Colorful NEW Garden in Carlsbad, CA (1st completed area)

[iDesign]

As another Fall begins, I was beating myself up about about still having so many palms in pots (vs in the ground). My original goal was to have everything in the ground by this Spring... but life happened and there are still way too many palms in pots. 🙄

But there is ONE area of the yard that is looking pretty nice!
So I thought I would post a video tour of my 1st completed area of the yard. ❤️

* I'm a graphic designer by profession, so my yard has a crazy amount of COLOR. I also try to have variety in palm form, heights, and leaf types. Basically it's what happens when someone who normally designs with pixels on the computer switches to using plants as their medium. Oh, and you'll see a few bromeliads & other tropical plants (bromeliads were my first love).

Enjoy!

@Josh-O - You mentioned you'd love to see the Mealy Bug & Sambiranensis again sometime. Here's a video. Huge thank you for everyone who sold palms to me (including many palms not shown here).

[Las Palmas Norte]

WOW. That garden section would be quite a bit for most enthusiasts. Well done!

[iDesign]

PALMS IN VIDEO:
- Archontophoenix purpea ("purple king")
- Bentinckia condapanna
- Brahea decumbens
- Caryota obtusa (aka gigas)
- Chamaedorea costaricana
- Chamaedorea ernesti-augustii
- Chamaedorea tepejilote
- Chambeyronia hookeri
- Chambeyronia macrocarpa
- Chambeyronia macrocarpa var flavopicta ("watermelon")
- Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) baronii "black stem"
- Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) baronii? ("mystery")
- Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) blue decipiens ("butt ugly betefaka")
- Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) carlsmithii
- Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) lafazamanga
- Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) lanceolata
- Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) leptocheilos ("teddy bear")
- Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) manajarensis ("mealy bug")
- How forsteriana ("kentia")
- Licuala peltata var. 'sumawongii'
- Licuala ramsayi
- Phoenix sylvestris ("sylvester")
- Ravenea julietiae
- Ravenea sambiranensis
- Rhopalostylis sapida 'Chatham Island' ("shaving brush")

* Apologies for the ridiculous pronunciations in the video.
I read about palms a LOT more than I hear their names mentioned.

[Firepalm]

Your garden looks beautiful and you have a number of excellent palm choices mixed in there.  It will be fun to watch it all fill in as they grow. 

[Chester B]

It looks really great and I love all the bromeliads at the base too.  I wouldn't have known this was a relatively new planting.

[Hilo Jason]

Looks great! 

[realarch]

Great job Stacey, you’ve got a nice collection of just about everything. Man, have you put the work in as well….it shows. 

Tim

[Merlyn]

Great video tour!  I love the setup and staggered mix of heights and leaf styles.  I wonder if you can grow other Arenga and Wallichia out there.  Something like Wallichia Oblongata/Densiflora or Arenga Hookeriana & Caudata could be a really neat "shrubbery" type palm to mix in there.  That and Allagoptera Arenaria could be a cool variation.  I wish I could grow all the bromeliads here, but the mosquitoes are crazy around here and I had to dump most of them.

[shepcs]

Great garden and looks fantastic!  Love tours like this.   I also have a r. sam like yours.

What about getting a Houailou?

[iDesign]

7 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Great video tour!  I love the setup and staggered mix of heights and leaf styles.  I wonder if you can grow other Arenga and Wallichia out there.  Something like Wallichia Oblongata/Densiflora or Arenga Hookeriana & Caudata could be a really neat "shrubbery" type palm to mix in there.  That and Allagoptera Arenaria could be a cool variation.

I'm not familiar with any of those, but I do have a small Dypsis marojejyi ("Mad Fox") growing. Long shot on that one though. I do have some more "bushy" additions going into other areas of the yard... mostly rare tropical hibiscus that I'm growing up. 🌺

7 hours ago, Merlyn said:

I wish I could grow all the bromeliads here, but the mosquitoes are crazy around here and I had to dump most of them.

