There's something 'bout the Southland in the Springtime!

April 1, 2011

●●● There's something 'bout the Southland in the Springtime!

I love this time of year, when everything is just starting to come back.  The temperatures are wonderful, so the heat isn't yet a threat to plants.  This year, we had some late snap cold fronts.  I am pretty sure that everything that was going to come back has come back, but you never know...

Back beds - Old Favorites My true workhorses are the lantana, ruellia, flame salvia, esperanza and black foot daisies.  These are all in year three, and they look wonderful.  All three roses are alive and flowering!  My knock-out rose will have to be severely trimmed, as it is taking over the bed!  My dwarf pomegranate is just starting to put out new shoots also!  It seems to me that it took much longer to return last year, as I feared it was dead for awhile.

Unfortunately, my Jethro Tull coreopsis seem to not have made it through another year.  I have purchased two new, to replant, as they are a favorite of mine.

Back Beds - Second Years A whole lot more died last year then came back, but a few have perservered.  My whirling guara has returned, and looks pretty healthy!  The tropical milkweed and other plant beside it (will have to get Natural Gardener to identify it once it blooms, as I mislabeled it originally.) have both come back.  And my $0.50 fall asters are returning.    I truly just bought them because they were cheap and brightened up my fall garden, but all six have returned.  If they can just make it through the hot summer, these may just make it into the old favorites.

Not sure if it counts as a second year, or old favorite, but the ruellia I transplanted (first attempt), has come back!  So, I think I will try and separate a few more this year.  This is one tough plant,  in my south bed, one even survived a Domino dig up!

Some goners that I tried last year, but didn't make it to round two include the Nierembergia Starry Eyes (I bought replacements to try again this year), the verbena, and, of course, my plumbago. I have decided to give up trying to grow plumbago... as much as I love it, I just don't seem to be able to keep it alive!Back Beds - Newbies
So far, I have bought two dwarf coreopsis to put in the south bed, two Jethro Tull coreopsis to put somewhere, three small Starry Eyes, and I am going to plant two of Dave's Pride of barbados.  (I planted two earlier, and Domino dug them up within an hour.  This time, I am going to put temporary fencing around the beds for a month or so.)  I would also like to purchase some pretty bush for the South bed.  The north bed is starting to really fill in, and look mature, but the South bed is still pretty empty.  I also may try and transplant some of the lantana, as it seems to be a little lantana heavy... and I'd like some variety.  Not sure yet.