Gardening Advice

[CowGirlUp]

Ok - so I want to plant some flowers/plants/bushes in the beds in front of my house. Problem is, I do not have a 'green thumb' what so ever. I bought 4 hanging flower pots beginning of summer, and I still have 3 of the 4 - living with blooms. Which is a plus for me.

Question is - what are good things to plant in fall? I have heard that tulips are to be planted in fall for blooming in spring. I really like tulips, so I am planning on planting a bunch of those.

What about bushes or plants? I would also like to have the plants/bushes/flowers I do plant this fall, to come back every year. I think that is what you would call a 'seasonal'?

TIA

 

[happyappygirl]

Ground digging critters just LOVE tulips...so DO put a border around where ever you put them. Daffodils are a better choice, they multiply more rapidly, and yes put them in this month for spring bloom they need a freeze to grow and bloom. your scheme Depends on when you want color. Annuals for summer are good - wave petunia from Lowes goes WILD and mine came back this year even in the big deck pots. mums are good for fall, but are kind of weedy/leggy when not blooming, (preying mantis LOVE them) same with asters, so i use them in pots and toss them at the end of the season. But if you keep them, lop them off when they come up to about 6 inches in the spring, they will be bushier and bloom better in the fall and not get leggy. Crepe Myrtle blooms at different times, for different lengths of time, and grow to different heights. It's best to go to a nursery and read descriptions of stuff to decide what you want where. Don't plant BIG next to the house...it will tear up the siding and block windows. i know someone who grew gourds around her porch and they were lovely...she's tearing them out now, and has lots of pumpkins and gourds too!

 

[CowGirlUp]

Ground digging critters just LOVE tulips...so DO put a border around where ever you put them.

What do you mean 'border' ? So daffodils come back each year?

I like mums, but I think I am going to stick with them in the pots instead of planting them too.

Any ideas on how to get 'slugs' out of your garden beds and off sides of house?

What exactly is Crepe Myrtle?

 

[rhumbpunch]

What do you mean 'border' ? So daffodils come back each year?

I like mums, but I think I am going to stick with them in the pots instead of planting them too.

Any ideas on how to get 'slugs' out of your garden beds and off sides of house?

What exactly is Crepe Myrtle?

For the Slugs: place a couple of shallow dishes/pans, in the bed(s) and fill with beer. They love the stuff. The slugs check-in to the beer hotel, but they don't check-out.

Crepe Myrtle is a flowering tree, different colors, blooms in the summer. Will get large if you let it.

 

[happyappygirl]

For the Slugs: place a couple of shallow dishes/pans, in the bed(s) and fill with beer. They love the stuff. The slugs check-in to the beer hotel, but they don't check-out.

Crepe Myrtle is a flowering tree, different colors, blooms in the summer. Will get large if you let it.

Hmmm drunk slugs....i know a few of those.
Crepe Myrtles come in different sizes. I have some in front of my family room that only get to 6-7' tall (gorgeous deep burgandy ones). And one at my old place that is 25' with a bench under it. there are some lovely ones trimmed nicely in the median of rt 5 (or is it 301??) along there, those have pink/purple flowers. if you trim them they look like a grove of small trees, and they grow really fast. i like how they bloom most of the summer once they start, but they look naked during the winter, the poor things.

 

[happyappygirl]

What do you mean 'border' ? So daffodils come back each year?

Meaning like with rocks or bricks dug into the ground a bit. yes they are "annuals" come back annually....like the in-laws...

oops...annuals have to be planted annually...i'm a

 

[happyappygirl]

HappyAppy...I still think you should put the old ringer washer on the porch and put some flowers in there!!

already put it along one curve of the driveway off to the side with the tin man working it, I will put some ferns and woodland blooming stuff into it....rott-n-cop filled it with topsoil and drilled drainholes in it for me!!
you should have seen Tequilla (the leopard one) when she first saw him...she was a hoot...eyeballing and walking sideways looking at my tin man doing his chores...

 

[rhumbpunch]

HappyAppy...I still think you should put the old ringer washer on the porch and put some flowers in there!!

Thanks for the idea, now I know what to do with the old toilet sitting behind the shed,

pot-o-flowers :flush:

 

[jazz lady]

A quick guide to the language of plants

Annuals - Not winter-hardy. You must replant them every year or start again from seeds.

Perennials - Winter-hardy and come back year after year. There are also "tender perennials" which can only take winter temperatures to a certain degree.

Biennials - Two year plants. Overwinters and produces seeds in the second year, then dies.

Bulbs - Usually come back year after year, but some (like Dahlias) cannot overwinter in the ground here and thus are "tender bulbs" for this area. They must be dug up in the fall and stored in a controlled environment so they don't freeze.

Having said all that, fall is the best time for planting bulbs. Daffodils are much more tolerant to weather and poor soil than tulips and also don't seem to be affected as much by burrowing creatures that eat bulbs, but tulips aren't much harder to grow and are inexpensive as well.

One thing to look at when buying plants is what climate zone range it grows best in. We are in zone 7 which has a frost-free plant growing time from April 15 to October 15, although the actual growing season is much longer. Good references are Burpee and Park's.