Do you have a green thumb? If so, I could use your advice! :)

[JaimeLynne]

I would like to plant some colorful flowers in pots on our roof deck. It gets full sunlight during the day, with few areas of light shade.

 

We're having a BBQ a week from Sunday and I'd like to make it look a little "happier" up there. Last Summer we had two gorgeous Hibiscus plants but unfortunately we lost them over the winter. This time I'd like to go for some smaller potted plants.

 

So, here are my "wants" :

 

1) Bright, colorful flowers

2) Needs to do well in full sunlight and the Texas heat

3) Fairly easy to maintain

 

I would really like to get into this and work at keeping these plants alive so I'd love your suggestions, ladies! I'm also going to be researching and looking in "The Houseplant Encyclopedia" that FMIL got me, but so far I haven't found what I'm looking for. I know I can go to the nearest nursery but I'd like to have an idea of what I'm looking at before I go...

 

TIA!

[*JillD*]

well, my dad owns a greenhouse business and I've been working there since I was old enough to walk. But we're on the east coast so I'm not sure my recommendations for what likes full sun here, would be the same for texas.

 

Oooh, you know what plants I used to love when we were in Florida, Mandevillas! They have big horn shaped pink flowers and big green leaves and they are viney, so they have to have a stake in the pot to climb on. I know those grow in Florida, so they might be good.

 

Bouganvilleas also grow in Florida and are very pretty, like the sun, they have paper like flowers, come in pink, purple, white, maybe even red.

 

Keeping plants over in the house during the winter can be tough unless you have a spot where they're going to get a lot of sun.

 

I wish I could be more help, I'll let you know if I think of some other things.

[JaimeLynne]

Oooh, just found a very cool thing for Texas ladies. Texas gardening tips-picture database of plants,flowers,trees,shrubs It's a form you fill out with the section of TX you live in, type of lighting, type of leaves, etc. It gave me a large list - I'm excited because Pansies are on there and I used to love those when I was little. I have fond memories of my mom growing them in her garden. She definitely had a green thumb so I'm hoping I may have inherited at least a little bit of that...

 

Here's the list it came up with:

 

Amaryllis

 

Artemisia

 

Aster

 

Black-eyed susan

 

Bluebonnet

 

Butterfly weed

 

Celosia, cockscomb

 

Coleus

 

Coneflower

 

Coreopsis

 

Creeping jenny

 

Crinum lily

 

Daisy

 

Datura, Jimson weed, Angel's Trumpet

 

Daylily

 

Dianthus, Pink, Carnation

 

Dusty miller

 

Gaura

 

Gayfeather

 

Golden dewdrop

 

Hyacinth

 

Indian blanket

 

Iris

 

Johnny Jump-up

 

Lamb's Ear

 

Lantana

 

Louisiana phlox

 

Mexican bush sage

 

Mexican heather, False heather

 

Mistflower

 

Moss rose

 

Oxalis

 

Pansy

 

Pentas

 

Periwinkle, Vinca

 

Petunia

 

Pickerelweed

 

Pink indigo

 

Rain lily

 

Red yucca

 

Rose

 

Ruellia, Mexican petunia

 

Sage, salvia

 

Scabiosa, Pincushion flower

 

Sedum

 

Snapdragon

 

Society garlic

 

Stoke's aster

 

Turk's cap

 

Verbena

 

Water lily

 

Yarrow

 

Zinnia

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Plenty to choose from! If you have experience growing any of these, please chime in!

[*JillD*]

Jamie, that's a great list. Keep in mind that a lot of those plants are perennials, so they really won't do well being brought in the house for the winter, they're meant more to be planted in the ground and they'll come back every year. Most perennials also only flower at one time of the season, so they won't have flowers the whole summer.

 

As far as pansies, they typically like a cooler temperature. For example, pansies are one of the only things that can go outside right now where I live because it's still cold at night. Usually if pansies get too much heat, they start to get really stretched out, so if you have somewhere you can put them that they'll get some sun, but it will stay sort of cool, that would be a good spot for them.

