Couple of questions for you. Is the hot tub surrounded or in an open area? I ask because you can create a little micro climate. My other question is you mention not protecting them during the winter, do you want them to still look good or just not die out before spring?

You are lucky because SA has tons of plants that will work. I go there every year and always look at the hotels and riverwalk. Let me know this info and I will give some ideas.

The hot tub is located in a south facing corner, surrounded by two walls (the flower bed is up against these two walls in kind of an L shape).

Here is a picture, not that great, but should give you an idea. I want to plant the plant in that open spot towards the bottom right of the pic.

It would be nice if the plant still looked good during the winter because we might still use the hot tub at that time, but if this isn't possible, my main goal is definitely for it not to die.

Thanks for your help! (Let me know if you want me to take a better picture)

Here are a couple more pics. Sorry, I had to take them from inside my sunroom because it's raining right now.

That looks awesome and I love the flagstone. I just added some around my pool as well. the pictures helped a lot. Sorry to ask more questions without giving an answer. Curious what is the purpose of this plant? Ex I noticed its on the corner of the house. So is the plant going to soften the house so it doesn't look so square on the corner? Is it to be a focal point while in the tub? Lastly do you want it low growing like the plants in your beds or shrub looking or tree?

I only ask because I see tons of plants working in this area.

Its beautiful.

Well, I'm thinking I'd like it to be at least taller than the hot tub, but I don't know if it can be too big seeing as it's right up against the house?? A tree would be cool, but I'm not opposed to a tall shrub that has tropical looking leaves.

While we're in the tub, I'd like to be able to see it, plus when we're on my deck and face the hot tub area, I'd like to be able to see it growing behind there, so yeah I think I'd like it to be a focal point beyond the tub.

Also, as you can see from the very first pic I posted, that spot is pretty bare. I think I want this whole area to eventually be very lush. I'm even thinking of some climbing vines going up the side of the house. But again, I'm really new to this gardening thing so I don't want anything that's too high maintenance. I don't trust my green "green thumb" yet lol!

I think a compact spicy jatropha would look good there. I have to keep mine in a pot in DFW, and yours might die to the ground in winter and come back in spring. I love mine so much I don't mind hauling it to the greenhouse. It is really a pretty plant.

Here is a link that might be useful: Compact Spicy Jatropha

Well you got tons of options. A lot will depend on your views of what you want. If you are looking for something that will come back and you can make it a small tree or bush like then there is Esperanza or Yellow Bells. I had this when I lived in Corpus. It even grows in Dallas. This is what they use for the tropic look alot in SA as well. Once established it takes care of itself and takes drought. You can also go Elephant ears in the ground as well but in direct sun (south) it tends to droop down during the day due to the heat and rise at night. The other option is Oleander. You can make it a bush or trim to a tree form. It is known for being poisonous though to animals. My favorite is the sago palm for tropic areas as well.

My favorite vine I ever had in Corpus was Scarlet Passion Vine. Look this one up, it says it grows in SA and is unbelievable.

Also you can grow Cannas real easy and they come back each year. I would use these up against the house because they grow tall. Dont put plants behind them unless they are tall as well. They even have tropical Cannas that are amazing. Dont forget Banana trees as well. Plus Plumbango is beautiful as a small shrub and can get big. Variegated Ginger is a good one as well for a shrub look.

If you want a tall grass purple fountain is my favorite. I think its one that may or may not come back in SA. I love to use grasses as a boarder. Not grown boarder but focal border. There is also Miscanthus or Maiden grass. Some may say Pampas but I wouldn't use it close to traffic because it can hurt when touched.

Food for thought when planting, plan for the plants to grow. My 1st experience I added way to much plants and the next year it was a jungle.

Thats probably more info than you need. Feel free to email me if you would like more details about a plant.

Thanks for the compliments tkutch. We just redid this whole area back in April and I LOVE the flagstone.

debndal, that's a cool looking plant! Although, I have a lot of red already so I might like to find the pink version. It would be nice though if I could find something that wouldn't die down to the ground so we can enjoy it when we're soaking in the tub during the winter.

Ok I'm gonna look all those plants up!

I actually have several plumbago plants in another flower bed that I need to relocate because its too crowded (already since April!). I already have two in the hot tub area so I don't think I want to put them there.

I think I want to pick one tree/tall shrub like plant for this corner and maybe leave the bed alone to see how it looks next year.

All the plants I mentioned grow fast. Also remember you can always add pots and use these plants as well.

I'm really liking the banana trees, I'm thinking of going with one of the colder tolerant varieties. Question though, will I have to do anything special even for these? Like mulch heavily, or cut back, etc? In SA it's not uncommon for us to freeze at least once or twice a winter, but usually we just get close to freezing, but rarely a hard one (if I remember correctly that's only happened once in the past 7 years ... I'm actually a transplant from Houston).

Oh and I like that everything's fast growing, I'm impatient!

Also, can I plant this now? Do I need to do anything special to the soil besides adding store bought compost?

