I hate to admit that especially on Dave's.
My last yard I did pretty good. But it was also b.c. (before children) and so my new yard is still a mess. I removed all the plants the other owners had. I let weeds grow into the beds. I bought tons of plants. I bought tons of bulbs and potted them. I had no beds to plant them. Now you get the picture?
I've got a few things in the yard that are doing well (and yes, in the dirt) including cannas and hibiscus. Now I'm thinking for my zone the most wonderful bloomers have been the tropicals.
I no longer have time to tend plants that will bloom a short period. I'd like some real color in the landscape now. I'd like to plant some more hibiscus and cannas.
I need your help to guide me. I'd like to wake up my yard and not have it look like a jungle. It's currently a sea of grass. What other types of plants/flowers might I consider for long bloom times in my zone?
The list so far:
begonias (comes in white, pink or red---needs loose soil to avoid root rot, short round plant good for pots or borders)
cannas (got it but want more in varying colors)
cleome ("another good one from seed" of which I don't know anything about...yet)
cosmos (toss out some seeds in summer, good color, re-seeds itself)
duranta (LARGE, long bloomer)
esperanza (large shrub, yellow blooms)
hibiscus (got it)
hummingbird bush (semi-tropic, long bloom time, followed by red berries mockingbirds love)
mexican bird of paradise (care free color shrub, comes in red, oranage or orange-yellow)
plumbago
vinca's (can be good from seed)
vitex (large shrub/tree, good sub for crepe myrtals, many colors, get new hybrid to resist mildew)
Rooms for vines? Try:
Coral Vine
Corkscrew
Mexican Flame (provides year round color in zone 9)
I've noticed all the above bloom for long periods and that's what I'm shooting for.
*********************Edited to say*********************
I will top post to this all the suggestions I get, so when I am in a nursery I won't be so clueless as what to buy! I REALLY appreciate these suggestions!
****************Edited again to say**************
If you've already scanned the thread once please stay with us, I've got so many more questions about privacy screenings (a bamboo suggestion posted) and begin to discuss lasagna gardening for those garden challenged like myself lol
This message was edited Mar 31, 2009 11:47 AM
I need help-I am a horrible gardener ;)
LA Iris I got tons of (you can have some) but bloom time on those is mid-March through April and that's it; definitely not extended season there. I do a lot of tropical hibiscus--here's some good sources:
http://www.dupontnursery.com/ProductCategory.aspx?pcid=%206
you have to buy 6 from DuPont's but they are excellent. More on this thread:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/949293/
(this is personal opinion here--take with grain of salt) I don't like canna's or plumbago personally. I do Vinca's from seed because they do bloom constantly and hold up thru the heat good. The garden centers will have a lot of those mid to late March into April--they like it a little warmer than it is now, esp. small ones.
don't know if this helps or not
Debbie
Tir, also consider some day lilies. They are colorful and trouble free. You can find just about any color except blue. Begonias are another long blooming easy staple here in Houston. They need well drained soil or they get root rot, but other than that, nearly year long color. You can get them in white, pink or red and some with green or bronze leaves. They make a short rounded plant that's good for borders or in pots. If you have a large corner somewhere, try a duranta, long bloom period followed by yellow drupes that the birds love. Vitex is another large shrub, small tree, that has a long bloom time. It's a nice alternative to a crape myrtle, but crape myrtles are another long blooming shrub or tee, depending on the particular cultivar. They come in a variety of colors, just make sure you get one of the newer hybrids that resists mildew. Cosmos are a good choice for summer, throw out a couple of packets of seeds, and they will reseed themselves. Cleome is another good one from seed. Hummingbird bush is another semi tropical that does well here. It has a long bloom time and is followed by red berries that Mockingbirds love. Try a vine on the fence , like coral vine, Mexican Flame vine, or Corkscrew vine. My Mexican Flame is still blooming. It blooms nearly year round for me. Esperanza is another one that has good long bloom time color. It is a tall shrub with yellow blooms. The Mexican Bird of Paradise shrub is another care free color shrub. It comes in red, orange or and orange/yellow combination. I love them.
That's probably a way longer list than you wanted, but these are all tough, easy to grow plants that thrive in our heat and humidity. Some are recommended on the A&M Texas Superstars plant list.
Hey dmj---thanks! I don't mind personal opinions at all! Yes you do see a lot of plumbago and cannas around here :). I didn't realize the la iris were so short bloomed. Good to know!
Hi crow! Now here's an opinion most don't share----I don't think I want to try daylilies. The grassy type stems remind me of weeds and that opinion may be SOOO skewed---it's been awhile since I viewed an actual gardeners yard :) but given my opinion of them I really want to steer clear of any plants that look chaotic. Does that even make sense????
