OK, I'll admit I haven't gardened in a few years and couldn't this year due to my back surgery. Next spring or earlier I want to have some pretty plants and flowers and the more unusual the better. I prefer free form (that just looks like it came up on its own) as to rows/sections of Hostas, Mexican heather and petunias, etc. I want it all mixed. So... my question is, do I just select plants that have the same sun/shade requirements? If you think I sound crazy, you're right. And I am probably not making sense. I will have to have a defined bed, as I am not as lucky as Glenda is to just have all the room in the world and have things growing here and there. Maybe I'll have to get her to my house so she can help, since she doesn't have anything else to do now :!: I want some Tulips, Daffodils late winter plants, then go into the spring. I want something growing all the time. Is that possible?
Kuntrygal I just walk out and say to myself that might look good over there and plant it sometimes it works and sometimes it don't.If it don't and doesn't die I move it .I do make beds too but I usually plat bulbs in those
If you have a shady area and a sunny area then you can have plants with different requirements. But if you have one area you are planting, the plants must be all of the same sun/shade requirement and pretty much the same water requirements. Hostas require shade, whereas the Mexican Petunia requires full sun. Ferns and Hosta's require moist soil but lavender requires dry soil. There are many plants that will do well in Sun to Partial Shade that you could possibly put together. Full Sun means at least 6 hours of full sun per day, partial shade could mean morning sun/afternoon shade....especially in the hot Texas sun. But if a plant requires Partial Shade to Full Shade, that means very little or no sun or possibly just a bright location without direct sun. Since Texas, especially as far south as you are, doesn't get a whole lot of real winter weather you should have no problem finding evergreen plants or blooming plants for every season. Winter before last I had dwarf Hollyhocks blooming all during the season called winter, last year my Tuscan Blue Rosemary bloomed from November thru March even when with the ice and snow on it. You have the option of the myriad native plants we have in Texas plus a lot of tropicals will do fine where you are without special needs such as hot houses or conservatories. I would suggest making a list of plants you really want to have, it is very likely members here can help you with their growing requirements so you can decide if they will work in your garden.
Looks like I want have to worry about designing a garden. I mentioned in another post that I live in a mobile home community and the yards are not real large. So actually three feet of my yard next to the home to the left of mine is that persons lot! OK... I ask my neighbor (a good friend) today if she minded me making a flower bed in that 3 foot section. She said "only if it doesn't touch the skirting, because when the wind blows the plant will rub against it and make a noise".WHAT :?: :?: :?: Well goodness gracious, you could have blown me away with a feather! :-? So I will be container planting and that is good, I suppose, because I can have my shade plants and sunny plants where they are suppose to be :!: I can handle that, no problem. And I hope she wants a pretty flower
Oh, my, some people are very hard to please. Containers make nice gardens too, good luck. And don't give her any flowers!
Don't let your neighbors negativity bring you down kuntrygal! Geeze, she's lucky you don't collect windchimes LOL Container gardens can be beautiful!
Actually by using containers you can probably get more plants than if you put them all in the ground. Some pots sitting on the ground, some on stands that nestle down between plants where another plant would not fit. You could find multi-tiered planters to use too. The plants scrape the sides of skirting and make a noise? Oh my, it takes all kinds.
Sure does... and this lady is looking for a job (almost a year now). I would think she would be concentrating more on finding the job, than she would if a plant of all things brushed against the skirting. It's not like the plant is something hard or rough in texture. Go figure :-| I like the idea of actually getting more 'bang for the buck' by using containers. You are just too good to be true!
@kuntrygal How have things turned out? I think we'd be interested in seeing pictures of what your garden looks like now.
