Does this look Tropical?

[Moose]

Was told don't plant in the easement between the street and side walk. I'm on a corner lot and just could not resist utilizing all that extra square footage. The aspect is heading southward along the west side of my property. The idea was to create a tropical ambiance for the the neighborhood pedestrians. Lots of palms, lots of color.

[John Case]

Lose the chain link.....

[Pando]

Moose, the city said that for a reason. Check what utilities you have underground in the easement. Having some crotons on it is probably no big deal, but if you have some monster jubs or bizzies sitting there, you could be liable for their removal if access to utilities is blocked, and you could be liable for much more if the those monsters actually caused the damage to any utility lines. The city may also give you a notice for their removal anytime without giving you a reason.

Looks nice though! But, it's also easy for someone to gain access to your property without being noticed.

[Ken Johnson]

That so looks like a 1960's Florida sidewalk picture! Very retro.

[Josh-O]

the only thing missing is the cold drink!

[Moose]

Lose the chain link.....

Love to John but unfortunately its a necessary evil. Contemplated doing concrete pillars with wrought iron but the installers would surely cause way too much damage. Craftsmanship and pride in one's work is a rare commodity here. I'd still have to ugly it up with unsightly no trespassing signs at the gates.

[_Keith]

Looks awesome to me. No problem with the chain link, but if you got money and time, spray paint it green maybe. Depending on local ordinance I would consider Pando's advice, but it does not look like you don't have a problem there. Be sure to be prepared to dig or lose, though, because if the city comes through, that stuff will be gone without a seconds notice to you or anyone else.

All in all, I say Bravo, great job.

[Mandrew968]

Chain link is no longer allowed in my neighborhood-I have never heard of a municipality telling them they must remove a tree! Lol how does the city know who planted what? It's true that planting in the median is a risk, but I take it with certain palms. But if they are in the way, they can remove it themselves.

[WestCoastGal]

I think it looks very tropical. Nice job in that regard. Like your use of color too.

I did like Keith's suggestion of maybe painting the fence green although the cost and future maintenance might make it not worth it. But it would look nice. How tall will the easement planting area get? Is this city code or is "not planting" more of an advisory thing? I could see the city or pedestrians liking it fairly low so as not to create a hidden area from the street for safety's sake.

I've heard of municipalities telling homeowners to remove or bear the expense of removal if the city has to do it. One case last year of a palm that was reaching power lines. Don't think the city goes around looking for infractions but when a problem arises it can be inconvenient for the homeowner to do something about it on short notice.

[Moose]

Firstly - I do not live in a municipality, its unicorporated County. Same rules apply as Ken's place or the Redlands. My area is called Little Gables, 5 blocks wide and 8 blocks deep. Bordered on three sides by Coral Gables and the City of Miami to the north.It was owned by Stadler and was mostly a lime grove. When the City of Coral Gables was incorporated it was to be included but there was a falling out with George Merrick so it never materialized. Back then the City of Miami's borders did not even extend this far west - we are talking the 1920's.

The area I planted is on my property. The deed requires the western easement for FPL (Florida Power & Light). 18 years ago they installed their underground lines there to feed the western edge of Coral Gables. When they did so, additional conduit was installed for future use. They have only used 20% of the conduit and will not need to further expand in my lifetime. The conduit was encased in concrete, so no chance the plant's roots will intrude. The above ground easement for power lines, telephone and cable are across the street.

In Miami, there is a propensity that multiple cars are parked in front of homes. Many times you find dirt - no grass. As a matter of fact, this western easement was dirt and rock when I moved in. SW 8th street is but a few blocks away where certain intimate services are peddled. The dirt track was from this easement being used as an area to perform those services. I convinced them to seek an alternative. Which scenario do you think would be more pleasing to look at ?

[redbeard917]

I lived in a house some time ago that was on a corner lot. I always enjoyed gardening in the median strip. No palms because the power lines were right overhead. And there were other issues. People would actually rip plants out of the ground and take them, like my ornamental peppers (someone also took a palm from the yard, but oddly they cut it just above ground level, so it would not have lived long). But it was great creating a garden path for all the neighborhood to enjoy.

