Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Evergreen exotics for zone 7b (and surrounding)?, 1 by datdog

datdog wrote:
Tropicanna- Love your garden! You have so many options for winter interest.


*Think conifers! They come in all shapes and sizes and they really add some structure to the winter garden. I suggest visiting your local botanical garden and see what they have growing.

Here are a few things I grow in my full sun bed and I'm in zone 6b.

Deodora Cedar- It grows FAST so I keep it trimed to a shape I like.

Hollies- There are so many new varieties out there now and they do fantastic in sun.

Black Bamboo- wonderful winter interest and doesn't spread much in my zone 6b, if it's a cold winter it will even die back but come up from the roots.

Chamaecyparis 'Fernspray Gold'- I love this plant... as well as other Chamaecyparis

Blue atlas cedar- again I keep it trimed.

Rhododendron - I have a full hedge of this in full sun and it does well if I water in the summer.

Common boxwood- pruned into little balls- to cover an eye sore

I have a few other odds and ends but my space is small so that is all I can cram in there.

I don't do any type of palms as I'm not trying to go with a tropical look in the dead of winter, I also don't think palms add too much interest to my beds. I do grow one or two but I keep them in the back '40'. I can't stress enough how helpful it is to walk around your local botanical garden in the winter, you will see things you'd never dream of using.

Here is a picture of my bed in the summer- I've only been in this house for 5 years so my winter shot is a work in progress, if there was mulch down I'd snap a shot for you. :)