Beginner Gardening: Awkward S FL patio garden site, 2 by macromary

macromary wrote:
My boyfriend wants to landscape his side yard patio garden and has asked for my help. I love to garden but I've never planted a project from scratch before, so I'm feeling a bit intimidated by the task.

The site is compact and has a huge storm grate to try to disguise.

I photoshopped the planting plan to try to help him visualize it. I figure that crotons and green island fiscus are fairly bullet proof and low maintenance. The small accent tree in the center of each bed is included to add height and interest - but I'm open to alternative suggestions other than Tibouchina. I chose that tree because it can be kept pruned to 10'-12'.

Also open to ideas on ground cover around the base of the tree. I suggested wart ferns for texture, but I'm sure there's a better option.

The main goal is to find plants that will be low maintenance and not overwhelm the area when they reach maturity.

Any feedback or suggestions much appreciated.