Plants for my teeny backyard

[Dixie]

Y'all are always a great resource for my home projects. With that in mind, I'm soliciting y'all's thoughts on what I can plant in the two little flower beds behind my house (on right hand side in pic). My only real requirement is that whatever doesn't grow too tall, and isn't a vine. On the other hand, the plants need to handle partial sun, as my neighbor's house, and my house, create morning and evening shade. The beds receive direct sun for about 4 to 5 hours.

[john70t]

Container pots. Plastic. Easy to move and adjust.
Paint and decorate 'em any way you like.

Using 'starter soil'. You will have to fully water, probably slightly warm, every single day, at dusk and possibly afternoon in June/July.
Until it drains out the bottom. It has lots of perlite and peat moss for aeration.


First:
Spray that walk with a lite anti-fungal.
Use a carry spray pumper...with no rain for a few days.
<5% bleach or Wet N Forget.
Let sit a week. Then power-wash. Cheap 120V units available.
Once your Florida mess is gone growing will be great.

I've had many problems growing big vine plants when powdery mildew takes over and rots just before harvest: Watermelon. Pumpkin. Zucchini.
The tiny 'pickling cukes' turned into giant arm size zucchini within a week.

Too humid here sometimes. Plants here either grow too big or not at all.

They spread across the walkways. Jungle. The hops grew up along the 2nd-story gutters and pulled off the mounted outdoor light.
I've had to use hedge clippers to even get to the tiny back yard. Fighting through jungle.
Wild orange cherry tomatoes re-seed themselves for five years later but don't taste very good.

Stick with herbs for the most part.
Basil is good for fresh pasta or frozen pesto. Rosemary. Lavender for smell.

Real tomatoes in a container will probably topple over and need care.
Or build a solid plant box. With a foot or more soil underneath.

[masraum]

Baz! Calling Baz!

I'm sure that plenty of guys will have good ideas, but Baz is your best bet since he's used to working in the climate/environment that you have AND he was a pro in FL for many years.

[rfuerst911sc]

Mondo grass I think would work well there . Will only grow height wise about halfway up the lattice . Maybe less . I would do like 12 " to 18 " wide of mondo grass then a flowering plant . Rinse/repeat until you fill the beds .

Mondo is hearty and easy to grow . It will fill in as it grows . It is as close to zero maintenance as it gets . If/when Baz checks in listen to him 😀

[flatbutt]

Dixie, Baz (IIRC) is an expert with Bromeliads which do well in shade. Bleeding hearts , Coleus and Begonias also do well in shade / partial sun.

[Baz]

Are you open to something seasonal? Meaning a bedding type plant that gets changed out at some point and replaced?

You could also have some more permanent in combination with some seasonal. Best of both worlds.

Seasonal would require a little more work each year, but not bad if you choose the right plants.

Could you please post measurements of each bed? Thanks!

[masraum]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Dixie, Baz (IIRC) is an expert with Bromeliads which do well in shade. Bleeding hearts , Coleus and Begonias also do well in shade / partial sun.

It sounds like the sun that Dixie's beds get is the most direct sun (11a-3pm or something like that), which is probably too much in FL for bromeliads and most of that other stuff.

Dixie, you may be able to find some crotons that don't get too big AND would be a huge splash of color and would be OK with the sun in that space.

How is that alley oriented? N-S, I'm guessing based on your description. So it would get the harshest, most direct sun, right?

[Dixie]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

...Coleus and Begonias also do well in shade / partial sun.

Coleus and begonias, I like these suggestions. Crotons is also an excellent candidate.

Bromeliads are out because they breed mosquitoes, and bleeding hearts because it's a vine. Vines are a challenge to contain, and mosquitoes love me.

Please keep the ideas coming!