Is it too shady for tibouchina?
I have the kind that has smaller, softer leaves (not sure the variety name) and it's growing in the shade of a large orange tree.

Mine's in a big pot, so it stays shorter and bushier....maybe the size you'd want.

Here's some things listed in a book about color for Florida in the 4' - 6' range:
Angelwing Begonia
Bronze Caricature
Brunsfelsia
Dracaena Reflexa
Icetone Croton
Sanchezia
Shrimp
and of course, Ti Plants look awesome...I like Cameroon

And how about Angel's Trumpet with white caladiums underneath?

I know you'll get lots of cool ideas here and I hope you'll keep us posted on your progress with many pictures!

Happy planting,
Susie

What a lovely area! To me it just calls to have some seats or a bench (or hammock) added in front of the bamboo. Then add a variety of brightly colored flower pots filled with begonias and caladiums arranged around the seats. Maybe with a small water feature in for the sound. Tuck some kind of fragrant plant like white butterfly ginger in there for the sweet scent. I can just picture this peacefull little place to stop and relax!

I love Kara's idea. You can bring in color with hardscapes, and enjoy the location. Even if you don't actually sit there, it would still be inviting and pleasant to look at, AND no pruning, fertilizing, weeding for that spot!

I think a big pile of biochar would look great!...........:)

Hi Shavedmonkey, I like the spot also, very pretty! and I agree with Kara to make a seating area, keep us posted on what you decide to do.

M, that is not too nice,lol.

Silvia

Sorry to all, lame comment. Had a bad, hot, day going yesterday, no excuse. m

M, that is okay, we are still friends.:) I had another marathon today with other lost dog, she didn't have a collar ID so I had to walked the trail with her in my arms and she was heavy! Luckily someone helped me with a cell phone and called to the house to help me. I am exhausted and with all the heat outside, I felt like if I was in a sauna.

Silvia

That's a great spot. I don't know if a 6' plant is going to make an impact against a 40' bamboo. Check out this pic in my yard:

The begonia to the right of the black bamboo is 3' tall and it makes a nice 'filler', but isn't going to stand out. However, begonias grow great under bamboo. I've tried other things such as elephant ears, but they won't grow there - they can't take competion from the bamboos dense feeder root system.

Here's a close up of that spot

I think I'd go for a mass planting of something with color like caladiums or bromeliads, with some sort of hardcaping in the center - a fountain would be lovely. Here's a few more pics from my yard.

Imagine a bromeliad bed like this but with a fountain in its center instead of the oak trunk:

Or a caladium bed with a nice seat instead of where I have a tree fern

Leopard plant (Farfugium japonicum 'Giganteum') is a pretty stunning specimen that likes full shade. It is 4' tall and 6' broad. It's the plant with the leaves that look like lily pads here.

Happy designing!

Hi Angela
It's about time you posted some pics of your stunning yard!

A question about your begonia plants in the bed with the bamboo - do you know the name? The leaves look like the Leopard, but I think those white flowers are on the begonias, right?

The idea of benches and fountains with white or light flowers of the Leopard or begonia is genius. I'd like to do that myself...

Monkey, I'm still hoping you will follow up for us - if it's not too hot to do garden work, like right after the rain in the evening.

Susie

Thank you all for many great ideas. I was leaning to the bench idea until I saw the Tree fern. What size will it get? Is it aggressive or controllable. It is stunning, with beautiful texture. Will the butterfly ginger like the shade? I like Karalynn's idea of sweet fragrances.

This post was edited by shavedmonkey on Mon, Jul 29, 13 at 17:17

Thanks Susie, maybe I should start a thread on my landscape, so as not to hijack this one. But at any rate, I'm pretty sure that the begonia is "Begonia Odorata". I got it as a cutting from wallisadi (so please chime in if this is the wrong id). But whatever the name - it grows great and flowers a lot!

