07-05-2011, 06:37 PM
Some of this is going to be "depends on where your lot is" advice.
Remember, if your lot is anywhere near the more jungly areas, when you rip an area, that area will usually replant with more weedy plants fairly quickly, many of the lots in HPP that were ripped a few years ago in the housing boom now have heavy regrowth, and many are very hard to tell that they were ripped (if they have albezia regrowth, they may need to be re-bulldozed (the normal way to take down the bigger albezias... the wood is so weak very few want to use felling techniques) .
There are some that just jackhammer planting pukas along the border planting line.
Many people plant podacarpus, it grows fast & fills in fairly densely.... but it does KEEP growing fast, so it requires some semi-annual-annual maintenance.
IF you have time to establish, a very nice border can be made with a mix of ti, this can be kept low & full with annual cutback, or allowed to be tall with a trunk barrier. Others will mix in a variety of dracenea or a mix of croton, or clump bamboo (be very wary, as there are very invasive bamboos)
These mixed plant borders have more texture & color, and you can then add in some fruit varieties when you have an idea what you may want... some may comment on the cost of this idea.... but if you have the time, most of these are very easy to grow from cuttings & most everyone I know that has established plants has cuttings available as they maintain their plants (we have a lot of trimmings, as we have small lot & very mature plantings....so if you want... we have..)
No matter what you plant (including a fence) there WILL be maintenance, as stuff grows on just about everything (fun to note the number of road sign posts with vines pouf-ing out from the center of the post).
If you are on-island, drive around the area of your lot & look at what others are doing, you will get a wide range of ideas throughout HPP (and you can even broaden your search around the island for an even greater variety...)
Oh, and one thing to take note of, if you are not on island, opening up your lot border may increase the neighborly use of your lot...unless you plant a thorny thicket as a border.
Remember, if your lot is anywhere near the more jungly areas, when you rip an area, that area will usually replant with more weedy plants fairly quickly, many of the lots in HPP that were ripped a few years ago in the housing boom now have heavy regrowth, and many are very hard to tell that they were ripped (if they have albezia regrowth, they may need to be re-bulldozed (the normal way to take down the bigger albezias... the wood is so weak very few want to use felling techniques) .
There are some that just jackhammer planting pukas along the border planting line.
Many people plant podacarpus, it grows fast & fills in fairly densely.... but it does KEEP growing fast, so it requires some semi-annual-annual maintenance.
IF you have time to establish, a very nice border can be made with a mix of ti, this can be kept low & full with annual cutback, or allowed to be tall with a trunk barrier. Others will mix in a variety of dracenea or a mix of croton, or clump bamboo (be very wary, as there are very invasive bamboos)
These mixed plant borders have more texture & color, and you can then add in some fruit varieties when you have an idea what you may want... some may comment on the cost of this idea.... but if you have the time, most of these are very easy to grow from cuttings & most everyone I know that has established plants has cuttings available as they maintain their plants (we have a lot of trimmings, as we have small lot & very mature plantings....so if you want... we have..)
No matter what you plant (including a fence) there WILL be maintenance, as stuff grows on just about everything (fun to note the number of road sign posts with vines pouf-ing out from the center of the post).
If you are on-island, drive around the area of your lot & look at what others are doing, you will get a wide range of ideas throughout HPP (and you can even broaden your search around the island for an even greater variety...)
Oh, and one thing to take note of, if you are not on island, opening up your lot border may increase the neighborly use of your lot...unless you plant a thorny thicket as a border.