Here is a pic of the side of my house. A chilli pepper tree is the tallest you see and I would like to keep that, but not sure what to do with all the rest, I think it looks tired and boring, and the impatience will not look good once the heat comes and the rain stops. Any suggestions would be great . Or a good landscape website. I have the other side which is in need of landscaping as well. I live in Costa Rica. Thanks
This message was edited Nov 14, 2010 1:26 PM
Ti Plants!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53151/
They come in a wide variety of colors and may be dwarf, standard, or large.
They're very tough and can handle droughts or floods.
The right side looks a little too crowded. I see you have stepping stones but the plants are growing over them. I would take some plants out and put a landscape timber or something along the house to keep things contained. Then maybe some tall Ti's in the back and something shorter in the front, along with plenty of mulch.
Maybe put all your impatience in a pot together they look prettier in bunches.
I will send a pic of what I just did. I really like a little contrast in color and texture. I planted this in April and in Oct. I had to move one of the Ti's back because it had gotten too tall. The little short feathery plant got really bushy and has pretty red flowers. It was called firecracker.
begonias. odorata, carribean queen, carribean king, poponeii. or even some bromeliads
Thanks all! That is very helpful! I will look for the Ti plants. Much appreciated.
My agenda would include:
- plant vines to cover the chain link portion of the bohio or gazebo roofed enclosure in the back left; eg, mandevilla, allamanda cathartica, jasmine, clitorea, philodendron or passiflora to climb the posts
- plant a bright red tii plant or two beyond the corner of the house, maybe a couple croton, to create a tantalizing focus point --or maybe a nice big alocasia
- plant a mix of dracaena in the "notch" of the house, to soften the grey concrete surface which now dominates visually, and to hide the electric outlet --some corn dracaena for height, some marginata, plain and variegated lower --all of these root so easily, you'll be amazed, just find specimens of desired height, cut, scrape, dust with root hormone, and plug into loosened soil right there, supporting with stakes for a couple months, keeping soil moist, not too wet, but definitely not dry
- prepare the edges of the stone path, plant with zoysia, or arachis pintoi, or a similar low-growing ground cover
- behind the low ground cover, slightly higher plants --many choices here, including bromeliads, others mentioned in previous posts
- raise the stepping stones slightly, an inch or so, with perhaps 1/2 cu ft of sharp sand or stone dust under each one, spread out into the new ground cover area
Longer term, I think you'll find the heliconia on the left are not ideal, since they tend to sprout, grow, bloom, die, leaving a dead clump before they "walk" to sprout in places you may not want --eg, into the path area. They're great, but not perfect for an area that will mostly be viewed up close, from above. Push 'em to the back, where you'll be able to see the foliage and flowers, but not the stalks and base. In their place, over time, plant a mix including medium-height hibiscus, agave, alocasia.
This message was edited Nov 28, 2010 9:42 PM
BTW, I should also have said you have a lot of great plants to work with right there --I like the idea in a previous post to "gang" some of like types in tighter clusters as part of your plan.
This message was edited Nov 28, 2010 9:44 PM
Oh my gosh! such great advice. I know it wasnt for me, but I'm soakin it up! I have to go look up all of these names I'm not familiar with now...
Wow! I agree..this was great info, and im glad you mentioned the heliconias, because ive been at my wits end to figure out what to do with them, they like to "walk" everywhere, and I cant keep up. Iam now looking up these plants to as Im clueless, but thank you thank you thank you!
I had thought the heliconias would just get more densely packed as new shoots came up, but they haven't for me. I'm thinking about how to "fence" them in, underground, since I still hope that they'll ultimately re-sprout up through the degraded older sprouts, if they're forced to do so.
Anyone have any insight on this? Could I dig them their spot, say a full 12 inches down, line it with heavy (eg 60 mil) plastic sheeting (with drainage down) and expect that to block them?
some of mine...
Hi JP,
Folks here grow them in raised beds to make them easy to care for and contain them. When a rhizome tries to grow out of the stand, it is cut off and replanted back in the stand or elsewhere.
I'm sure the plastic barrier would work for awhile, but as the rhizomes begin to push on the plastic, they will eventually break through.
Be sure to dust the stand with manure or other nutrients regularly, so that the plants have plenty of nutrition right where they are.
Also, choose species that don't run so much.
Latispaths tend to run a lot. Bihai and Psittacorum tend to stay where they're put and make a thick stand without running away very far.
Raised bed is a great idea, which I plan to try, thanks.
Your caution on effectiveness of rhizome barrier is wise --these guys are pushing the idea more optimisitcally, but I have not tried it yet: http://www.bamboogarden.com/barrier.htm
I have a number of Psittacorum, and you're right, they are better behaved. My problem with them is I planted a pandanus Baptistii too close, and it has overtaken their place.
The recommendations here are to keep heliconias in pots or tubs. But even so, if not thinned out they will burst pots eventually. I've got lots of Psittacorums, they're very hard to control. Keep coming up in the lawns and everywhere. Rostrata haven't been there as long but they're rampant too.