[tjwalters]

Small, non-invasive flowering vines (is there such a thing in the tropical world?) on the chain link fence.

[Pando]

I have never heard of a municipality telling them they must remove a tree! Lol how does the city know who planted what? It's true that planting in the median is a risk, but I take it with certain palms. But if they are in the way, they can remove it themselves.

It largely depends on the city/county/district where you live. If there is a water main in the easement and there is a leak, yes, the city will get rid of the tree, but you will get the bill for its removal if it's in the easement in front of your property if the city didn't plant it and has specifically said not to plant anything. The bill can also include extra damages (water loss, erosion, etc.) caused by the leak due to that tree having been there vs. if it wasn't there.

Also, say a new cable company wants to bring in their cables to the curb using that easement. They will chainsaw that $5000 bizzie in the easement if it's on their way of installing a cable box, and they won't ask your permission. They probably won't and will consult with you first, but they can do that.

What I was saying is that it won't hurt to know what's actually underneath that easement. It just takes a few phone calls to the appropriate agency and they'll tell you.

[Pando]

Edit: Looks like Moose has already done the homework - yay!

[John Case]

Ron,

No need for no trespassing if you had a couple of Bengal Tigers roaming the turf....or perhaps more line, a T. rex!

I like what you have and painting the fence green would hide a lot....

Great job!

JC

[Walter John]

Excellent work, looks the goods.

[Jerry@TreeZoo]

Looks good Mooster. If it were me, I would raise the tree canopy and lower the height of the shrubs and understory to give better sight lines for traffic and to curtail unwanted lurkers.

[Moose]

I have never heard of a municipality telling them they must remove a tree! Lol how does the city know who planted what? It's true that planting in the median is a risk, but I take it with certain palms. But if they are in the way, they can remove it themselves.

It largely depends on the city/county/district where you live. If there is a water main in the easement and there is a leak, yes, the city will get rid of the tree, but you will get the bill for its removal if it's in the easement in front of your property if the city didn't plant it and has specifically said not to plant anything. The bill can also include extra damages (water loss, erosion, etc.) caused by the leak due to that tree having been there vs. if it wasn't there.

Also, say a new cable company wants to bring in their cables to the curb using that easement. They will chainsaw that $5000 bizzie in the easement if it's on their way of installing a cable box, and they won't ask your permission. They probably won't and will consult with you first, but they can do that.

What I was saying is that it won't hurt to know what's actually underneath that easement. It just takes a few phone calls to the appropriate agency and they'll tell you.

We don't have that situation here. After Hurricane Andrew when half the County became a moonscape and the other half was severely pruned and canopies drastically thinned, the politicians became acutely aware of the benefits of plants once the lushness was gone. They even had programs giving away free trees to try and reestablish what once was. The politicians also had to deal with all the parks and public property reestablishing their plants. They became sensitive to the[r value. Then a few years later we had the citrus canker. The state basically came in a cut and stump grinded all our citrus. It got very, very ugly and the local politicians learned how passionate people were about their trees. The County does not get heavy handed about plants, they let the homeowner associations do that.

Regarding easements, the utilities are suppose to remove and replant the same plant when possible. They are not allowed to just rip it out and leave nothing. This is all done on their dime not the homeowner. I'm not saying the do a good job but the plants are replaced.This even includes the County with their water dept, they are held to the same standard. In my easement I planted two native oaks. With natives they are not only required to replace with the same size but they have to pull a permit just to touch them.

Technically if you plant on the easement you need to get permission. This is basically to monitor that you are not planting some monstrous invasive.

California is progressive in so many areas. Seems your politicians and municipalities simply hate plants.

