That is an interesting area to plant.

If there are shady spots, you could use the liriope you were asking about for the other side of the house.

Use hardy succulents like yucca to mix in.

Bobbi's idea of arranging pots along the wall is excellent.

As for plants you might check out Pink skullcap. In full sun it makes a thick evergreen mound that would drape down the wall. It blooms all summer

There is also a purple skullcap. Tammy gave me some and it does great in full hot blasting sun, but the Zexmenia has crowded it and not given it room to mound. (Zexmenia hispida might be another to consider.) However, I found a photo taken by a Texan that shows a nice full plant growing between stones.

http://wwwrockrose.blogspot.com/2009/04/perfect-plant.html

Mediterrean fan palm would be one to consider for the planter as well. It stays small and is perfectly hardy in San Antonio.

Bobbi - Well let's see, as far as the inside, I seem to be leaning towards French Country lately...feminine, but not too stuffy. My dream garden would be an english garden, but we ARE in Texas (yes the DFW area).

holleygarden - I was originally thinking of adding a few roses, but I was afraid they would get too tall. I had just planted some carpet roses at my last house before I moved, so I didn't really get a chance to see how they would do as far as disease resistance. Maybe I'll try one or two. I don't have any experience w/sedum. Is that something that would cascade over the rocks? I love daylilies, so there will definitely be a few of those.

Laurie

roselee - I love the purple skullcap. I wonder why more nurseries don't have it. Can you find the pink in most nurseries? It doesn't look familiar to me, but the pictures on the internet could look different than seeing it in person. When I was searching for skullcap, I came across this article about a nursery in Plano. It sounds like they specialize in plants that thrive in Texas. They mentioned Pink Guara and Four Nerve Daisy. Is anyone familar with those?

Laurie

Here is a link that might be useful: Plano nursery

Laurie, it seems it's the independent nurseries that are offering the most native plants since they are willing to buy from smaller growers who, instead of competing with the large grower, have found their niche in propagating the natives instead. There has to really be a demand for the large growers to offer natives because the general public goes for what they are most familiar with, but that is slowly changing as they see more natives being used.

Rainbow Gardens, an independent nursery in San Antonio, has offered Pink skullcap for years along with Blackfoot daisy and Four nerve daisy, but I don't remember seeing Purple skullcap there. Hopefully the Plano nursery carries these natives.

I haven't grown Gaura, a very worthy plant, for several years, but Four nerve daisy is fast becoming a favorite. Tammy introduced it to me. I'm amazed at how it blooms year round. It bloomed right through the hard freezes we had last winter and is still blooming! Being evergreen it would be a nice one to drape over the wall and looks great interspersed with Blackfoot daisy, also evergreen, although the leaves are more sparse in the winter. I loaded up with Purple skullcap at Schumacher's sale and will plant them in the borders with the Four nerve and Blackfoot daisy.

I can't wait to see how your planter wall shapes up. Keep us posted :-)

Assuming 6 hours of direct light, I'd be tempted to put plumbago there, even if I had to replant from time to time. Also Black Foot daisy and calylophus.

Thanks, Roselee. We have an organic nursery nearby, so I bet they would have the skullcap and some of the others.

whitecap - I've been reading about how great Plumbago is, but I don't think I've ever actually seen it in anyone's yard except my mother's. She actually has the white version, but I want the blue. I've read that it can get kind of big so I didn't know whether to plant it in the raised bed or this side bed where I currently have Oleanders:

{{gwi:294522}}

Laurie

Roselee - You said you haven't grown Guara in several years. Does it not come back? I'm trying to stick with everygreens and perennials instead of annuals.

Laurie

Plumbago might not return each year in your area. I lost several of them this past winter here in San Antonio. only the largest, most established ones returned and they are still kind of scraggly this summer.

Native Dave's gardens are really pretty. He uses a lot of Mexican Feather grass that would also look good and be low maintenance there.

Copper Canyon Daisy would work in your area and I think it would spill over the wall.

Laurie, Guara wasn't reliable in returning every year for me. It's hard to say why perenials occasionally don't come back. Maybe we had too wet a winter for things that like their roots dry, or very well drained at least, or maybe it was too dry, or cold.

BTW, plumbago is one of my favorite plants and would be beautiful in the planter. It's actually a non twining vine and would hang over very gracefully. It's evergreen through many San Antonio winters, but of course last winter froze to the ground.