I send my daughter out to put "Mosquito Bits" if I ever see mosquito activity (takes less time than you'd think)... and that seems to do the trick here.  I've heard it's a bigger issue in Florida, which is sad since Florida is also awesome for bromeliad growing (I buy many of my broms from there).  Dang mosquitos. 🦟

One FL plant I haven't had luck with out here is crotons. I keep ordering the exotic types, but only the common Petra & Mammy seem to survive for me (crotons hate our cold nights). If you know any other cold-tolerant crotons I'm all ears... because my yard needs more color. 🤣

[iDesign]

5 hours ago, shepcs said:

Great garden and looks fantastic!  Love tours like this.   I also have a r. sam like yours.

What about getting a Houailou?

Yep, got one a Houailou too! Was going to put it in my most prominent spot in the yard, but it was too sunny for it... so I need to find a different spot. But I'll definitely be putting it somewhere prominent! 🥰

That's cool that you have a Sambiranensis - that one doesn't have as reliable of a track record as the julietiae, but I'm very happy with mine so far (and it's been in that spot a couple years now, so seems to be thriving for me). 🤞

[shepcs]

From the gardens I’ve seen in person (neoflora and DoomsDave) the Houiliou always is a show stopper.  Here’s my r. Sam.  I have a mealy bug next to it but I’m too chicken to take the shade cover off for another month.

Your garden has inspired me to go get more bromeliads.

[flplantguy]

I live in more north florida and even in the freeze free spots the really cool crotons are uncommon.  I think they are a bit of a zone push even here without a freeze.  If i could pick a spot in the lower 48 to get a house it would be Coronado, that area is amazing. Here summer is a killer and we lose 4 months to that (among other things) and then the freeze risk comes. And the H word.  However, i did not care for the earthquakes there (as a kid i was there for 89). The people were mostly nicer than florida for the most part too from what i remember.  Maybe with climate change the tiny bit of extra warmth you are missing will happen and that area will grow all the amazing stuff, but that wind off the beach is cold enough i bet it wont ever be very hot outside the crazy september and october hot days.  I miss that place and i love your style!

[Billy]

Stacey, you really nailed it with the species selection. All the companion plants tie it all together really nicely. Thanks for sharing!

[iDesign]

1 hour ago, shepcs said:

From the gardens I’ve seen in person (neoflora and DoomsDave) the Houiliou always is a show stopper.  Here’s my r. Sam.  I have a mealy bug next to it but I’m too chicken to take the shade cover off for another month.

Your garden has inspired me to go get more bromeliads.

Nice!! I see we have similar tastes... I have a Ficus dammaropsis as well (sadly still in a pot). 

And yes, I recommend adding some bromeliads. Not as many as mine... even just a couple red/burgundy ones would really make this area pop. Either way it's looking awesome, with great contrasts in plant height & form. Love it.  🥰

[rizla023]

Very inspiring! Thank you so much for sharing and you have a knack for describing your beautiful oasis.

[Hilo Jason]

17 hours ago, iDesign said:

Yep, got one a Houailou too! Was going to put it in my most prominent spot in the yard, but it was too sunny for it... so I need to find a different spot. But I'll definitely be putting it somewhere prominent! 🥰

That's cool that you have a Sambiranensis - that one doesn't have as reliable of a track record as the julietiae, but I'm very happy with mine so far (and it's been in that spot a couple years now, so seems to be thriving for me). 🤞

I’m wondering if the sunny spot could actually be a good idea for your Houailou?  I would think the extra sun would make it grow faster and more robust?  BS Man’s is in sun I believe in Oceanside.  I wonder if others could comment. I grew Macrocarpa and Hookeri in almost full sun in Fallbrook for years. 
 

I know my climate now is very different but I have 2 Houailou in full blazing sun here and they are loving it. 
 

I would think your sun in Coastal Carlsbad would be ok. But others here from that area (Tracy?) could chime in with better info. 

