NEWBIE NEEDS IDEAS FOR SUNNY FRONT FLOWERBED

Hi,
Could someone please advise a newbie on some easy flowers to go into this flowerbed? It gets full sun full on it most of the day in the summertime. Would like to keep the color scheme coordinated with the front of the house. So far, the white petunias? survived the Houston winter and are outgrowing everything else. Please advise soonest.

The little hedges are growing REALLY, REALLY slowly...the red thingies are begonias. Only one made it through the winter, ok. I've learned they get really great color in the shade, and bleach out in all the sunshine...I probably need to move them somewhere else.

P.S. A friend has offered me two Sago Palms. Would they really go in this little bed without crowding it out? Where would you put it?

Thanks!

Linda

Linda -- i read this last night... i'm thinking about it.

any idea what you have there already? Those dont look like petunias... but the image isn't close enough to the flowers.

I think you should add more color than just white.

I'd get some height in there, maybe a nice clump of Grass or two, on the corners maybe.... or do you want to stay below the hedge line?

also -- what sort of look are you going for? Cottagy or Formal?

TCS1366,
I'm pushing a cottage look. I like your idea of some grass, too. Also, I envision something wispy, that flows when the wind blows. What might that be?

Would four o'clocks work in the cottage garden look? I hear they're invasive, but I have room for them to spread along the treeline.

do you have a lot of room? they can get big, I would imagine in your climate. Mine wilt a lil with the hot temps... but once the sun is off of them - they perk right back up again.

I wouldnt call them invasive, but they can be a nuisance ... just pull all the 'babies' in the spring... as they do re-seed heavily - each flower puts out 1 seed.

With a brick house you should stay away form pastels. Bold bright colors are my recommendation. Daylilies are the most popular perennial for good reason, they're both beautiful and easy care. Maybe a sedum would be a nice addition for texture and easy care. Honestly, I think the easiest improvement you can make would be to replace the red mulch with a more natural color.

mao

I'm not as far south as you, but I'm thinking some smaller Dahlias might work well? They take the heat and full sun here very well. For you, they would even overwinter and come up every year. They come in so many different forms...

Great!

I would also think, with the white trim, that Bachelor Buttons in Blue would look great.

some of mine need support though, but definitely a cottage garden plant
I also have them in lavender and pink. OH and I also have Brazilian Bach buttons... they may be hardy in your zone.
more "shrub like" do not fall over, and really nice blooms... lavender in color though.

Daylilies do exceptionally well. Lots of things wither come July and August. Not for this site, but if you need a shrub, hibiscus do really well in Houston.

Hey,
Ya'll do realize we're discussing two different sites at the same time, right? Site #1 is that sunny flowerbed in the pic. Site #2 is MY backyard treeline that has dappled sun.

do you have a photo of your back yard?

I'm not sure how 4-O'Clocks do in the shade. i've tried them here, but it was full shade and they didnt even germinate.
They do OK in part sun/shade ... i just dont know about dappled. you can only try it .

I have an idea for a wispy, grass that will blow in the wind. (Thinking of what you said a few posts back.) It is one I have been thinking about getting myself. : ) http://www.highcountrygardens.com/catalog/product/92950/

Yeah, Meredith,
That's exactly what I'm talking about! I could see that planted in my treeline, too and with those little purple flowers!

Isn't it pretty! zthe purple flowers are scabiosa in case you didn't already know. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/332/ The twolook so cute together - If I do get some of that grass I will definitely copy that idea. : )

Speaking of Four-O-Clocks, I believe they would be perennials that far south, they can reseed aggressively this far north without return of last years plants, so they could prove problematic for you. I've haven't heard a lot of complaints about them though.

There was a mention of Dahlias above, which reminded me of a post I read from another Houston member who said he'd had poor results from Dahlias because of the summer heat. That surprised me because they endure our hot summers well, but I think it could have to do with the duration of the high temps. However one of the resident DG Dahlia experts advised checking out the Georgia Dahlia society site where they recommend heat tolerant varieties for the south.

