complement for canna?

22 years ago

I am looking for a plant that can coexist with canna, but survive above ground all year. Let me explain the situation:

On the South side of our lawn, we have 4' of garden before the 6' high fence to the neighbor's. In a 10' wide section of this garden I've planted some variations of canna tropicana. Undisturbed, it thrives in the summer and gets cut back (generally to the ground) in the winter. The key word here is "undisturbed."

So we and our neighbors both have dogs. They can't really see each other through the fence, but occasionally the neighbor's dog will make some noise that will set our dog off, and the two race up and down the fence paralleling each other.

If the canna is still wintering in the ground, it's not a problem. If the canna is large and beefy in the summer, it's also not a problem, as our dog will avoid any significant foliage in her path. The problem is in the spring, or anytime the canna is sprouting from the ground (and up to 2' in height). The dog just plows over it, breaking stalks, etc.

I've tried a couple of things, including placing bamboo stakes to block her path, and the plastic "Cat Scat" spiked mats, but those don't really deter her. A big roll of 2-3' high fencing DOES work, but I'd rather not have to keep putting that ugly thing up and down every year (and I'm not interested in a permanent man-made fence of any variety in this area).

So what I'd like to have is some tropicalesque plant that will block off this area from the dog year round, but allow the canna to grow up through it.

Any suggestions?

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Comments (11)

kayjones
22 years ago
I can tell you what detered our border collie - ROSE BUSHES! I planted a border of shrub roses around my rose garden, and that was the end of his 'plowing' days. LOL It didn't take but one run-in with those thorny bushes to change his habit!
bari_sax
Original Author
22 years ago
Wow, how did you know that we also have a border collie? ;-)

The problem with rose bushes is that (a) they're not particularly tropical and (b) wouldn't the canna rip themselves apart as they grow through them? (Ideally I'm looking for a plant that "shares space" with the canna, as opposed to surrounding it.)

Other ideas?
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kayjones
22 years ago
Well, I also tried other means, ie fences, non-stickery bushes, tomato cages - they made Harley (our border collie) laugh and mow on! LOL Don't forget - border collies are the SMARTEST dogs in the world - yes, that is a FACT - so if you want to be laughed at right in your face, try something else, but if you want something that works, plant the thorny carpet roses. Yes, the canna leaves will shred, but just cut them off at the level of the rose bushes. I have several friends in Florida who grow roses, so I don't see why you couldn't. There are species bred just for your area, so check with a reputable nursery for recommendations. You simply can't beat roses for fragrance, beauty AND functionality!
bari_sax
Original Author
22 years ago
I'm also thinking of perhaps a loose clumping bamboo, but don't know if it will crowd out the canna.

Thoughts?
bluebamboo
22 years ago
Well, since you mentioned the smart dog...my neighbor at my previous house had a border collie smart enough to endure the temporary pain of the invisible dog fence, so that barrier didn't work... Then she would come over to my house and push open the back door (which wouldn't click tight) to let my dog out.
kayjones
22 years ago
LOL Mark - I can believe that - they are something else.

Bari, I can see the dog going right thru that bamboo (what bamboo?)! LOL
kbmtholly
22 years ago
you could plant a row of shrubs like gardenias or azaleas in front of the row of cannas. After a while it may be hard to access the cannas though. Or you could build a 3' bamboo fence in front of the cannas. I would probably go with some kind of short fence.
bari_sax
Original Author
22 years ago
Our BC won't plow through bamboo (we have some). She generally won't run through anything that can put up some resistance (if she can get around it easier). So the issue for that would be whether the bamboo would entirely crowd out the canna.

A row of shrubs in front probably won't work since we only have 4' of garden before we hit the fence, which wouldn't leave much room for the canna to fill in. Hence why I'm hoping to find something that can coexist amongst the canna.

I'm thinking hibiscus (or perhaps the gardenia suggestion) might be an option (roses aren't our favorites), being very tropical, and we can trim it a bit in places if need be to let canna through.
watergal
22 years ago
Hibiscus are my favorite tropical, but I can't imagine the branches standing up to a dog running through them.
jayferg
22 years ago
Hibiscus would be good but I agree they would not stand up to a running dog. You would probably lose a bunch of blooms.

Gardenia's would be nice. I love gardenia's. I have mine in a pot and it doesn't grow too fast so they probably wouldn't block out the view of the canna's plus they both like full sun.
threelegdcat
22 years ago
I have an Australian Shepard (similar in energy/intelligence to a Border Collie, which I grew up with) who runs around the yard like a banshee and she seems to be deterred by my hibicus. They're very woody and about 5 ft tall and 4 ft wide and the squirrels don't seem to mess with them, so I think that helps (oh how Sofie lovvvves the squirrels)...So get the biggest hibiscus you can and give it a little trim (it'll grow back even stronger and within a matter of weeks!)

Now if only my mom's chow chow hadn't taught her how to dig in the yard for mole crickets...

Tanya