ShavedMonkey, the tree fern needs shade, and requires a lot of moisture. They will eventually grow to be quite tall - as much as 15-20'. They do have a wonderful texture - so lacy and primordial. They are not invasive, and are actually a bit pricey to acquire as they are I think difficult to propagate. But they are a definite showpiece! Your zone isn't listed, but they are borderline in 9b, and do require some protection from frost - so something to consider.

Gingers love shade, and most require at least partial shade. Butterfly ginger is very robust and tolerant of many conditions. Mine grows so well in fact that I need to shovel prune it regularly to keep it in check. It has a powerful fragrance - like Jasmine. So it is best appreciated from around 10' away. Other gingers like this one ('Disney') have a much more subtle fragrance that is nice closer up:

Sun Worshiper, I'd like to ask you about your VERY beautiful bamboo, so if you want to start a thread about your landscape, I'll ask you there... Thanks :o) much x infinity!

Sure - I did start a new thread. Link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sunworshiper's Landscaping

Here's a picture of what my parents orange butterfly ginger look like growing under some live oaks.

Wow - the form of the foliage is so different from mine. Mine is much more upright. And your foliage looks a lot more lush. I wonder how much has to do with location, and how much is variety? How long does the bloom season last? One of the disappointments about my orange one is that the bloom season is relatively short - just a couple weeks, and there usually only one big bloom flush. Spectacular when in bloom, but very brief. Yours doesn't have all the blooms open at once, so I wonder if the bloom time lasts longer?

I think that the amount of direct sun the plants get does affect the size of the leaves. I have the same ginger that was bought from the same nursery planted in nearly full sun and it looks a lot like the ones in your picture. Another reason these are so lush is that there's a sprinkler head right in the center of the clump that's set to go off twice a week. Not sure if mine bloom longer then a few weeks but they've never bloomed all at once. The white's bloom so much longer which is another reason that I like them so much, once my whites start blooming they don't stop until the frost gets them. Here's a picture taken from further back so that you can get a better idea of how much shade they get. The tree branches extend out further then the rock border.

Very interesting! I agree, the whites have a much better bloom season!

I found this tree fern. There were 2 in the whole county. The other was poor. They both were in direct sun and struggling. It was a rescue deal. But I think it will grow into the spot. The bamboo caused the surface to be webbed with roots. I had to cut through those roots. I think the bamboo will sustain that minor shock. I guess the trunk is all root? Thanks for all the ideas.

Good job!

I love that you rescued it and it has a new lease on life.

Susie

I think a big pile of biochar would look great!...........:)

LOL!

However, a big pile of biochar might make that tree fern quickly become more treelike.

Shaved Monkey, it looks great! You probably already know this, but just in case not, Australian tree ferns like lots and lots of water. When left in a pot (which I know yours is not), they do best when left standing in a saucer with about an inch of water.

Carol in Jacksonville

Yes, I will give it lots of water! Thank you for your experiences. I guess this is not a tree but roots? not a trunk? When I watered it the plant looked relieved and for the first time in I don't know, it is out of the direct sun. Besides my well irrigating twice a week if no rain, I hand water all the no rain days. The tree fern is on my route to the coconuts and a few orchids. It will get the water.

I had to cut through a matted web created by the bamboo. I made the hole 6" all around wider. I added pete moss, and compost. Also a gallon of Maxi-crop. A seaweed juice that has a lot of humic acid, a root stimulant. Loved by all plants. I'll try to make it grow.

Tradition, I like terra preta.

I wish you the best of luck with your tree fern, hope it grows quickly and healthy for you. I've always loved the look of big tree ferns and am constantly tempted to add one to the back garden.

Looks great! Yes, tree ferns like a lot of water. The bamboo will be fine, they can take massive disturbances to their feeder roots without any problem. I'd actually be more on the lookout for the tree fern struggling trying to compete against the vigorous bamboo roots. But it looks like you have got it off to an excellent start! Tree ferns aren't true trees, so their trunk is a type of adapted root system - you are right about that. Which means they can absorb nutrients through their trunk too, unlike regular trees. So lucky you can grow coconuts there! I look forward to seeing updates on your tree fern growing.