Landscaper in Orange County

Are there any good landscapers in Orange County, California? I would like to incorporate a pond, tikis, tropical plants that can adapt to our desert climate, etc.

Welcome to TC Elvira.
I could do a design for your yard. Send me a scaled plot plan (your house with the location on the lot) and I'll design it. Might even build it for you. See my "homepg" button below.
BTW, I graduated from FVHS, and went out with Michelle Pfeiffer who also graduated from same.

Alooooooha Elvira!

Hey a Fountain Valley gal! I am your neighbor here in Huntington Beach, as well as Stentiki, Bamboo Ben, Crazy Al, and TikiBong (just look for the Huntington Beach Police Helicopter circling his house every evening).

Be sure to take some before pictures of your landscape for us!

SugarCaddyDaddy

All my tropicals do great except during the 3 winter months. Pineapples take bout 4 years to produce. Bananas are goin off! Taro is taking over!! Any locals need any taro root? Make your own poi in a year! Mmmmm, yummy!!!!(I'll be diggin some up after Mondo and Oasis.)

Thank-you for the feedback. I'd like to get started on the new landscaping by this summer. I will definately take pictures, both before and after. It's good to know that the tropicals do so well in our climate.

Good Palms for your area that grow well and problem free in full sun from seedling are:

Dypsis Baronii
Dypsis onilahensis
Dypsis decipiens

For full shade
Burretiokentia hapala

For heavy adobe clay areas plant the aboves on top of 1- 2 ft mounds of dirt trucked in.

Large Full sun
Caryota Gigas. (plant away from structures as palm will fall over in about 20 years after it seeds) Monocarpic I think is the botanical term.
Parajubea Coccoides and torallyi

Cheap at home depot
Pheonix Roebellini (pygmy date palm) small
Phoenix Canariensis large

More expensive at home depot.
Howea Forsterina (Kentia) looks like coconut palm grows great readily available. Home depot kentia are shade grown so a period of conditioning to full sun is required. Happier in half day sun.

Jubea chilensis (largest palm of all grows great but slow esp farher from the coast)

Genus Chameadoras are fun there are lots of species with varying requirements

Excepting the Phoenix, Howea, and Chameadora these are available only at specialty nurseries mostly located in North county San Diego Fallbrook and Encinitas for some reason.

There are many others that will gromw well these just come to mind as the fool proof ones.

Beware the palm nut selling palms. There are many palmophiles hell bent on growing everything possible in the area to the point of fanaticism. The limiting factor for many palms is the long winter. Extreme measures I have observed include insulated plastic pipe trunk jackets with electric heating cords, water heater jacket insulation etc. So hang on to your wallet and be wary of motives in the greenhouses. These marginal palms will survive but wont thrive. Always look yellowy and ragged. Hyophorbes, Veitchas, Dypsis leptocheilos, and majesty palm come to mind as frequent offenders.

The holy grail is to grow the cocos nucifera (coconut palm) out doors. There are a few the most notable one was growing outside a building in Laguna Beach. I dont know if it is still alive.

Cycads, Bamboos and ferns are another subject beyond the scope of this post.

Unfortunatly most of the plants described are slow growing so GET STARTED! See you at the palm anonymous meeting in about two years.

Gonzo

Gonzo~

Thanks for posting this info, but could you possibly edit your post to show the conversion of the "botanical name to neighborhood nursery name"? Unfortunately not all Home Depot/OSH/Armstrong Gardens centers carry just the botanical name on the tags and when you ask some of the part-time employees at these places they give you a look like your asking them to explain the Theory of Realativity.

Two comments:

1. Don't you hate when you see a 10" or 12" palm and you go to look at the tag to see what kind it is, and all it says is "PALM". Well, duh! Am I suppose to take a leaf sample back to my mad-scientist laboratory for testing to determine which one it is? UGG!

2. Why is it that the Coconut Palms tags here on the West Coast say to grow indoors? I don't believe I've seen Coconut Palm Greenhouses on the shores of tropical islands.

Just my 2 coconuts worth,

CocoNuttyCaddyDaddy

The ones above that have common names I put in parens. Ooopps the Phoenix canariensis is known as the Canary Island Date Palm. The others are known almost exclusivly by the latin names

If its unidenified and in a small pot I bet its usually a Chamadora excelsea (parlor palm) or a Dypsis Lutescens (aka areca palm- ususally crammed 30 seedlings in a one gallon pot) neither are great in the garden. The Chamadors excelsea will demand shade and a mound of good drainage dirt to look good. The Areca always looks yellow and tattered.

Coconut palms wont live indoors well unless you have a greenhouse. As I said there are a few out doors in perfect micro climates. Home depot used to sell coconuts and they had a no questions asked return policy-- they invariably die in the winter.

