suggestions needed: what flower to plant next year -2015?

see update below

This message was edited Mar 17, 2015 12:53 PM

Dahlias come all sizes and come cream and pure white, You need to dead-head then for continued flowering, these are tubers that need planting BUT may also need support from canes.
Gladiolas are bulbs, white and many colours.
Roses also come with white flowers and also 2 tone like the other plants you have.
Iris also come white, Tuber rooted.
Anemone, can come in white BUT normally a mixed group of colours, these are corm rooted.
Amaryllis, these are bulbs.
Gypsophilias, the perennial grows into a lovely open bushy plant with tiny white flowers, good for flowers in vases.
Astilbe, perennial plant white flowers and nuce lacey foliage
Lupins, tall and come in white, short lived perennial grows into a wide clump spreading plant, very attractive.
Peonies come in white also, these are tuberous rooted plants like only an inch of soil over the tuber as they need the sun on the tuber. tont bury deep.

There are many more white flowering plants however, I give the plants that come back each year and get bigger and stronger so your not replacing them, All Perennials. you need to enrich the soil with humus for these plants to do well BUT end of season you cut them back, throw some mulch over them and they just begin there new show the following year.
There are even more annuals that are from seed sewn in March and they grow-flower and set seed all in the one season.
Hope this helps give you food for thought.
Kindest Regards.
WeeNel.

Have you considered Zinnias?

Some are quite tall with large blooms and very long bloom time (Summer to Fall). They're annuals so you'd need to plant the seeds in Spring. They aren't self-cleaning, but one of the best things about Zinnias is they really like to be cut. It stimulates more growth and they make great flower bouquets.

Also, a real bonus is that butterflies love Zinnias. Hummingbirds like them, too, but they might not be as attracted to the white ones.

I found quite a few pure white ones, some taller than others. The one below is offered by "Select Seeds Antique Flowers" - a DG TOP 5 nursery!

http://selectseeds.com/cgi-bin/start.cgi/2014/html/productdetail.growwith.htm?store.prodno=s778

Here's the link to their GardenWatchdog rating:

http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/177/

Here's another white one that's even taller and also sold by a DG TOP 5 nursery:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/123322/

This next link is a PlantFiles search for Zinnias. If you scroll through, you can see some of the other white ones that are available.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=zinnias&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&searcher%5Bgrex%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search&searcher[common]=Zinnia&offset=0



This message was edited Oct 26, 2014 10:50 PM

This year I crossed some of my conventional white zinnias, like the first picture of a white cactus flowered zinnia (on a nice bushy plant) with unconventional zinnia flower forms, like the needle-petaled variant and the tubular petaled variant. It will be interesting to see what the results look like. And of course these unique zinnias need to be patrolled by a group of highly trained "guard guineas" in case any insect pests should present a threat.

ZM

I'm slowing learning about flowers: I figured there were LOTS of flowers that met my criteria, but didn't know what kind they would be. Thanks, nuts and ZM, I will go look into zinnias (sp?).

guard guineas: LOL!!!

I live in an un-fenced apartment complex. The very idea of letting a flock of guineas loose to patrol my flower beds is hilarous!! I can just imagine them wandering the grounds going from one flower bed to the next, spreading mayhem as they went, stopping cars and followed by giggling, laughing children trying to catch one. And THEN the adults would get involved!! Management, police, local animal rights protection / rescue volunteers....ROFL!!!

I can hear me now "They are usually so well-trained: they come when I call them. I had no IDEA they would leave my yard: they never have before."

As a high school student, I raised 5 white Peking ducks in my fenced back yard for a schooll project. (Our house was in the middle of a Tulsa OK residential area.) I trained them to come when I called by feeding them strips of raw beef liver. When I went off to college, I gave them to the local city Parks people; when I came home on break, I'd go to that park and call them (with their "reward" ready): 5 ducks would immediately break away from the large group and make a bee-line for me at full speed!! One time, a little boy was watching and starting mimicking my call, only to be crest-fallen when no ducks came: he asked me how I did it, so I explained.

Thank you, ZM, I needed a good laugh.

Bet, loved yr duck story! Thanx 4 sharing! :-)

Cosmos might work with Zinnias and they are also easy to grow.

You can also plant Columbine they come in various colors white, blue,pink, purple and they reseed themselves . Have you taught about foxgloves they are lovely plants too and also Phlox.