[Palmdude]

Awesome Job Moose! Looking very tropical indeed. How about some confederate jasmine on the fence? Nice lush green and smells great when it blooms trims up nicely too

[Alicehunter2000]

Really like what you've done. Attempting something of the sort here just to get more of a buffer from the street. I disagree with using Jasmine.....that stuff can get out of control quickly. Got to be carefully with any vines unless you like work. The fence painting would help.

[Moose]

Really like what you've done. Attempting something of the sort here just to get more of a buffer from the street. I disagree with using Jasmine.....that stuff can get out of control quickly. Got to be carefully with any vines unless you like work. The fence painting would help.

Thank you David - you got it! Tropical look and a quasi sound buffer/isolation. Walking down a hot side walk then around the corner you enter a cool inviting intimate area. Unfortunately the street that fronts the easement is very well traveled during rush hour. Utilized as a cut through during those times. The traffic does create noise. On the flip side - all that traffic provides warmth during the cold fronts, part of my microclime equation.

215 linear feet of exterior fence to paint - I'll pass. Guess its been part of my garden so long I don't focus on it. I know they make a chain link that is coated, like at tennis courts - perhaps one day.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Sorry Keith and Debbie but I would never use green on chain link since it gives it a plastic look and the green will most definitely detract from the natural plant hues in your attractive garden. Black or bronze paint will give that chain link a little bit of sophistication and set off the natural beauty of your plant material. As a color consultant I always recommend to clients not to use green paint on house trim unless it's a black-green so as not to make the natural greens of the plants appear less green or yellowed.

The crotons look great and they would be easy to remove if needed by the utility companies but I bet that won't happen anytime soon.

[WestCoastGal]

Hope you know I wasn't envisioning golf course or artificial grass color green! LOL. I'm sure everyone who liked the idea of camouflaging the fence with a green color had something similar to the green you were describing in mind. Given this was a wrap yard I had a feeling the work and cost would not be worth it at this point. Definitely something to consider if you get a lot of salt air corroding it and need to replace it.

Redbeard, nice look as well.

[Jim in Los Altos]

Debbie, I didn't want to sound disrespectful and Keith too but I think I may have, sorry. I just wanted to convey that black or bronze will tend to make the fence "disappear" and the natural hues behind it will pop out at you. Green, no matter what shade, would make the fence more prominent. Chain link takes a whole different look when black or bronze. Trust me.

[Pip]

Debbie, I didn't want to sound disrespectful and Keith too but I think I may have, sorry. I just wanted to convey that black or bronze will tend to make the fence "disappear" and the natural hues behind it will pop out at you. Green, no matter what shade, would make the fence more prominent. Chain link takes a whole different look when black or bronze. Trust me.

This is exactly the same advice my lecturer from garden design school gives. Black blends into the shadows created by the plants. To test the theory it is easily demonstrated with a photo of some plants and a piece of black, white, yellow, green and red paper. With a Stanley knife and steal rule cut even strips to create a fence with each piece of paper. Individually place each paper fence on top of the photo and see which colour blends into the background of foilage.

[Alicehunter2000]

Interesting piece of information. ...will tuck it into one of the folds of grey matter for further use.

[Zeeth]

Sorry Keith and Debbie but I would never use green on chain link since it gives it a plastic look and the green will most definitely detract from the natural plant hues in your attractive garden. Black or bronze paint will give that chain link a little bit of sophistication and set off the natural beauty of your plant material. As a color consultant I always recommend to clients not to use green paint on house trim unless it's a black-green so as not to make the natural greens of the plants appear less green or yellowed.

The crotons look great and they would be easy to remove if needed by the utility companies but I bet that won't happen anytime soon.

Thanks for that tidbit of advice!

[hbernstein]

Firstly - I do not live in a municipality, its unicorporated County. Same rules apply as Ken's place or the Redlands. My area is called Little Gables, 5 blocks wide and 8 blocks deep. Bordered on three sides by Coral Gables and the City of Miami to the north.It was owned by Stadler and was mostly a lime grove. When the City of Coral Gables was incorporated it was to be included but there was a falling out with George Merrick so it never materialized. Back then the City of Miami's borders did not even extend this far west - we are talking the 1920's.

