Which plant do you enjoy most in Texas winter?

Every year at this time, I decide that I need more abutilons. They may only work in zones 9 and higher because I've read that they will freeze and not return. Mine, however, have never frozen or even dropped a leaf or a flower even when temps dip into upper 20s. They also bloom all year and seem completely resistant to pests and disease. What I really love is that they provide winter food for hummingbirds. I watched a hummingbird just this morning going from abutilon to abutilon. I've also spotted a rufous hummingbird in my abutilons both this winter and last. They're generally a west coast hummer, so that's a treat. I realized that I need more pretty winter things in the garden, so I thought I'd ask for your suggestions. What's your favorite?

I'm adding a pic of one of my favorite abutilons called Canary Bird. This pic was taken after two freezes in the upper 20s and several cold, hard winds. Looks totally untroubled doesn't it.

The abutilons are are lovely and you are blessed to enjoy the blooms AND the hummers... Do you fertilize to keep the blooms coming all thru winter? How do they perform thru summer? I am guessing yours are in ground?

Far enough north of you that outdoors, I enjoy the plants whose leaves turn red with the cooler, shorter days of winter. The Camelias are about the only winter bloomer here and by the end of Dec. the bulbs begin.

I agree with you, Elphaba, the albutilons are really lovely. I had a variegated one with tangerine flowers that just took my breath away. Unfortunately they aren't hardy up here. :(

Pod, what bulbs do you have that are beginning? My daffodils are starting to come up, but nowhere near big enough to bloom yet.

A new plant for me this year is nemesia. PF says it's an annual, but the tag that came with it says it's a perennial. I just planted it in October, so time will have to tell which is true. But I have really enjoyed it out there blooming its head off with the pansies. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/76711/




This message was edited Feb 3, 2008 12:59 PM

I really don't fertilize my abutilons although that's a good idea. Last year, I put down some manure in the spring. They bloom more in the winter because they get more sunlight when the trees lose their leaves, but really they bloom all the time. They also don't seem to care when I forget to water them during hot summers, and last summer when I recorded 48 inches of rain in a three month period, they weren't bothered by too much rain either. I have a variegated one too that I love. Last year, some of the new branches were variegated and some were not. The ones that were solid green had huge leaves and grew two feet taller than the variegated ones. Can't explain why that happened, but I thought it was cool. I'll add a pic where you can see both. The variegated part grows to 6ft and the nonvariegated branches are easily 8 ft. tall.

I'm going to have daffodils for the first time this year. I can't wait. I didn't think I could do bulbs here and was thrilled to find out otherwise.

Elphaba ~ you will find many spring bulbs that will do well for you.

I have always wanted an Abutilon in a pot as a houseplant but don't need more plants ~ grrrr!

The jonquils (Narcissus) have been blooming since the end of Dec and the daffodil foliage with lots of buds are on the way. It is a cheerful sight this gloomy time of year.

Podster, those are GORGEOUS!!! I think I know just where I could put some!

They truly are pretty and are also incredibly fragrant. Some people are allergic to the fragrance. These were given me from an older friends garden. I don't have alot but should be able to share a cluster of them when the foliage dies down.

In comparison in growth rate, the daffodil foliage is in front.

Oh! Your daffodils are bigger than mine. Mine are just up about an inch. So are the grape hyacinths.

I wonder if that's because they're new? More likely because they're not in a very fertile spot. I need to improve that!

They are planted in poor, compact soil with no improvements, no extra watering. Grape hyacinth played out after a few years here.

One last photo and I will quit being a hog... Taken today ~ in anticipation Daffodils

The Nemesia is a pretty bloom... all my books are indicating annual that dislikes being too cold or too hot. Will be curious to hear how it does for you. Did you start it from seed or pick up plants? There are pretty color selections for it...

I get the most color in winter from my ornamental cabbages! I usually just have one or two in a pot arrangement, but this time I went all out and bought about 40 of them for this area....and they have just gotten huge....dinner-plate size! Lots of color for this time of year. They don't like a lot of water so in a rainy year can rot, but can withstand all the cold we get! I guess this year has been perfect for them.

This message was edited Feb 3, 2008 4:12 PM

I got a plant at the nursery. About all they had besides pansies that time of year. I had no idea it would bloom now, though.

If your books are right, it probably won't last through the summer. Oh, well. Maybe I can collect seeds for next year.

The ornamental cabbage makes a very pretty bed. Connie, your photo looks so Mediteranean and inviting. Very pretty. What do you plant there in summer?

Purchased a red aubitilon as a hanging basket at HD this summer. Got tired of messing with it and planted in the ground in October. It is thriving this winter even with all the freezes. I live just off Beltline Rd. on the Southern tier of Dallas, just off 35E, zone 8A. Never would have dreamed it is hardy. So far, so good.

LouC

Y'all wouldn't possibly know the cultivar names of the Abutilons you are growing???

Only because I have a front screened in porch and wrapped in 6 mil poly are my plants acting like it is summer all winter...........
jatrophas haven't missed a beat

hoyas blooming......these were taken about a week ago

even the adeniums want to bloom

(I know you are probably talking about outside .........really outside plants but wanted to share)

Euphorbias are blooming

Lipstick and columnea baskets are blooming

a very miniature dwarf ruellias are blooming hot pink

The anthuriums are blooming in different colors

******I may change my mind about wanting a greenhouse as the front porch has been a good one. The hibiscus never quit blooming.........

