Hey, your doodles are neat. :-)

I have a section where I use pea gravel instead of mulch. I probably didn't use enough initially so I had to add some the following year. The thing is, if you start to dig to add new plants, move something, etc. it all gets buried the same as regular mulch. But if you're pretty sure you won't be doing a lot of digging, it does stay nice longer. You have to expect to add some over the years though. Also - once it is there, it's almost impossible to ever get rid of. The woman who owned my house before me used gravel (not a nice variety) and I am still digging it out three years later.

Thanks for your note about gravel. I went out this weekend and went a little crazy. So far, this is what we've got - I counted, I planted about 21 plants last weekend (that's not including the multiple transplants of canna from my neighbor's yard!)! We went with yucca cane on the right corner, agapanthus, aztec grass, society garlic, flax lily, golden dew and canna - but many many of each. Flax lily, golden dew and canna are all in the back, not very visable in this pic. Most of the grasses aren't supposed to fill more than 2x2ft, so in a year or 2, I think it'll look full enough to be tropical, but not too full.

Last addition to come soon will be a Mandevilla (Dipladenia) 'Sun Parasol Crimson' aka Red Riding Hood that I'm going to try to train to climb the small part of the fence shown at the left, it's about 6ft high and 3 ft wide before the swing gate.

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I would have suggested some tropical-looking Aloes or other very sculptural plants. The phoenix already have an airy look so instead of adding more airy plants I would have added some plants with more defined shapes. The yucca could get very large (but it depends on what variety it is).

Try looking for Aloe Vaenbelenii, Aloe Alooides, Aloe Excelsa, Aloe Arborescens, Aloe Thraskii, manfreda species (macho mocha is a nice purple variety), Beschorneria Yuccoides, Aloe Striata, Agave Vilmoriniana, agave bracetosa, agave attenuata (many colorful cultivars), agave desmettiana variegata, furcraea species, blechnum gibbum, cordyline australis...

And as far as blooming shrubs go, look for tibouchina species, brunfelsia pauciflora or other brunfelsia species, tecomaria capensis, pachypodium lamereii, clvia miniata, spathiphyllum species. The more colorfull the blooms/foliage, the more tropical it will look. Try to stay away from generic hedge shrubs like boxwood, photina...

Also, it would look nice with a large group of palms, not just two. They might look too lonely. plant them in groups of threes to give your yard a really full look.

just my two cents.

Nice doodlez. For Larger palms see if you can get your hands on a reclinata or 2. They're a lot of maintenance but super nice. If you use red lava rock you would do well with Aechmia type bromeliads. Look up Bullis Bromeliads.
The red lava rock is the best way to go. I used 19 tractor trailer loads !

Avoid rock on a southside exposure, it retains HEAT badly, to detriment in a southern subtropical climate.

Use a natural mulch like a bark so that soils temps remain cool. Rock will absorb heat, reflect more light in day, and then at night radiates that collected heat back, (just like the brick on your house does). Too high of temps at night is very strenuous on plants (unless they naturally are ultratropicals), usually causinga higher water need (you have sandy soils in FL, way waste water as it is!?!?).

Also, you're in zone 9 central FL--you will still have to worry of some plants recommended by other posters burning or turning to MUSH in a FEbruary frost or freeze every few years.

The "thai" plants you're looking for are cordylines.

Hi Jenni, If you are still on here and possibly looking for another option at this point for underneath your Robellini, try Caladiums. They are fairly shade tolerant and make a nice accent. Take a look at them on this page: http://orlandoplantsandtrees.com/palm-trees/pygmy-date

Here is a link that might be useful: Orlando Plants & Trees