With winter coming up quickly, most succulents will need
some sort of protection against the chilly air, or just brought inside where
temperatures aren’t so low. However, these 5 succulents are ‘cool’ with the
cool air and will be just fine when Jack Frost pays East Texas a visit!
Euphorbia
With colorful pink, green, or white modified leaves (that
look like flowers!) and its blue-green foliage, this low-maintenance perennial
is perfect for your beds, borders, or containers. Euphorbia is tough and offers
outstanding heat and drought resistance. Instead of showy flower petals,
euphorbia has modified leaves, called bracts. This plant is a vigorous grower,
reaching 1-3 feet in height and 2 feet in width at maturity, so it can quickly
fill a garden space.
Hens & Chicks
Sempervivum are succulent, rosette forming plants belonging
to the Crassulaceae family. They are commonly known as Hens & Chicks, and
are called this because of the high number of offspring they produce — thus, a
Hen and all her Chicks! The main attraction of these plants is their colorful
rosettes of leaves. The rosettes are most striking in the spring and summer but
even in the winter when growth stops, many varieties remain attractively
colored.
‘Autumn Joy’ Sedum
Sedums have become one of the most popular hardy plants in
our area. What’s not to like? They are easy to grow; their thick, succulent
leaves make them drought tolerant and they grow in full sun to light shade.
Tall, upright sedums form clumps of foliage with massive flower heads which
develop in summer and bloom in the fall and then provide food for the birds
during the winter.
Delosperma (Also known as Ice Plant)
Best grown in FULL SUN, Delosperma is an easy-to-grow
herbaceous perennial. It can tolerate dry soil, shallow-rocky soil, and even
full-on droughts. Glossy red-purple flowers bloom continuously from early
summer until fall, and stand out against its fleshy, emerald-green leaves. The
bright flower color paired with the long-blooming season and evergreen foliage
makes ‘Ice Plant’ an easy choice as a groundcover or for a rock garden. A
vigorous grower, Delosperma can reach 3-6 inches in height and a spread of 24
inches (or more!) at maturity.
‘Ogon’ Stonecrop Sedum
A small mass of brilliant, evergreen, solid yellow-gold, succulent foliage flushed with pink provides a bold color accent in rock gardens, along rock walls, or in mixed succulent containers. Makes an excellent pathway filler or ground cover. Does BEST in partial sun, reaching a spread of 8-12 inches at maturity.
Fall is an excellent time to show off your seasonal
favorites like mums, pansies, violas, and flowering kale or cabbage. Play with
colorful and dynamic combos of perennials, annuals and grasses to create
stunning containers.
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Use solid colored Pansies in orange and velvety black
to make the perfect Hallow’s Eve arrangement. Place in a black or silver
container for a super spooky addition to your front porch Jack O’Lanterns.
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Use a variety of colorful Pansies
as a filler against an evergreen, like an Arborvitae or a Blue Point
Juniper, with a classical ivy, like English Ivy for a formal
arrangement.
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Use different varieties of Dianthus to create a full
container – pair with a neutral pot to really show off the bold colors.
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Make a MUM-KIN! Cut out the top of a pumpkin and
plant your favorite fall Mum. Use orange or yellow for a consistent
color scheme or add pink or purple for a deep contrast against the orange of
your pumpkin!
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Strawberry Jar Planters can be used in more ways than one!
Plant Violas in different shades for an incredible ‘spill’ effect.
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Create a sunny disposition, even
in fall! Plant yellow Pansies(with and without a ‘face’) to
create a trio of gold on your porch. Add a fountain grass for a ‘thriller’ to
really draw attention!
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Have stairs leading up to your home? Create a stair-step
quattro of planters with Violas. Use different style pots with the same
variety of Violas to create a stunning look on your stairs!
Photo Credit: Southern Living
Have fun with Succulents in fall too! Just like our Mum-kin
(pictured above) plant succulents in pumpkins and spray paint
the pumpkins in neutral tones to make these desert gems stand out.
Do you have bare spots in your yard where grass won’t grow? Under a large tree that is too shady for
grass? A slope or steep area? If you’ve answered “YES!” to any of these
questions, you may need a groundcover to solve your issue.
What is a groundcover? The definitive answer would be
“Any one of a group of low-lying plants with a creeping, spreading habit that
are used to cover sections of ground with minimal maintenance.”