The area I planted is on my property. The deed requires the western easement for FPL (Florida Power & Light). 18 years ago they installed their underground lines there to feed the western edge of Coral Gables. When they did so, additional conduit was installed for future use. They have only used 20% of the conduit and will not need to further expand in my lifetime. The conduit was encased in concrete, so no chance the plant's roots will intrude. The above ground easement for power lines, telephone and cable are across the street.

In Miami, there is a propensity that multiple cars are parked in front of homes. Many times you find dirt - no grass. As a matter of fact, this western easement was dirt and rock when I moved in. SW 8th street is but a few blocks away where certain intimate services are peddled. The dirt track was from this easement being used as an area to perform those services. I convinced them to seek an alternative. Which scenario do you think would be more pleasing to look at ?

Moose, I lived just across the street from Little Gables in the early nineties. It stil had a tiny remnant of Old Florida feel to it with an unpaved street and a few empty lots. There was a family of burrowing owls in the open lot near me. I had a spotted skunk that would regularly visit to eat the cat food I set out in the evenings. A house around the corner had the biggest clump of native Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum) I have ever seen growing on a palm.

All of that is long gone: Owls, skunks, empty lots and unpaved streets. Someone either didn't appreciate the orchid, thinking that it was a parasitic plant, and removed it, or (most likely) someone backed their pickup to the tree and sawed the giant orchid off when no one was home. It probably weighed 100+ pounds.

[Pando]

I just wanted to convey that black or bronze will tend to make the fence "disappear" and the natural hues behind it will pop out at you. Green, no matter what shade, would make the fence more prominent. Chain link takes a whole different look when black or bronze. Trust me.

Jim that's an awesome piece of advice. That's exactly why a black wrought-iron fence looks so great in front of lots of vegetation.

[Mandrew968]

Firstly - I do not live in a municipality, its unicorporated County. Same rules apply as Ken's place or the Redlands. My area is called Little Gables, 5 blocks wide and 8 blocks deep. Bordered on three sides by Coral Gables and the City of Miami to the north.It was owned by Stadler and was mostly a lime grove. When the City of Coral Gables was incorporated it was to be included but there was a falling out with George Merrick so it never materialized. Back then the City of Miami's borders did not even extend this far west - we are talking the 1920's.

The area I planted is on my property. The deed requires the western easement for FPL (Florida Power & Light). 18 years ago they installed their underground lines there to feed the western edge of Coral Gables. When they did so, additional conduit was installed for future use. They have only used 20% of the conduit and will not need to further expand in my lifetime. The conduit was encased in concrete, so no chance the plant's roots will intrude. The above ground easement for power lines, telephone and cable are across the street.

In Miami, there is a propensity that multiple cars are parked in front of homes. Many times you find dirt - no grass. As a matter of fact, this western easement was dirt and rock when I moved in. SW 8th street is but a few blocks away where certain intimate services are peddled. The dirt track was from this easement being used as an area to perform those services. I convinced them to seek an alternative. Which scenario do you think would be more pleasing to look at ?

Moose, I lived just across the street from Little Gables in the early nineties. It stil had a tiny remnant of Old Florida feel to it with an unpaved street and a few empty lots. There was a family of burrowing owls in the open lot near me. I had a spotted skunk that would regularly visit to eat the cat food I set out in the evenings. A house around the corner had the biggest clump of native Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum) I have ever seen growing on a palm.

All of that is long gone: Owls, skunks, empty lots and unpaved streets. Someone either didn't appreciate the orchid, thinking that it was a parasitic plant, and removed it, or (most likely) someone backed their pickup to the tree and sawed the giant orchid off when no one was home. It probably weighed 100+ pounds.

Does Moose have a truck...

