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Bluewillow
My Favorite Photo
| | Posted on Sunday, January 20, 2008 - 12:08 pm EST : |   |
Need some suggestions as to what to add to my front lawn flower bed that already has an hibiscus plant there, as the #1 plant. The rest of the stuff are just little plants, that I plan to replace with some of the stuff below
Pink Foxglove
Castor bean plant
Sunflowers (russian giant, earthwalker and taiyo )
1 Corn plant
Coneflowers
Nasturtium
Salvia ( red and yvonne salvia )
Zinnias
Coriopsis
Lobelia Cardinialis
Daisies
Sweet potato vine blackie
Amaranth
Alyssum Saxatile
Marigold Crackerjack
What do you guys think of the list? I'll love for someone to do their PHOTOSHOP magic on this one
Bluewillow
- London UK, Now Canada,
Zone " 5b"
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Suzyqt1968
 Supporting Member
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| | Posted on Sunday, January 20, 2008 - 12:41 pm EST : | |
Hi Bluewillow! It might help if you took a picture from the street side so we can see how things would look with your house and other plantings. Thanks~!
Suzyqt1968
- Washington,
Zone "7-8"
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Oldiebutgoodie
| | Posted on Sunday, January 20, 2008 - 12:48 pm EST : | |
I love all your choices, Mick. Some may clash, though. Castor bean gets huge, as do many sunflowers. I grow the giant type and we have to cut them down with an axe in the fall. I'm not certain that it's true, but I've been told that castor beans are poisonous. I'd love to grow some, but I still have young grandchildren, so I'll wait till they're older.
I used to dislike marigolds, but I've come to value them because they last so long. When they clash with the colours in my beds, I plant flowering kale instead. When we lost most of our snow last week, I found them still looking great around the edge of my border.
I haven't had much luck with lobelia, and I think I have too much mulch for foxglove (which I adore) to self-seed.
How about gayflower and/or oriental poppies? I like both, although their blooming period isn't very long.
I also love glads and canna lilies, even if they require a lot more work.
Various succulents also appeal to me. I grow hens and chickens in porous rock. Over the past three years I've been planting them in the dry stone wall at the entrance to my mom's house. They really put on a display there. The chipmunks tend to push them out from time to time, but I just tuck them back in till the little rascals decide to shove them out again.
Have fun with your beds this summer!
Oldiebutgoodie
- Ontario,
Zone "5b"
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Bluewillow
My Favorite Photo
| | Posted on Sunday, January 20, 2008 - 01:52 pm EST : | |
Castor bean are said to be poisnous, and although I have a daughter and another kid of the way, the plan is to remove the seeds as they appear.
I am planting it for the tropical effect really. I forgot to add Canna to my list, and I do have the oriental poppy you mentioned, in the form of seeds.
Here is another old pic
And then there is this bed, where I have planted some tulips, Hyancinths and crocus, that should pop up in the next few months.
The look am trying to create, is sort of like the one below
Bluewillow
- London UK, Now Canada,
Zone " 5b"
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Heirloomgardens
Supporting Member
My Garden Journal
My Garden
| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 08:51 am EST : | |
I'm not sure what is in the background of that last pic, but the flower and leaf color makes me think of a purple Buddleia (Butterfly Bush). They usually get big, but there are some English ones that aren't nearly so big.
Heirloomgardens
- Massachusetts,
Zone "5b"
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Oldiebutgoodie
| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 11:32 am EST : | |
I've been thinking about your front flower bed, Mike; and I'd be afraid of the hibiscus "getting lost" in a bed like the photo you've shown us. I like hibiscus as a specimen plant and would keep the remainder of the planting low. If you're intent on taller plants, then you could create a second bed somewhere behind the one containing the hibiscus. But then, that's just my opinion, and I tend to be a very opinionated old broad!!
