Ana, try posting this on the 'Landscape forum.'

I find them very helpful as there are designers from Florida who help people out.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/landscape-design

Jane

I did a few weeks ago and got very home depot/Lowe's typical recommendations hence why I specifically asked in florida section.

To me this style looks and sounds more Mediterranean than English Garden. Frankly since you already have other zone 10 plants in it I think this area just screams for a bougainvillea tucked into that corner next to the decorative cement wall. But if you are stuck on the English Garden look, it's going to be difficult for zone 10. A Tea Olive is fragrant and I'm sure it can be pruned to keep it looking formal. The very small flowers are very fragrant, otherwise very plain looking shrub-like leaves. Roses need a lot of care and are prone to disease. Everything I can think of that is formal and flowering is either not suited to zone 10 or if it is, it's too tropical for your taste. Camellias can be pruned to look formal but they don't like full sun situations and they aren't fragrant. When I think of English Garden I think of roses, ivy, clipped yews and all kinds of flowers, especially perennials and annuals that we can't grow in Florida.

Totally agree with Rita. This is such a perfect area for a tropical type garden.

The setting looks Mediterranean. I really like it especially that wall. I'm not really sure what English garden plant would flourish there. There is going to be a lot of heat reflected off the rocks, pavers, and walls.

Don't foxgloves die in the heat and humidity here? I had some that did okay till the summer rains and heat started up then they were goners.

There are a few fragrant Camellias out there now. Tahitian Gardenias, Michelia alba (heavenly smell), Michelia figo (bananas and vanilla smell), Tea Olive, etc could be kept smaller in a pot.

Indian Night Jasmine (Nycanthes arbor-tristis) could take the heat and is fragrant at night. Not super pretty though.

A potted rose might work. Some are healthier than others. Pat Austin (a David Austin rose) is super clean here in my no spray garden. She blooms all the time. Might be too bright and tropical looking though.

Tea roses (not the same as Hybrid Teas) and Noisettes do well here. Mrs BR Cant has luscious double pink fragrant, big cupcake blooms that smell like candy and loves heat. Mine is doing great here.

You might also think this is super boring but you can't beat the fragrance of a potted Meyer Lemon by a seating area. They can bloom anytime and the flowers are beautiful. Lemons are kinda classy. I grow several just for fragrance lol.

A sculptured potted rosemary might look nice.

Plumeria would thrive there!

ok, I realize a typical English garden wouldn't work here, BUT I want the look of one in formality. I would like tightly formed flowering shrubs, dwarf flowering tree maybe, more formal flowering look. I am not thinking english cottage, more english formal. Soft pink and soft lilac colored flowers and flowering small shrubs.

When tropical is mentioned I think birds of paradise, red-ti, elephant ears, etc and to me I REALLY dislike this look. I can appreciate it in others homes, but in my own I wouldn't be able to look at it daily.

the star jasmine I will be growin up the side walls we are doing the wall wires this weekend and it will be like the photo below. I did this exact trellis look in my last home with the jasmine and only allow it to grow out of pattern during bloom time then cut back right after it's done. This works well for this type of vine.

also, the hibiscus tri-colored in my urns was trimmed to a topiary shape and I will form it even more as it grows, photo of that below. I just wanted to figure out what I can use to keep formality in this courtyard that's all.

I tend to use tropical growing plants and formalize them. Also, I am going to trim the mexican heather to a box cut low hedge when it's big enough. Have done this and had it work amazing in the past too.

I love the idea of a tea olive, but need flowering color in soft pinks or lilacs. This is where I am really stuck.

oh and I also realize the hibiscus looks horrible. I purchased it yesterday in my search at a local nursery and it was bone dry and nearly dying. I will baby it back to health.

What about Lorapetalum? It has lovely burgundy/purple leaves and pink flowers. There is a plant that really looks good in a pot and can be pruned and in the Spring/Summer/Fall it has lovely pink flowers. It's called a Panama Rose but it's not a rose. It's also not one of those "common" plants that you find at Lowes, you have to look for it. It's also called a bush Penta. Also there is the Butterfly Bush, it can get pretty big and actually does better when grown in a pot because it suffers from nematodes when planted in the ground. Hey, what about Canna lillies or Blue Lillies of the Nile? That would look good in a nice pot, not a shrub but nice and blooms? Oh, what about the white variety of Plumbago?? Those grow like crazy, bloom constantly and can and need to be pruned, but there is no fragrance. They are harder to find than the blue ones. I'm really trying to think of plants that fit what you want, but it's difficult. There are also small Dwarf Crepe Myrtles.

writersblock I agree with bougainvillea. It's really pretty, BUT it is out of control crazy and that's exactly why I wouldn't plant it.

