Need Advice Planning a New Garden!

Hurricane Wilma destroyed a huge Ficus tree in front of our home and the tree removal people were here today and removed that stump plus an old one and all the roots that ran all over the place. My son decided to make a garden but is not exactly a floral gardener and I am a Tomato man so if you can offer some suggestions please do.
So far we would like a fragrant garden and I have seeds of Datura-Downy Thorn Apple, Four O'ClockTea Time Rose, Night Phlox Midnite Candy, Sweet Pea America & Black Knight & King Edward V11.
Awhile back I saw a Brugmansia on a persons lawn and it was in full bloom. It was about 5' tall and 5' wide with magnificently beautiful golden yellow upside down trumpet flowers. It was so beautiful! Now With the trees gone we can possibly put it in the corner by the chain-link fence.

We thought we would use the same set-up as my tomato garden. The bed would be about 3' wide but no earthboxes. Everything would be in-ground. We would frame it the same way.

Another view of the front that faces west and gets a good amount of sun in the afternoon.

This is the deck. The lattice was removed temporarilly so they could cut out the Ficus roots. The lone Banana Plant survived Wilma.

This message was edited Jan 9, 2006 5:51 PM

This message was edited Jan 9, 2006 5:57 PM

This is the corner for the Brugmansia.

Well that's it! What do you think?

I would love to send you a plumeria - they call me 'Hetty Plumieseed' LOL - send me a D-mail!

Tplant, there are people requesting a garden plans and garden tours forum on Dave's Garden. My yard is a blank slate, too, and I am hoping the forum gets going so that I can get comments from others and also admire other people's gorgeous gardens.

This forum is helpful in understanding Florida plants and conditions, but it may also help to get ideas related to garden planning. One of the best tropical gardens I've seen is from bwilliams in Kentucky, of all the places.

How accessible is your corner to the street? Do you have alot of teens in the neighborhood.
You have to be careful with Brugs because they are toxic and a hallucinogen and teenagers are wise to this. That being said, I love Brugs and have several just getting large enough to bloom. Mine are in pots and some will go in the ground this spring.
I was just at my HD yesterday and they had 3 large ones full of buds and blooms for $50 each.
Jan...

I wouldn't plant anything poisonous or toxic if you have small children around. Daturas and Brugmansias are poisonous like Jan explained in her post. I see some children's playground in the background of your first picture that's why I would be concerned with planting those 2 mentioned above. Also Night Blooming Jasmine is poisonous too. I would consider an Orange Jasmine instead. You can train it to grow as a small tree, it grows to about 12'. The flowers smell like orange blossoms, very fragrant. It also didn't get bother at all by the high winds of Wilma. All my brugmansias fell last year and this one. You may also try Lady of the Night (Brunfelsia americana) it is highly fragrant at night. Do you have any shade? If you do you can plant a Corn Plant Massangeana, it's highly fragrant and it won't take a lot of space.
Val

Since it is a relatively small front and side yard, I would intermingle tropicals (Banana, canna, etc.) with butterfly attractors. That way you can have shade and wildlife at the same time.

Our home is situated in a secluded area of an elementary school completely fenced in by a chain link fence that is not accesible to anyone but us. Also we are the guardians of the school thus our privileges and our privacy. People do not come on our property and the school gate for auto pick-up area is open for only one hour to pick-up their children and that's it.We have the keys for all. There are no teens and when the gates are closed anyone caught inside can be arrested for trespassing. We do not have any problems.It is a very unique situation. Oh yes, my son is a police officer for our town and we all live here with my DL and my 3yr old grandson who can not get into that part of the garden.

Our mobile home is not the normal mobile home but quite large with four bedrooms and a study and is now out in the open because all the trees are gone so we face all four ways freely.

In that case, I see no problem with the brug. In your situation, you may not want to go too tall
on the school side so your view of the school grounds is not blocked.

Brugmansia and Datura are no more poisonous than many other garden plants.For instance,Oleander is deadly.Tomato,potato and eggplant are poisonous except for the fruit.Point being,enjoy your plants and if you are going to give Brugs and Datura a bad rep then name at least 100 or so of the others as well.

This message was edited Jan 11, 2006 6:16 AM

The fact that teens are using them much as those in the 60's did with mushrooms as hallucinogens makes where you plant them a consideration. Otherwise, you need only take the same care as you do with other toxic plants.