[mnorell]

14 hours ago, iDesign said:

One FL plant I haven't had luck with out here is crotons. I keep ordering the exotic types, but only the common Petra & Mammy seem to survive for me (crotons hate our cold nights). If you know any other cold-tolerant crotons I'm all ears... because my yard needs more color. 🤣

Stacey, your garden is looking quite nice indeed and you've got some really impressive specimens on the way. I love those unusual Ravenea and that Chrysalidocarpus sp. 'Lafazamanga' as a C. lutescens alternative. It certainly looks much better than most C. lutescens I've seen in coastal SoCal.

On the subject of Crotons, if you aesthetically can tolerate green-and-yellow types ( no red at all), you might try 'Mortii.' I discovered that cultivar while living in the Florida Keys where the problem for me was not cold, but the Key Deer. They will mow down any croton they can get their mouths on. I had General Paget, another green-yellow type with beautiful broad leaves, but it is very, very slow-growing, and the deer eventually made their way through protective caging. But a friend who had a hotel in Key West had a tall, tree-like type by their pool that I saw as potentially being far above the necks of those varmint ungulates...that was 'Mortii'...and so I tried it. It grew quickly and strongly upward and only Irma's sustained saltwater wrath killed it (and every other Croton on our island that got a dunking).

My own theory for success where you are on the SoCal coast would be to look for the fast-growing types, since they might be fast enough to regain a good appearance quickly in the early summer so you can enjoy them more in the context of your overall landscape. Of course the winter hardiness issue (and whether they would sulk through the cool, cloudy spring) has to be examined, but my 'Mortii' has been growing here in the ground for three or four years, and though it is only now starting to make strides upward, it has never suffered from our cold winter nights (probably in general 7-10 degrees colder than you during Dec-Jan). I have a few other types that have done well here (and I concur on the Norma/Petra strength, once the plants are acclimated to the local climate) and I know one in particular that hates the cold, and that's 'Ram's Horn.' I've tried it thrice...and lost it thrice. 'General Marshall' and 'Baron LeCompte' (in containers still) and 'Veitchii' (in the ground with a NE exposure) have also survived here at my garden in the Palm Springs area and look to be fairly healthy types in this climate. As far as Big Box Store types go, aside from 'Norma'/'Petra' I have a somewhat narrow-leaf "banana" type that has thrived in a pot and grown somewhat quickly, about to go in the ground. You can find some good exotic types via mail-order from Tom Piergrossi on the Big Island, some Etsy/eBay vendors, or possibly from Peters Croton Nursery in SoFla.

I once posed the question of fast growth to Jeff Searle (he knows a lot about crotons, and his dad was a genuine old-time authority on them), and he showed me the one he thought was the fastest in SoFla, called 'Purity.' I don't care for the coloration of that type, but it might strike you more positively and warrant a trial. Jeff has also given the following as the fastest types in his experience:

-        Diane
Stoplight
Thanksgiving
Charles Rutherford
Davis #7
Andreanum
Nestor
Buddy

I can't personally attest to the following, but some others that I have listed in my notes from the croton section of Palmpedia and other sources that are generally noted as fast growers:

Peace
Robert Lavalois
Antilla
Golden Glow
Yellow Excurrens
 

[iDesign]

1 hour ago, Hilo Jason said:

I’m wondering if the sunny spot could actually be a good idea for your Houailou?...

Gosh I'd really love to try my Houailou again there, if you think it could possibly work. It's my most prominent spot in the yard, and I always pictured my beautiful Houailou in that spot.

Here's a photo of what it looked like in my preferred spot...

* Drainage in this location is bad, but I read that Chambey's like water, so was hopeful (as long as I over-dug and transitioned out into the native clay, and mounded it a bit.

The problem was that after 3 weeks (mid-June through early-July), it started to develop scary-looking burns on the trunk, like this...

The leaves also looked pretty dry, but I was most concerned about the mark on the trunk, as I didn't want to do any permanent damage. So I got scared and moved it to a *slightly* less sunny spot to recover. Here's how it's looking today, after a hot summer in a slightly less sunny spot...

There are definitely burns on the side of the fronds facing the sun. But could it possibly acclimate? I don't honestly care about frond cosmetics... just don't want to do any cosmetic damage to the trunk.