Here is a picture of some of mine in a three feet tall planter box ...

It originated in South Africa. I read where an amateur plant breader there worked for 20 years to get the darker blue color.

Shirley, that's a good point about whether or not plumbago would return in the Dallas area. The DFW people will have to tell us.

Incidentally, I've found through experience that here in San Antonio wet cold ground is main thing that keeps Plumbagos from returning after a hard freeze. I have to remember to pull away any mulch from around the roots to let the ground dry out and warm up. If I don't the roots apparently rot.

Laurie, sedum does not drape over. It stands up. But you might want to try coreopsis and/or lamb's ear (stachys). I wonder if you would have too much sun for ajuga. It would hang over some. Don't forget clematis running in an out. And iris for the spikey foliage. :) My 'hot lips' sage has also gotten big enough to droop down (they are about 3ft. tall). The bees and hummers love them.

Here are my carpet flower roses: There are several plants here together, but they would look nice separated and interplanted with other flowering plants. You can see that they flower all the way down. These are probably 10 years old and are around 4' tall.

{{gwi:266086}}

Hmm, now I'm kind of iffy on the plumbago even though I love it. I bet it doesn't come back in our area and that's why I don't see it in anyone's yard. Although, I guess it wouldn't hurt to buy just one.

Holleygarden - I love your carpet roses. Do you spray for disease or are they fairly health? I'm a fanatic about picking the dead blooms off of my rosebushes,but with that many blooms, I don't think I would ever get them all.

I just realized there's different kinds of sedum. Is this what you were talking about?

This is what I was picturing:

Would this kind do good in Texas?

I went to our organic nusery today and the only thing I saw that's been mentioned is the calylophus. They did have a crepe myrtle called True Blue that was really pretty, but I can't find much about it on the internet. It was a pretty lavendar color that's different than what you normally see. The tag says it gets about 5' tall, so I'm thinking about putting that in my front yard. Has anyone heard of that particular one?

Laurie

Roselee - Thanks for the tip on Plumbago, I thought I was doing it a favor by keeping the mulch on until the ground warmed up. Now that I think about it, several of the ones I lost were also lower in elevation and possibly wetter.

Now back to msrose and the great planters she has.....

Holly, your Carpet roses are gorgeous!

Laurie, in my minds eye I keep seeing something upright like the graceful trunks of Plumeria along with some draping plants, grasses, and Mediterranean fan palms if they are hardy in your area. You might want to leave a couple of open spaces for annuals like petunias or whatever you like.

Also it would probably be worthwhile to go on any fall garden tours in your area to see what and how other are using plants.

Hadn't heard of True blue crape myrtles. They sound pretty.

Pumbago does not appear on the list of plants recommended by the Dallas County Master Gardener's Association. I doubt this was mere oversight. I see lantana there, but I suspect you're not getting quite enough light for that option.

Whitecap - Is there any place I can view that list? I actually think I get quite a bit of light on that wall even though you wouldn't think I would since it faces north.

Laurie

Roselee - thank you. :)

Laurie, I do nothing to my carpet roses. Never spray. Have just started fertilizing them. I water them occasionally, but they are pretty drought resistant.

You're right, I was thinking of the sedum in the first picture, but I love the second one.

Being on MSN TV, I can't post links, but Google should take you to the site. As for lantana, it just doesn't do well for me unless it has full sun. Otherwise, even if it blooms, it is prone to fungus.

Laurie, you asked about Four nerve daisy above. Here it is (the yellow one) blooming with Blackfoot daisies and Snapdragons around Easter this year.

Wow, you have the perfect palette to work with, will be looking forward to seeing what you decide to do with it!

Thank you for posting the link to Native Dave's, am looking for ideas for my front yard...

I live in Carrollton, and thought my Cape May plumbago probably wouldn't make it through last winter, but it did, so that might be a thought.

Thanks for the info, and good luck, will be looking forward to pictures.

I initially misread one of Roselee's posts above and thought she was suggesting fan palms mixed with *plumbago*. But the more I think about it, the more I think that could look real nice. I may have to try it myself. =)

I think I also might plant some liriope all along the front of that wall, to cover up the concrete part below the stone.

Like your other commenters, mrose, I am in envy of this wonderful space to grow things!

