One less Royal!

When we first bought our house there was a small garden out front with 2 parking spots all set behind a short metal rail fence.    

We rarely were able to have the front windows open because of the dust and dirt that came in.  There was also noise and exhaust from traffic passing, as well as anyone walking by could just look right in.

We eventually had 14 ft high block walls built.  Oh my what a fabulous difference that made.

how pretty does this look,
now how will people find us?

We started planting things but couldn't figure out exactly what we wanted to be the centerpiece.  I wanted a palm of some sort, it had to clear the roof line but not get overly tall.  A few years ago we were gifted  a palm that seemed to fit the bill. It had been in a pot for quite a few years and one of the guys that delivered it thought it might be a palma cubano.

Well it's definitely a royal palm;  and it has grown so tall, too tall.  It's getting more and more difficult to get to the fronds before they fall, and they are seriously heavy.   A few weeks ago the electric company, CFE, came through and cut all the fronds extending over the wall to be even with the wall and then tossed the fronds in to our front garden.

I was less than pleased, not about then cutting of the fronds, but by the tossing over -  I have orchids  art pieces, and lighting set up in that small garden.  I love that little garden.



Well the palm had to go - I checked about, and no one was willing to move it, nor thought it could be moved and survive.

we started by  removing plants we want to save.
Just look at that huge orchid hanging there

just look how tall

the view from the street

aack, I can't bear to watch

the huge heavy fronds are dropping

and now the trunk falls, chunk by chunk

Now I have to wait for the roots and submerged trunk to start to break down to plant new stuff.  The root system of a royal spreads out like a dense weave rug just under the surface of the the ground.  There is no just digging it up, in fact Francisco indicated a jackhammer would be needed, I believe him.

so sad!  One of the saddest things I can think of is having to destroy a perfectly healthy beautiful tree.
So help!  what should i put there?