What's good around the yard in SC?

I've started a list of possible additions to our new yard this fall based on what my brother's given me (included below), but I thought I'd ask the experts here as well. I've never had much of a yard to plant before, so this is a first for me.

I'm a huge fan of anything tropical, but at this point I need all-things-hardy; stuff that stays in the ground year round - preferably evergreens. I have so many things I have to bring inside this winter already (54 plants total I think, including several palm trees) I need to stick to what can survive in the yard year round. I'd still love to keep the tropical feel if possible year round. Anyone have suggestions what I can plant to keep a lush green look even during the winter? I'm especially interested in shrubs and trees since we just put in a new fence for the backyard.

Thanks as always,
John

Here's the list so far (of things to consider):
Ligustrum (One of my favorites)
Japanese Maple (I love the look of this)
Indian Hawthorn
Compacta Holly
Needlepoint Holly (not crazy about the sharp points)
Carissa (nice, but not crazy about the thorns)
Azalea (my wife loves them, but I grew up around them and sorta find them boring now)
Dwarf Gardenia
Regular Gardenia
Yellow Bell
Butterfly Bush
Leyland Cypress
Crepe Myrtle

Add Thamnocalamus tessellatus to the list. I really like the look of this clumping bamboo and I think it'd be a nice barrier to the low side of our fence. I hate how easily we can see out of the yard in that location, it's just a major dip in the yard. This grows to about 15 feet and since it's really wet in that corner too, I think it'd be an idea candidate for that part of the yard.

Anyone have any experience with it or another clumping bamboo? I'd love to try any type of bamboo that's not a runner. Vivax I love, but I'd hate to try and control it.

hibiscus mutabilis, fatsia japonica, hardy palms (butia, trachycarpus, washingtonia, sabal etc), callistemon citrinus, cordyline australis, aspidistra, acuba japonica, evergreen clematis, tea olive, confederate jasmine, crossvine, loquat, crinum americanum, gingers, lily of the nile, caesalpinia pulcherrima, etc.... many possibilities

Loved some of those diehrd, thanks.

you're welcome.... most of those are evergreen in lexington... gingers, caesalpinia, and hibiscus mutabilis are not evergreen mind you! oh yeah i almost forgot.... oleander if you arent scared of it...

The wife seems cautious of oleander. Which part is poisonous exactly?

What kinds of gingers do you think I could keep outside? I have White (Butterfly) Ginger in the ground, but I always bring in my Kahili, Shampoo, Red, Torch, and Blue Gingers.

One thread I found had someone keeping their monstera in the ground outside (it died back but returned). I'm very hesitant to try that, but I am somewhat curious now. Another said they even got Ti to survive the winter.

everything, but the fruiys cont even appear to be edible.... just woody capsules with fluff. i heard the taste of the leaves is repulsive. it is everywhere here, and were all good with it! white ginger is fine not sure bout the others here the shampoo goes in the ground, and so does alpinia zerumbet, which is evergreen here.
the monstera would be us in beaufort county! ardesia did the ti and the monstera, and i saw some ti around here too... i wouldn't try it up there! philodendron bipinnatifidium (sp?) is usually evergreen here, and if mulched may survive there. also eucalyptus look tropical too. yeah down here we get away w/ a lot! i think i told you about our strelitzias here....
next time i'm home in L-town, we should meet up!

That'd be cool. I still can't believe you guys get away with those White Birds down there. I tell everyone about that and they think I'm lying.

Eventually I'm going to have to start pruning what I take indoors - so maybe that'll be my chance to start experimenting with what'll last in the ground and what won't. I went overboard with the tropicals during spring bc I could sink the pots in the ground - but now I have to stuff them all in the house for the winter. Getting some new stuff planted will hopefully make our yard look "full" and not like it disappeared over night, LOL

lol yeah just send them down here and ill show them both the nicolai and the reginae!

Do you do the seed thing? I have lots seeds including the orange caesalpinia pulcherrima. If whiteflies aren't too vicious where you live you might try some Brugmansia .. dies back in the winter but comes back each spring bigger and better. I have a night blooming cereus cactus that has managed to survive outside with no help for 3 winters now .. still hasn't bloomed yet, so that might be something to consider.

Also consider a Franklin Tree or two or three. Trying to bring those back.

X

I haven't worked with seed a whole lot. In fact, the folks here at DG successfully helped me gather and sow my first Alocasia seed earlier this year. Happy to say I still have four very healthy little Alocasia growing up now. Usually I'm too impatient for seeds, but I've enjoyed watching them grow... especially since I know what they'll turn into.