am planning to get them in the ground tomorrow! I also saved some of the "better" natural soil to use when I dig out the potter's clay by the front walk where the peony is going! Will be completely removing the potter's clay, replacing it with my "saved" "better" natural soil, and then adding a WHOLE LOT of compost out there--including some that isn't quite so "almost finished!" Will be transplanting some worms too! I'm gonna make a Good Home for that peony! When I looked up the pics of it, one of the Way Cool things about it was how very different all the pics look--and, remembering you had said how much it "changed" from day to day, I'm really looking forward to seeing a few flowers on that too! Will be surprised if I get any next spring, but, with "good soil," I expect it to be taking off by the following spring! Can hardly wait! I had to water it in when I put it in the pot--my store bought soil is just "moist" when I use it, but, except for watering it in to "settle the soil" when I put it in the ground I'll leave it alone all winter--unless we get an extremely dry winter! Part of my reason for improving the soil in a pretty large area is so I'll know it has good drainage, so if we should get a snowy winter I won't have to worry about it sitting in WET CLAY! Thank you again for bringing such "cool" plants! (Yes, I realize everybody's definition of "cool plants" is different!) to swap! Since I already have so many things, and since people have started to bring things they originally got from me I don't often find many things that I want or don't already have, and this is the first swap in a long time where I was salivating and waiting to "pick!" BUT! I'll have you know that you created quite a "problem" for me!!! With my tiny yard I really did need to do some thinkin' to figure out where to put my new booty! "Problem" and all, thank you, Liz!!! >>> APS = American Phytopathological Society! Egad girl! Are you seriously into this stuff or what??? Did you REALLY go to a plant pathology convention????? Skybird