What should I plan in this strip?

[KDubU]

 

13 hours ago, Palmfarmer said:

_{Chamaedorea plumosa, Radicalis and perhaps microspadix for palms. Snake plants, Dyckia, some smaller cactuses, Pineapples could look cool.} 

Is microspadix sun tolerant? I planted one so far on my property but in a location that gets a little morning sun only. I like the idea though.

[Looking Glass]

On 8/9/2021 at 9:01 PM, idesign123 said:

NOT saying this is the best solution, but here are photos of my three thinnest "strip" areas for possible ideas...

This one is only 12" wide and I opted for snake plant + a few small bromeliads. This area gets part day sun, and the snake plant has been really low maintenance. Works well for my needs.

This area is 24" wide, and most of the year just has Cham. Costaricana (high level), Purple Ti's (mid level) and Fireball Bromeliads (low level). Part of the year it also gets some canna as "bonus plants", which I cut out when not in season.

This area is also 24" wide. This area currently features canna only (breaking my "bonus plant" rule), so I'm going to need to cull them after they flop and replace with something else when that happens (probably bromeliads). Looks great for now though.

If your strip was a little wider you could consider putting chamaedorea there,  but it looks pretty tight. I do like the Cordyline ‘New Guinea Fan’ suggestion... just make sure it can handle that much sun. Here's a photo of mine for reference (also goes by the name "Singapore Twist" or "Showgirl")...

 

If all else fails, add bromeliads™ (j/k)

You really do design.  Those spots look good.  Now I find myself looking at horsetail for my planter box.  

[96720]

I agree no horsetail. You might try Pedilanthus macrocarpus instead looks similar but it is a Euphorbia so any cuts and it bleeds a milky sap.

[iDesign]

1 hour ago, Looking Glass said:

You really do design.  Those spots look good.  Now I find myself looking at horsetail for my planter box.  

Thanks! I'm a graphic designer by profession, and am having a blast using plants as my medium. Of course, my other mediums don't DIE if I make a bad call, so I've been scrambling to learn as much as I can this past year. I'm still a newbie to palms... but have been doing tropical plants a while.

As for the "H" word, @DoomsDave wasn't joking about the invasiveness factor. Think bamboo level of invasiveness (or worse). A couple years ago I had a gorgeous display of them in a cement box that I buried in the dirt,  and it looked perfect for quite a while (especially since I kept it nicely trimmed). The cement box helped tremendously with the invasiveness issue.. but a few seeds did still manage to get out (through the top of the box), so when I redesigned the area my beloved horsetail grouping was removed (for now at least).

My updated recommendation (based on that experience) is that you would want to put them in a cement planter that is FAR from any other living thing or patch of dirt (i.e., "H" would need to be in a cement box, on top of cement or similar non-living surface). If you want to be EXTRA careful, the box would be indoors. THEN you'd be golden. But yeah, you need to be super careful with that stuff!

* All that said, I'm likely going to try again with these in a different area when I get around to that section.  But they will be n a cement box... on a cement surface)  I'm pretty sure I can control it, but most people should just stay far away from the stuff... and never put it in the ground directly, or mix it with other plants in a community planter. It will take over the yard if you let it.

Edited August 13, 2021 by idesign123

[Tom in Tucson]

On 8/11/2021 at 10:44 AM, DoomsDave said:

I like Bauhinia galpinii because: (a) it loves the heat; (b) if it gets too cold, it recovers fast once established; (c) can make a nice espalier; (d) while it's fast growing, it doesn't go totally wild like bougainvilleas do; and (e) while it has little spines, it's not spiky and nasty like bougainvilleas.

They are, however, hard to find in nurseries.

Other possibilities include Calliandras, and even heat-loving fruit trees.

When I lived in a condo in La Jolla we had a small planting area in the front and a fairly large back yard (a '70s model which featured such a luxury you don't see much of today). My next door neighbor planted a Calliandra haematocephla or a hybrid along his south facing entryway which looked great whether or not it was blooming. He trained it to cover that wall and it was only about a ft. deep, 12' wide and 8' high.

My 2 cents worth of advice.

Hi 94˚, Lo 70˚ morning showers

Edited August 13, 2021 by Tom in Tucson

[NorCalWill]

Just saying…

(Canna ‘Cleopatra’)