Thursday, May 26, 2011

Best in Show

DSC_2158_6516Lavender & Sweet Peas

If you follow gardening blogs it seems they are broken down into a few groups:  Edible, Flowers, Homestead.  I think the edible part of gardening I’m getting the hang of.  Homesteading isn’t going to happen.  I have pioneer blood but it enjoys air conditioning along with me.  I’m simply too much of a whiner to be a homesteader.  That leaves the flowers group.  This evening as I cut some flowers to use as bouquets, I determined that I need more flowers in the garden.  So in addition to this being the Year of Corn in the garden, I will now try to incorporate more flowers into the landscape.  I mean try to pack spaces with blooming plants.  Nothing too difficult or fussy will do.  I’m going to stick with varieties that are hardy in the hell hole of summer in the south San Joaquin Valley.  Marigolds, zinnias and the like will be the things I’ll try to grow from seed. 

Now the research begins to determine what to try.  Any suggestions for flowers that do well in zone 8-9 are appreciated.  Thanks

6 comments:

Lo said...

Gazanias, African daisies, petunias for sure. Petunias are the best.

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

What about Veronica?

Dirty Girl Gardening said...

there really is no better combo than lav and sweet peas! try calendula, poppies, penstemon and delphinium.

Lo said...

How could I have forgotten geraniums? They thrive on dry soil and neglect. If you want some rooted cutt5ings, just let me know.

MAYBELLINE said...

*Lo - geraniums are a great idea. Thanks for the offer. I'll look into scented geraniums. The smell of the regular geraniums isn't so good to me. Isn't there a lemon or rose? I'll check it out. I'm trying to grow some gazania from seed. So far no luck.

*Dirty - Calendula may be the perfect thing for a sandy patch I have in full sun. Thanks.

*Kathy - I don't think I know anything about Veronica. I need to learn more.

muddytoes said...

I'm up in Sacramento. We have great luck with ornamental sunflowers, cosmos, nigella (more of a spring flower, & it reseeds like crazy), butterfly bushes, lavenders, salvias (the S. greggi and related hybrids like hot lips and berzerkley), yarrow, California poppies...

Our water district has demonstration gardens -- I think there are others in other areas of the state too. Our county master gardeners and UC Davis also have similar projects. They're good resources for ideas for things that thrive under the blazing sun in our hot, dry summers. Basically, look for plants that are native to CA, S. Africa (like gazanias, I believe?) hotter parts of the Mediterranean & Australia, and you're well on your way to finding plants that are at home here