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Besides needing some 'controlling', I need more color...but since we're still in drought phase II conditions down here, I am severely limited as to what I can add to this garden - what I've got here is durable, but kinda boring.
Try Golden Spirea or Golden Boxwood both are yellowish and can handle drought, not knowing where "here" is it's kind of hard to suggest plants. What zone are you in? I'm in 7
There in the muddle is ornamental grass, Hibiscusx3, Gardenia, Jasmine, Aloe, Four O'Clock, Fernage, Plumeria, Pentas, Bougainvillea, Oleander, Pineapple, Ti, Grape, Sweet Potato vine, Passionflower...thinking...and probably 4-5 different flowering things I've inherited from cuttings or gifts that I don't readily have a name for or have forgotten to mention.
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I am still learning, but I've noticed that sweet potato vines seem to handle drought conditions well. I love the purple ones.
I am not crazy about succulents/cacti myself, but they are an obvious choice, too. Those little kalanchoes have brightly-colored blossoms.
A drought-tolerant plant I used to enjoy in Colorado that I've seen in north Florida is portulaca--it is very colorful indeed.
I think you're right about it needing a little control. It also looks like there is too much of the same texture. You might need some careful editing to keep it from looking the same all the way across.
For example, along the bottom, you have the same straggly thing growing out onto the walkway. You might try removing sections of it and allow some other thing to show through. Wildness also looks more interesting if you have something well tended or carefully pruned in contrast.
You've allowed everything to grow up equally so that it swallows up potentially interesting forms and colors like those nice purple grasses in the background. Think of your garden as sculpture.
An all green garden can be incredibly interesting but you have to pay careful attention to form and contrast. Don't plant more, just edit carefully.
May I join Ellie:>) More is not necessarily better. I had a similar problem and did some serious house cleaning with friends who adopted plants on the spot.
I'm torn between grooming, which is done every month and undone by one good rain (which is all we're getting - ONE good rain) and letting it go natural because it is after all a butterfly garden and not supposed to be formal...but there's casual, natural and then there's ACK!
I have ACK!
Yet the neighbors all love it! Crazy. I guess it looks so much better than the dead, brown lawn.
The sprawling, scraggly stuff is that climbing vine with the abundant little yellow flowers...all over Florida, but I can't find the name for it - another donation that started in one area to cover the stump...that stuff goes NUTS and is in need of serious modification. If you have a bare patch and live in the South, use this stuff...it needs NOTHING to survive and the butterflies dig it.
That is the real culprit for 'hiding' everything else - it doesn't strangle the other plants, actually serving well as a green mulch, but it covers e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g.
I have a spike-leaved tropical plant (see the clump by the kitchen window by the wall on the left - more of that) planted along the sidewalk edge which has a beautiful maroon/green color, but it is taking sweet time to grow up...that will add height and privacy...
The multi-color Four O' Clocks simply have not received enough water and are dormant bulbs right now...
Also starting from cutting or small plants I have Florida coffee - it'll be a long time before that becomes noticable...that's next to the Hibiscus you can't really see in the 'big picture'.
Piper Nigrum, instead of climbing, wants to cover the ground...
The grape vine is starting to fruit...that will add something...
And when the trees grow up on either side, that will be the height I so desperately need to organize the space...
So this weekend I am going to cull back the crazy vine (sorry Mr. Snake) and see what that looks like.
I also have a now hidden erosion barrier of left-over baby Carrotwood trees that edge the sidewalk...EVIL, EVIL tree...those things were brought down by 2004 Hurricane season but we still have sprouting from the thousands of seeds they dumped. I cut that border short and sharp - only there to serve as a doggy fence of sorts and by harsh pruning not matured enough to make new Carrotwood.
There is a lot of pink and burgundy when the conditions are right...I am going to investigate what silver I might be able to introduce after the vine is tamed.
That Macho fern is another beast...but I am thankful that it thrives...my other ferns are very unhappy right now.
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I see some color.......