Another tip is the more marginal stuff always seems to grow better on the east side of the house. Morning sun is better than afternoon.

Virtual Palm Encyclopedia is a good source of pictures. Honest horticultural advice for your area is harder to come by. I live in Ventura about a 1/2 mile from the ocean.. Further inland gets both hotter and colder. Soil types vary some too. Cold drainage is another factor.

Good luck

Dave

The ones above that have common names I put in parens. Ooopps the Phoenix canariensis is known as the Canary Island Date Palm. The others are known almost exclusivly by the latin names

If its unidenified and in a small pot I bet its usually a Chamadora excelsea (parlor palm) or a Dypsis Lutescens (aka areca palm- ususally crammed 30 seedlings in a one gallon pot) neither are great in the garden. The Chamadors excelsea will demand shade and a mound of good drainage dirt to look good. The Areca always looks yellow and tattered.

Coconut palms wont live indoors well unless you have a greenhouse. As I said there are a few out doors in perfect micro climates. Home depot used to sell coconuts and they had a no questions asked return policy-- they invariably die in the winter.

Another tip is the more marginal stuff always seems to grow better on the east side of the house. Morning sun is better than afternoon.

Virtual Palm Encyclopedia is a good source of pictures. Honest horticultural advice for your area is harder to come by. I live in Ventura about a 1/2 mile from the ocean.. Further inland gets both hotter and colder. Soil types vary some too. Cold drainage is another factor.

Good luck

Dave

gonzo wrote:
Coconut palms wont live indoors well unless you have a greenhouse. As I said there are a few out doors in perfect micro climates. Home depot used to sell coconuts and they had a no questions asked return policy-- they invariably die in the winter.

So if I have a Coconut Palm, 4 ft high, it will or will not survive winters outdoors in Huntington Beach, California?

Will it survive in huntington beach? No.

Many have tried and failed. If you, my fronded friend, want to try here is some advice from the jungle music website:

"In our area the Coconut Palm does not survive outdoors. Yes, there are a few survivors throughout the entirety of Southern California. But, as a very reliable rule, Cocos nucifera, will eventually die from our cold weather. This doesn’t mean you can’t try, but the chances are you will fail. The same applies to a lot of sought after species. Cyrtostahcys renda, the Red Sealing Wax Palm, attracts many enthusiasts because of its dramatic red trunks. No, it will not survive in cold weather. It predictably dies at about 47 degrees Fahrenheit. Archontophoenix cunninghamiana, the King Palm, dies at about temperatures below 24 to 25 degrees. The typical Queen Palm dies at about 18 degrees. So, if you know your garden gets down to 5 degrees, don’t think you’re going to keep alive any of the above species. Plant palms that will predictably grow in your area."
this is from
http://www.junglemusic.net/palmadvice/palms-coldhardy1.htm

Another idea is if you really need a coconut tree is plan there cousins:

Parajubea coccoides or torallyii
Jubeaopsis caffra
Jubea chilensis

Of the three the parajubea looks closest to the coconut. All three give edible albeit small coconuts

All three will grow great anywhere in so cal

There have been efforts in the past to hybridize the coco nucifera with these but they failed. I think it could be done but not yet

Hi elvira, If you are looking for a tropical yard you have tons of choices here in OC. Are you looking for someone to design, plant and build everything? That's bucks$$$ but if you plan on doing it (or some) by yourself Spring is a good time to get stuff in the ground. After these rains we're supposed to have, I have tons of plants waiting to be planted.

I, being a palm nut myself, love all kinds but I also know they are expensive and slow growing. Unless you are looking for investment plants stick with what is available at local garden centers. For large palms I like Kings because they are self pruning (drop their fronds) so you won't have to have someone come out to cut the tall palms. Kentias are very elegant but need regular fertilizing when they get mature. I am battling with leaning sickness in two of my Kentias (these are 30 years old though) I also love Raphis these will fill an area and look similar to bamboo. I have Raphis Excelsa in front and Raphis Humilis in back. I have seen many kinds of palms at my local Home Depot including, Kings, Queens, Raphis, Phoenix Robilini, Triangle, Fishtail, even some Foxtail.
I would love to buy more of these but was hit with a fatal fungus that attacks palms and there is no cure so I've switch over to collecting Cycads. They are fairly drought tolerant (once established) and have been on earth since prehistoric times (so hopefully I won't kill these) Cycads are becoming more common in garden centers too. Everyone knows Sagos (Cycas revoluta) but I've seen Zamias and others recently.

I also like Birds of paradise. The giant birds make a nice background, are inexpensive and grow fast. The look similar to Banana but fair better in winds and won't look so torn up. Humming birds love Giant Birds and the regular ones. We eat breakfast outside and have counted as many as 11 humming birds one morning and all the flowers I have are Bird of Paradise.