Oldiebutgoodie
- Ontario,
Zone "5b"
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Bluewillow
My Favorite Photo
| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 12:01 pm EST : | |
Oldie...I was thinking exactly the same thing, but wanted to hear the opinion of others. I have decided to omit the castor plant, and will put that in the backyard instead. The 2nd bed you mention will have an elephant ears plant instead, like the one in the pic below
http://www.durgan.org/8%20September%202006%20Elephant%20Ears/HTML/
Oldie...what low plants from my list above, would you suggest then for the hibiscus bed?
Bluewillow
- London UK, Now Canada,
Zone " 5b"
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Oldiebutgoodie
| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 02:19 pm EST : | |
Given that your hibiscus is scarlet, I'd avoid yellows, Mike. I love yellow flowers, but I think the contrast between the two colours might be too great. There are some nice new coreopsis cultivars that tend towards the white and/or maroon or purple shades. And you'd have the benefit of not having to put in a lot of annuals each year.
I think foxglove is gorgeous and it self-seeds (if you don't put down too much mulch, like I did.) Even though it's relatively tall, I don't think the spikes would hide your hibiscus.
The daisies and purple coneflower would be nice as long as you didn't get giant varieties.
And most definitely, the sweet potato vine. I love both the lime green colour and the dark leaved varieties.
Oldiebutgoodie
- Ontario,
Zone "5b"
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Bluewillow
My Favorite Photo
| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 03:01 pm EST : | |
Thanks oldie....a lot to think about there. I did get the hibiscus to act as a center piece, and it seems to have done exactly that. I just need to build low flowers around it.
The sweet potato vine idea is good, and the dark type you mentioned, is called "blackie". It will look better amongst all that green.
Bluewillow
- London UK, Now Canada,
Zone " 5b"
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Oldiebutgoodie
| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 03:05 pm EST : | |
I have a couple of suggestions that are not on your list: the lacy variety of artemesia (dusty miller) (an inexpensive annual that seems to "ground" a bed), perennial chrysanthemums for late fall interest, cosmos adds a lacy effect as long as it is a low-growing variety, gypsophilia (baby's breath) would add a really romantic touch, Japanese iris has lovely foliage even after the flowers have faded. One of my neighbours has a bed with a lot of lupins. They are showy for a very long time. I think any of these would create a spectacular effect together with your hibiscus.
Oldiebutgoodie
- Ontario,
Zone "5b"
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Malgorzata
Supporting Member
My Garden
| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 07:00 pm EST : | |
Don't forget Sweet Alyssum and Lobelia erinus Mick somewhere on the edges!! Well anywhere! I also keep away from yellows... but some like it hot. ;) 
Malgorzata
- Fukuoka-Kyushu,
Zone "8/9"
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Bluewillow
My Favorite Photo
| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 07:46 pm EST : | |
Oldie and Mal....thx for the suggestions! I don't want to have to go out and buy seeds, I'll rather use some from this list:
ConeFlowers Purple
4 O Clocks
Love Lies Bleeding
Mystic Merlin Mallow
Perennial Blue Flax
Blue Love in a Mist
Pink Catchfly
Portulaca Mix
Balsam Mix
Milkweed
Pink Lupins
Scarlet Runner Beans
Oriental Poppy
Hollyhocks Mixed
Yvonnes Salvia
Texas Salvia Coccinea
Inula
Lavertera Hot Pink
Baptisia Perennial
Cosmos Sunset
Yellow Pea Flower
Swamp Hibiscus Perennial
Dianthus Crimsoniana
Rudbeckia Yellow
Red Salvia
Rudbeckia Yellow&Brown
Amaranthus Fat Spike
Cleome Pink
Blue Lupin
Sunflower Tall Red
Red Poppy
Calendula Sherbet Fizz
Marigolds Short Mix
Datura Belle Blanche
FeverFew
Clematis Jackmanii
Purple Millet
Morning Glory Purple
Morning Glory H.Blue
Pink Peony Poppy
Datura Inoxia
Globe Centaurea
Poppy Single Pink
Crocosimia Lucifer
Mock Orange Bush
Platycodorz Balloon Flower
Shasta Daisy
Cranesbill Sanguineum
Hollyhock Dark Pink
Morning Glory Dark Blue
Hasta Mix
Aster Grego Mix
Aguilegia Pink
Pentemon Husker Red
Betula White Birch
Amaranth Love Lies Bleedin'
Coreopsis Moonbean
Clematis Dark Purple
Echinacea Purple/Pink
Feverfew Flora Plexo
Feverfew White
Gazania Mixed
Zinnia Magellant
BunnyTail Grass
Purple Majesty Millet
Purple Fountain Grass
Ageratum Purple
Astilbe White
Marigold Dwarf
Purple Datura
Marigold Large White
Lupin Hybrid Double Purple
Rose Of Sharon Lilac Rose
Lobelia Cardinialis
Sunflower Giant Yellow
Rose Campion
Butterfly Bush Black Knight
Wisteria Vine Purple
Digitalis Foxglove Yellow&Pink
Salvia Red Texas Sage
Maltese Cross
Joe Pye Weed
Verbascum Nigrum
Which ones would you pick from the list to go with the Hibiscus plant?