Sometimes I lose plumbago here in Austin in winter - last year it died to roots in a very sheltered spot and died completely in more exposed areas. But it's awfully pretty.
Wonder how the hardy plumbago - Blue leadwort/Ceratostigma plumbaginoides would work there? It has dark green leaves with tiny dark blue flowers in fall.

Four-nerve daisy is cool, and a bonus for growing Blackfoot daisies in the raised bed it that the elusive fragrance would be at nose level!

Have you thought about Silver ponyfoot/Dichondra argentea for the "spiller"? It doesn't need full sun but I'm not sure if it's root-hardy in the Dallas area.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

Here is a link that might be useful:

Anybody know anything about these Crane's Bill Geraniums? Said to get about 2 ft. tall, and hardy to zone 6. I couldn't find one in SA.

Laurie, if that was my flowerbed, I would have Royal Purple bouganvilla trees spaced every 15 feet, then underneath and covering the entire bed, I would plant "purple Prince Barleria repens. In the winter just mulch the bouganvilla, my barleria repens did not freeze. If you are not a fan of purple, then use coral bouganvilla, and the rosea barleria repens. Barbra

Whitecap, although it is very pretty I think Crainsbill Geraniums are more of a cooler area plant then Texas provides so that's why it's not offered. Although rated to grow in zones as high as 8b, there is a lot of difference in Oregon's 8b and Texas' 8b. One site said this:

"This plant has been said to grow in the following regions:

"Juneau, Alaska
Fremont, California
Brookfield, Connecticut
La Grange Park, Illinois
Millersville, Maryland
Northfield, Massachusetts
Somerville, Massachusetts
Spencer, Massachusetts
Albany, Oregon
Dayton, Oregon
Seattle, Washington
Spokane, Washington

Thanks for the picture, Roselee. I really like the 4 nerve daisy and I think I like the blackfoot daisy even more.

annie - I looked up the ones you mentioned and I like them all. Hopefully someone in my area will have experience growing them.

hunnybunny - I may be wrong, but I don't think the bouganvilla would survive our winter. Also, I've never see a tree, but maybe that's because they don't get a chance to get that big here. Do you have one by chance? I'd love to see what it looks like. The one I had was in a pot and it grew down over the pot kind of like an ivy would.

Laurie

Mrose, yes all you have to do is cut the bouganvilla to one or two main canes. I usually strip all the thorns off the bottom canes. Manual Flores the garden expert for San Antonio, told me that if you put 4 inches of mulch on a bouganvilla it will not freeeze. It may freeze to the ground, but will come back. If you want you can cut them back and either wrap them for the winter, or just put mulch and put 10 gallon black plant pots on the top around the first of December, so far I have not lost any. In the spring cut them back to the new growth, and then just feed them, they do not like too much water. That is why I picked that combination. I so not like to water plants. In your rock flowerbed, they need to be watered at least twice a week. Check out Kaurtz Greenhouse on line. I have such good luck with their plants, call him and ask him what he would recommend, he is just such a nice guy. The bouganvilla trees are like the crape myrtle, they will grow to about 6 or 7 ft tall, and spread to 8 to 10 ft.

I also had in mind to try Acapulco Salmon and Pink Agastache, but couldn't find any. In theory, it should do well in zone 7.

That ground cover type plumbago doesn't root as deeply as the regular variety, and will require more water. Mine just burnt to a crisp in late summer.

Blackfoot daisy should cascade very well. One I set out from a 6" pot in April is now more than a yard wide, blooming profusely.

For me the wall is screaming for clematis along with some coral honey suckle.

In the spring clematis burst into bloom and they last for weeks, then it flowers off and on through out the summer. Blackfoot daises will go over the side of the wall and would look great in front of purple clematis.
I have a sedum that drapes very nicely, I have it in tall pots and it is down to the ground. Don't remember the name of it.

barb - Do you have any particular clematis you could recommend. I had The President (I think) growing at my old house and it was so full, I can't imagine it growing among other plants. My mother has a clematis that she doesn't know the name of and it's not nearly as full as mine was. It would probably be a good one to grow. I've always loved pictures of roses with clematis growing through them.

I've been drooling over plant pictures on the net again and wondered if anyone has experience with any of these.

I actually saw this one at an organic nursery and I loved the deep color. It's supposed to get 2 feet tall and about 4 feet wide. I read somewhere that it's good for growing over walls like mine.

