the last 2 years i had coleus, caladiums, ivy, begonias, impatiens in containers in most of the day shade and wind...this year my coleus is looking like french fried coleus...the wind is frying it...; besides the above, can you think of another container plant that will take west texas heat and wind.....and only late in the day sun (4-7) yikes:)
Need container plants for shade in hot windy west texas
Any way you can put up a "fixed object" to block some of the wind? I've seen things like an old window used as garden decor that also blocks the wind.
Wow, those are tough conditions. Dry, windy, shade. The best plant I could think of for those conditions would be ajuga reptans http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/673/index.html
I also thought of salvia, but due to their height, they could get bent out of shape by the wind.
Ajuga is a tough, invasive, shade tolerant ground cover. It would have a trailing habit in your containers (it sends out sideways runners)
Other options to consider would include coral bells, labrador violets, oxalis, and some of the shade tolerant sedums.
sugar...we tried that blockage thing...unfortunately, it did nothing...and it was an inexpensive wind blocker....but at least great minds think alike:)
collin...i will investigate those items you talked about....i would like to have a lush looking
yard and instead i have a parched looking yard...you would think the shade would
help all my coleus etc...but the wind french fries them
sticks
I have a covered patio and it gets lots of wind, but I've never had the wind burn my coleus. I also have some lattice work so maybe this protects my pot plants; plus the walls of the house too I reckon. I know that many of my shrubs in the ground sometimes get wind burn & they lean funky ways from the wind.
Anyway, some of the things I have on my patio are: crown of thorns, bromeliads, fire spike (odontema strictum), geraniums, gerber daisies, a philodendren, a rubber tree, ferns, agapanthus, crotons, kalanchoes,
phughes...do you have agapanthus on your covered patio? if so how long do they bloom? are they in containers? i looked them up and they are quite lovely
how much sun does your patio get?
are your geranium the common kind? do they get any sunlight? how do they bloom?
I do have agapanthus in a pot on the patio and also in the ground; they do not bloom often; but the one in the pot blooms as much as the ones in the ground; maybe once or twice a year; probably need to feed them more; heard they are heavy feeders. It is blooming right now but the bloom hasn't opened all the way.
My patio gets filtered light; no sun. We have cream colored polycarbonate on our patio.
My husband got me a geranium for Valentines I think and it has bloomed all spring; it does not get sun but I am not sure if it will survive are hot summers even on the patio. I have never had any luck with geraniums before. I guess it's the common type; pretty pink and white blooms. He also got me a cyclamen also and it has bloomed in a pot on the patio since Valentines.
Some other things in pots on the patio: chocolate plant, 'Party Time' alternantera; jacobinia (i like this one alot and it has bloomed every spring to summer--mutiple pink blooms; I've almost bought a yellow one on two different occasions.); purple shrimp plant
link to 'Party Time':
http://davesgarden.com/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=joseph%27s+coat&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search
link to jacobinia:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=jacobinia&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search
link to chocolate plant:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/74323/index.html
link to purple shrimp plant:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=purple+shrimp+plant&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search
Hope this helps.
Patty
hey patty....my geraniums are on my sunlight patio...they lasted inside the whole winter and bloomed profusely and last in full hot sun here...barely;
i also have alternanthera...it is a great plant i love it....the wind does a number on it but it grows so fast that it is tolerable...; that jacobina looks quite lovely....i may have to give it a try; of course one does not see that around here but i see some that have grown it here...; in fact is sez for shade...and i had never heard about it....so i may have to give it a try....thanks for your help:)