----

CURRENT STATUS:

Currently I'm testing out my Decipiens/Onilahensis hybrid in that spot... but I've concluded I don't like it there - I preferred the single trunk look of the Houailou. As for how the hybrid did - it suffered some minor leaf damage on the sunny side, but no trunk damage (though mostly because the leaves shaded the trunk).

Here's a post-summer photo of the hybrid for comparison...

Thoughts? I'm honestly hoping you'll tell me to put the Houailou back, since it looked better than the hybrid in that location. I just don't want to do any permanent damage to the trunk. 😐

[iDesign]

1 hour ago, mnorell said:

On the subject of Crotons...

Thanks so much for the croton recommendations!

I've actually purchased several crotons from Tom Piergrossi. They were gorgeous... until I murdered them. "Batik" was a particular favorite of mine, and I had high hopes for "Macarthur Complex", "General Marshall", and a couple more I forgot. Our cooler winter nights killed 'em all. I do have a "Zanzibar" that has been in a suspended zombie-like state for many years (looking nothing like the photos). Exotic crotons hate me... I even brought them in one winter to try to save them... and they dropped their leaves out of sheer spite. 👻

I would like to try "Stoplight" again, since Len (not far from me) has apparently had success with it. I'd also like to try some of the others on your list. I have to admit that "General Paget" is the one that was a jaw-dropper online. Of course I pick the slow-growing finicky one from your list. 🙄
I'll take a closer look at the recommended ones. Lots of great choices!

To date, just the "common" varieties have thrived for me (guess that's why they're common, lol). Oh, I did have success with "Magnificent" this winter though! (forgot about that one). Here are the three that have worked for me, and a sample of what the expensive ones all end up looking like...
* I accidentally called my "Oak Leaf" one "Petra" earlier (got mixed up).

 

[mnorell]

3 hours ago, iDesign said:

Thanks so much for the croton recommendations!

I've actually purchased several crotons from Tom Piergrossi. They were gorgeous... until I murdered them. "Batik" was a particular favorite of mine, and I had high hopes for "Macarthur Complex", "General Marshall", and a couple more I forgot. Our cooler winter nights killed 'em all. I do have a "Zanzibar" that has been in a suspended zombie-like state for many years (looking nothing like the photos). Exotic crotons hate me... I even brought them in one winter to try to save them... and they dropped their leaves out of sheer spite. 👻

I would like to try "Stoplight" again, since Len (not far from me) has apparently had success with it. I'd also like to try some of the others on your list. I have to admit that "General Paget" is the one that was a jaw-dropper online. Of course I pick the slow-growing finicky one from your list. 🙄
I'll take a closer look at the recommended ones. Lots of great choices!

To date, just the "common" varieties have thrived for me (guess that's why they're common, lol). Oh, I did have success with "Magnificent" this winter though! (forgot about that one). Here are the three that have worked for me, and a sample of what the expensive ones all end up looking like...
* I accidentally called my "Oak Leaf" one "Petra" earlier (got mixed up).

 

I love your "Everything Else I've Tried" type...I think many of us have that variety!!!

Some "tricks" I might recommend you try...upon receipt of the plants, re-pot them (for their acclimation period) in a slightly larger container (preferably a perforated net-pot/orchid-pot lined and topped with a thin layer of sphagnum, or a non-glazed clay pot) of nothing other than pumice/perlite, sand, LECA and slow-decomp orchid mix and coco-coir chunks (not fines), in dappled sun under broken canopy (but overall south- or west-facing in your area, where the sun will warm the root-zone) for the first year until they produce a few nice flushes in your Carlsbad climate. I have found that getting rid of most organics, and giving the roots access to lots of oxygen, will save many plants that otherwise just rot in the wet chill of SoCal's winter nights.

You can additionally apply a "pot in pot" method by placing the new pot a few inches down into another larger pot of an open, absorptive medium (with or without hydroponic-style wicks to distribute moisture between pots). This can eliminate the perched water table that kills off roots in potted plants, and produce a beautiful bunch of roots down into the lower pot just using the moisture that has redistributed down and out of the upper pot.