I like ferns but unless you have a lot of shade they require too much water.
Good Luck and do some of the planting yourself. It will be cheaper and you'll take more pride in your garden.

Here's some links to palm websites.
http://www.palms.org/cgi-bin/ikon/ikonboard.cgi?s=b38e261e150541b8d306581602cdb8d3;act=SF;f=1
This is the International Palm Society Message Board. Nice knowledgeable people, similar board with palm nuts instead of tiki nerds. You may be able to find someone for your yard here.

http://www.plantapalm.com/vpe/photos/vpe_photos.htm
Palm Gallery-Look up by Latin/Botanical name for pictures and info.

http://www.plantapalm.com/vce/photos.htm
Cycad Gallery

Hello Gonzo, I'm sure I've run into you on the IPS board. Wow, a palm and tiki collector acquiring Witco??? Welcome to the poor house! I am a palm nut but since Ganoderma wiped out a corner of my yard (3-30' Kings, 2 clumps Chamaerops humilis with 6+ trunks each, plus some younger Kings) RIP :( I've switched over to Cycads. My parents have been IPS members forever and I am only now getting really into it (their yard is stunning!) Recently they had a theft of several Encephalartos and a Sego with 4'+ trunk from the ground of their front yard after heavy rains. So I'm planting the rest of my Cycads in back with my Dobies!

Here are some pics of my yard- please ignore the dirty pool (pool guy didn't come this week) but do notice the funky 60's amoeba shape! Also ignore the dead leaves, I'm the only one who does the yard work and my trash can is already full this week! enjoy

this is a Kentia-group of 3

closer pic

some Giant Bird of Paradise

these are mature Phoenix Robilini when planted close to the house they will grow to curve around the roof, the trunk is S shaped. I have about 15 of these planted around my pool area.

some Raphis Excelsa

the giant clump of Raphis Humilis with some kings

Sago-we all know these

some other cycads waiting to be planted

large Chamaerops humilis the only one I have left after Ganoderma took two on the other side of my yard.

a little area with some bromiliads.

Yipes, the longest post ever! Laney
More pics will be posted on another thread about my new outdoor bar area.
https://tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=3423&forum=1&

[ Edited by: laney on 2003-04-18 13:13 ]

[ Edited by: laney on 2003-04-18 13:30 ]

Laney and gonzo, great info on the palm trees. Do either of you know which palm trees would do well in Georgia?
Laney, I'm going to check out some of the sites you mentioned. I was in Florida last week, and am in need of a palm tree fix!

I'm planning on doing most of the planting myself. What I need is someone to help design the landscaping. I have made so many ugly planting mistakes in the past, that it would be cheaper to hire someone to design the layout. That way I can do it right, from the beginning. Less aggravation.

By-the-way, Laney, your back yard is beautiful! Since I'm 49, I don't know whether I have time to watch palms grow, but I'm definately interested in ferns, banana trees, bird of paradise, and anything that is fairly fast-growing.

Laney,

Nice yard! Judging by the size of your Kentias youve been working it for over 10 years. Ive been at it for about 6 years now. Still a newbie I guess.

I too have been dabbling in Cycads lately.

Cycad rip offs are quite the rage lately. The Quail heist was the most spectacular. The Quail plants were recovered thaey were abandoned in LA drainage ditch. Appararantly theye were too hot to handle.

I guess having a $20,000 plant in your front yard poses risk. Ithink I heard some talk about your folks house at the last palm meeting in Ventura.

I post once in a while on the palm board. The April fools joke was hilarious about the new Butia species. Good Palm humor is hard to come by.

Palms in Ga?

Suggest you get a local source of info. From whhat I hear the SE is known for killing frost that come every ten years or so. A couple that I know of that should make it is Rhappidophylum Hystrix (sp)(Needle Palm) and the Sabal Palmetto (Saw Palmetto) which I believe is native to Ga. A biggie that makes your area different from mine is the humidity Chileans and KIentias for example cant handle humidity while bismarckia should thrive.

Palm humor, hard to come by? How about Palm Porn. I was tossing a few dropped King fronds from my back yard when I picked this up. I'll creatively frame this 2 foot tall vagina for an interresting erotic palm art piece. enjoy guys!

here you can tell it's the base of the palm frond

Geez....I said GOOD palm humor is hard to come by..... It still is. Im sticking to it!
try this link.
http://www.palms.org/cgi-bin/ikon/ikonboard.cgi?s=18ae741e751eedd37c61343ac711f588;act=ST;f=1;t=554;hl=butia

Score!

Thanks gonzo for the advice. I sent a note to palmtreecharlie.com for help as well. I did get a mexican fan palm to try( I mean grow at home :oops:, Laney :wink: )_________________
Don't worry...be Tiki

[ Edited by: TikiBud on 2003-04-22 19:22 ]