The Chinese Pistache is one of my favorite tree, especially in the autumn with the leaves changing to yellow, orange and then red. These trees are commonly grown in Northern California along city streets and public buildings.

We have two pistache trees. While both were planted at the same time, the one in the front yard is much smaller compare to the backyard tree. In the summertime it provides much needed shade.

The pretty little pink and reddish berries are another wonderful addition to this tree.

Because they are related to the pistachio family, the berries only show up ever other year.

Chinese pistache is native to China, Taiwan and the Philippine Islands. It’s the perfect tree for care free yards with it’s good resistant to pest. It’s also great for hot areas because it’s heat and drought tolerant.

They are part of the sumac family, which includes mango and pistachio. All parts of the this tree is edible, and the the young tender leaves and green berries are good. The scent and taste reminds me of young green mango. It’s a good addition eaten with “larb or laap” the spiced up minced meat common in Lao dishes.

More info about the tree here.

Natal plum is a thorny evergreen shrub or small tree. They are usually grown for landscaping in warmer parts of the U.S.  If you snap a branch or stem, you’ll find milky white sap (it is perfectly safe to touch). The best part of this shrub is the lovely fragrant white star shaped flower and fruit.

Other varieties have scientific names including Carissa Grandilflora, Carissa Macrocarpa, and Carissa Carandas.  The shrub originates from South Africa.

Photo by Marco Shmidt of Wikimedia Common.

I have seen these grown as landscaping shrubs widely in the coastal part of southern California.  The flowers have a fragrant similar to gardenia and jasmine. Some even think it smells like orange blossoms.

These are also found grown as landscaping plants in Disneyland (LA) and popular in Hawaii too.

Photo 1: Carissa Macrocarpa, image source.

Photo 2:  Carissa Carandas (fruit),  image source.

Photo 3: Image Source.

The fruits are the size of plums and are bright red. The fruits are edible and usually made into a sauce that taste similar to sweet cranberries.

I wish I knew the fruits were edible while I was living in southern California.  I would have gathered a basketful and learn to make sauce or jams with them.

The shrub (Carissa Carandas) is very popular in Indian cooking. The green fruits are pickled, the ripen fruits are used to make chutney, tarts, and pudding. The roots are used in Ayurvedic medicine and useful in treatment of stomach disorders along with other ailments.

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If I had viable garden space, I would want to grow one of these flowers.  White Butterfly ginger (hedychiums) are considered one of the most attractive of all ginger flowers.

Ginger flowers are commonly known as Ginger lily.  They are  also related to the common ginger root used in cooking.

It is a popular landscape plant for warmer states such as Florida, Texas,  California and Hawaii .

The one pictured here is the White Butterfly Ginger.  It has green stalks that grow from thick rhizomes (root).  From the middle of summer through autumn, the stalks will have long clusters of fragrant white flowers.  Flowers that resemble butterflies, hence the name.

Here is the Houston Chronicle’s top 3 Butterfly Gingers that I like (out of their top 10 list).

- The rows of red-orange flowers of this striking ginger are arranged to create a loose, bottlebrushlike look.

- The best-known of the butterfly gingers, these large, white, highly fragrant blooms are carried atop 5-foot plants.

- The bright-yellow flowers of this lightly scented summer-fall bloomer have red-orange stamens. Leathery-leafed stalks.

All the other varieties sound really nice.  The Red ginger and Kahili ginger remind me of tropical places, such as Hawaii.

The white butterfly ginger seem to be most popular and widely available.  Ebay starts at $9 for 2 rhizomes.  Not too bad considering those rhizomes will start to multiply in no time!

Beautiful red ginger from Hawaii.  Same ginger leaves, but different blossoms.  Photo from R.J. Malfalfa via .

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Having a small yard does not mean you can’t have a nice garden.  With some interesting layout and careful selections of plants and trees, you too can have a beautiful garden.

Christopher J. Cohan of This Old House recommends dividing a small yard into several areas of interest, including a pond.  This makes the landscape seem bigger than it is.  For his own yard, he divided the front and backyard with different types of plants and landscaping. 

Cohan uses ornamental border along the street to adds curb appeal and make it feel more inviting. Then an entry garden with a lamp post lights the way for visitors. And there’s even a private patio for dining and a woodsy backyard for relaxing in your lounge-chair. 

You can view more photos of Cohan’s garden here.

Photo from This Old House.

As you can see from the picture of the front yard, the house has a dogwood tree that is scaled to the house.  This provides the front-yard with a focal point. I really like this idea. But the only thing I wonder about Cohan’s yard is how much care and maintenance this yard will need.  And also if they plants are drought tolerant, since we are having water shortages in many part of the U.S..  But overall, despite having a smaller home and yard, Cohan was able to create a magical and inviting place.

More good ideas for small yard landscaping come from landscape architect Pamela Palmer.  As she mentioned in Sunset magazine, a small yard can be as dramatic as larger landscapes.  But they need to be designed with care. Palmer recommends evergreen plants as your primary source of color rather than flowers. And instead of fencing, you can use plants to create privacy and borders. Recommended border plants are the gray-leafed pineapple guava shrubs.

They still look nice in the winter, have blossoms in spring, and provide you with edible fruits in the autumn. These plants contribute color, texture, movement, and shelter for birds and other animals. Other good plants for privacy would be papyrus and bamboo.

These are the pretty pink blossoms of from the pineapple guava tree.  Photo from Dunton Family Farm of  Oregon. 

They are growing this shrub to replace their old wooden fence, they want it to be at least 7 feet in height.  They say it grows slowly and is easy to keep small if desired.

Here are some trees recommended for small yards: Flowering Dogwood, Japanese maple, Eastern Redbud, and Smoke Tree. Check the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to see if you can grow these tree. 

Below is the Japanese maple, it’s very compact yet regal looking.  It’s one of the trees I would like to plant in my yard someday.

Photo from This Old House.