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Originally Posted by oceangirl
Our home is being built as we speak.  We also have a villa wall in the back. This will give us nice privacy without a big cost.
I would love to see any pictures from anyone who has landscaped in the back. I would love to have that tropical feeling.
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Hello, Oceangirl,
We, too, wanted the tropical-looking back yard when we moved here. So, we had it landscaped and even added a lot of hibiscus and various other leafy and flowering shrubs. We fed them diligently so they would grow into big, beautiful plants that would help us to feel that our yard was a little jungle oasis! You are probably getting a good feeling as to where I am going with all of this! First, our courtyard villa yard isn't very big and we underestimated the power of the Florida sun when it comes to plant growth! Before we knew it the 8 hibiscus plants had outgrown their spots. They were constant care, with leaves and dead blooms falling off every day. We pulled them all out! The oleander drew large, nasty-looking caterpillars. It found its way to the "brush truck"! Blue Daze took over the yard and we couldn't trim fast enough to keep it contained! (I think we needed a gardener!) It was gone in two years! In short, we ended up removing a lot of the original plants in favor of a less "tropical"-looking yard. We still DO have Queen palms and two split-leaf philodendrons, among the remaining trees & shrubs. The philodendrons die back in the cold winters here, but they return with a vengeance in the spring. I can vouch for the fact that gardens here are a lot of work. Many of the shrubs and trees we select as "newbie Floridians" aren't hardy to the area and we have no idea how fast these plants grow and how large they can get! Educate yourself on the trees and shrubs that grow well here. Some of the ideas you have now may not be practical for the size of your yard or the climate here. This is not considered a "tropical" part of Florida and we have winter cold that can damage and kill a lot of tender plants. I DO think that with the right choices in plant materials you CAN have a lovely yard that will have some "tropical" elements to it. Good luck!