Landscaping around a T. fortunei

[Phasmus]

There is a well established windmill palm in the middle of my lawn. I love the tree but the grass comes right up to the trunk, making it difficult to mow. My first inclination is to install a little flower bed around the palm but I don't want to do anything that would harm it. I don't know what the roots would be like in that area or how sensitive they might be to disturbance. Are there some guidelines for how to proceed in a case like this? I would be interested to learn what kinds of bed plants can do well in close proximity or, if planting there is a bad idea, what kind of mulch or other ground cover would best serve the tree. Thanks!

[Manalto]

My understanding is that one of the worst plants that you can have growing up to the trunk of a palm or, for that matter, any tree, is grass. It's a water and nutrient hog. A mulch bed keeps it away from the trunk and allows passage of water and nutrients to the root system, but it can be a little boring. I like to choose a tough perennial or low shrub (or combination of the two) to crowd out weeds. In my yard, dwarf ilex and agapanthus serve that purpose. Others here with more experience can confirm or refute.

Edited April 23, 2020 by Manalto

[mdsonofthesouth]

Personally I like my palms to compete with nothing if I can help it. Also I don't mind the look of bare mulch or rock so long as it's weeded. Sadly I have a bad weed issue in my gardens where I can weed and within a few days to a week they are all back even if I get the root...

[Chester B]

I hate having palms jutting out like a lollipop in the landscape.  I think they look much better integrated into an overall planting scheme.  I see no issues with having other plants nearby and have never noticed slow growth.  As @Manalto has said grass is the enemy!

I use a nice thick layer of mulch in most of my gardens.  Some places I have rock.