This little quiz might help some new Texas gardeners as well as a lot of us old-timers...I love to hear about good options from others who have actually grown certain plants year after year and KNOW that they do well in our climate.
If you had to start a brand new garden and had to choose 5 plants you were certain would thrive, what five would you choose?
1) Big Muhly Grass - dramatic, lovely fall seed heads, low water needs, deer resistant, full sun
2) Indigo Spires Salvia - fast yearly regrowth, beautiful blue flowers mid-spring through fall, low water needs, deer resistant, grows in fairly heavy shade
3) Texas Betony - lovely coral-red flowers early spring through fall, deer resistant, grows well in dry shade
4) Cherry Pink Salvia Greggii (Autumn Sage) - pink flowers in 3 or 4 flushes spring through fall, low water needs, sun or part-shade, deer resistant
5) Perle d'Or rose (Earthkind) - lovely apricot/pink blossoms on a mid-sized bush, drought-resistant, sun or part-shade
I have tons of others that do well, but if I had to guarantee performance, I'd start with these five. What about you?
BTW, I'm SW of Austin straddling Blackland Prairie and Edwards Plateau regions. Little or no supplemental watering supplied and no insecticides.
This message was edited Apr 30, 2009 5:23 PM
This message was edited Apr 30, 2009 8:25 PM
Central Texas - What Are Your SUPER-STAR Garden Performers?
All yours are great! There is one on your list that has to be repeated, though the Salvia Greggii is tempting too.
1. Four Nerve Daisy. First to bloom in the spring, last to stop blooming in the fall (in fact blooms in winter sometimes) and evergreen. Drought resistant. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53549/
2. Texas Betony. Grows in Sun to part shade. Usually one of the first to start blooming in the spring and blooms non-stop until first freeze. Drought Resistant. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1292/
(busily scribbling note to myself...get some Four Nerve Daisy)! Thanks, Sweezel!
whoops. I thought I left this up so I could finish it later. LOL Now I need to make dinner. I will add my other 3 later. :)
Your welcome. I like to have lots of different plants so I don't usually repeat plants in different beds, but that is one that I have in my cottage-y perennial bed in back and in the landscaped beds in front.
Hmm only 5?well here goes.these are all pretty common, not exotic but they work for me.
1.Tecoma stans-Yellow bells
2.Rosemary, either upright or prostrate
3.Mexican feather grass
4.Society Garlic
5.Indigo Spires salvia(though I love all kinds)
All of these grow easily in every garden I've ever had.They all bloom reliably,add texture(which I find is more and more important to me) and just plain make me smile.
Hi, Teacup - yes, the Mexican Feather Grass is great, but I had to stick with five sure-fire winners. It will be interesting to see the occasional new plant we can all "jump" on. If we get alot of response, maybe we can add a second tier!
I thought you meant plants from the "Texas Superstar" list that do well for us, lol. Here's my list - common and boring to many of you, I'm sure - but you said no fail:
Perennials
1. Belinda's Dream rose (which actually is a Texas Superstar from the list) - I put it in the ground in November and by mid March it had doubled in size and has been covered in big fat blooms on strong long stems ever since. It's now tripled in size. I keep cutting the blooms (some as big as my fist). It has keept my bathrooms, kitchen, and front parlor consistenly supplied with fresh cut rose bouquets and smelling lovely.
2. Scabiosas - I put them in the gound and they come back the next year 3 x the size and blooming like crazy.
3. ANY salvia.
4. Bearded Iris, for some reason. They divide like crazy and stay green all year long. I had no clue that they would spread that fast, but I like them in my perennial garden out front.
5. I hate these most of the time, but . . . mexican petunias (the lower ones that mound). Those things go everywhere but they stay green a very long time. This seems to have zero care requirements . . . never water, over water, plant it in the sun or shade and it's still giddy as can be. I'd ventue to say noody could kill this. If you want a no fail plant and don't mind yanking them out as they pop up in the sidewalk and places you didn't even realize existed, this is the one.
6. Hydrangeas, suprisingly - I think I lucked out and put them in the right spot for Texas , but mine are zero maintenance and happily come back each year full of fat mauve-pink blooms.
For Annual color
Violas (not pansies) and snapdragons planted in the EARLY fall in full sun and allowed to winter over go berserk until I pull them out in May sometime to put in summer annuals. They often reseed and come back the following season.
Best,
T
Turk's Cap, Malvaviscus drummondii,
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=MAARD
Texas Lantana, Lantana urticoides
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LAUR2
Flame Acanthus, Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ANQUW
Autumn Sage, Salvia greggii
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SAGR4
Texas Betony, Stachys coccinea
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=STCO
Zexmenia, Wedelia texana
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=WETE
Those are tried and true Texas native plants.
Josephine.
HappyGarden - on the Mexican Petunias, are you talking about the low-growing Katy Ruellia - little blue flowers? If so, yep - plant one and you're going to find them everywhere for the rest of your life. If you get a chance to plant the Ragin' Cajun Ruellia, I highly recommend it. It hasn't been invasive at all in my garden - 4 years now - and has a nice medium red flower mid-spring to fall and prefers semi-shade and very little water.
You've made me curious re: scabiosas. I'll have to look into those for this area.
Frostweed, isn't Wedelia wonderful? It's a great problem-solver for me in a heavily shaded area of my garden.
I love them all, Texas natives are wonderful plants.
All colors of Knock Out roses
Autumn Sedum Joy
Bush Morning glory
Harbor Belle nandinas
Star Jasmine
Hyacinth Bean vine
Hi, Cyndyhood - I haven't tried the Bush Morning Glory, but I agree re: Star Jasmine. It's a workhorse in the garden.