The local private nursery here was selling foxgloves in the 100's and sold out lol. I bought 6 about 4 weeks ago hoping for the best and so far in the pots they are happy and healthy, now come hotter weather they may croak. I also bought hydregenea bushss at the same time and they have been in the ground in my backyard under an avocado tree in the corner of the yard in the most shaded area of my yard and growing like crazy. Again come summer I shall see if they survive. I am really pushing a few limits just to see what will grow flower wise for me.

I planted a meyer lemon in my backyard, but maybe I can get a dwarf variety and just ground plant it too in the courtyard and keep it somewhat pruned. The flowers do smell amazing.

Has anyone had luck with calla lilies, amaryllis, rain lilies, california lilacs, globe amaranth, agapanthus?

In my last home I kept pretty much everything as topiary type growth and boxed hedges, so do not have much experience with flowers. I did have 2 magnolia trees, they stayed alive, but always suffered and barely bloomed so that I know is out of the question

Dwarf azalea for the shady area? Smaller, tighter blooms than the big bushes. Mine bloom on and off, year round. The ones in fullest sun have shade on their roots from ground cover.

I'm afraid I wouldn't plant citrus in-ground in S FL these days. Greening is likely to happen eventually and that's easier if you can just ditch a potted one. Foxgloves have about two months right now before they are toast, if you're lucky and keep them semi-shaded. There is one kind of hydrangea that will grow down as far as this area (Stuart), but not sure about Miami. Believe me, many people before you have tried all these things.

However, amaryllis do well, especially if you dig them up for the summer and save the bulbs. Rain lilies are endemic--when I was a kid in Miami we always had them all along the roof drip line, but we never planted them--they just appeared. Agapanthus might do well--they have wonderful agapanthus in the medians on 41 over in Estero and if they grow there I would expect them to be able to grow in Miami. Azalea doesn't like extreme S FL much. It will survive but looks pretty ratty, even when blooming. St Pete is a lot cooler in the winter than Miami.

You may as well come to terms with the fact that you are living in a tropical climate and learn to like tropicals, even if you don't plant them in a tropical style. Go visit Fairchild--they experiment with everything down there. Not all tropicals are tropical-looking, anyway. Queen's wreath (petrea volubilis) is a nice substitute for wisteria, for instance. And look into the many flowering trees that only grow that far south--forget junk like magnolias. There are so many gorgeous flowering trees for S FL. Mounts in WPB is another good resource. It's more of a "Here are some suggestions for your home garden" kind of place as opposed to a zoo for exotics.

I'll go to fairchild when I get a chance and look. I don't hit Miami often from Broward, but I may have to. I'll also have to look up this issue with citrus. I sold my old house back in April of 18 and had 2 citrus trees and both were fine. I had lemon and lime that were healthy and fruiting good. I had planted those about 12 years ago. Maybe I was just lucky?

Some neighborhoods are more prone than others, but unfortunately it is spreading. I would avoid planting any of the other plants that can be vectors, like lakeview jasmine, and keep your fingers crossed. If you're in Broward, definitely take a drive up to Mounts. Flamingo Gardens used to be kind of interesting, but I haven't been there in many years, but I think they still have a native wildflower garden that may be useful, and it's certainly the closest to you.

You have a beautiful space. Are you good with orchids? Could you hand them on the wall that you can see through? I love them but they are not the easy to grow.... mine have had to move to an non-prominent place because they don't always look so good.... however, I have a couple of friends who have them in a courtyard and they look beautiful. if orchids are not your thing, what about a Don Juan rose. It is a climber that you can fan out and it will bloom over and over up and down the canes because it is a climber. Plus it smells really good. If you go with roses make sure you get them on fortuniana root stock so that the neamatodes don't destroy them. Another thing that you could plant is a lot of butterfly nectar plants. Then down the side of the house plant where they are right in your eyesight, plant some host plants. The reason you want the host plants down the side of the house is they do become an eyesore and look ratty when the caterpillars are munching on them. However, you can find some beautiful butterfly nectar plants and you will get to enjoy them when you go in and out your front door. ...... once you decide to plant you should come back and post a picture of what you have done so we can all enjoy it.

