Help with small SW Florida back yard Zone 10 tropical

I have a small back yard in Southwest Florida, zone 10. Our pool cage consumes most of the yard, but we have about 14' by 60' beyond it. Viburnum and fackahatchee grass run the length of the back border. I have 2 palms in each of the corners next to the pool cage with jasmine vine covering the trunks. I have orchids hanging from a chain between two of the palms. I have some bromeliads & "dutchlady" gave me a few plumerias! I am looking for a very tropical feeling. Next week with the help of my father I am adding a small 7x7 brick patio as well as two beds in the back corners in front of the fackahatchee grass. I am patient enough to let the plants mature, but I just have a hard time visualizing what it will look like. I just want a little oasis in the middle of my 2 year old neighborhood! To compound things I have a swingset to work around. Does anyone have ideas or photos of their own yards to help?

There's another subscriber from Florida named KatG who has a really gorgeous yard and I know she's posted pics of it in some of the other forums, so you might look for some of the threads she's started. In one of them I remember she posted a link to a whole bunch of pics of her yard and I definitely think you could find some inspiration there. I'm pretty sure she's posted in both the Garden Design and Outdoor living forums so that would be a good place to start.

Well you and your dad are going to be busy for a good while eh, good for you, I live in UK
but visit Florida regularly and just love the climate, especially in spring before the intense heat starts, but hey, any heat and sunshine is a treat for me right now. So glad you said you had patience, as from many years if gardening, it is the one thing you need to end up with the garden of your dreams, that is if it ever reaches that stage eh.
I would suggest you go look around your neighbourhood to see all the wonderful things that you grow in your area, there are lots of really keen gardeners there, also go to your local library and book store to search for books on landscaping and plants, they have wonderful pictures of all the plants matured and show them side by side within a planting scheme to give you ideas of what you can achieve in a season, plants and patios are expensive, so that way will save you some silly mistakes that all us gardeners do when we start out, but they can also put you off if you have to undo a lot of hard work after a few years because they are too close to the property for the size of roots, or the need shade, or they just dont grow well in your climate, so this is the time to do your homework as well as design your plot/yard, you dont have to do it all at once either, do a bed, then enjoy it, then after some thought, do another one, you are best spending time preparing the soil and getting it manured/compost etc to help hold some moisture, than spend on plants and watch them die on you just because you were a bit too hasty. I wish you well as your going about it the right way, but hope you can be as patient as you feel you are, Rome was never built in a day you know is an old saying, well it's true for gardens as well
Good luck. WeeNel.

Thanks to both of you. I just spent 20 minutes checking out KatG's yard. How fortunate she is!

I think you have a very beautiful yard (oasis) already. You are fortunate to live in Florida where all the plants I really love grow so well. If I lived in your area, I would include some oleander and jasmine (tree form) for color and fragrance. Aside from that, any plants with large leaves (cannas, bananas, croton, etc.) always look very tropical to me. Lastly, Ixora has nice firm shiny leaves and flowers in gorgeous colors that seen to stay in heavy bloom almost constantly. As I stated before, you could do little or nothing and have a tropical paradise. Lucky you!!!!

terichris, have a look at http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/371/ I have seed if you want for postage or trade. Gene

Wow, so far you've done a BEAUTIFUL job, and in TWO YEARS to boot! I am impressed. I don't think you should consider the swingset an eyesore or handicap at all.

Terichris,
Last time I sugessted King Palm (Archontrophoenix) and Giant Bird of Paradise.
Here's a REAL winner-Clump about 2 or 3 Kentia palms together (if you don't have one already). They look great!-

Thank you LAPalms. I don't know King Palms but I like the look. I have a white Bird of Paradise that is about 7 feet tall & is actually 3 plants now. Does anyone know if it can be moved & separated okay? It was planted next to my pool cage & needs to be moved now. It will be great in the corner of my yard.

I have added two beds. Here is one photo. All is doing well except one elephant ear. It is in shock. I (a lawnman) transplanted a white bird of paradise today to the middle of this bed. It looks like some of the other items will be out of proportion now. I will have to move them around again. Mandavilla vine is planted in the back on the trellis, varigated ginger, lots of bromeliads, purple queen, jatropha.....Can't wait to see it all in a year!

a healthy new elephant ear....

Cant believe your in Naples, I am due to visit there next month, March, will be on Sanibel for 1 week then in Naples for another 2 weeks, last time we were on Sanibel, we had to leave because of the red tide, it was unbearable, but Naples is my most favorite place in Florida, you lucky person. Last year we did an evening walk down to the village and walked along the Marina, we admired some of the most wonderful plantings all along the walks, the most fascinating was a huge tall white flower, (a Bulb I think) but it just stood out like a light in the dark and it had lots of moths and night feeding insects on it for the pollen, Ginger plants in every flower colour and size, beautiful flowering shrubs and ornamental trees too, so go walk about to see what grows in your area, also the Edison Gardens were a treat, to see all the plants that flower/grow in your zone, I will try find the plant list I came home with and get back to you. good luck. WeeNel.

No red tide now. It has been so nice. We have had a drought, but actually got an inch of ran a few days ago. Enjoy your stay. We vacation in Sanibel also. It is close enough that my husband can run back to work yet we still feel like we are away somewhere!
My garden is filling in. Thank you! Have a great trip across the pond.

Here's an "AFTER" picture. I am still working on it, but it has come a long way.

Another.

And another

Last one.

Teri,
Looking good, baby!!
The Giant Bird of Paradise, in my experience is one of thoes "ripper outers" that transplant so easily, it's amazing! One tome I pulled one out (virtually Ripped out) in SoCal, wheel barreled it, naked roots and all, about 7 blocks, stuck it in a hole, where it remains to this day. They don't look good with one trunk, let it priduce about 3, it will grow about 25 to 30 ft with a small imprint from the skinny trunks. A plant that cant be beat!!! This one was let to grow, and is MAGNIFICO!!! If you desire a more compact, EASY, just cut off the new trunks, piece of cake! A TRUE FLORA CHAMPION for zones 10 and 11, HATES below 35F. A champion in the 10-11 sections of SoCal, S, TX. S. Florida, esp the Keys, and Hawaii, below 3000'. I challenge anyone to drive 2 miles without spoting these beauties in Coastal SoCal!

Great picture. Love it. thank you. It has all changed so much since these pictures even. Thank goodness for the rain!