I need some ideas for full sun front of the flower bed plants for my mostly perennial flower bed. I would prefer them to be long blooming, not lantana or verbena, native and low maintenance. Also really not looking for something that's invasive.
Stephanie
Need Ideas for Low-Growing Plants
Calylophus (sp?) - Texas Primrose/Sundrops. I planted these last year and immediately fell in love. They're extremely low maintenance, drought tolerant, long blooming beauties and a real favorite of moths. Another long-blooming, low maintenance smallish plant is Dianthus Firewitch.
Carla
I did a plant search using your criteria, Stephanie, and this is what I found http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/find/results/?category=101&query=&tags%5Bbloom-time%5D=205&tags%5Bsun%5D=902&tags%5Bmoisture%5D=&tags%5Bsoil%5D=&tags%5Bheight%5D=404&tags%5Bflower-color%5D=®ions=&zone=8a&x=49&y=15
Good old Blackfoot daisy, can't be beat for those conditions, and it smells great too.
Thank you! Will check into these. Keep the ideas coming!
Blue Daze never fails me in our heat. And "Serena" angelonia looks great when everything else is drooping. (White angelonia and blue daze look great together.)
Purslane is dependable and low growing.
Pink Skullcap is also a great choice and I like four nerve daisy too I give a second vote to blackfoot daisy and calyophus . All are great if you want natives.
My dianthus doesn't bloom all summer. What is your secret Carla?
Four Nerve Daisy blooms nonstop, all year, evergreen
'Nana' Coreopsis blooms in flushes from March to October, evergreen
Purple Skullcap Scutellaria wrightii (mine has really taken off this year now that it has established. It bloomed throughout the summer last year)
Texas Betony, blooms from April to October and is semi-evergreen
My Agastache mexicana has impressed me, though I have not had it quite a year so I can't say for sure how it will do.
Daminanita if you have a nice dry spot. It doesn't need it quite as dry as Blackfoot daisy to live, but it thrives in really dry spots.
Purple Winecup - Not a super long flowering period, but worth a look
Snake Herb (Dyschoriste linearis) Blooms in late spring early summer and then reblooms a bit in late summer. Really spreads underground though so may not want that.
Blue Daze is my wonder plant for border fronts. It started blooming a month ago and will go non-stop until the first frost.
Dianthus blooms all summer here when planted in filtered or morning sun. I planted it last year and it's spread beautifully.
One warning because it's been mentioned twice. Blue Daze is not hardy up in our zone. It is one of the best sun annuals and worth buying every year, but just be prepared that it won't return in Ft. Worth.
I love it, but Blue Daze has never returned for me either. Don't know what it'll do down Sugarland way. But then, angellonias also are not hardy in this area, while they seem to be down by Houston. Even if they're not, they're very easy to root for next year.
Blue Daze and Angelonia are perennial here. Darn! I wish they were perennial for you guys! They're just so pretty. The blue daze grows into large clumps over the years and works just perfectly for borders.
Boy, I wish angelonia was a perennial here too! One of my favorites.
It's a perennial here! I have 3 Serena white that have come up and are just beginning to bloom, so they're also pretty early. My blue daze is coming up, but it's a lot slower. This spring I bought 3 more Serena purple, and 3 Angelface pink. I can already tell that I don't like the Angelface series as much as the Serena series.
This message was edited Apr 15, 2008 8:15 AM
I love Blue Daze, but it's an annual here and I'm not sure if I want to go that route. When I lived in an apartment, I used to have it hanging in a basket outside my back door.
Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions!! Y'all are great!
Melampodium is a showy bloomer and a low grower (not trailing). It is an annual but will easily reseed.