I don't know the ultimate size of Sago Palms, but placed between the little shrubs they would be a pretty contrast of forms and texture. I think a few airy plants that provide some height would work well, but I think most of the flowers should be smaller in stature so the bed isn't overwhelmed. As far as tall airy plants, Gaura, Crocosmia, species Gladiolus, Agastache, and some Salvias come to mind. I believe those are white Vinca you have there already, a great choice for sun and heat. They're available in several nice colors. Various Coneflowers (Echinacea and Rudbeckia) may work well too.

regarding 4-O'cs ... i actually have a few tubers that survive up here against my foundation .... so- up it a zone, maybe 2
and you can get ones surviving in zone7. so, yes, they could be a perennial for her.

We had them in our backyard growing up, and I don't remember them taking over anything. If they did, my mom just took the clippers and cut them back down to size. thanks, guys.

i find they are easily managed just by snapping off the parts getting out of control... they grow back, but can by easily 'tamed'. I still like them.

Sago palms can get 3'-4' wide in the Houston area, at least south of I-10 area. The tips are sharp little point-ie things so I don't like to see them next to side walks. Ouch! Placement of sagos is a pet peeve of mine. Nothing like local churches and businesses that line the front walk with spikie, prickly shrubbery bits. Welcome -not! Right up there with fire thorn and unkempt rose bushes. I have one, by its lone self in a mulched bed so I don't get scratched up at the mower, a sago palm, that is, not raggity rose bushes.

Oh, definitely not a good idea then! Uuugg, I hate that too when you have to get scratched entering a place. When I moved here there were 5 blue spruces way too close together, way too close to the house, all clustered around the main entrance. I couldn't get in the house unscratched or without a snag of my hair getting pulled out! They're all gone now :-)

How about some white daisies, frog fruit (low growing groundcover with white flowers), pink skullcap, salvia greggi, white coneflowers, rudbeckia (black-eyed susan), Turk's Cap (but that might get too big for you)??

I don't know about Houston, but my son lives down on the coast of MS and sago palms grow into approx. 30-foot trees down there. Mine is growing slowly here in Vicksburg and I keep it in a pot on my south-facing front porch. It's 5 years old now and still only about 2 feet tall. They are real pretty in a pot.
I'm not sure what your back yard looks like but there are some clematis vines that will grow in dappled shade. They are so pretty and would add some height to your garden.

Some nice smaller roses would be nice, The Fairy, Valentine, Nearly Wild, Knockouts. Smaller Shasta Daisys, definately dahlias, iris, day lilies, verbena, salvias, gerber daisys. I think these would be awesome. I would for sure stay away from the sagos, they get too big.

Hey, those don't look like petunias to me either, they kind of look like left over vincas.

A classic, tall cottage flower for the back of the bed would be delphiniums. They require full sun and are not very difficult to grow (you just need to have a stake for them to be tied to). Here is pix of my driveway bed with delphiniums just starting to get established. I'm going for kind of a "beachy/cottage" look! Good luck! Rusty :)

Dahlias don't do very well in Texas, but they can be grown in cooler temps. They don't like our heat.

Wow! I thought we were too hot for Delphiniums, and you can grow them in 10A? We are also very humid though... maybe that's the difference?

Yup, they're doing extremely well. I planted them a special way - I prepared the soil with amendments and then I used polymers - little water-releasing pearls - so that always have water.

I think you should stay away from red as (IMHO) it might blend with your pretty brick too much. How about yellows, blues and whites as a color scheme? Others have mentioned bachelor buttons (one of my favorites) and daisies. Lemon yellow daylilies would be nice. White lilies, allysium (never could spell that word!), daffodils for the spring (don't know if you can grow them in so warm a climate). I better stop now before I list every white, yellow or blue flower I can think of.

Marilyn

If I lived in a warmer climate, I'd love to have Polianthes tuberosa. White flowers and it smells great. The fragrance would be nice next to a walkway. Someone from your area will have to say if it grows well there or not.

I like to have fragrant plants near my front door. In fact, I like to have them everywhere.

You guys are GREAT! Thanks for so many wonderful suggestions. We're researching them all and I'll let you know!