Once you're ready to plant them, give them a somewhat raised mound in very coarse rocky/mineral-rich soil (sand/pumice/lava type of composition with minimal chunky organics) topped with black lava-rock where the sun will strike the root-zone in winter; and with your composted organic fines only applied on top of the soil (rather than in it). And greatly reduce or turn off your irrigation system in winter.

Some of these techniques I have learned over the last five years here by direct experimentation and research online, and I have more recently found it quite enlightening to go to the Laguna Hills Nursery YouTube channel ("Gary's Best Gardening") for Gary Matsuoka's Saturday-morning lectures/classes on the soil aspects of Southern California horticulture. Much of his teaching is quite eye-opening when contrasted with what we've been sold on over the past 40-50 years in SoCal horticulture, and may give you a springboard for trying different cultivation techniques with these "troublesome" tropicals. There are some other excellent YouTube channels that have sprung up (starting in the pandemic house-plant craze) for indoor aroid cultivation, with lots of ideas for creating ideal coarse "aroid mixes" and some clever, novel cultivation methods. I have seen a 180-degree turnaround in my success with a variety of plants by incorporating many of these concepts, which I also feel could prove to be a key to success with crotons in California.

Please keep all of us posted on your trials, as I think many of us (especially those of us who have lived in Florida and/or Hawai'i) really miss being able to utilize these wonderfully colorful shrubs in Southern California gardens, and the very challenging, cool coastal "zone 24" corridor is in particular need of some serious study and experimentation with these heat-loving jewels in the landscape.

[MoPalm]

Very beautiful garden. Thanks for sharing. 

[Hilo Jason]

9 hours ago, iDesign said:

Gosh I'd really love to try my Houailou again there, if you think it could possibly work. It's my most prominent spot in the yard, and I always pictured my beautiful Houailou in that spot.

Here's a photo of what it looked like in my preferred spot...

* Drainage in this location is bad, but I read that Chambey's like water, so was hopeful (as long as I over-dug and transitioned out into the native clay, and mounded it a bit.

The problem was that after 3 weeks (mid-June through early-July), it started to develop scary-looking burns on the trunk, like this...

The leaves also looked pretty dry, but I was most concerned about the mark on the trunk, as I didn't want to do any permanent damage. So I got scared and moved it to a *slightly* less sunny spot to recover. Here's how it's looking today, after a hot summer in a slightly less sunny spot...

There are definitely burns on the side of the fronds facing the sun. But could it possibly acclimate? I don't honestly care about frond cosmetics... just don't want to do any cosmetic damage to the trunk.

----

CURRENT STATUS:

Currently I'm testing out my Decipiens/Onilahensis hybrid in that spot... but I've concluded I don't like it there - I preferred the single trunk look of the Houailou. As for how the hybrid did - it suffered some minor leaf damage on the sunny side, but no trunk damage (though mostly because the leaves shaded the trunk).

Here's a post-summer photo of the hybrid for comparison...

Thoughts? I'm honestly hoping you'll tell me to put the Houailou back, since it looked better than the hybrid in that location. I just don't want to do any permanent damage to the trunk. 😐

That looks like a really good spot for it!  Much better, in my opinion, than the Decipiens hybrid which if it ends up anything like mine has a bit of a messy look and has clumped quite a bit into 4 palms, so takes considerably more room. You really can’t beat the Houailou, it’s about as elegant as palms get. I was at the Lundkvist garden today here on the Big Island and took this picture of 3 mature Houailou. 

I would check with some of the So Cal growers to get their opinions.  Len, Bill, Tracy, etc….  Some sunburn is ok and I would think it would eventually acclimate.  Maybe put some light shade cloth over it for a little while to help?  I did that a lot in Fallbrook.  Looks a bit funky for awhile but seemed to help the palms not be stress as much. 

 

[Rob123]

Great garden Stacey, you’ve inspired me to look in to broms and adding color to the rest of my planted areas that don’t have any more room for palms.

