skip to main content

Pools & Spas Design Dilemma Garden

Help! Tropical Plants - Narrow Garden Bed in Melbourne

Katie K Sparkles

4 years ago

I’ve got a garden bed thats 13 meters long and only 50cm deep. It’s next to a pool so I need some ideas that will help me either screen the fence / block out the neighbour a little.

- no fruit drop or seeds

- no flowers or shedding

- tropical look

- I was thinking :

heliconia hot rio nights but is it ok in melbourne cold?

- bangalow palms - with something lower down and then just removing them in 15 years time when they get too big? Start again?

water housea? But I think that sheds too much?

Featured Answer

julie herbert

4 years ago

Gorgeous plant, very vigorous but if you are prepared to put in a bit of maintenance in keeping it from getting out of control then it will look stunning.

Comments (13)

Katie K Sparkles
Original Author
4 years ago
?
julie herbert
4 years ago
Hi Katie,
You could try golden cane palms, rhapis palms, Bangalow palms underplanted with Xanadu, heliconia in Melbourne would be best grown in morning sun with afternoon shade , they struggle in full sun as their leaves can burn without the protection of shade or overhead canopy.
Related Discussions
Narrow tiled courtyard with no garden beds
Q
Comments (18)
And here is other photo... I recommend Rivas Design for outdoor mirrors I recommend Adam Robinson Design - for garden design I recommend Lyndall from Garden Society - for landscaping and installation I recommend Yardware for furniture I recommend for fountains, plants and pots you can buy on e-bay or directly freighted to Sydney from Leisure Coast Garden Centre.
...See More
Privacy Dilema - Pool, narrow bed, double story next door
Q
Comments (22)
People are either not getting the correct advice or not listening to good advice when using consultants. And pool consultants should be included here. The garden beds that are being left between pools, decking etc are far too narrow. Home owners are then looking for the magical plant that only grows .5 metre wide. This is impossible! To get the appropriate height with the required width of .5 metre is just not going to work. Ongoing pruning will be required and people can't be bothered.And please understand, bamboo is NOT the panacea for width problems as so many think. If you want healthy plants, then you need to allow for garden beds to be a MINIMUM of 1.5 metres wide to allow for a plant to grow 3 or more metres tall. 2 metres wide is better, but most won't allow this. If the yard is too small to accommodate a pool or large expanses of decking then my suggestion is to rethink how you manage the site.
...See More
Tropical Garden bed dilemma
Q
Comments (45)
Don't plant the giant bird of paradise in this small bed. Fantastic plants and have used them at our house. They will grow so big and destroy your paving. I have also used clumping bamboo and my wife hates it due to the mess it makes. Constantly dropping leave etc. Would not plant near a pool for this reason. Another negative comment. Bougainvillea should never be planted in the ground. Lovely flowers but get our of control, dangerous spines and almost impossible to kill. Keep in a pot and keep trimmed. We put Xanadus next to our pool at our holiday house. Perfect size and clean. Consider other ways to hid the fence. Perhaps some type of bamboo screening??
...See More
Critique my plan for narrow block!! help!
Q
Comments (47)
Vergola pergola would be perfect. Thinking about using the boundary, a rough guide from a Melbourne architect is 25% of the length of the boundary plus 10M , don't quote me! So the following pushes out at the front which allows for a narrow Japanese style stone garden with sliding glass doors opening up to it. this will also help to expand the size of the kitchen. The boundary fence brick or other with something like Laser cut steel panels for privacy on top Entrance from the garage can be via the laundry or into the passageway with easy access to the bathroom Just a couple more thoughts for you to ponder
...See More
Katie K Sparkles
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks! I don’t think hot rio nights can be grown in Melbourne as they are not supplied anywhere. Maybe it’s too cold?

what are your thoughts on birds paradise for such a narrow space?
julie herbert
4 years ago
Gorgeous plant, very vigorous but if you are prepared to put in a bit of maintenance in keeping it from getting out of control then it will look stunning.
ushi p
4 years ago
hi Katie,

my experience with my plant-beds next to the pool, (at back of pool=1 metre deep x 3 metres long) & along side of pool =50cm deep * 15m long) -

.. initially I planted Palms - removed them after 15 years..

.. I re-planted the 'back-bed' with 'Birds of Paradise, large' - I removed them last year, after 10 years, bcoz they grow very big and spread in all directions & broke-up the garden-wall.

Over the past few months, I have been replanting all of my garden , still in-progress-

. in the beds near the pool, I have planted -

...…. Tiger Grass bcoz it is not as vigorous as Bamboo, doesn't grow as tall and is in small clumps

….. interspersed with some 'ball-shape plants'.. (for example,EUPHORBIA Ascot Rainbow, RUBY Leaf Alternanthera Dentata Compact) and some silvers - check your local nursery for small tidy, compact shrubs....or, small grasses for a different shape

Make sure that whatever you plant does not have any noxious sap etc..

.. https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/poisonous-plant-philodendron/

whatever you plant, there will be some drops into the pool - just make sure you turn on your vaccuum at least once a week...
Katie K Sparkles
Original Author
4 years ago
Thansk so Much! Was it worth having the palms and pulling them up? I’m thinking of doing that for now..

just to see that palm look?

with the birds of

paradise, did you maintain them during the 15 years? I’m thinking if I prune them regularly, I’ll be able to keep

them in check?
PRO
Cityscapes Pools & Landscapes
4 years ago
Hey Katie,

Our suggestions are

- Heliconias (as they are subject to frost bite in Melbourne definitely)

- Tiger Grass (Thysanolaena Maxima) or Strelitzia Nicolai (but will have to keep them trimmed!)

Hope that helps :)

Cityscapes Pools Team
ushi p
4 years ago
hi Katie,

Palms - they have to be professionally removed …

Birds of Paradise (Strelitzia) - I have found that 'Maintaining" my 'Strelitzia Nicolai, Giant Bird of Paradise' needs to be done when either the 'leaves' are looking torn OR they get too big - and, yes, they were maintained - but, they are vigorous spreaders...

I have also planted a "Ligularia Reniformis Designer Verde" as ground cover - it has spectacular large heart-shaped leaves - I saw it at MIFGS last year & fell in love with it. I bought one from Flower Power a few months ago for $30 (expensive) - it doesn't like afternoon sun and likes a wet, well-drained-soil - have a look at this plant - it is magic planted en masse...
julie herbert
4 years ago
Hi ushi p,
Gorgeous plant, teams well with Xanadu , wonderful lush look.
Laura P
3 years ago
@OP Katie, how did you go? I have a very similar width and length with similar goals (no pool but a covered deck which would not be ideal with dropped leaves/berries). Did you plant anything? What's working?
Lena Andrews
2 years ago
hi @julie herbert, what is the above plant named. I have been looking to buy this but don't know its name. The one that goes well with Xanadu.
Julie Herbert
2 years ago
Hi Lena,
It’s Ligularia tussilaginea gigantea.

Sign Up to Comment

Sponsored

More Discussions

Farmhouse style bathroom help

10

Design dilemma!

30

Best layout for this laundry

10

Layout for Parent Retreat

11

Thoughts on 1960s home extension

21