Posted in first time gardeners -need pro's help with flowers

Hello...so I went crazy today and bought the plants for my beginner's perenial garden.

I got things for shade, partial sun and full sun.

I will list what I have and the light to verify it's correct if someone doesn't mind confirming?

Noticed that some I got that were in a perennial marked pot when verifying the tags are listed as annuals-Will they re-seed ? I got mostly all the small versions of all these (cheaper) and since i'm new at this and did enough $ damage figured I'd at least start with the small ones.


I also need to ask...I'm in 7B georgia clay zone haha--so I have some potting soil-some plant food (blue granules) and some peat moss...once I dig the holes and rake the dirt where I want them ...should I make a mix of those three to refill the hole with??? One just use one thing, or none? Not sure about the "planting" part of them.

Ok so here's the list-also I need some more ideas for shade perennial flowers-and some more part sun perenial flowers.

If anyone knows what a good combo to plant them would be-please advise-example...which pair good, which in back, middle front...I'm new at all this and hoping you guys can help me!

Full sun:

Pandora Daylily- Penta red and lilac-
Initiator Asiatic lily- Blanket flower-
Mexican Heather-(listed annual but possible pereniall I hear)
Angelonia- (listed annual?) Speedwell- Wave Petunia (annual or perennial?)
Festive Gerbera Daisy- Salvia-East friesland and red - (annual or perennial?)
Homestead Verbena (trailing annual-perennial?) - Barbarini Lilac
Ageratum - Zinnia (annual or pereniall?) - Pentas (lilac and red)
Plants-accents: Sweet potato vine- both Rose and Gold Barberry -dwarf lavendar cotton

Partial sun:
Foxglove - frost proof gardenia - Queen Victoria lobelia - Cala lily -
Vinca periwinkle (annual or pereniall?) - Lobelia - grass-liriope and new blue liriope-

Shade: Hostas-assorted ferns-impatiens (annual?) - caladiums

As you can see the part sun one is bare :( Do any of the annuals re-seed? What are some ideas for the part sun and full sun for big back standing plants, with like an impressive leaf/flower?

Thanks in advance if you can help w/any answers to this newbie

I will attempt to answer some of your questions.I have not grown all of your plant choices.Also,living in zone 5 ,I only have that perspective.You need to ammend your soil.You need organic matter.Compost,leaves,aged manure.If you don't have this,you can buy humus and cow manure.Most plants desire well drained soil,you don't have that with clay.Stay away from chemical fertilizers.Use too much and you can burn your plants.My experience with chemicals is that you get over grown foilage and not many flowers.Use organic fertilizer.I love Eposoma Plant Tone.You can use it on any type of plant,shrub,tree, even grass.If you over do it,you are just wasting it,but it will not harm your plants.Some plants sold as annuals can be perennials in warmer zones.I don't let plants self seed.They either rot in the ground or come up where you don't want them.I collect the seeds,dry them and replant them the following season.Your plants should have tags,that tell you there mature height.Keep notes on your plants.Where you bought them,when planted,bloom time,heights etc.You can always transplant perennials in the fall or early spring.I move plants around every year,to me its part of the gardening experience.I also believe in the gardening quote,"No garden will look as good as it will next year". Daylily and asiatic lily are perennials,3 to 3 1/2' feet toxards the back.Blanket flower there are annual and perennial types.Most sold are perennial.The annual type is sold as seed.They are nice plants,but they spread,give them room to grow.Mexican heather is a perennial in warmer zones.I have brought them in and over wintered them indoors before.You can take cuttings and over winter them also.Pentas are new to me this year,I'm trying them for the first time this year.Angelonia is on my wish list for next year.Petunias are annuals.Gerbera daisy is an annual.Salvia can be annual or perennial there are both types.I grow the purple which is a perennial.Most reds are annual.Zinnias are annuals,I harvest my own seeds and replant.Calla lily,I have to lift them in the fall.They are heavy feeders and love love water.Periwinkle is a ground cover,its perennial.Hope you like it,it takes over the world.Look out! Hostas are bullet proof.Give them shade and water and they will double in size every year.Impatiens are annuals for the most part.I have heard of people over wintering them indoors,I have never bothered to try.Caladiums gotta lift in the fall.Gardening has to be enjoying,and is always a learning experience,You will have success and failure.We all do.Go slow,ask questions,visit nurseries,check out books at the library,don't break the bank.Good luck,Edge

I'll add a few things: Blanket flowers are very short lived, so you'd be best to treat them as annuals or biennials, but they WILL reseed like mad. The hostas, depending on where you bought them, may be infected or exposed to HVX, so bleach your digging tools between planting each one to prevent its spread. If they are infected, you can only destroy them... so sad. Here's some more info on that: http://www.hostalibrary.org/firstlook/HVX.htm
Edge is very right about the periwinkle, it will take over your garden. Also, watch out for slugs, they'll destroy the hostas.

Thanks! I may re-think the periwinkle-ha! The hostas seemed perfectly fine-I did inspect them-I already planted them so to late to bleach :( But I will bleach to plant all the other flowers for the sun and part sun area. At least they have a 1yr guarantee.

I'll be makign another post to ask about "seeding" from plants also and how to "collect" from annuals, when to plant annual seeds also- Thanks for the tip on the snails!!

For some reason the ones I already had in the front I've never seen slugs on them but will pay close attention- I already learned the cure is use a butter tub-fill with beer and place to rim in the soil and drown the suckers -am I right? hehe-this is all so exciting and new-I discovered a passion I never new I could have-in fact I always admired flowers and nature but never realized the "bug" can hit so fast and intensely :) It's starting to shape up good..... I find myself looking at others lawns-helping my dad w/comments on his stuff, reading magazines-looking info online-I got it BAD lol

Oh-the ONLY drawback is I have three itchy spots on my legs (above knee) I'm praying they are mosquito or spider bites and not the PI or PO words...

Milk will work also for the slugs. I've done both, but sometimes they crawl back out instead of drowning, and I'm totally grossed out by them, so I use Sluggo instead.
If you're done hosta planting, you don't need to bleach. It's only a hosta virus. Although they say it's good gardening to clean your tools... I'm too busy gardening to do that!