I agree with Jason that you’ve got to put the Houailou in the full sun spot. I actually think that the more sun the better for those. They will get the harder recurving leafs with all day sun. I have two that were planted as 1 gallons in full sun in Oside that have thrived and were fully acclimated after one round of new leaves (less than two years)

[Dypsisdean]

Thanks for the great video of a great garden. I know the climate there well, and things look great.

[The Gerg]

Looking really good.

[Merlyn]

@iDesign here is my largest Arenga Hookeriana, in the shade of a ~6' tall pygmy date on the left.  The biggest leaf in the center is about 18" long and 10" wide.  It took minor damage at around 26-27F and frost, but was definitely under canopy.  That's a philodendron "xanadu" on the bottom right for a size reference.

[iDesign]

22 hours ago, Merlyn said:

@iDesign here is my largest Arenga Hookeriana, in the shade of a ~6' tall pygmy date on the left.  The biggest leaf in the center is about 18" long and 10" wide.  It took minor damage at around 26-27F and frost, but was definitely under canopy.  That's a philodendron "xanadu" on the bottom right for a size reference.

Dang it! Now you've got me researching Arenga Hookeriana, and it's awesome! Palm people are great at suggesting more palms to add. 🥰

[miamicuse]

On 9/28/2024 at 5:58 PM, mnorell said:

Stacey, your garden is looking quite nice indeed and you've got some really impressive specimens on the way. I love those unusual Ravenea and that Chrysalidocarpus sp. 'Lafazamanga' as a C. lutescens alternative. It certainly looks much better than most C. lutescens I've seen in coastal SoCal.

On the subject of Crotons, if you aesthetically can tolerate green-and-yellow types ( no red at all), you might try 'Mortii.' I discovered that cultivar while living in the Florida Keys where the problem for me was not cold, but the Key Deer. They will mow down any croton they can get their mouths on. I had General Paget, another green-yellow type with beautiful broad leaves, but it is very, very slow-growing, and the deer eventually made their way through protective caging. But a friend who had a hotel in Key West had a tall, tree-like type by their pool that I saw as potentially being far above the necks of those varmint ungulates...that was 'Mortii'...and so I tried it. It grew quickly and strongly upward and only Irma's sustained saltwater wrath killed it (and every other Croton on our island that got a dunking).

My own theory for success where you are on the SoCal coast would be to look for the fast-growing types, since they might be fast enough to regain a good appearance quickly in the early summer so you can enjoy them more in the context of your overall landscape. Of course the winter hardiness issue (and whether they would sulk through the cool, cloudy spring) has to be examined, but my 'Mortii' has been growing here in the ground for three or four years, and though it is only now starting to make strides upward, it has never suffered from our cold winter nights (probably in general 7-10 degrees colder than you during Dec-Jan). I have a few other types that have done well here (and I concur on the Norma/Petra strength, once the plants are acclimated to the local climate) and I know one in particular that hates the cold, and that's 'Ram's Horn.' I've tried it thrice...and lost it thrice. 'General Marshall' and 'Baron LeCompte' (in containers still) and 'Veitchii' (in the ground with a NE exposure) have also survived here at my garden in the Palm Springs area and look to be fairly healthy types in this climate. As far as Big Box Store types go, aside from 'Norma'/'Petra' I have a somewhat narrow-leaf "banana" type that has thrived in a pot and grown somewhat quickly, about to go in the ground. You can find some good exotic types via mail-order from Tom Piergrossi on the Big Island, some Etsy/eBay vendors, or possibly from Peters Croton Nursery in SoFla.

I once posed the question of fast growth to Jeff Searle (he knows a lot about crotons, and his dad was a genuine old-time authority on them), and he showed me the one he thought was the fastest in SoFla, called 'Purity.' I don't care for the coloration of that type, but it might strike you more positively and warrant a trial. Jeff has also given the following as the fastest types in his experience:

-        Diane
Stoplight
Thanksgiving
Charles Rutherford
Davis #7
Andreanum
Nestor
Buddy

 

 

I can't personally attest to the following, but some others that I have listed in my notes from the croton section of Palmpedia and other sources that are generally noted as fast growers:

Peace
Robert Lavalois
Antilla
Golden Glow
Yellow Excurrens
 

I found these fast vs slow list being a quite unreliable in that I believe many factors into the growth speed.