Lol, Just found this thread...(after I sent you the dmail).

Now for suggestions: Malva Zebrina will bloom the whole season and even do some reseeding There are various Daisies from 12"-36". (pix 1) Rudbeckias, most will bloom the whole season and many of the annual varieties will reseed, (pix 2,3 and 4) Centaurea montana all season and can reseed, (pix 5) Veronica spicata Sight Seeing (blue, 28", late spring to frost but needs deadheading). More pix to come with other suggestions of you're wanting...

mmmmmmmmmmmm I LIKE that first pic: bright (I like bright, definite colors) plus its a daisy!!!! (I think, if I've got the numbering right. Rudbeckias - black-eyed Susans - are almost like wildflowers here: they seem to grow EVERYWHERE under ANY condition!) Consider this. tho: In spring/May?June ? my front gardenwill be planted with (from front door to lily bed): daphne Eternal Fragrance amid (annual) Boiled Egg Plant groundcover (pic 1 & 2), under my first window will be (perennial) white Shasta Daisy (pic 3), between my windows is my lily bed with those asters (pic 4), then the perfect rectangle and ending with that irregulAar area that is designated for that dark pink yarrow.

Can I just "like" and then you choose which to send??? (or am I making too much work for yo0u??)

Oh, and bth: I looked into zinnias and selected Magellan Yellow Zinnias for my small flower bed in front and went ahead with those asters for amid my lilies (I couldn't find any short dahlias I liked, lupines were too tall and foxglove has poisonous parts).

Bet,
I have never seen the boiled eggplant ground cover...this is a lovely plant!

You should check out Kalimeris integrifolia. This is a plant I'd like to get for myself.

Hi Zen Man, I usually visit Ottawa a lot . I wish I can get some White Zinnia seeds when next I visit.

Hi cytf,

I would like to share zinnia seeds, but because my zinnias are so unique, I am not doing so. This issue was covered in more detail in the Hybridizers forum.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=10010532

White zinnia seeds are available from many commercial sources.

ZM

Hello,

I would like to share something related to hydroponic gardening, I am sure it is beneficial to start new indoor garden.

http://goo.gl/SsFdyS

`Update: management just issued new restrictions for the flower beds, particularly alarming is the new, lower height limit of 18 inches. Since I have been slowly populating my gardens for 3 years using the OLD height restriction of 36 inches, a lot of my established plants will have to be removed, by ME!!!

I just happened to have on hand some zinnia seeds that I bought for my back garden this year, but management decided I didn't HAVE a back garden anymore. So I'll direct sow these (Zahara line, Starlight Rose) to fill in alot of the new empty places.

That seems like an undesirable gardening arrangement, to have "management" arbitrarily making rules and changing rules.

There are a lot of zinnia varieties that are shorter than 18 inches, although I don't favor them because I don't like to lean over or kneel to pollinate them.

Did "management" give any reason for their arbitrary rule changes? Why was something that was "OK" last year somehow not "OK" this year?

As I said, there was a regime change: the Big Boss retired and the new one is re-making things the way she chooses. . . .and yes, it IS arbitrary!

Yes, it is an undesirable gardening arrangement, but such are the trials & tribulations of being a renter. What can one do?? Take them to court, obviously be victorious. . . . and have them ever-so-politely refuse to re-new your lease!!!!!

Sorry for the issuses, we'll figure things out!!!! I still have plenty of shorter plants but too bad you have to abide by someone elses whims!!!!

Hi Bet,

" As I said, there was a regime change: the Big Boss retired and the new one is re-making things the way she chooses... "

I don't want to be nit-picky, but this was the first time you said anything about a regime change. But you are right, you are limited in what you can do as a renter.

ZM

I looked at my zinnia seeds and they both meet the new height limit of 18 inches! The shorter one is a dwarf: compact 12 inch plant with the huge zinnia flowers!

BetNc do you think that the boss has allergy problems?or maybe flowers bring back bad memories to her .lol Its very strange a woman not to like flowers.Just guessing

The Boss doesn't know anything about anything green, starting with grass! Not only is she on a power trip, she likes and is being guided by one who actively HATES anything green: thus my recent loss of the healthy oak tree that was providing shade for my front garden. THAT one has often vehemetally stated that he would like nothing but grass everywhere, right up to these apartmnent buildings.

I could go on and detail more of the anti-green measures The Dastardly Duo have decreed, but I won't.