New Gardener in North Carolina

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Anna3217 Burlington, NC May 17, 2014

I am a woman living in North Carolina who has never done any gardening in my life. I used to live in California, and my understanding was that things were easier to grow out there. Since NC gets cold in the winter.

I live in an apartment and have a square where I can grow something. I want to have something pretty and simple in front of my apartment, something that lives year round. Any suggestions? I was thinking a rose bush or Bougainvillea, but I have no idea if these can survive year round in NC. If not, any suggestions on what I can plant here? :)

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Diana_K Contra Costa County, CA(Zone 9b) May 17, 2014

If you go to the site that can show you your USDA zone that can help. The zones are based on how cold it gets, so plant that are listed for your zone or a higher number generally will not freeze in most years. Looks like you are in one of the zone 7s, 7a or 7b.
Bougainvillea will not grow there without some serious winter protection.
Roses ought to do really well, if other conditions are right.

What size is the area, and when is there sun? Morning, afternoon, all day... ? Or is it shaded by a tree?
Do you have a way to get water to it? (If you will have to carry water that will get very old, very fast!)

Plants that could work might be shrubs: Shrubs are woody plants of many sizes. A small shrub might be a foot or two high and wide.
Evergreen shrubs will have leaves year round, and flowers in season. You could select a shrub with showy leaves so there is something interesting all year round.
Deciduous shrubs lose their leaves, usually in the winter, but often have showy flowers that make the winter appearance OK. Roses are like this.
Perennials are plants that are not woody. Some stay green all year, some go through a dormant period when it is best to cut them back pretty hard, even all the way to the ground. Then they regrow.
A mix of plants that provides flowers in several seasons would be a good way to keep the plot looking nice. A thick mulch of bark would keep the area dressed up and minimize weeds. Then add a birdbath or an interesting rock or something.

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