Landscaping - I'd like your opinions and pictures

[SeanB.]

Our build package includes landscaping. They do the labor and we get to choose the following:

Three 15 gallon plants/trees
Twelve 5 gallon
Eight 1 gallon
and 2 flats.

I'd like to hear your suggestions and see any pictures you have. At this point we are thinking about 3 Queen Palms for the 15 gallon, some Sega Palms and Oleaners for some of the 5 gallon and we are not quite sure on the rest.

For the layout, we will probably do a small bed behind the spa with on of the Queen Palms and a sego or two (not sure what else) and then a larger bed on the back side of the pool. We will also put a couple Oleaners in front of the equipment pad to act as a screen.

Comments suggestions?

[divnkd101]

Sean, be careful with the Queen Palm. If I remember correctly, don't they bud a large amount of little fruit pods (Orange in color). You may not want that mess in your pool or spa. We are planning on using some Pygmy Date Palms alongside several Sago palms. I will try to find some pictures and get them posted. I would caution you on the Queen palms. Ask your landscaper and see what he/she says. The Oleanders will offer some nice cover to the pool equipment.

Addition to the post. I just found this website:
http://www.floridagardener.com/pom/queenpalm.htm

Copied from website:
Fruits: Yellow to orange, produced in copious quantities

Pests or diseases: Ganoderma, phytophthora bud rot

Uses: Specimen tree

Bad Habits: Fruit is messy. Weak-roots combined with a prodigious sail-like canopy makes it prone to topple in strong winds. Frizzletop a serious problem if not feed regularly especially on alkaline soils. Pollen hazard. Very quick growing, tall palm hard to prune. You will graduate from pole saw to ladder and pole saw to cherry picker in a few years.

Cost: $$ -- reasonable

[SeanB.]

Hmm..had not heard that about them. I've had a couple people with pool recommend them, but theirs may not be mature enough to be producing fruit yet.

Now I'm looking at Majestic Palm and Princess Palm. I need to speak directly with the landscaper and make sure they can actually get what I want and that I don't need to choose from a predetermined list. I don't know how readliy available some of these plants will be.

[KurtV]

Every part of the oleander is highly poisonous. I'd avoid those if you have or will have young kids who stick everything they can get their hands on in their mouths.

[SeanB.]

Every part of the oleander is highly poisonous. I'd avoid those if you have or will have young kids who stick everything they can get their hands on in their mouths.

Thanks. I did know that about Oleaners as we've had them before. Fortunately, my 3 kids (and my dog) aren't plant eaters. Also, no children will EVER be unsupervised in our backyard now that there is a pool. I'm far more concerned with drowning than I am poisoness plants.

[mkamp1515]

Sean, we have oleanders around ours as well and they have done well. I think you are further south than me (Fort Worth). We have done well with red yuccas, agave cactus, lantanas, etc. Native Texas plants should do well. We have a sego palm as well. We had several palms last year but they did not survive the winter (they were still young and had a very cold snap last December which killed them). Our sego is still in the pot but is planted in the ground. When below freezing weather comes we will take it out of the ground and bring it in. Good luck in you plant selection!

Mike