Remedy for front "garden"?? (help!)

Hello everyone, this is my first post. I live in Miami, with a constant sunny, hot, humid, and sticky weather. :D

No picture of the front available yet. So here is the mental picture:

You are looking at the walk in entrance to house. On each side there are night blooming jasmine shrubs (growing in all directions). To the left corner of entrance I have a huge tree (It closely resembles a persimmon tree, although the flowers are different) which gives shade to the entire "garden" area. Behind the tree there are some random small plants trying to survive. On the right side there is a ficus tree (shapeless) in front of the night jasmine which have now become intertwined. The ficus tree has broken the bottom of the container it is in and has rooted deeply. To the right of the ficus tree there are two palm trees which give an enormous amount of coconuts (best I have ever had) year round. Continuing to the right there are three giant spider lily plants and only one of them flowers. The other two have red leaves, not sure if they are male or another species. All plants to the right side are in the front of the garden, behind them there is an empty space.

Now for the impending question I would like to re-do my garden space to a workable, beautiful garden of flowers, fruits and a few vegetables. I have been thinking of what to do but concerning my wild growing everywhere trees and plants I am not sure of what to kill or cut down. Oh, I also have Devil's Ivy running rampant. It has permanently attached itself to my giant tree (with leaves up to 2 feet wide) and always manages to propagate itself all over the place.

I am a total beginner at gardening, never touched the garden until now. I would appreciate some helpful ideas and knowledge from anyone.

As a starting point I have cleared out most of the useless plants behind the tree, cut down the ivy as much as I could (still lives and grows! I might need a flame thrower for it) and have now made a decent walkway into the home. I planted begonias first, then petunias, and last violas. They are growing healthy and flowering a lot.

Thanks in advance to anyone who replies.
AfricanCamelHumper

This message was edited Feb 5, 2009 11:02 PM

Hopefully, Dale the Gardener will see this...he's definitely the one to advise you on Fla. gardening .

Hilarious screen name by the way !

Thanks Jasper, I moved in about a year ago and now is when I have time to even touch the garden, luckily what ever I plant anywhere thrives.

Thanks again,
Ms. Camel

Wish I could help but living up here in the frozen north won't help you much! LOL Also love the name. Good luck! Hope to hear what you have decided to do. Plus pictures. We love pictures!