There was a time whenever I bought a new croton I would buy four, and put them under different light conditions (sun, part sun, part shade filtered light, shade) and see which does better and generally at least to me most crotons seems to do pretty good from part sun to full shade, but with variations to their colors where more sun seems to translate to more bleaching in the leaf color.

In my personal experience,  Andreanum, Kentucky, Miami Beauty, Robert Lavalois, Arrowhead grow quite vigorously.  Yet Buddy for me was very slow.  But I have also noticed many of the ones I have planted, being under more sun slows the growth...I have planted say two in sun and two in filtered light, starting at the same size, and two years later, the sun exposed crotons of the same cultivar would be at least 1 foot taller.  I just removed two six foot tall Andreanum last week to put in other crotons as the Andreanum colors are not the most attractive (to me).  I find many online sources of sun/shade on crotons can be misleading because it may be written from the perspective of growing crotons indoors in New England so "full sun" in that context means at a window sill all day exposed to some sun, where full sun in south florida is brutal hot scorching.  It's hard to find crotons that are sun loving, some are sun tolerant.  I have kristie, dreadlocks, cup of gold, rudy backmnn, craigs supreme, pride of winter haven, sybil griffen, columbiana in full sun, but will probably rotate the kristie and dreadlocks out soon.

[Christopher Dillman]

On 9/26/2024 at 11:51 AM, iDesign said:

* I'm a graphic designer by profession, so my yard has a crazy amount of COLOR. I also try to have variety in palm form, heights, and leaf types. Basically it's what happens when someone who normally designs with pixels on the computer switches to using plants as their medium.

@Josh-O - You mentioned you'd love to see the Mealy Bug & Sambiranensis again sometime. Here's a video. Huge thank you for everyone who sold palms to me (including many palms not shown here).

Love this palmscape. And from pixels to palms, as a graphic artist myself I can see the design eye. 👏

Have to ask - is this south facing in your yard (so full sun from morning to eve..)? And what does your watering schedule look like for these exotics.

Also a great reminder with how bromeliads play so nicely as colorful carpeting for a palmscape.

[Kim]

Stacey, you've done an incredible job with these plantings, very aesthetically pleasing to the eye! Good luck with your next developments, I'll be looking forward to seeing them, too.

[Palm Tree Jim]

Incredible work Stacey.

Now you get to plan the next phase over your winter!

[iDesign]

5 hours ago, Christopher Dillman said:

Have to ask - is this south facing in your yard (so full sun from morning to eve..)? And what does your watering schedule look like for these exotics.

Our landscaping actually uses less water than when we moved in years ago! Still not cheap by any stretch (as you know being a fellow CA resident)... but my husband has been trying to dial it in to use as little as possible... while giving the water-hogs as much as they'd like. I have to confess I know little about the watering schedule, though I can ask him if you'd like. I do know he waters more in the summer (maybe 3x per week in heat of summer?).

As for lot layout, here is a Google Satellite view of my full yard. I put a "North" indicator based on what Google Maps pulls up by default (I assume it loads with North as "up" by default, right?). I find it funny that the photo shows a mountain of mulch in my driveway... typical. ⛰️

The area with the red line is what's shown in the video tour.
You can see fronds of the two framing Caryota on either side. This area is relatively shady (hottest spot is the hill).

Trampoline is a temporary resident. Most of the grass in the front yard is being removed, and the back is going to have two grassy areas connected by a grassy pathway. Hill has a waterfall. As you can see, there's a LOT still to do. 😅

 

[DoomsDave]

On 10/2/2024 at 8:55 AM, iDesign said:

Dang it! Now you've got me researching Arenga Hookeriana, and it's awesome! Palm people are great at suggesting more palms to add. 🥰

Try an A hookeriana! At least one garden up in Huntington Beach has one, right near the ocean like you. 
 

