Struggling with companion planting

[Ben in Norcal]

I'm struggling with an area at the end of my driveway, by the mailbox.  Had some small sagos in there, and wasn't happy with how it looked.  The area is sort of sandwiched between a Syagrus x Butia reverse cross, and a nice, blue regular Butia odorata.  Relative full sun, and quite dry in summer.  What would you plant down here to nicely set off the palms?

[Really full garden]

Yucca "Color Guard" http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/3289/color-guard-adams-needle/

[DoomsDave]

Lampranthus productus purple iceplant.

It blooms and people scream in ecstacy

 

[Zeeth]

Does Catharanthus roseus grow in California? I've used them to fill in spots between palms with some very good results. They bloom all year here so it's nonstop color. I don't know about over there though. 

[John Case]

Just a few thoughts.

There is more to this than just finding a plant you want, the eye discriminates and gets bored with plants that all have the same basic color, texture, and growth habit; that may be why you were unhappy with the Sagos. Other aspects of design are layering of plants (_Keith has a good example in a recent thread where he has a W. robusta in the back, fronted by 2 L. chinensis which fills gap of foliage around the trunk of the washie. His problem is that nce the chinensid get taller, he will have to front them with something else, probably a Sabal or three.

I am working one some plants that will complement the palms, which include cycads, of course, as well as cacti and succulents, aroids, and other dicots that have very different textures, colors, heights, and other characteristics. I am also not limiting myself to tropical plants but also looking for non-tropical plants that look tropical, cold hardy ferns come to mind, the oddball heliconia, bamboos, and anything that may look tropical when placed in a tropical looking garden. I am testing an Artimesia right now but am not sure that it can make the transition.

Pick up a book on landscape design for some principles to  get you to your end. It is fun to work on tis but it takes time, I think, especially if you have other things in life,...you know, like work.

I hope this helps and adds to your design....

JC

[Ben in Norcal]

Thanks, chaps, for the thoughts so far.  A couple of suggestions there that are interesting, if not for this spot then maybe elsewhere.  I am thinking something a bit "architectural" for this spot, but something that doesn't trunk - perhaps like an Agave, but I already have a bunch of them.  Hmmmm...keep the ideas coming!

[Darold Petty]

Aloe plicatilis

I always wanted one of these, but don't have the microclimate or space ! 

http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=108

 

[Gonzer]

Ben, to start I would suggest you remove the bush in the corner. It ruins the symmetry of the rest of your plantings.

[Ben in Norcal]

8 hours ago, Darold Petty said:

Aloe plicatilis

I always wanted one of these, but don't have the microclimate or space ! 

http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=108

Darold - how cool is that Aloe?  I am going to have to get one!

1 hour ago, Gonzer said:

Ben, to start I would suggest you remove the bush in the corner. It ruins the symmetry of the rest of your plantings.

LOL.  Gonzer, PLEASE come visit and chat with my wife.  That's a pre-existing planting around the mailbox that my wife is obsessed with me not removing.  I hope to break her down eventually!!!

[Palm crazy]

Personally Ben, I would say you don’t need anything in that area. Let the palms grow and fill in. But if you want some colour than just plant small annual stuff or drought tolerant succulents. 

[John Case]

3 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

Darold - how cool is that Aloe?  I am going to have to get one!

LOL.  Gonzer, PLEASE come visit and chat with my wife.  That's a pre-existing planting around the mailbox that my wife is obsessed with me not removing.  I hope to break her down eventually!!!

Ben, plitatilis are easy to find, small ones are very inexpensive, large ones usually cost an arm and a leg....keep you eye out for one to get a bargain. If I find one, I'll let you know.

[Pando]

7 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

LOL.  Gonzer, PLEASE come visit and chat with my wife.  That's a pre-existing planting around the mailbox that my wife is obsessed with me not removing.  I hope to break her down eventually!!!

Can you move the mailbox? 

Perhaps the bush will follow....

[Gonzer]

9 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

Darold - how cool is that Aloe?  I am going to have to get one!

LOL.  Gonzer, PLEASE come visit and chat with my wife.  That's a pre-existing planting around the mailbox that my wife is obsessed with me not removing.  I hope to break her down eventually!!!