Wow, you've given me a lot of great choices! I'll edit my first post so I can have a clear list to look for :)
You could use Turk's Cap
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAARD
Flame Acanthus;
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ANQUW
Texas Lantana;
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LAUR2
Salvia greggii;
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SAGR4
Those will keep you in bloom all year.
If you want something blue try Mealy Blue Sage
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SAFA2
Josephine.
Lantana is EXCELLENT for our TX weather & it's a native plant as well as drought tolerant & little matainence required. Also marigolds, Globe Amaranth, Zinnias, Salvias..these last four reseed themselves so you may not even have to worry about replanting next year!!
Cindy
I can easily kill lantana. Proof? I don't have any left. Maybe I water too much for that. Can't grow verbena either but don't know why. I can grow cosmos and I love them and they come back every year but are easy to get rid of if you want to. Another thing that anyone can grow is Katie Ruella (Mex. Petunia) and like the Everyready bunny it keeps going and going and..... Mexican Heather is easy and if the frost hits it all you have to do is trim it off and it performs so well. Unless you want to lose your mind don't grow ivies of any kind. Even plain ol' ivy from the house will take over and it can be really pretty as it climbs on everything. I do love Plumbago because it is so blue. I'm with you on the Daylilies, Tir. I really, really don't like them and can't understand why others do but to each his own. Don't care for Vinca either and I don't know why.
It's funny, Tir, that you refer to b.c. because that is exactly when I started really gardening. After I had our 5th child and he was still a little baby I just needed to get out of the house so I turned to the yard - the front yard. The other kids had the back yard so I didn't bother w/that. I planted and planted lots and lots of seeds and they grew and they looked so beautiful. When I was out in the yard w/the flowers it was like I was on vacation or had run away from home (to get away from the kids?) maybe. That was over 40 years ago and I've had to slow up a bit but I'm still at it. One thing about seeds is that is you don't like the flowers they put out you can w/a clear conscience just pull them up since seeds are cheap and sometimes, free.
Ann
When plants die, I just blame it on the soil, water, drought, heat or cold. Or sometimes, the nursery....they sold inappropriate plants for this area. I love tough plants like the Mexican Firebush...I don't even water it after all these years. I'd be willing to bet even this severe drought won't kill it.
HAHAHAHAHA Linda you are making me feel better :) Seriously though with NO CARE to the plants I had only the tropics have still bloomed for me. Can't beat that!
plantlady---my solice as a Mom (would be nice if it were the gardening) is just in scrapbooking. It's a quiet, non-dirty indoor activity in which I can still be near the kids as they nap or while they play (though scrapping while they are up is almost never! because they keep me so busy and I'm often just playing with them).
I can't complain really (other than I HAD a nice yard at my last place b.c. and now my yard seems so sad!) because as I'm seeing kids DO grow up quickly and I can always garden in depth (regularly as I'd like) once they are grown. BUT it is also important they see the growth of a garden and how usefull they can be, so I want to get back into it but just barely get my feet wet this time :)
I appreciate all the help here so far---the DG links are great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don't think pink skullcap has been mentioned. It generally stays covered with little deep pink blooms at least all summer and well into the Fall.
Also, a great one for the kids is Butterfly weed aka Milkweed http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/604/
I say it's good for the kids because it not only attracts the beautiful Monarch butterflies to your yard, but you also find their equally beautiful caterpillar larvae on the plants and if you want, you can put one in a bug-keeper and watch it transform!
Ann...the Lantana is hard to kill!!! It dies back and looks really bad here at times. I whack it off near the ground but it keeps coming back like the Energizer bunny. The native ones do best too.
I am like you Sheila_FW my Lantana looks very ragged now but I am sure they will come alive in time. I have a few in containers so I hope they will come back.
I am thankful for Calloways as they will take back any perennial (with receipt) & I can replace the plant.
Tir...I have 3 or 4 (maybe 5) Mexican Heathers that you can have if you are interested. They are dormant right now, but are starting to show new growth, so they will come back fine. Anyway, let me know and we can work it out.
Thanks for the offer Shuggins. :) I'm not quite ready yet. I'm getting my beds planned out first. Going to do this thing right this time lol. First plants to go in will be a veg garden. Very much appreciate the offer!
Hi all. Have you heard of lasagna gardening? It's not a new idea but it's new to me, I heard about it on Dave's about a year ago. I am SO excited to try this method at home. Man I remember the years we'd rent a tiller to put in beds lol. What back-breaking work! But in my older age ROFLOL I am much more inclined to appreciate slow growth in the garden vs overnight success. I can appreciate real tiny plants thinking more logically now---smaller plant =s smaller hole to dig lol.
