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Tropical Landscaping Ideas |
CheekyGirl
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 21, 2003
Posts: 976
From: Like Oh My Gawd..San Fernando Valley
|  Posted: 2003-10-29 6:46 pm Permalink
A friend recently purchased a new home and would like to landscape in a Tropical/Hawaiian/Tiki theme. Her backyard is really huge with an elongated heart-shaped pool with 9 beautiful existing palm trees (3) on each side of the pool.
What plants, palms, trees, shrubs, flowers (flora & fauna) would you suggest for our Southern California climate? What works? What to avoid? What is easy to care for and maintain?
Any suggestions as to informational websites, books, computer landscaping programs. She's a "do-it-yourself" type of person, but vendor, landscaper or contractor information would be a good idea too. Any and all input will be appreciated. Thanks!
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Jungle Trader
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 04, 2003
Posts: 3691
From: Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca.
| Posted: 2003-10-29 7:10 pm Permalink
Cheeky Girl, take a look at my website below this message. I'd be happy to give you and your friend whatever info you need to do-it-yourself.
Unfortunately since I've moved from So. Cal. I have to be careful what I plant up here in the valley as we get frost in the winter and I have to be selective with the palm trees, but I don't think that's a problem in the San Fernando Valley. Is it?
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(Hello all my relatives)
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purple jade
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 19, 2003
Posts: 1450
From: New Orleans
| Posted: 2003-10-29 7:42 pm Permalink
There's no need to fear
Jungletrader's here!
Spade of lightning, antifungal
Plants and trees he will not bungle
Jungletrader...JUNGLETRADER!
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Tiki Diablo
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Jun 24, 2002
Posts: 1888
From: socal
| Posted: 2003-10-29 9:40 pm Permalink
Cheeky. pm me the name and ph# of your friend. I'll have someone call them. I got somebody to help too. Top notch .
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tikitony
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Aug 18, 2002
Posts: 851
From: Ventura, CA
| Posted: 2003-10-30 12:07 am Permalink
i know a guy, who knows a guy...
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 Live like a Beachcomber! www.TikiTony.com www.facebook.com/tikitonybeachcomber
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laney
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 20, 2002
Posts: 631
From: orange county CA
| Posted: 2003-10-30 04:15 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2003-10-29 21:40, thechikitiki wrote:
Cheeky. pm me the name and ph# of your friend. I'll have someone call them. I got somebody to help too. Top notch .
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Hey Chiki, you never got back to me as to if your friend can get fair prices on cycads. I'm really looking for Cycas circinalis and any variety of Encephalartos. Any info would be appreciated! Thanks
Oh and, Wow a heart shapped pool! Sweet!
Cheeky, if your friend is interested in palms or cycads, I can send some links to excelent info websites. It's a hobby that can be very pricy. If not, I always suggest giant bird of paradise. They grow very fast and don't take the beating bananas do in the winds we get.
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pablus
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 23, 2003
Posts: 2146
From: www.crazedmugs.com
| Posted: 2003-10-30 06:58 am Permalink
Gingers and Heliconias - a few different kinds.
www.stokestropicals.com
Also a few oddities like Eucalyptis Ficus, Fishtail Palm, Malaysian Palm.
Bamboo is a bit difficult to grow well in a container but it looks very tropical.
You've got to have at least one Ti Plant.
I believe there's a palm called Yellow Butterfly Palm - here in FL we call it a Bamboo Palm - but they really look good.
There's this other plant - Cannab... oh, never mind.
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Jungle Trader
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 04, 2003
Posts: 3691
From: Trader's Jungle Outpost, Turlock, Ca.
| Posted: 2003-10-30 07:56 am Permalink
Laney, I was given a business card from someone (don't remember who) for a man named Jeff Earl. The card says Jeff Earl: Grower of Exotic Plants Tropical Fruit and Rare Palms. I've never met him but I kept his card. His website and contact info is at http://www.geocities.com/calrarefruit
He resides up here in Modesto
Check out the video of him on the website
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[ This Message was edited by: jungletrader on 2003-10-30 07:56 ]
[ This Message was edited by: jungletrader on 2003-10-30 08:02 ]
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freddiefreelance
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 15, 2003
Posts: 2983
From: San Diego, Ca.
| Posted: 2003-10-30 10:10 am Permalink
Some of my favorite exotic Southern California-friendly fauna are:
Bird of Paradise & Giant Bird of Paradise - Heliconias that love SoCal.
Cycads - you'll probably have to find smaller American grown specimens, they're not easy to get imported from the major South African growers.
Jasmine - as a ground cover, climbing vine, or short hedge, I love that smell.
Plumeria - a number of plumerias like SoCal, a touch of Hawaii for the Valley.
Hibiscus - the classic.
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Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., Th.D., D.F.S
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tikifille
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 18, 2002
Posts: 123 | Posted: 2003-10-31 07:57 am Permalink
Cheekygirl- If your friend is also in the S.F. Valley, she should check out PCC this Sunday (11/2). There is a guy who was on the east side parking lot (perhaps now in the parking structure) who imports some common and not so common tropicals from Mexico. He's incredibly knowledgable and can tell you about sunlight exposure, water needs, etc. And he's cheap. 
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Tiki Diablo
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Jun 24, 2002
Posts: 1888
From: socal
| Posted: 2003-10-31 11:41 am Permalink
Laney , I PM'd you.
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Andrew
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Sep 10, 2003
Posts: 76
From: Anaheim, CA
| Posted: 2003-11-04 11:00 am Permalink
If you want bamboo, go to http://www.endangeredspecies.com . The best place to get live bamboo in socal. We got black bamboo (phyllostachys nigra) and tropical timber bamboo (bambusa oldhamii) from them and both are doing great. We have them in our Japanese garden. I've read tons of stuff on bamboo, so please let me know if you have any questions. The basics though; buy clumping if you're really worried about invasive species, a few basic precautions can make even the most invasive running bamboo safe for planting.
As for tropical stuff, a few things in our polynesian garden; hibiscus - basic and hybrids (try Armstrong's for a nice hybrid selection), plumeria, ti trees, monstera, brunfelsia, tropicana, different bananas, heavenly bamboo, birds of paradise, palms, ferns, zebra grass, oh jeeze there's a whole bunch more I can't remember off hand.
A
[ This Message was edited by: Andrew on 2003-11-04 11:00 ]
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CheekyGirl
Tiki Socialite
Joined: May 21, 2003
Posts: 976
From: Like Oh My Gawd..San Fernando Valley
| Posted: 2003-11-11 7:36 pm Permalink
Thanks everyone for all the input. I've been so incredibly busy at work that I haven't had a chance to check e-mails and all that good stuff. I'll talk to my friend and see what she would like to do...you guys are just too cool!
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Futura Girl
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Oct 01, 2002
Posts: 933 | Posted: 2003-11-26 09:24 am Permalink
There is a plumeria specialist who sells to all the other nursuries right in your own backyard - he's in the yellow pages in northridge.
they die back in winter, but you can grow them here.
also we've had especially great luck in the valley with bird of paradise, banana palms and japanese arelia. queen palms have been just ok. and the hibiscus for some reason have been more finicky.
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freddiefreelance
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 15, 2003
Posts: 2983
From: San Diego, Ca.
| Posted: 2003-11-26 3:07 pm Permalink
FuturaGirl, there are Hybiscus now that don't mind the colder weather, or you can put'em on a hill. It's warmer in the winter & cooler in the summer on the side of a hill.
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Rev. Dr. Frederick J. Freelance, Ph.D., Th.D., D.F.S
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