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Originally Posted by Double Bogie
After four trips down in the last year we bought a pre-owned ranch that we are set to close on in two weeks. It does have a screen lanai at this time and backs up to the neighbors lanai as well. There is some landscaping but would like to add more. Interested in more tropical rather than a hedge. Any ideas, names of fast growing plants to look at? Also what types of blinds, roll-ups, drapes, etc are used for privacy that are weather tolerant? Thanks for any suggestions! Exciting times!
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Congratulations on your new home! We have a similiar home and put in ligustrum trees, bottle brush trees , and pampas grass. The variety of ligustrum we have is a type that only grows to 8-10 feet, because we didnt' want to deal with pruning down the road. Our neighbors behind also put in Queen palms. They make a nice rustling noise when the tropical breezes blow, but they grow tall, and in the future will require pruning as well. The bottlebrush have orange blossoms at certain times of the year which give nice color. We bought ours at Walmart = it was about 2-3 feet tall, and 3 years later it is 7 feet tall. I fertilize about 3 times per year. We bought larger ligustrum plants, 6-7 feet, because we wanted instant privacy, but the shock of transplanting them caused them to gradually lose their leaves the first year. By the second year they were looking very good, but I'm not sure it was worth the extra money to get large trees. I think I'd buy 4 foot tall trees and wait a couple years for them to grow. The ligustrum stay green and keep their leaves all year long, so are great for privacy. Both the ligustrum and bottle brush are competely frost proof. Many people put in Robellini palms, but I wouldn't recommend them. They really got nailed by the frost last year. I think they're only good down to around 30 degrees, and we typically get some frosts dowin in the low 20's or high teens. Robellilni hardiness zone is 10A-11. The Villages is hardiness zone 9A. If you cover them really well each night you might be able to keep them looking good, but its a lot of work. There is also some nice clumping bamboo that looks good. I believe there are clumps in front of the Mallory restaurant. Its hard to get started - I think it takes around 3 years for it to take hold but I like the looks of it. Do not get the running bamboo - it will take over your lawn and ruin your neighbor's lawn as well. They say to buy clump bamboo from a certified grower. There is one near Orlando and one in Rutland Florida. There are many varieties, and some will grow very tall, so do your research to find what best suits your lot.
For shades, we bought koolaroo shades over at Home Depot and Sam'sClub. They are a sort of plastic mesh that is easily washed, and lets the breeze blow through while at the same time give you shade and privacy.
Good luck!