[doranakandawatta]

Sorry Keith and Debbie but I would never use green on chain link since it gives it a plastic look and the green will most definitely detract from the natural plant hues in your attractive garden. Black or bronze paint will give that chain link a little bit of sophistication and set off the natural beauty of your plant material. As a color consultant I always recommend to clients not to use green paint on house trim unless it's a black-green so as not to make the natural greens of the plants appear less green or yellowed.

The crotons look great and they would be easy to remove if needed by the utility companies but I bet that won't happen anytime soon.

A swiss landscape-designer agrees with JIm

[Moose]

Firstly - I do not live in a municipality, its unicorporated County. Same rules apply as Ken's place or the Redlands. My area is called Little Gables, 5 blocks wide and 8 blocks deep. Bordered on three sides by Coral Gables and the City of Miami to the north.It was owned by Stadler and was mostly a lime grove. When the City of Coral Gables was incorporated it was to be included but there was a falling out with George Merrick so it never materialized. Back then the City of Miami's borders did not even extend this far west - we are talking the 1920's.

The area I planted is on my property. The deed requires the western easement for FPL (Florida Power & Light). 18 years ago they installed their underground lines there to feed the western edge of Coral Gables. When they did so, additional conduit was installed for future use. They have only used 20% of the conduit and will not need to further expand in my lifetime. The conduit was encased in concrete, so no chance the plant's roots will intrude. The above ground easement for power lines, telephone and cable are across the street.

In Miami, there is a propensity that multiple cars are parked in front of homes. Many times you find dirt - no grass. As a matter of fact, this western easement was dirt and rock when I moved in. SW 8th street is but a few blocks away where certain intimate services are peddled. The dirt track was from this easement being used as an area to perform those services. I convinced them to seek an alternative. Which scenario do you think would be more pleasing to look at ?

Moose, I lived just across the street from Little Gables in the early nineties. It stil had a tiny remnant of Old Florida feel to it with an unpaved street and a few empty lots. There was a family of burrowing owls in the open lot near me. I had a spotted skunk that would regularly visit to eat the cat food I set out in the evenings. A house around the corner had the biggest clump of native Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum) I have ever seen growing on a palm.

All of that is long gone: Owls, skunks, empty lots and unpaved streets. Someone either didn't appreciate the orchid, thinking that it was a parasitic plant, and removed it, or (most likely) someone backed their pickup to the tree and sawed the giant orchid off when no one was home. It probably weighed 100+ pounds.

Hey Harvey small world! We lived just 4 blocks west (Coral Gables proper) from here before purchasing our home in Little Gables. So for the past 1/4 century this has been the hood. I'm sure we passed one another in Publix many times.

As far as wildlife, the neighborhood still has it. Foxes, Red Tailed Hawk (eats all the morning doves), opossums, several species of snakes, butterfies and birds. Fortunately the noisy parrots and Macaws have stopped coming around. So loud and you could barely enjoy their color since they would only stay in the tallest of trees. For two years I had an osprey that would bring his fish from the airport lakes and dine in the Dade County Pine on the property.

[Mandrew968]

My dad has a fox that lives under his porch--he feeds him fresh squirrels and the fox leaves fresh scat near the front door; I gather he thinks it's his house! I only hope for more wildlife(except for the squirrels)--we used to have a family of otters, before all the recreational boating ruined that pristine habitat...

[Dan in Vallejo]

Looks phenomenal!

[Moose]

Here is the solitary palm planted in the area, a 6 ft Gaussia princeps

[Moose]

An overall view of the same area from street aspect

[Moose]

Just to the north are a couple of more palms (positioned to the left of the last posted photo) African Oil and Vietchia. Planted over 20 years ago.

[Moose]

Inside the ghastly chain link fence there is a hodgepodge of palms that are difficult to photo unless I go across the street and shoot from their balcony. Here is a Phoenix towering over the "tropical area" that was another of my original palm plantings.

[Moose]

The reverse view of the path seen (looking north) post #1. Does it look like a lush shady tropical oasis ? Its the effect that is being sought.

[Ben in Norcal]

It looks dark and shady...and like you might run into trouble around that corner! I think it's the lighting...