I am in full bore reconstruction mode. I really am trying to focus on one area at a time, but I'm not being very successful at that. I have taken out two huge 20 years+ old hibiscus bushes and am planning to replace with some Old Garden Roses. I usually plant zinnias, cosmos, blanket flowers from seed in the area in front of the hibiscus. I still plan to do that this year as well. But the roses will be my backbone for this area. Since they are cold hardy I will have something beautiful to look at even when the full effect of all the other flowers is gone. I haven't purchased the roses yet.....
Still digging up the stump for the largest of the hibiscus bushes.
I have a very shady corner which is planted with gingers, caladiums, alocasias, a red shrimp plant, forsythia sage and persian shield. All but the red shrimp has gone dormant from the cold weather. These plants always have come back but until about April that corner looks very bare. It is under my twin grandfather oak so oakleaf mulch is all you see from January until Aprilish.
Purchases for this area include: 2 Chamaedorea Cataractarum and 2 Shefflera Arboricola. Also purchased were some Flax Lily I found on the half-price rack at Lowe's and a beautiful Camellia Sasanqua that I plan to put under my bedroom window which is dappled shade. The Cat Palms will take the place of the Microspadix in my wishlist. They are not as cold hardy but are good to 20 degrees. And they were only $10 each. If I ever find a Microspadix I can still buy one. One. Here's some info on my beautiful camellia.
Camellia Sasanqua Shishi Gashira
See how my one at a time plan is disintegrating?
A third area I have been working on is against my neighbors chainlink fence. I planted some Bamboo last spring that is filling in nicely and held up during the cold snap. My banana trees however are toast. I think they will come back from the corms but until then there is a gaping hole. So, I bought a
(Feijoa sellowiana) 
to put in that space. Also purchased 2 Bulbine and 2 more Lorapetalum to plant in front of the sunny fence area.
I really got some good plant deals at my local nursery. Really. I did.
As I plant each area I will post updates. My goal is to provide some more cold hardy "bones" for my garden while still keeping all the tropical and more cold sensitive perennials for spring and summer color. That's the plan!