Purple Pixie Loropetalum

Chica Red Dwarf Crape Myrtle

I saw this one on the internet and don't even know if they grow in our area, but I just thought it was so cute.

Little Henry Sweetspire

Laurie

I doubt you're going to find Pixies with such lovely coloration unless they're fresh from the grower. I set out a couple in April (almost $30 each, in 3 gal. pots.) The new growth burgundy eventually takes on a greenish hue. Mine have grown slowly, despite being watered with a soaker hose every other day. They might be 4" tall. I suspect they will always require frequent watering. I wouldn't put them in a full sun location. I doubt the branches are sufficiently flexible to cascade well.

Laurie, you're right bouganvilla won't survive our winter. I'm in the DFW area also. What local nursery do you go to that is organic? Little Henry Sweetspire does look great. I've never had any luck with geraniums in this heat. I love various salvias and agastaches. They're great hummingbird and butterfly attractants. It would be great to make that area into a butterfly/hummingbird garden.
Robin

whitecap - Thanks for the info. I had read online that unlike some of the other loropetelums, purple pixie holds it burgundy color. Sounds like that's not true.

Laurie

Well, mine are still attractive, with the newer growth giving a nice burgundy hue, but they certainly aren't as voluptuous as the one in your pic. No doubt they hold color better than the upright variety. I wouldn't rule them out.

Someone got off with my Neal Sperry book on Texas Gardening, but I distinctly recall him saying that miniature crape myrtles serve only as annuals in zone 8.

Robin - Green Mama's is the organic nursery I go to. We used to have a redenta's also, but the one near me closed.

Aw, you're killing me whitecap :) I guess it's better that I find out now than plant and be disappointed later. I saw another small crape myrtle at Calloways called Razzle Dazzle and it was so cute, but I'm afraid to try it now.

Laurie

So far The President has been the fastest and fullest growing, Molly is finally taking off but it takes a few years.

The dwarf crape myrtles in my yard have been there about 18 years and return every year the same as the full size ones. Even after our record setting cold last year they are now blooming and look just great.

I do not know which type as they were planted by the builder, but they are deep pink/red color and could be Razzle Dazzle.

As I recall, a distinction is observed between "dwarf" and "miniature" varieties.

okay, so what is razzle dazzle? Anyone know if it's a dwarf or miniature?

BTW, the plants are all out now! I know it's probably too hot to be planting new things, but I may try a few things and see how they do.

Laurie

By a happy coincidence, I've just found another copy of Sperry's tome at a preowned book store. It is only "Weeping Miniature Crepe Myrtles" that can't withstand temps below 20.

Thank you for letting me know. I love those too, but I'll just stick with the razzle dazzle then.

Laurie

Hollygarden : Your carpet roses are so beautiful.

Roselee: I love the four nerve daisy and the black foot daisies. Is this a good time to plant them ?

Indu, you can buy them now, but I'd wait until it gets a little cooler to plant them. When planted before it gets so hot they grow long roots into the surrounding soil to support themselves when it does get hot and dry, but now their roots wouldn't have a chance to do that, and if the root ball dries out they are toast. If you can find them in a four inch pot you might want to transplant them into a gallon pot until you plant them in late Sept. or so.

Laurie, I have a blue plumbago and shrimp plant combo that I like very much, and they both come back for me.
Well, one of the plumbagos did not come back after last winter, but others have been in the ground for some time. And who knows, hopefully, we won't have another winter like the one just past for many moons to come.

Well, that's good to know, Carrie. I can't remember exactly where you live, but I'm pretty sure I drove out to your house once to give you some rosebushes, so I know you're not too far from me. Maybe I will try one.

Laurie

You did, Laurie, and I need to know if you remember the name of the apricot colored one that has bloomed so well for me. The tag got lost somehow, and I have been unable to identify it.

That's a very stylish wall, as walls go, but if you put all your eggs in the summer color basket, it might look somewhat drear in winter.

carrie - I hate to say it, but I've given away so many roses that I can't remember which ones I gave you. Did it by chance have what I call freckles (little dots) on it? Is there any way you can take a picture?

whitecap - I know. I'm trying to decide if I should throw some evergreens in there to look good in the winter or just fill it with things I love and not worry about what it looks like in the winter.

Laurie