What can I plant so I will have a winter garden?
I am new to winter gardening, although I have lived in Houston all my life.
Winter plants for Texas
Macy are you talking about vegetables? or ornamentals?
ornamentals/Not much of a veggie gardener. (or otherwise)
Macy, I usually plant Sweet Alyssum, Dianthus, Snapdragons, Johnny Jump-Ups, Flowering Kale, and Calendulas. There's probably a few I forgot about.....you will have an even bigger selection because you are south of me.
I start my Hollyhocks in Jan so they will bloom early April. They grow fast and it looks nice to have that green backdrop when the beds are bare in the back.
The only seeds I start early winter are some Poppies.
Hope that helps!
Yes, Thanks
Winter interest plants:
Camellia Japonica (late winter blooming) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/710/
Camellia sasanqua (early winter blooming) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2512/
lenten rose (winter blooming) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/76/
fall aster (Oct/Nov) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/76317/
chrysanthemum (winter blooming) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57728/
encore azalea (book end winter blooms) http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/59857/
some links to check out
http://www.diggingdog.com/pages2/bloomwinter.php
http://plantsbulbs.suite101.com/article.cfm/beautiful_flowers_even_in_winter
FlyG, do mind sharing dates and tips for sowing winter seeds. I've searched the WS forum, but most them are much farther in the North. I'd like to try viola, holyhocks and kale this year, but unclear how and when to best them.
I have the encore azaleas, they are not reliable winter color for me. I'm not sure if I have some kind of strange sport or what. I can rely on them to bloom early Spring right after the crocus. But their second flush is entirely at their own whim. It's hardly the end of Winter and mine are in full bloom right now. It's not just this year, every year their second flush surprises me at the oddest time.
You're right about the encores, I think the second bloom depends on how much shade they get. I have friends in Dallas who have encores in 70% shade. They often get the second bloom at the end of summer. Their encores sometimes even repeat bloom for them after the spring flush.
Thank you also collincountytx.
Lulu, I stagger my HHs starting in late Jan. It takes about 7-14 days to germinate and about 3 months to bloom. I plant a few every couple weeks so I can have blooms for a while, at least until mid summer. The Poppies and HHs are just broadcast in my beds, they need light to germinate, so don't cover. I throw the Poppies out in Nov, you want them to bloom early because they do not like hot weather.
The other plants are bought as transplants, which I start planting about October.
Just try different seeds and times, keep a journal what works and what doesn't so you'll know next year. HHs and Poppies are about the easiest to start, IMO