recommendations to replace a pampas grass

A question about : recommendations to replace a pampas grass

Hi,

Got a large pampas grass on our driveway.

Its not huge but the leaves are 4ft high, plumes over 7-8ft tall. Its no more than 4-5ft wide.

TBH, as pampas goes its a beautiful specimen, however, its too much hard work maintaining.

When our driveway gets done I'm gonna have it removed.

Looking for ideas to replace it.

Something statuesque, beautiful, slow growing.

Was wondering about a yucca or a palm.

Its next to the driveway so nothing that will spread to far wide.

Would welcome suggestions.

This will be in a prominent position so need to look impressive.

Best answers:

• a garden swing perhaps
• We need more info really. Choosing plants depends on location and situation.
  Just as a huge Chippendale table would look wrong in a modern estate house's living room, especially if regularly used by a 5 year old, so a particular plant will not fit every situation and climate.
  You'll have more choice living in Falmouth than you will if you live in Filey!
• Its in a prominent location in the front driveway (in/out drive with a central island). Its not in the island but right at the front next to one of the entrances.
  A planter is not going to work. There are existing palms there and it has a spanish hacieda feel
• If there are palms already, then something like a large phormium, in one of the more exotic colour combinations if you prefer, would fit the bill. Won't be cheap, though.
  Phormiums are more people-friendly than yucca, which have a nasty habit of spearing knees, or higher parts!
• What about a "water feature" ?
• I like Cordyline Australis - Ј5 if it's a foot high, Ј400 if it's about 4' high, so cheapest to grow it yourself.
  https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/4361/C...tralis/Details
  https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1201426
  Maintenance free, except as it grows up, the bottom leaves turn brown and droop down. A weak person can yank those off as they occur .... that's all you do, yank off the brown leaves that hang down - the root of each of those leaves then forms the trunk as it grows upwards.
• Trachycarpus wagnerianus? (Phormium tenax sneaking in at the right)
  Or 'cloud pruned' topiary
  Or a group of fastigate juniper 'skyrocket'
  Or an olive tree ?
• Cloud topiary would be great but simply can't spend that much. They are off the scale expensive (justifiably).