[JaimeLynne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TA Jill Jamie, that's a great list. Keep in mind that a lot of those plants are perennials, so they really won't do well being brought in the house for the winter, they're meant more to be planted in the ground and they'll come back every year. Most perennials also only flower at one time of the season, so they won't have flowers the whole summer. As far as pansies, they typically like a cooler temperature. For example, pansies are one of the only things that can go outside right now where I live because it's still cold at night. Usually if pansies get too much heat, they start to get really stretched out, so if you have somewhere you can put them that they'll get some sun, but it will stay sort of cool, that would be a good spot for them.

Thanks for your advice Jill - sounds like I've got an expert on my hands!

Too bad about the pansies. Petunias look pretty too but for them it says to "Beware of afternoon sun, however. This low growing annual won't put up with riding off into the sunset."

That said, here's what I'm thinking so far. Let me know what you think...

~ Zinnias

The common zinnia, a favorite old-time annual flower, has now been joined by the narrow-leaf zinnia in the Texas garden. Both have the traditional round bushy head and attract butterflies like crazy. But the narrow-leaf far surpasses the common in terms of low maintenance, having none of the mildew problems of the common. However, the smaller narrow-leaf --- in only orange, white or yellow --- can't beat the colors available in the good old common zinnia. Keep seeds of both to try again next spring.


Periwinkle, Vinca

Madagascar periwinkle is a warm season annual in Texas that will often reseed itself prolifically. They are quite drought tolerant and enjoy the heat as well as humidity. The blooms resemble a phlox with white, pink or purple or one of those colors with a center of the other. They cover the 2' plant throughout the spring until fall. The drawback of this favorite in recent years has been a tendency to develop wilt disease when planted to early in a wet spring. If this happens, it is likely that you will not be able to successfully grow periwinkles again in that soil, except those that have reseeded themselves.

Daisy

Our native Blackfoot daisy (Melampodium) begins blooming in late spring and goes until frost. It is much smaller (6-12") than what we traditionally think of as a daisy--- the shasta daisy --- which is in the chrysanthemum family. Shasta daisies hate heat and humidity though, so not a good idea for much of Texas.

[jamisoncollette]

sorry, I kill everything!

[becks]

Vinca is great. Also, you might look at geraniums - they are really hearty and bloom all summer. The climbing variety looks pretty dangling down the side of a planter box, too.

 

I also love bouganvilla - I had them when I was in LA - they are great in the sun and are in color most of the season, because it's actually the leaves that change to pink, purple or whatever. The flower is a teeny tiny little white thing in the middle.

[JaimeLynne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by becks Vinca is great. Also, you might look at geraniums - they are really hearty and bloom all summer. The climbing variety looks pretty dangling down the side of a planter box, too. I also love bouganvilla - I had them when I was in LA - they are great in the sun and are in color most of the season, because it's actually the leaves that change to pink, purple or whatever. The flower is a teeny tiny little white thing in the middle.

Geraniums, good idea! I wonder why they weren't on the list...

Here's what I found about Geraniums:
Lush growing geraniums look good in a bed all by themselves, or mixed in with other annuals. They also make attractive edging plants for the flower garden.

In fact, these versatile plants are perfect for any spot that calls for a splash of vibrant color through-out the season.

And, of course, they're always popular mainstays in containers, hanging baskets and window boxes, as they thrive in pots and mix beautifully with annuals such as lobelia, vinca vine, petunias and verbena.

Light: Most types flower best in full sun, which means at least six hours of direct sun a day. If you live in a hot region with regular summer temperature over 90 degrees F (32 degrees C), plant your geraniums in a partly shaded spot. Many geraniums do quite well in part shade, but they won't flower as prolifically.

[ErinB]

Impatiens and Marigolds are also great for hot weather and do come back after droughts.

 

You might also want to plant some PennyRoyal. Its a green, ground cover type plant that wards off Mosquitos!

[JaimeLynne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamaicaBride062108 Impatiens and Marigolds are also great for hot weather and do come back after droughts. You might also want to plant some PennyRoyal. Its a green, ground cover type plant that wards off Mosquitos!

Marigolds look like they might work but it says that Impatiens need shade, which they won't be getting on our uncovered Texas roof deck!