Tropical Zone Gardening: Need ideas for small back yard in SW Florida zone 10, 1 by LApalms

LApalms wrote:
Hi Gang, IslandShari & R JuddHarrison,
We are getting SWEET RAIN! We average 15" a year and our rainy season is measured from July 1 to June 30 since most falls in Dec, Jan and Feb with NO RAIN in summer except with the rare tail end of a hurricane or trop storm. Last rain season had the record low in 100 years of 2.2"!!! Can you imagine 2 inches in 365 days! GUT WRENCHING. Hence the fires in the hills and mountains. This year we already have about 5 so we are ahead. And I've planted my yearly wildflower seeds and palm seeds in the vacant lots and byways so they should be poking out soon.
As far as I know there's only the 2 Bird's, the little one with the classic multi color flower and the giant Dutch Lady got right Stret.Nicoli. About the pic of the giant Bird, I would personally allow 3 or 4 trunks to develop, not just one, too naked looking. Also, in case you don't know, the regular (small) Bird blooms by far best when root bound, do not thin, do not trim leaves unless leaves are dead, feed very little and water very little, give lots of heat and sun, they do NOT crave humidity, that's why they do so well in a dry-summer sub-tropical (mediterrean) climate.
Harrison, I hope I answered your question. I'm no expert but I do have a lot of personal experience with Kings.
Yeah, some plants are just childish like certain orchids (who shall remain nameless) and a tapioca tree I once had. They would actually plug their little green ears during a frank discussion. I seen seen sweet corn exhibit this kind of behavior, but they're not tropical.
-Don (with obviously too much time on my hands)