Need ideas on plants and flowers

[happyscooter]

We are zone 7b.  I need ideas for something around the front of the house.  Colorful, something that might come back each year.  I don't want to spend every weekend gardening, there is just one area that we will plant in.

[olderburgher]

If it is sunny try Day lilys, Brown eyed Susans, crocus, daffodills and cone flowers. If shady try Coral Bells for folliage.

[Gardening Grandma]

Do you want shrubs that will give you a green background all the time?  Or perineals that will give you summer bloom?

Sunny? Full sun? Part shade? Shady?  Need more info...

Day lilies are among the easiest, non demanding perineals out there.  They come in mineature (like Stella deOro) or full size.  When not blooming, they have nice foilage.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Well, we're in Zone 9a, and I had to look that up. 
I love our hydrangeas and rhododendrons. The Rhodies bloom earlier and they've been back to just bushes for a while now.  The hydrangeas bloomed after the rhodies were done and are still in bloom. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Water makes a difference too, right GG?  Like how much you can get there and how much you want hour boll to increase. My husband is the gardener, not me. I just love looking at the garden. 

[happyscooter]

Full afternoon sun.  We have green plants in another area so we want color in this area.  We do have hydrangeas in another area.  Thanks for the ideas.

[mmhmm]

Periwinkles can be nice if the area isn't too small.  They've got small flowers (various colors available), a long blooming period, and stay green all year in 7b.

[Tennesseer]

Jul 28, 2013 12:23:46 GMT -5 happyscooter said:

Full afternoon sun.  We have green plants in another area so we want color in this area.  We do have hydrangeas in another area.  Thanks for the ideas.

What ever you buy, keep this in mind:  when a plant or shrub says part-sun, that means morning sun.  Afternoon sun is the hottest.

Why not some low growing evergreen nandinas (Wood’s Dwarf, Nana Purpurea; Umpqual Princess; Town and Country; Moon Bay; and Compacta) fronted by Gaillardia (blanket flowers).

Some of the nandina leaves will turn red in the winter (some won't) and the gaillardia will bloom all summer and into fall as long as you deadhead.

Nandina-winter folliage:



Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' 

[happyscooter]

We have 5 dwarf nandinas in the other area.  They are mostly green right now. 

[Tennesseer]

Don't rule out low-growing ornamental grasses.  They can add 'bang' to the scenery.  Most ornamental grasses bleach out over winter so you only need to mow over them in late winter and the new grass will soon emerge for the spring, summer and fall display.  And no maintenance required during the growing season! 

[Tennesseer]

Jul 28, 2013 12:43:53 GMT -5 happyscooter said:

We have 5 dwarf nandinas in the other area.  They are mostly green right now. 

Did you plant them this spring or have they been growing there for several years?  If new this year, they may give you red color for the winter if exposed to sun.  Added bonus.

[happyscooter]

Maybe 5 years.  The tips have been red before.  We cut them back recently.

[Deleted]

Jul 28, 2013 7:42:30 GMT -5 happyscooter said:

We are zone 7b.  I need ideas for something around the front of the house.  Colorful, something that might come back each year.  I don't want to spend every weekend gardening, there is just one area that we will plant in.

Happyscooter one of the things on our to do list for the house is a new back yard. My plan is to get a local nursery to "suggest" plants because they are the local experts. I figure that just because a book or a tag on a plant says that it will grow or thrive somewhere, that doesn't make it true.

[Tennesseer]

Oldtex-by your name, I assume you live in Texas.  About 15 years ago, I bought this book at the recommendation from a local nursery and it has served me well over the years.  It lists plants, shrubs, trees and other things based upon the growing conditions (dry or wet soil, shade or sun) and by zones (upper south, middle south, lower south and coastal south).  

You might look into it.  A good book.  No pictures though.  Just lists.

 


"Overview

The Southern Gardener's Book of Lists, a sourcebook and workbook in one, has all the answers. With more than 200 lists of plants grouped by their horticultural characteristics and uses in the garden, this is the one-of-a-kind guide to spending less time and money on your garden. Veteran gardener and best-selling author Lois Trigg Chaplin recommends hundreds of plants for hundreds of uses, noting the specific Southern regions they grow in and sharing helpful hints and insights. Other special features include the tips, suggestions, and anecdotes of gardeners, nurserymen, designers, and horticulturists from across the South."

[happyscooter]

We have hostas in the back.  I like the greenery, I didn't know they had flowers on them when I planted them.

Keep the ideas coming.  I also want to put something in planters on my porch.  I don't really have anywhere to put them inside for the winter so I can't decide what to pick. 

Does anyone know if a croton is an outdoor plant?

[gooddecisions]

Knock-out roses are hardy and bloom at least 9-10 months out of the year. I like to look at what's planted in the medians and neighborhood entrances to get an idea on what blooms really well and doesn't require a lot of maintenance. I'm patiently waiting until September when I can plant some stuff since everything dies in my area if you plant in June, July or August. I will be planting bulbs and winter annuals in the fall and I may need to wait until April for a lot of other stuff. I want to plant knock-out roses, hydrangeas, maybe a crape myrtle and dogwood. I have to look into when to plant black eyed susans and phlox, but I've been wanting them for years and am now in my new home. I might also plant a rhondendron because they are a nice shape even without blooms. I will not be planting azaleas because the are pretty for two weeks and an ugly shrub the other 11.5 months.

[happyhoix]

I'm in planting zone 7, too. Day lillies are very tough and reliable, and if you get the dwarf kinds, they don't grow as tall, but they have a habit of overwhelming the flower bed because they replicate. It's good in that they muscle out the weeds, but they also muscle out most other flowers you plant with them.  Four o'clocks you buy in seed packs and they grow like weeds, but be sure you like them because they self seed and come back every year. They only open at dusk, though, during the day they stay shut tight. If you want something more bushy, the knock out roses are almost effortless and they flower all through summer, or you can get a bush type crepe myrtle (rather than the tree form) that will remain a three -four foot shrub. My neighbor has a very attractive bed that mixes sedums, ornamental grass and black eyed susans - he planted these at the end of a long driveway, too far for his water hose to reach, and they did well, even in the hot summers, without much extra watering. Elephant ears also offer beautiful showy foliage, although they don't flower. They also come back annually and increase in number each year.

For baskets in sunny spots, I LOVE purple wave petunias. They grow like mad, produce flowers like mad, and tolerate the heat well, without their color fading. Their trailing habit makes the basket look like a cascade of deep purple flowers.
 
I planted a mess of red gladiolas two years ago, and I love their bright flowers, but this year ( I guess with all the rain) they grew in HUGE - nearly four feet tall - and the flower spikes quickly get top heavy and would snap in a strong wind. I ended up having to get tall metal flower brackets to support the spikes, but they cost $2.50 per bracket and I had about forty spikes this year, and all of them have sprouted baby glads all around them, which means next year I'll have even more, so I'm beginning to wonder if glads were such a great idea. I need to figure out a cost effective and not butt ugly way to keep those suckers from flopping over in a high wind.

[Tennesseer]

Jul 30, 2013 6:07:37 GMT -5 happyscooter said:

We have hostas in the back.  I like the greenery, I didn't know they had flowers on them when I planted them.

Keep the ideas coming.  I also want to put something in planters on my porch.  I don't really have anywhere to put them inside for the winter so I can't decide what to pick. 

Does anyone know if a croton is an outdoor plant?

Hardiness zones from 9b (Orlando/Phoenix), 10 (L.A./San Diego) to 11 (Miami) for crotons but be prepared for frosts and potential freeze warnings.  Or just put a potted croton houseplant outdoors during the warmer months.