Cheers
PS: Hopefully Missgarden can show up and do her photoshop magic on this one :-)
Bluewillow
- London UK, Now Canada,
Zone " 5b"
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Growit
Supporting Member
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| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 07:58 pm EST : | |
With the list you have there BW I would go with the perennial blue flax. It is one of my favourites, a true blue, free flowering, only a foot or so tall and lovely dainty, feathery foliage so even when the flowers are finished it is still attractive. The seeds are easy to collect to resow each year if needs be....what more could you want?!
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
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Oldiebutgoodie
| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 08:31 pm EST : | |
Every time I check this site, I learn something new and exciting. I've never encountered perennial blue flax, but after checking it out, I'm definitely going to look for some.
Do you start your seeds indoors, Mike? If so, please describe the process you use. I have had mixed results in the past. Last year I started canteloupes successfully, if somewhat later than I ought to have done.
Oldiebutgoodie
- Ontario,
Zone "5b"
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Bluewillow
My Favorite Photo
| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 08:39 pm EST : | |
Moira....out of all that, you only managed to pick one thing out to go with my Hibiscus? Gordon Bennett :-)
Oldie...I haven't started anything inside before, this is my 1st time, and that is why I bought the shoplights and sheving unit for the basement.
Oh....it's Mick, Not Mike
Bluewillow
- London UK, Now Canada,
Zone " 5b"
|
Growit
Supporting Member
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| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 08:50 pm EST : | |
LOL!! No. There are several things that could be planted with it but in that size bed I would go for impact and personally I don't like too much variation in a small bed. If you surrounded it with blue flax and nothing else it would look amazing and they do flower for a long period.
I am no expert on your soil or growing season though Mick so bear that in mind. I am talking as an English landscape designer not a Canadian one!
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
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Oldiebutgoodie
| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 08:56 pm EST : | |
Oh....it's Mick, Not Mike
Oops, I knew that. Chalk it up to Oldtimers Disease!
Oldiebutgoodie
- Ontario,
Zone "5b"
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Growit
Supporting Member
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| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 08:57 pm EST : | |
This is near enough their true colour.
http://seeds.thompson-morgan.com/uk/en/product/1299/1
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
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Growit
Supporting Member
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| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 09:03 pm EST : | |
Myrna I may have some seeds still. Only thing I don't know is if I can legally send them to you in Canada. If not I am sure Mick has some to spare. Do you Mick?
Growit
- Hampshire,
Zone "8/9"
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Oldiebutgoodie
| | Posted on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 10:23 pm EST : | |
Thanks for the offer, Moira. I'm not sure how our Dept. of Agriculture feels about importing seed. I'll check, but I suspect you won't be allowed to send it here.
I'd love to put some blue flax into my beds, but it may be an exercise in futility. I just checked one of my seed catalogues and it says hardy in Zones 6 - 9. The climate in this area may be too harsh, especially inasmuch as we have are subject to lot of wind in this general vicinity.
Oldiebutgoodie
- Ontario,
Zone "5b"
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