Do you know what sunset zone you're in?http://www.sunset.com/m/garden/climate-zones/sunset-climate-zone-los-angeles-area

Cactus and desert wildflowers (that dont attract bees and wasps!), sedums, grasses, succulents...xeric stuff you won't have to water much or fuss over a lot...ooh, and a bench, and a fountain...and tell the crows not to forget the coffee next time!

Don't forget a nice chair and maybe one of those outdoor rugs! Go Morrocan? Have you got a screen door on that door? We've got to maximize space here!

An Adenium might do well. Depends how much rain you get in winter. I'd try to get one that doesn't go dormant. On that's fairly young in a large (huge) pot could get quite large. They tend to grow slower if they're old. Still, a near wild-size adenium would look spectacular.

@Nil13 Sunset zone 24.

@mblan13 I pride myself on my vocabulary, but "xeric" was a new word to me. I think I have a lot to learn about plants! Cool ideas about the desert plants. I do like to drink coffee up there, and it would be nice if those rambunctious crows would fetch it for me.

@need2seegreen, yes there is a screen door. It is not in great shape right now but we plan to replace the screens as part of the atrium improvements.

@thezombieshallrise69 Adeniums look lovely and would help fill the space. We get "when it rains it pours" types of winters.

Oh, there is also a small patio outside the first floor, so the atrium is not our only outdoor space. We need to update the patio too, but the atrium seemed easier to tackle first. We may reserve some ideas for the patio, which I think will include more of a seating area.

I put these wall baskets on a chain link fence but they could just as easily go on a stucco wall. Just remember to squeeze a bunch of silicone sealant into any hole you make in the wall. I just lined the baskets with a roll of coir weedmat, but if you wanted something more natural you could put in a layer of long strand sphagnum first. Or you could just stick cutting in the sides and let them grow out covering everything.

You could easily fit one or two potted citrus trees - that would give you some height contrast, and the flowers smell amazing. Maybe a meyer lemon or a keffir lime, then you would have culinary benefits as well. With zone 10, you don't have to worry so much about winter hardiness, so there are a lot of options for something larger. If you don't want to attach plants to the walls, there are some great corner shelving units that you could use and get 2 or three levels of plants. They look especially nice if you use something that trails down. In Italy and Spain along the narrow canyon-like streets in the older parts of towns they use potted geraniums mounted all up and down the builldings to brighten up the spaces. The pots aren't especially large, and it gets darn hot there, so the plants must be pretty durable, and they are pretty pest-resistant as well.

How lucky you are to have such a nice space!

Thanks everyone!

The door screen is at the hardware store being repaired, and we are also getting new screens made for most of the windows. We will probably pick those up tomorrow. We will also need to wash the windows before installing the new screens!

@aniajs, we are indeed fortunate to have such a nice space. I am trying to figure out how to take advantage of it and show it off to its best potential within the limitations of what I know to be our levels of skill and available time. I had thought of dwarf citrus, but may reserve that idea for the 1st floor patio later.

@Nil13, the hanging planters are pretty but I don't quite understand how you envision them working in this space.

In any case, there are some existing hooks - large hooks 3 feet up in opposite corners, and then some small loops above some of the windows. They may have been installed by a previous owner, or even the builders. The architecture of this place is so late 1970s that I would not be surprised if it just automatically came with ferns. Anyway, I may try to use the existing hooks.

Otherwise, I'm mulling over the suggestions from here, from a friend, and from things I have seen in books and magazines, letting a vision slowly develop. I think we should probably also start slow, adding a few plants and accessories at a time, and then building on that.

You could use whatever wall baskets you want and however many you want. 3 on each wall, fill the wall, one big one flanked by two small ones, a single hayrack planter centered over the wondows, whatever floats your boat.

or you could go round with succulents.

Aside from plants, I think it would really look awesome with small rocks/pebbles covering the floor and maybe stepping stones.
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Thanks everyone! We have some progress! I went to a local nursery, accompanied by a friend who likes plants, and bought some xeric plants.

I'm still on the lookout for a larger centerpiece plant. I did look at some adeniums and am also leaning toward a semi-dwarf citrus. They mostly had tangerines, and I think I might prefer a lemon tree, so I didn't make a purchase yet.

We still need to get planters and accessories and adjust the arrangements.

I'm not sure about putting a lot of plants above the windows. That would be over 6 feet up, and for us that would be well above eye level.

These are the names I know for the plants:

• Salvia clevelando
• Kalanchoe orgyalis
• Kalanchoe tomentosa
• Calylophus drummondi sundrops
• Cordyline electric flash (I did not buy this one but got it free at an Earth Day event)
• Several more I don't know the names of!

Atrium plants · More Info

Atrium plants · More Info

Atrium plants · More Info

Atrium plants · More Info

Atrium plants · More Info

That Salvia is a huge plant that wants full sun. It will take up half the atrium. It doesn't belong in an atrium. That Phormium looks like 'Rainbow Sunrise' and it will get to be about 3 foot tall and wide. Plus it's not exactly xeric. It needs about the same amount of water as a rose or 50% what turf grass requires.

Not sure if you mentioned how much sun it is getting, but all succulents will need lots of sunlight to look their best - like Salvia Nil pointed out.

Beside ones with known names, I think one in the big pot is Aeonium and other one is likely Echeveria Perle vonNurnberg. The hanging pot has Sedum morganianum in it - it needs to hang away from the wall, you'll loose all leaves touching it - they fall of with slightest touch.

Nice plants...

Never mind that comment about the Phormium, I see that it's a Cordyline.

Oh, I think the Sedum is fine in the corner. I have some growing over a wall. The ones that touch the wall are lopsided because of leaf drop but the rest are fine. You could drill into the corner for the hooks though. There's definitely studs there. Just put a good squirt of silicone in the hole when you screw in the hooks. The hanging baskets will hang better if the hook is in the corner.