As for the Banana. I lived in corpus and now live in dallas. I grew your normal Banana and Red Banana. I transplanted them both in the ground in Dallas and they come back every year. Remember we got 14" of snow this year in 2 days. With that said you have 3 options. Leave them in the ground and in winter they will die to the ground and look pretty bad. When spring comes again it will grow from the ground. Takes some time since it regrows.

option 2. Put one in ground and one in good size pot. Then when it gets a little cold take it in. The one in the ground will die back to ground but will come back in spring. Then use the one in the pot and take back in forth when you want it outside because even with your winters there will be days you could add it by the hot tub and get the effect of the tropics since you wont be using the hot tub each day.

Option 3. This is done a lot in dallas. Before it hits 40 degrees go outside and dig them up. Doesnt have to be perfect. Then just set them in your garage and leave them alone till spring. Then when it warms up just re plant. It will start growing again from this point. I prefer this method because once spring starts you will have tall banana trees and some small ones growing from the ground.

This is a rough plant so dont worry to much if you hurt it. It grows from rhizomes and can take care of itself.

musa basjoo is a hardy banana
also, some other tropical plants that could work are
canna lily or elephants ear (Colocasia)

the photos you posted look great, and i hope you post some more after you make your decision. good luck.

Thanks terroir :-)

What about crinums? Would those do well here?

Could maybe look cool with the banana close to the house with a couple crinums planted in front of it? I saw some pics and they look pretty.

I will definitely post updated pics once I plant something. I can't wait now!

If you are on the north side of SA you will need to protect the bananas with mulch over the winter. I just covered them and stuck a light under the blanket this past winter when temps dropped below 25o. I did have several plants that needed this treatment so I kept them together and this was easier than moving in and out.

Cannas don't need as much attention. Last winter I just threw some mulch over them and left them out. They popped right back as soon as it warmed up.

I've attached the page from Marcelle's Crinums on hardiness.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crinum Hardiness

OMGosh I'm loving the bananas, cannas, crinums, and the variegated ginger!

Decisions decisions!

Sweet viburnum has a tropical look (large, dark green leaves) and you don't see much of it around SA. It can easily be maintained to 8' or so. It will require regular watering to maintain its glossy look, but not nearly as much as banana or elephant ear. It will also require occasional pruning, with low cuts, to avoid a "woody" look.

I was dead set on having a couple of banana plants, but the fronds of mine always got so tattered by mid summer that they really didn't look very attractive. They always came back well, but disposing of the frozen carcasses in the winter was a hassle. I replaced them with bamboo, in large pots. They lasted several years, and might fit into your little corner.

Another vine that just jumped in my head is bougainvillea. I loved this and wish I could plant some in Dallas. Tired of hanging baskets and pots. Glad to see you like some of my ideas.

I thought I was going to pass on them, but when I got to the nursery I found a Siam Ruby for $12 so I couldn't resist. Then I get home and research that they're not very cold hardy ... oh well. I'm thinking I'll just dig it up and put it in my sunroom over winter.

I'm thinking now I want to plant some cannas, but I have a question. The banana is almost 4' tall and may only get to 8' by winter (guessing?). I want to plant some cannas in front of it, but I don't know which would grow faster. I know cannas can get up to 6' tall. The ones I saw at the nursery were only a little over a foot tall in the pots.

Do you think it will be ok to plant the cannas in front of the banana or should I switch them around with the cannas behind it?

Here's a pic taken with a crappy disposable camera ... just to give you an idea.

Think I can plant the cannas in front of the banana?

I would put the cannas behind the banana. They will grow bigger faster. Cannas can stay in the ground here in SA, but you need access to protect the banana in freezes. It looks like you have room to run them along the wall of the house. That's how I have mine and they usually look good, but something is eating them right now.

I have a tropical looking area in front of my pool. I have canna's (some are 9' tall), ginger, angel trumpet, asiatic lilies, elephant ears, 4 o'clocks, dwarf canna's. All these plants need watering regularly.

I have another area on the side of the pool (fence around pool) that I am putting Pride of Barbados and Texas Bird of Paradise. Once established they don't need much water and they love our hot sun. If I had it to do over I would only use drought tolerant plants.

You might consider using Pride of Parbados and Texas Bird of Paradise. They are very tropical looking and little maintenance. I have red, pink, yellow and white Pride of Barbados seedling planted in this area. They will die back this winter, but will return next spring.

If you have shade the root beer plant is perfect. It grows fast, has beautiful tropical leaves, I think in the area you would plant it next to the house, it would be contained, and I think you would love it. I also think that tropicana canna would look beautiful in that area, they can go in the sun. I am leaving town tomorrow morning, to go to Rockport. I am planning on staying a few weeks. I have a root beer plant in the green house if you would like it. Barbra

Agave celsii will look tropical under a small drought tolerant Bird of paradise.

I love the orange bird of paradise, but they have to be quite old and established before they will bloom, and must be in direct sun. The white one will be too large to put in that space. The orange are about 5 ft tall and 5 ft wide, the white are 15ft tall and 15ft wide. Bouganvilla have thorns, you would have to trim off the thorns, so that is something to think about if you have small dogs or children around. The rojo banana would look great mixed with the siam ruby, they are both short and their colors would blend. The blood banana would just freeze back in the winter if you put mulch on the top, and come back in the spring. I think the tropical canna( black or tropicanna) and black elep. ears would look lovely out there. Barbra