Sharon

I have to agree Don Juan is awesome in Florida. Mine is in a large pot.

I have decided what I am going to do. I cleared the entire area bare and we are painting just the courtyard tomorrow in white. I'll be painting the entire house in another month or two, but can't let the jasmine grow on the yellow walls now, so....then Sunday drilling all the holes for the diamond shapes on the solid walls and stringing it with the metal wire.

the photo I posted below is a quick mock up, but I am putting window boxes with some kind of small fragrant flowers on each window. Under the windows into the corners we will plant podocarpus hedges that we will box shape into the corners and half moon the front. podocarpus has a nice texture to it. In front of the podocarpus some fragrant flowers of some sort. This will be on both sides. On the opposite corners near the gate side we will plant the gardenia Bush in the corners and the large urns flanking the gate that will have the hibiscus topiaries and flowers in the pots. Front walk we planted today the mexican heather. The fointain and bench will be centered on each side in center of courtyard. I'll find some fragrant flowers to put in front of the fountain and a few water lilies in the fountain. Flanking each bench a smaller pot of a ball topiary.

Can I use gardenia there instead and keep it ball shaped or is that too hard?

For back border where jasmine is and front border where mexican heather is we are putting rounded white rock. Where you see the half circles in my drawing we are doing polished black pebbles in the fountain and bench area. I am also painting the walkway in a dark graphite. So the entire theme will be black and white with pops of color in the accent flowers and the green of all the plants.

My goal now is to find flowers that are very fragrant to line in front of the fountain on tje ground and also something that is fragrant in front of the podocarpus hedges. I would love for flowers that bloom at different times or are continuously blooming so we can have fragrance all year in the courtyard.

any suggestions for that would be great. We are hoping to be done with this thing in 2 weeks.

I grow many water lilies in containers and they dont typically like to be grown in moving water, like a fountain. They like still water tubs at least 2-3 feet deep. The smaller planted pots are submerged at the bottom of the tub. You could add a separate fancy pot with no holes in it for water lilies. You will need tropical varieties because the hardy types do not rebloom well with our warm winters. There are a few fragrant night blooming water lilies as well.

I love podocarpus and it's very period-appropriate for your house. Gardenia is a great choice, but if you prune it like that it won't bloom. You can keep it roughly shaped but it blooms on new growth.

Panama rose is another nice fragrant shrub that does well in S FL but it's more like a big penta plant, so not very amenable to hard pruning.

Sweet alyssum is a nice low fragrant winter annual.

If you are getting a gardenia, I would go with a Tahitian Gardenia. The blooms are way bigger, and mine blooms constantly, way more than my two regular gardenias. I really think the scent is a little stronger too. Definitely dont shape it into a ball. You can have little tree gardenias though. The Tahitian I got came as tree shape and was blooming fine that way. I just let it grow bigger and get more branches..more branches = more flowers.

You can find the gorgeous Tahitian Gardenias at Lowes now lol. I'm sort of a plant snob but I have to admit, some of the Lowes have stepped up their game in getting way better/more unusual plants. The best part is, they dont know how/or just don't, care for them properly so they go on the clearance aka kill rack for dirt cheap "D

You can have little tree gardenias though.

That's a great idea.

I am like you - love the soft colors and not as big of fan of the tropicals. Amaryllis grow great. I started with 12 young bulbs and have 60 new pups every year. Mine bloom March to May. I second the Queens wreath. You can train it to a dwarf tree shape instead of a vine. Mine has taken 3 years to train but makes a spectacular show of pastel purple flowers multiple times of year now. Tabueia (sp?) can also be kept sort of small and have the yellow, pink, or white blooms but only once a year. Thyrallis is a native bush with yellow flowers in long clusters. Something about them are reminscent of forsythia to me. It does not look super tropical, especially trained into a tree shape instead of a shrub. Buddelia/butterfly bush can also come in silver leaf/pastel varieties and can be trained. These bloom much of the year, attract butterflies and have a wonderful fragrance. I have had lots of luck with Nelson's roses in large pots on Florida rootstock. I would particularly recommend Francis Meilland (cream/pink) and Pope John Paul II (white). Both highly fragrant. The Francis Meilland has glossy leaves and vigorous growth.