The kalancho is reaching for light to bloom..........

My abutilons are going strong. The only thing that has fazed them in the least was the hurricane we had last week which knocked limbs off of trees! They looked a little tattered after that, but the cold weather they don't seem to mind. In fact mine take a break when it is really hot and have bloomed like crazy since about October.
Annie

I do love abutilons and don't know why I quit growing them. Thanks for the pictures.

Not a flower, but my favorite plant this winter has been my Possum Haw Holly (and I think my Mockingbirds and Robins are in agreement with that).

Carla

Carla, I just planted some holly because I'm always looking for plants that birds love and the fact that it's evergreen is a real plus. I also really like these old rescued boxwoods I have at the back of the yard. I agree that it doesn't have to flower to be a favorite. The trunks of the boxwoods are white; the old foliage is a dark green and the new is a bright green.

I was enjoying the fragrance of my sweet olive this morning too. I can't say that it's a pretty plant. It's healthy and green all winter, but it's just kind of invisible. If anyone has grown it in a way that it is full and pretty, please share!

Gessiegail, your pics are lovely! I usually bring my hanging lipstick plants inside when it freezes. I was gone this year when the first freeze hit and they were outside. They're not blooming, but they didn't have any freeze damage.

Podster, the problem with abutilons is that they are hard to find in nurseries and when you do find them, they are often unnamed. I have a gorgeous red one that was a stick in a 3" pot with a tag that just said "red abutilon." I'm glad I tried it. Here's a pic of a pink one whose name I do know. It's name is "Raspberry." It's still small thanks to the smothering effect of a passionflower vine, but just surviving the vine says a lot for it. B/c it's small I cheated and lifted the flower up to take the photo. This one seems to have a very pendulous form.

Oops, I mean the flower is pendulous. The plant has been growing horizontally to get out from under the vine, but now appears to be quite upright in form.

Podster,

Thanks for the compliment! I'm wondering just how long they will stay pretty...probably until May or early June?

The area is new so I don't know what I'll plant in place of the cabbages for summer. I was thinking perhaps something orange, as I"m going to plant purple fountain grass behind that area, and want the contrast. Any suggestions? (I only do vibrant colors--no pastels or whites)

Oranges and purples would be delightful. How low growing on the orange?

The wall you see in the pic is just about a foot tall, with the end walls about 3 feet tall, so something for each area.

Connie, there is a new (several years old actually) form of the ornamental cabbage. I bought the seed for it.......let me find what the name of it is because you have the height for it around your pool.

I found them at Park seed..........ornamental White Kale Crane
and the other is called Sunset (purples and pinks) They are perfect rosettes and used as cutting flowers also. I first saw them in Houston at Central Market in their floral department so i ordered the seed. There are also lots of other cutting cultivars of ornamental cabbage.

Podster,
Today a jonquils (Narcissus) started blooming in my garden! I don't remember buying it, but apparently I did when I was buying other bulbs last fall. Middle-age can be quite alarming at times like when I try to read the back of a frozen dinner, but sometimes it's quite fun. The writer's strike hasn't bothered me a bit because I can't remember the endings of any of the reruns that have been playing. Now, I have the joy of total surprises in my garden! You're absolutely right about how cheery they are. I'm so glad that I planted this one and I'm so glad that you named it for me!

Carla--
Nice possum haw there--I wish mine would grow faster!

Elphaba ~ LOL on middle age, can you still get down on your knees and breath deeply on the paper whites? The fragrance is lovely. Did you plant them or inherit them when you acquired the home maybe? They are a vintage bloomer.

This Daffodil opened on Wednesday. Can we still call it Texas winter?

Podster, I did not get down on my knees, but now that you mention it, I feel totally challenged to do it! I wouldn't want to miss out on the fragrance. I'm pretty sure that I planted it when I planted some yellow spider lilies last fall. You never know though. I have rain lilies that appeared from nowhere. I know that I didn't plant them because the first one appeared in the middle of the lawn! I should transplant it, but instead I mow around it. Crazy huh.

Your daffodil is so lovely. It looks like a really beautiful clump too.

I often wonder on the volunteer bulbs... possibly planted by a squirrel or rodent? Who knows. The yellow spider lilies sound lovely, I have the red and don't think I've seen yellow.

I was driving across Texas in late September, when I saw a small home by the freeway that had hundreds of red spider lilies on both sides of their driveway and all around the house. It was just awe inspiring. I had been coveting the yellow spider lilies for years, but didn't let myself buy them because they cost twice as much as the red ones. I put a few red ones in the back, but the yellow would be best around my driveway. After seeing that house, I decided to splurge and buy a few. How wonderful would it be in the fall when things are starting to wane to suddenly have a burst of sunny yellow?! There are supposed to be pink and white spider lilies too, but I haven't seen those colors in the nurseries around here. I might eventually order some. Pink, white and yellow would be a pretty mix.

In a catalogue that I received yesterday, they have listed a summer daffodil (chlidanthus). Have you ever grown that one? It would be fun to have spring summer and fall bulbs.

No summer daffodils here. The only other later bulbs I have are agapanthus (not impressed) and rain lilies. And could you call the society garlics bulbs?