I need to boarder a flagstone deck with something that will be attractive year round in zone 8b. I do not wish to use lairiope as I think it is over used or society garlic due to its location next to a pool. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. A tropical feel is hoped for, I am considering dwarf ruella, but I am afraid of its winter appearance. I am not really concerned about holding back the St. Augustine lawn.
For your area with all the heat how about something like this. I'm guessing you want bulbs.
I have used amaryllis before as a boarder on a bed in the back of my yard and infact I still have them in pots and could use them but I did not enjoy trying to mow the lawn and not destroy the foliage. Thanks though I am not determined to plant bulbs, at this point I am about to use rocks! Please someone stop me from doing that.
Lance
What about Canna Lilies? http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/37506/ I think they'd be gorgeous around a pool.
Hope you get some southern responses! :)
Oh yeh! You can bet on it that there will be Cannas. Infact they were there before the pool. I moved them before construction began and once some of the larger items (Queen palms) are planted then they will be returned to a sunny location. I moved them in March into pots and under a large Oak tree. So with out enough sun they havent given me many blooms this year but thats O.K.. Next spring they will be ready to go. As for using them as a boarder I am really looking for something lower than 12". Monkey Grass is another possibility but I am really wanting to break way from the same old same old.
Here is a better picture of the pool area. Most of the planning has been done all ready. I just need cooler weather to start the planting. The border to the left is the last piece of the puzzle.
Lance
Wish I had more ideas, or that you were getting more responses. That pool is wonderful!
Rain lily is not evergreen, but nice in summer and you can plant it with Muscari, they come up in the fall and grow thru winter. They both grow to about 6". I use them as a border plant in my front flower bed.
Muscari http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/150133/
Rain lily http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/157178/
how about some african iris?
Thanks Dale; Not much of a rain liley fan but that Muscari, Grape hyacinth is really nice. I like that it blooms in the winter. Wonder if it needs a chill to bloom? I've never seen it around this area of 8b but plan on looking for it. It is very humid here and that may also present problems for it. As for as a boarder I am looking now at Society garlic. I am worried though about it's aroma being to strong for the pool side. I never would have thought that finding a unique border plant would be this difficult.
Lance
How about a small daylily? Like Stella d'Oro? Daylily is not a 'self grooming' plant so it needs a little trimming, maybe once a month.
Amaryllis is another one of my favorites, but, they are not small and they are expensive to buy, the bulbs are $8-12 a piece. They are winter dormant. I have seen them used with Lycoris radiata which is winter growing (and there are other 'Hurricane Lilies' http://davesgarden.com/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=lycoris&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search )
We grew Muscari in Austin TX which is Z8b and they were hardy.
When you say hardy, do you mean evergreen? Daylilies I considered but I don't like the way that most look over the winter. Amerilus are one of my favorites and I have them as a border in the back of my property. I destroy the foliage however when I mow.
We've got garlic chives everywhere due to it's self seeding. The flowers are pretty, but I'm not so sure I'd want it where it could get stepped on constantly. The smell is good, but potent, even without damage to the leaves.
If you plant both the Lycoris and small daylily the Lycoris will overgrow the daylily in Oct/Nov, when things cool down. There might be a couple weeks that it will look messy but that passes quickly. When daylily starts looking ragged I use a long handle gas hedge trimmer to cut back and then rake up the leaves, it is usually not a long process. I usually top the bed off with compost and mulch at that time too. Then the Lycoris leaves pop up and look good all winter, the leaves go dormant in late spring and are easy to remove by raking them out. The only plant that I know that has no maintenance is Liriope and they are a few types that have nice flowers, but, they are boring most of the time.
There is another grassy bulb called Chinese Chives, with white flowers in summer http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/78502/ It is evergreen here, but, you get some cold weather so it may be semi dormant in the short days of winter in your area. Many folks don't like them because they reseed. I find they aren't as smelly as Society Garlic. In my garden they don't reseed themselves as much as other 'weeds' do. I have a lot more problems with Oxalis and some of the lawn weeds.
