Looking to add some "Tropical" flare to my backyard.
Greetings.
New to the boards and still looking through old posts for ideas. This is my back yard. I want to fill the bald areas with large planter pots with greenery.
I used to have flax in the gap between the two palms but it never florished, which I think had to do with it not getting enough sunlight. I have patches of moss and a foxtail fern doing well.
These pixs were taken at 4pm. The sun is already on the opposite side of the house. The sun rises to the left side so the plants against the wall dont get any direct light until midday. Im in zone 9-10?
This is the canopy Im dealing with.
Right side.
Left side.
The previous owners thought it would be cute to put down a layer of sand in the beds for a "beachy" feel but made it useless for planting stuff. I plan to remove a few inches into the planter amd replace it with fresh material.
Ive been looking at different plants recommended on these forums. I would love to create a tiered layout with taller pots and plantings to block the brick wall. My main concern is covering all the dirt/sand and filling in the gaps.
I also grew up in Hawaii so if I could figure out a way to add some ti plants and elephant ears I'd be estatic.
Other plants that have been mentioned here have caught my eye are Honeybush, Lotus Vine and any ferns that will take root.
Something like this would be ideal!
Thanks in advance!
Comments (22)
Adam Harbeck
6 years agoChaz Bish
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Looking for some So Cal tropical inspiration.
Comments (6)Baci, thank you for the recommendations. I have several mature queen palms around our pool. They are beautiful (and messy).I guess you have to give a little to get a little. I have heard bamboo might be messy too, so I haven't given them much thought. Are there any you would recommend? We get a steady wind every afternoon at 4:00. Orchids are on my list of filler plants, but I have zero experience. We have one in a pot that has been doing well, and has flowered for the past 2yrs. Also regarding Fullerton Arboretum, they are really bad about labeling plants! I would like to go there again when they have a docent guided tour. Gary, thank you for your input. We seldom get under 60 degrees here accept for the occaissional early morning in the high 40's. I am hoping that the Dwarf Jamaicans will be happy in a funky microclimate in the SW corner. Is there anything I can do to increase my possibility of success? When I bought the allamanda it was labeled "Mandevilla", but I knew it wasn't, but the Mrs. liked it. I am hoping it will do well on a west facing wall. With the heliconia 'Gaudalupe'I am taking the shotgun approach. I have 7, that will be planted in different places, and I am hoping a few will survive. I have been buying most of my plants online and have tried to research their preferences before buying, but sometimes I just take a gamble....See Morelooking to add some "bones"...need ideas!
Comments (35)Bones in gardening is usually considered as evergreen trees. Then you design deciduous trees, then evergreen shrubs, deciduous shrubs, and then evergreen groundcovers. Last are perennial flowers and annuals. It's been said you have to build the cake before you decorate it. There's a definite order when you design a landscape and you're starting somewhere in the middle with deciduous shrubs and thinking of them as individuals instead of a part of a designed community. You mention evergreens for Fall interest. Evergreens are for all year interest, not just a small cog in the works. Evergreens work all year long. In your picture I see an almost complete absence of evergreens. It could sure use some. The whole area in the picture looks bare to me. I have a feeling you're not ready to give up much lawn to achieve this. Experienced gardeners gradually shrink the lawn as they gain experience and have to make a lot of changes in doing so. We're trying to give you the shortcuts so you start out right and save yourself a lot of work and come out with a nice landscape. Mike...See Moreneed ideas about my backyard under some trees
Comments (10)You can't add enough gravel or soil to flatten the slope enough to make a suitable badminton court without killing trees. If there are small holes, you can fill them to even out the ground a bit to make for easier mowing, but I wouldn't do more than that. It's clear that the ground is getting enough sun for a light layer of shade tolerant grass, but even if the ground was level, this type of grass isn't dense enough IME to stand up to the foot traffic that a sports area gets. If you want a badminton court, I would put it in a spot that is level and has enough sun to grow dense grass. This might require a low retaining wall with proper footings and the removal of more trees or siting elsewhere. The area you showed in the photos will be most easily maintained for now with mowing I think, though as the trees fill in branches to take advantage of the new light and space created by tree removal, it will not continue to support grass, so you may want to plant a groundcover - depending on the type of trees, you may have issues growing many plants since shallow-rooted trees compete for moisture and nutrients with herbaceous plants and shrubs. In my area there are some energetically spreading ferns that make a lovely ground cover in this type of area. At least if you are in the eastern half of North America, you will have weeds, particularly woody weeds (maples, honeysuckle, buckthorn, oaks, etc.) since this area always moves towards forest if left to its own. So to my mind, the woody plants seeding in is a far greater issue than removing leaves from gravel in the fall. Mowing will discourage woody plants from seeding in - that's how we returned our brushy fields back to fields and how we keep the woody plants from becoming reestablished both in the fields and along the sometimes shaded road verges. And you can't mow gravel, so weeds (woody and herbaceous) would need to be removed by hand if you spread gravel since even a weed whacker can throw gravel to a point of being dangerous. Gravel is a fine mulch if you live in a very dry area, but not good in areas with a respectable amount of rain IME....See MoreI’m looking for some ideas for how to arrange my plants in my backyard
Comments (33)You are getting there :-)) You will have an entirely different perspective once you get the black pots elevated. And you can always add more color with flowering plants. What happened to the white/cream colored containers? You could mix them in with the black ones to make more of a statement. The pots in the middle photo (mostly blue tones) are still too lined up. btw, the groupings do not need to be equal in impact or quantity :-)...See MoreChaz Bish
6 years agoAdam Harbeck
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoChaz Bish
6 years agoChaz Bish
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoChaz Bish
6 years agoI made some progress! Our weird weather singed some of my plants before I to plant them but I think itll be ok.
Today we got half of the drip lines installed. We'll finish the last half this weekend and then the light installation will be last. Phew!
Adam Harbeck
6 years ago
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
6 years agoChaz Bish
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoThank you! I didnt know what they were so Ive been trimming the flowers and seeds off now I know better. Going to let them grow from now on.
Already seeing some new growth in the plants we put in.
Chaz Bish
6 years agoEmbothrium
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoChaz Bish
6 years agoI wish I had room for a banana tree. But digging had to be kept to a minimum cause of the palm roots. Which is why I went with pots in the dirt.
I do have single groupings pots in my paved seating area. Ti trees and a triple hibiscus next to an in ground indian lilac (I think) but thats a different zone. Were about 90% done now. All lights but one are in. Drip lines are in. Im in the process of laying down the rest of the soil.
stanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
6 years agoChaz Bish
6 years agoChaz Bish
6 years agoChaz Bish
6 years agostanofh 10a Hayward,Ca S.F. bay area
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoAdam Harbeck
6 years agoI have finally gotten around to finishing of this corner of the bed, taking my Aechmea out of its pot and planted it behind the plumeria so it doesnt look bare in winter. I also moved my crucifix orchids so they get more sunshine. The Laelia anceps on the plumeria is doing very well.
Chaz Bish
6 years ago
Adam Harbeck