Ya know Ben, at the rate the Post Office is losing money you may not need it much longer!

[Kim]

Plant something orange.  Low-growing orange succulents such as Crassula, orange arctotis, the orange bromeliad Aechmea blanchetiana, kniphofia, etc.  The orange is a stunning contrast with the blue-green foliage.  As is, the garden is fairly monochromatic.  An alternative would be pink, but I think the orange offers more choices in your "architectural form" preference.

[Ben in Norcal]

So many good ideas guys.  Just asking for you all to chip in on something like this, I learn so much - even if I apply those learnings in a different area of the yard!  More plants to do research on - I thank you for all the ideas!!!

Darold and John, I found a nice sized Aloe plicatilis on eBay.  It's on the way and I didn't even have to leave the house. 

[Josh-O]

14 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

Darold - how cool is that Aloe?  I am going to have to get one!

LOL.  Gonzer, PLEASE come visit and chat with my wife.  That's a pre-existing planting around the mailbox that my wife is obsessed with me not removing.  I hope to break her down eventually!!!

let us know when you succeed with that one Ben..lol

I have the same problem with some stuff at my house my wife wont let me cut down..

[Josh-O]

5 hours ago, Kim said:

Plant something orange.  Low-growing orange succulents such as Crassula, orange arctotis, the orange bromeliad Aechmea blanchetiana, kniphofia, etc.  The orange is a stunning contrast with the blue-green foliage.  As is, the garden is fairly monochromatic.  An alternative would be pink, but I think the orange offers more choices in your "architectural form" preference.

I second the  orange bromeliad Aechmea blanchetiana

awesome suggestion. here a pic off the web

[Ben in Norcal]

5 minutes ago, Josh-O said:

let us know when you succeed with that one Ben..lol

I have the same problem with some stuff at my house my wife wont let me cut down..

It's a jasmine vine - it is gorgeous and super fragrant in bloom for like one month a year.  The rest of the time, it's a pain in the a**.  

I'm going to cut it down this weekend and apologize afterwards.  

[Josh-O]

Ben, hers a link to frost tolerant cold hardy bromeliads. This is a great resource  

http://www.therainforestgarden.com/2011/09/big-list-of-freeze-tolerant-bromeliads.html

[Josh-O]

1 minute ago, Josh-O said:

Ben, hers a link to frost tolerant cold hardy bromeliads. This is a great resource  

http://www.therainforestgarden.com/2011/09/big-list-of-freeze-tolerant-bromeliads.html

there are so many options  to choose from on that list

[Hammer]

16 hours ago, Ben in Norcal said:

Darold - how cool is that Aloe?  I am going to have to get one!

LOL.  Gonzer, PLEASE come visit and chat with my wife.  That's a pre-existing planting around the mailbox that my wife is obsessed with me not removing.  I hope to break her down eventually!!!

The good news is that corner planting is going to look and smell amazing in March.

[redbeard917]

Personally, I would plant low-growing, non-shrubby plants there. It looks like you've already got quite a few palms and cycads in that spot that will be quite large some day. A variety of colors and textures looks good to my eyes. You could use things like Dianella (flax lily), Agapanthus, African iris, low-growing ornamental grasses, bromeliads, ground orchids, non-trunking aloes, dwarf Mexican petunia, crinums, kniphofia, hymenocallis, etc. to achieve that, picking more lush or more arid plants depending on your preference, or a combination of both. Those are some plant types I like. I don't know much about California but I think there is a very large plant palette available in your climate.

[redbeard917]

A bit larger than the plants I just mentioned, but commonly used for a tropical effect is Alpinia zerumbet "variegata". Supposedly there's a dwarf variety, too. And if you want quick and easy color and don't mind planting more shrubby-looking plants, lantana (find the right cultivar) and Madagascar periwinkle bloom throughout the year for me.

[rprimbs]

I would go for the combination that Raymond Jungles pushes.  The purple "creeping jew" groundcover, with a few orange Aechmea blanchetiana bromeliads.  Raymond is known for spectacular tropical gardens and one of his favorites is the purple creeping jew with Aechmea blanchetiana bromeliads, with cycads and palm trees.