I think I'll work on my beds using the lasagna style, can't imagine doing it any other way. Real grateful we bought in an older neighborhood that has trees (leaves for compost). But the method suggests using lawn clippings to. And I thought that if there were ANY weeds in it you would't want to add the grass to your beds because yeah all the weeds take root there???
So feel free to comment on this topic. I've got another question to: I want a tall privacy screen but don't want a prickly plant. I had wanted Thujas but alas wouldn't you know I'm one zone away from them growing successfully here. Any other ideas? Could use the Italian cypress. They stay tall and thin right? Are they prickly? I know they get mites which can create a whole bare spot in the plant. So is there anything that might work in place of Thuja's? I loved the Thuja's bright green color, quick growth and soft texture......
We're doing a modified lasagna garden for our veggie beds this year. We've got 1 framed, then will put down a layer of cardboard (easily available from work; have to tear off the tape and mailing labels), then put some compost from our compost pile, plus some leaves from our yard. Then, we're having some good soil trucked in. Plant and top with 4" or so of compost. No waiting!! Our veggie beds are about 18" high and only 30" across. Don't have to bend down as far and we can easily reach across the entire width of the bed to retrieve harvest or investigate growth.
For your low-maintenace yard, you might want to stick with natives and try some succulents. Listen to Debbie (dmj). She's in your area and has a beautiful garden.
Thanks stephanietx! I agree, dmj is a valuable resource :).
Love the idea of your beds! Yes, in a book I bought on them it said you can start with cardboard atop the sod to. It lasts longer than newsprint but you can use either. And a tip I read on the paper, if you use that, wet it first in a bucket of water, it will lay better until you top it with something to keep from blowing away.
I think I would put cardboard on the bottom to help kill the grass. Also, I would put in an edging around the edge of the bed to help keep the grass out. At a minimum, I would cut in an edge, even if you don't put down edging. With the newspaper, even if you don't wet it down before you put it down, be sure to wet it down between layers. I use newspaper under my mulch to act as a weed barrier. Once you cover it with mulch you can't see it and it does a pretty good job, except for nut grass and bermuda. I don't know of anything that does a great job on those two, but it does greatly cut down on the others. If seeds get blown or dropped on it, they are easier to pull because they only root on the surface. The other benefit is that it enriches your soil as it breaks down.
Hallelujah, might perhaps start a new thread on this plant I just saw.
I watched a "Ask This Old House" and a homeowner wanted a TALL privacy screen to cover a block wall. The ATOH landscaper suggested: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/57985/ Giant Timber Bamboo. It's a suggestion DH had to but sheesh I have only heard negatives on bamboo running amok in the yard.
On the episode they mentioned no negatives (?) and PF's has none either! The first 2 pictures of it are gorgeous! I am wondering if this could solve my problem, I could trim it up to have a clean stem and it's bloom atop like a thin tree. It's fast growing to.
But how would you divide this plant? Just cut off unwanted shoots at the base? How will it spread?
There are two types of bamboo - clumping and running. Some pros and cons described here -
http://www.beautifulbamboo.com/index.php#which
One point - for a privacy screen the bamboo alone may not block the view entirely - in the ATOH example the block wall was screened off but was the real view blocker.
Yuska
And hey - don't be so hard on yourself. You are *not* a horrible gardener!
Oh Yuska! I could hug you! Thanks! But ohhh you should see the yard. People complain about seas of lawn and I don't even have that. I have weedy lawn and then no beds!
But I'm dismayed because I had no clue how hard parenthood would be and even being lucky to sahm I nar the time to be out in the yard. I am trying to enjoy these days, assured they are fleeting, and relish the day when I can bring my garden to life. I think in taking slow steps and building the beds out perhaps it might be a 5 year plan to get all planted and then a lifetime of grooming it but alas it will be done!
Thanks for the bamboo help!
fyi: I don't have any unsightly views just would like some privacy from city neighbor's windows. So I think perhaps this bamboo would work, assuming I could even find to buy it local. But I will view your link first.
The clumping info was helpful. I looked at the PF's again. Um, royrogers image was scary, um how thick will the canes of this plant eventually be????
Well this seller indicates it's "culms" I guess the stems would get to be 4" in diameter? But they certainly looked larger in the royrogers shot!
http://www.bambooheadquarters.com/store/productdetail.php?scode=BAMOLD&utm_source=davesgarden&utm_medium=plantlisting
Hot diggity! Of the 4 places that sell it one is local to me! But out of stock, grrr. http://www.zone9tropicals.com/bambusa-oldhamii-giant-timber-bamboo-p-649.html
This message was edited Mar 31, 2009 12:49 PM
This message was edited Mar 31, 2009 12:51 PM