The dogs have worn a path in the grass from the back door all the way around the house to the garage gate. The long graceful curves of the dog path looked nice (except for being mud), and gave me the idea of making a permanent pathway there. Next week, I'm putting in flagstones with a narrow planter-type border. The eventual sandwich will go like this: Grass, edging, planter area, edging, flagstones, edging, planter area, edging, grass again. So I'll have dirt on each side of the flagstones that needs ... something.
Any ideas for zone 8a? I was thinking maybe a generic ground cover, with occasional small bushes and flower areas sprinkled along the path. I don't care if things sprawl a bit, but I'd prefer something that stayed low and neat for the most part, and I'll need some natural-looking breaks so the dogs don't have to jump or trample when leaving the path in the middle.
Good Plants to Line Walkway?
what about trailing lantana?
Interesting. I hadn't considered Lantana. The 'New Gold' cultivar looks like it would work.
Any other ideas? Can I put Vinca minor (or something similar) with bushes and flowers, or will it kill everything else?
Question: will your dogs keep to the new path or run across your new plantings? I know you can't ask the dogs, but you "know" them...!! :-)
Most suggestions probably depend on that answer, as some plants would be able to take a beating, others not. The lantana suggested above WOULD take the occasional beating, I would imagine, as the stems are woody and the flowers not large enough to fall off.
The dogs are somewhat fastidious. As long as we have breaks to let them exit the path cleanly, they'd prefer to use them. Of course, if a stranger enters the yard and they want to go investigate, all bets are off. In ordinary situations, though, they'll go around rather than through.
My boys are another story!
What about phlox, aparagus fern, or hibiscus? (I know the hibiscus is an annual for me, but I think the phlox and asparagus ferns would survive Dallas winters okay.)
Right my lantana took the dogs with no issues - ever.
Wait there are loads of hardy hibiscus you can grow here and they come back year after year bigger and better.
Asparagus fern is horribly invasive. Think twice before you plant. And then think several more times.:) Phlox would look nice and there are several kinds. I don't know a lot about phlox because I only have a couple that I planted last year. There are some hibiscus that should be hardy up there.
I planted a few asparagus fern plants last fall in a small planter garden beside the house. They didn't grow much, and (aside from changing color when it got cold) haven't changed their shape since I planted them.
What kind of invasive problems do they present? I know they're a terrible problem in Florida, but I thought they were safe up here in Dallas.
Photo of my ferns attached (photo from January, so everything looks blah and washed out).
This message was edited Feb 12, 2008 8:24 PM
Their roots go to China atleast and spread out all over. I had one that I put in my gh in winter until last year it dropped seeds in there and I had atleast a dozen baby asparagus ferns last spring. I doubt if I got them all. They are a problem in Texas too because they are so droubt resistant.
Are these the same as "foxtail" fern?
No foxtail fern is different. I have that one too in a pot. As far as I know it's not invasive, but I don't know how hardy it is in 8a. I would like to know though. It would be nice to get mine in the ground.
I made the mistake last winter of leaving mine out in a large pot. It did not return. Fortunately, I had another smaller Foxtail fern. I had assumed it would be hardy like the Asparagus fern but it fooled me... Perhaps in ground in a sheltered area and if you mulched well, my roots may have been more vulnerable in a pot.
Another reason to avoid the Asparagus fern... the stickers are wicked.
Yes, I forgot about the stickers. Maybe I'll get a small foxtail fern and try it in the ground this year.
I have 7 "zinc" containers of foxtail, and it does so well...doesn't die in our "freezes." My cat sleeps in it occasionally, so you might be able to use it somewhere, DallasDad!! :-)
Wow, Connie. You have it in pots and it doesn't freeze in winter? I'm really surprised. That's funny that your cat sleeps in it.
No, it has not frozen in 3 years, BUT I'm careful to water well when a freeze is coming. But then I'm inclined to think I have some sort of micro-climate here. I'm on the side of a hill and the lake is downside of me....? I also have a patch of zoyzia grass in a pot that Brutus sleeps in too...he's quite the "I'll sleep where I want" type!
Dallas,
On second thought, I'd plant some type of permanent small bushes --say dwarf pits or dwarf yaupons--for your "bones" and then leave room for some annuals or per's. It's so nice to see green in the winter, yes?
Yes those micro climates are tricky. And you're probably right. The cold air sinks down to the lake.
Dallas, daylilies might be nice. Lots of them are evergreen.
Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) stays low and green all year. It can tolerate sun to shade. It needs a trim once a year and it is not invasive.Oxeye or Shasta daisies are also evergreen. Some don't like the oxeyes because they spread although they do tolerate sun to shade well.
Foxtails aren't reliably hardy in the Dallas area. I've got one in the ground that has survived, but it's never going to be full and pretty again.
Be sure if you use germander that you get the right kind. There's an upright and a prostrate type. Here they are equally hardy. The upright never got more than 14 " high, but it was very dense. It's great if you want a dense, slightly woody plant. Makes a good low hedge too. The prostrate type is woody too and spreads out rooting as it goes, but definitely not invasive. For me it wasn't as dense as the upright type, but maybe because I didn't water it. The great thing about germander is that it seems to do fine whether you water or not.
All good suggestions, thanks. Lantana, phlox, hardy hibiscus, and germander all look good. Add a few small shrubs, some annuals, and some mulch, and it'll look nice.
Next question: Home Depot, local nursery, what? Should I get established plants or plugs with seedlings?
Go to a local nursery - you might pay a little more but the peace of mind is worth it.
I think the plants you buy at HD or whatever come from the same place as what you see at a local nursery. The trick is to buy them soon after they receive them if you're buying at a big box store. Those big stores don't usually have the personnel to give the plants the care they need. Lowes leaves so many of their plants out subject to freezes. It's not uncommon to see whole carts of freeze damaged plants. If I lived close enough to a Lowes that I could go every week, I would ask when their plants come in and then be there then. But then it's also not a bad idea to support your local nursery.
I buy almost all my ordinary plants from HD. I LOVE their year guarantee. All you have to do is save the receipt and be willing to drag in the dead plant in a plastic bag. I have returned probably 5 things and never a complaint. Money back, no questions asked. Even when I ABUSE the plant! haha
I think all of us "gardeners" are able to see when a plant is healthy or not (well, with most diseases there are signs...not all). I've seen some really abused stuff at the big local nurseries here, including Great Outdoors (which I loVE@) , Red Barn, Sunshine, etc. I guess we're lucky here in Lakeway bc the same people have been working at HD for about 4 years, and they are GOOD at what they do! :-)
there is a picture in our plant files i think on lycoris radiata. it only blooms in the fall but planted among liriope it is very pretty.
or ...dare i say.....mums. lol. the short cushion or button ones are very beautiful and many bloom spring and fall.
What about the plain ole BOXWOODS for the bones of your beds? They are evergreen. I just bought 5 of them today at Lowe's for 16.98 each...in 3 gallon tubs..thick growth at the bottom and about 2 1/2 feet high! I thought it was a good buy.