(I might get me a couple, too.)

[Lagooncraig]

Omg

 

heavenly paradise “palm island”. Well done and great narration. 
 

thanks for sharing 

 

excited to meet up and learn more 

 

would love to join a gardening club and continue to journey with like minded folks that would place me under their wing 

 

God’s Blessings 

 

craig 

[Lagooncraig]

On 10/3/2024 at 4:36 PM, iDesign said:

Our landscaping actually uses less water than when we moved in years ago! Still not cheap by any stretch (as you know being a fellow CA resident)... but my husband has been trying to dial it in to use as little as possible... while giving the water-hogs as much as they'd like. I have to confess I know little about the watering schedule, though I can ask him if you'd like. I do know he waters more in the summer (maybe 3x per week in heat of summer?).

As for lot layout, here is a Google Satellite view of my full yard. I put a "North" indicator based on what Google Maps pulls up by default (I assume it loads with North as "up" by default, right?). I find it funny that the photo shows a mountain of mulch in my driveway... typical. ⛰️

The area with the red line is what's shown in the video tour.
You can see fronds of the two framing Caryota on either side. This area is relatively shady (hottest spot is the hill).

Trampoline is a temporary resident. Most of the grass in the front yard is being removed, and the back is going to have two grassy areas connected by a grassy pathway. Hill has a waterfall. As you can see, there's a LOT still to do. 😅

 

The mulch pile is classic…

 

can wait to see the northwest corner done

 

that looks like an amazing “canvas” for your graphic arts 

[SeanK]

If you have problems with skeeters (the Louisiana State Bird), two things to know.

1. They breed in still water. If you have a pond, install a circulation pump. 

2. At night, they mostly rest on the ground. When you walk outside, they swarm up. In the evening, cast a granular insecticide out on the lawn and beds. Next morning you should notice a big improvement.

[iDesign]

6 minutes ago, SeanK said:

If you have problems with skeeters (the Louisiana State Bird), two things to know...

Happily, I seem to have the "skeeters" under control. Many years ago I did notice a bunch of baby mosquitos growing up in my old "mother" neoregelia bromeliads, but the "mosquito bits" treatments seem to have nipped that nonsense in the bud.  I'm sure Louisiana, Florida, etc. is a WHOLE other level of skeeter-management!

[iDesign]

1 hour ago, Lagooncraig said:

Would love to join a gardening club and continue to journey with like minded folks that would place me under their wing 

If you like the “tropical” look, this group is your best bet (with friendly, knowledgeable & at times very funny members). I joined a few years ago being an absolute palm novice (knew about bromeliads and tropical plants, but could barely tell a king palm from a queen). And now I have a pretty fun yard coming together, and I’m rattling off scientific names of palms like a champ… all thanks to this group. 💕

My least favorite group is a gardening group specific to San Diego. The “natives only” people in that group attack the people who like attractive plants from elsewhere (even the low water ones)… the “grow your food” people say the only good plants are those you can eat… and they’re all quick to shame anyone who posts a photo of a plant not in their tiny “approved” plant list. Yet these are the same people who take yearly trips to Hawaii, or stay at Tropical themed hotels to feel happy and refreshed. 🙄

The fact that much of SoCal is perfect for growing amazing exotic plants is one of the best kept secrets around. Just irrigate wisely (ideally drip), remove any grass you’re not using… and live a little. 🌴🌺

[RainforestCafe]

I just saw your video of your garden. It looks amazing! I love the rock borders, I use the same border material in my own garden. I like how it creates separation from the yard but is still very "informal". I also love your tight spacing with all the plants and the little path in the back.

 

Question(s): with your bromeliads, did you specifically pick the species based on the color, or just get a bunch of different colors and types and mix them all in together? And are a lot of your bromeliads offspring of other bromeliads that you've acquired? Or are they "first generation" that you've bought?