I posted on the shrub forum, then went duuuh, shoulda asked over here first. I'm going to copy and paste this bit since I'm lazy...
"I really need to find some shrubs for along the front of my house. It faces west so it gets strong Texas sun all afternoon. There were 15 arborvitae (in a 30 foot strip!!)LOL that I had to move as they were threatening to take over the house. So now I have this really ugly bare front bed.
My dream shrub would be evergreen and would bloom at some time of the year, and would stay a mangeable size at about 4 feet with or without pruning. Oh and if they weren't wasp magnets, that would be great too!"
After doing a little research, I'm thinking maybe Texas Sage. Any thoughts? Are there any varieties that I should look for as far as height and growth rate, hardiness etc. This area really does catch the full brunt of the afternoon sun on a sandy hill, up against the house. It's like a frying pan LOL. Lantana is the only thing that seems to enjoy this spot even the weeds have given up LOL
Shrub advice (Texas Sage)
Lantana, Turkish Caps will do better than Texas Sage. Texas sage doesn't bloom until it rains, and now you can't fool it with the hose. Hope this helps.
"eyes"
Texas Sage is great but, eyesoftexas is right.....you don't get a good bloom without a good rain. However, it is low maintenance and pretty drought tolerant. Pruning every other year seems to work well. I dug mine up and transplanted it. It took a good year to recuperate
Why not azaleas? Some bloom 3 times a year now....I think those are the Encore.
You have a lot of options. Acanthus 'Bear's Breeches' comes to mind. Another fellow DG'er introduced me and I'm in love wit the plant. Indigo would be good. What about herbaceous shrubs?
I had thought about azaleas, but I am afraid the heat and sun would get them. This area is a furnace from noon on.
My lantana isn't evergreen, are there some that are? And I used to have Turks cap, can't remember if it is?
Evergreen is my first requirement and blooms secondary. My lot slopes and I am trying to cover the crawlspace that is uneven under the house, so I really need something that will cover year round.Thanks for all the help. It really helps to have ideas to bounce around!
Oh and I need to check out Bear's Breeches and Indigo. Thanks!
What about dwarf oleanders or loripetalum? I have replaced a huge row of ligustrum that were used as foundation plantings along the entire length of the house on the east side with dwarf oleanders. They are evergreen and bloom almost year round. Don't usually have any disease and pest problems and don't require tons of water or maintenance. I have loripetalum as the back of some of my deeper beds. They require a bit more pruning to keep them about 4 feet tall, but I love the burgundy color of the leaves. I've never had luck with azaleas in a sun setting, but knolan may know of some that would hold up to full sun. Vitex would also work well there, but they get much taller than you're looking for. I did see the A&M site recommends cutting them to the ground each year (I don't) so if you do that, they might work, but I think they'd still get too tall. Hibiscus, cupheas, abelia and firecracker plant would also work. The abelia has white or pink blooms and smells wonderful.
If its as humid there as it is here, Texas Sage needs really good air flow around it.
My Texas Sage is bigger than 4 feet tall, but gardeners who visit are always amazed at its size, so apparently that's uncommon. It gets pretty scruffy looking in the winter, so if you are looking for something that will be pretty all year long, you might be disappointed in it.
Don't do oleanders if you have little ones. They are extremely poisonous. Loripetalums (aka Chinese Witchhazel or "Fringe Flower" at the nurseries) are gorgeous. :-) Firecracker plants were also an awesome suggestion. Rosemary gets about 3 feet tall, is evergreen, and smells (and tastes!) wonderful. Mine's in shade, so it doesn't bloom, but I hear the blooms are pretty, too. :-)
Thanks for all the suggestions. I have some loripetulems in that bed, they were planted in front of the arborvitae and are rather leggy, since they had to reach out from under the bigger shrubs. I do love the look of them and they are beautiful when they bloom.
Yeah Oleander is out since I have the tiny terror who helps me garden, and he thinks if it's pretty it must be edible. I'm growing some on the "wild" side of my fence, but none in the yard. I like firecrackerplants as well. Saw some at another DGrs garden the other day and they were stunning. I didn't realize they were evergreen.
I like the idea of the rosemary as well, going to do some research and see what my budget will take. I'm probably going to wait till fall/ winter for this project, since the shrubs seem to adjust better out of this crazy heat, plus I can take advantage of the 70% off sale at Houston Garden Center down the road LOL. Don't they know that you are supposed to plant in the fall?
Thanks again!
Joey
My 7 and almost-5 year olds STILL put leaves and stuff in their mouths (rolling eyes...), so I stay away from oleanders and the pretty jimson weed derivatives (brugs and daturas), too. Some day.... :-)