Groundcovers can be used in so many ways:
mass plantings in your actual landscape,
adding color to a rock garden,
use in skinny walkway beds,
introducing new colors and textures to your
garden beds,
erosion area
Ajuga
Also known as ‘Bugleweed’
This evergreen perennial (stays green all year) has a ground-hugging habit of growth. Ajuga sends up beautiful electric blue blooms that rise above its foliage from mid to late spring. It attracts butterflies but not deer. Ajuga loves to spread, plant in part-shade, and watch her thrive!
Japanese Ardisia
Also known as ‘Maleberry’
Japanese Ardisia shows off a rich, green color and dainty
clusters of pink star-shaped flowers at the ends of its branches during spring,
and red berries in mid fall. This multi-stemmed evergreen shrub is perfect for
areas that are shaded, moist and cool. Reaching a spread of 3 feet, this
part-shade to full shade lover makes for an excellent groundcover (and an
excellent houseplant!).
Sedge
Also known as ‘Carex’
Sedge is a vigorous, mound-forming evergreen with striking,
grassy foliage. The gracefully arching stems of this plant bring a fine and
delicate addition to any garden. This groundcover is relatively
low-maintenance, and does well in partial shade or full shade, and spreads up
to 16 inches. Many native varieties of Sedge cultivar are right here among us
in East Texas! Sedge makes a great border edging, mass planting, and also works
well in mixed containers.
Coral Bells
Also known as ‘Heuchera’
Coral Bells is an evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks
held atop a low mound of foliage. These tiny, delicate flowers come in as many
colors as its foliage does, from lime green to purple! This low-growing plant
is relatively low-maintenance and a good choice for attracting butterflies.
Coral Bells are perfect for containers, mass plantings, borders and rock
gardens. This evergreen can take full sun or full shade and can spread up to 18
inches.
Japanese Pachysandra
Showing out in a rich, emerald color, Pachysandra is an
evergreen that looks amazing year-round. Spreading up to 1 ½ feet at maturity,
this perennial does best in part shade to morning sun. The bold, dark green
leaves make for a fantastic groundcover, or border for walkways. Small, bright
white flowers appear in early spring – though not particularly showy, the
flowers offer an ornate addition against the green background.
‘Blue Rug’ Juniper
This ground-hugging Juniper features silvery-blue foliage
that takes on a nearly purple tinge during winter and produces blue berries
from late spring to late winter. A dense, multi-stemmed evergreen, ‘Blue Rug’
Juniper is extremely adaptable and hardy – making for a great groundcover or
border, or even trailing over walls. A lover of full sun to part shade, this
Juniper can reach a spread of up to 7 feet!
Creeping Phlox
Also known as ‘Moss Phlox’
Creeping Phlox puts on a show of bright, cherry red, blue or
white star-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from early to late spring.
It’s tiny, needle-like leaves remain green in color throughout the year. This
evergreen blanket of flowers does best in full sun to part-shade, which makes
it perfect for border edging, mass planting or general ground cover. At
maturity, Creeping Phlox can spread up to 18 inches.
Sedum
Ground cover sedums are a form of succulents that are winter
hardy and stay green throughout the year.
These are heat loving plants that grow well in full sun or partial sun
and are drought tolerant! They come in a variety of colors, some have
variegated leaves and bloom in late Summer through Fall. Use in rock gardens, as ground cover in
landscape beds, as spillers in containers or in hanging baskets.
Delosperma
Also known as ‘Ice Plant’
This is a multi-purpose plant with succulent type foliage. It blooms in bright colors from Spring
through Fall, stays green throughout the winter, loves full sun and heat but
will also perform in partial sun. Good
for rock gardens, a spiller in containers, and in hanging baskets.
Standard Mondo Grass
This old standby is an evergreen perennial with grass like
stems and small purple flower spikes which bloom throughout the Spring and
Summer. It is slow growing and spreads
through runners. It can be easily divided
and moved to other areas and requires minimal care once established. Mass plantings are striking – giving the
appearance of a deep green lawn. Plant
in shade or part shade.
Asian Jasmine
This woody stemmed favorite grows well in a variety of soils
and conditions. It is a great erosion
control on slopes and on the side of creeks or ditches. It can be cut with a weedeater or even with a
mower set on the highest setting if it becomes too tall for the area. Plant in partial sun to full sun.
English Ivy
Another shade loving groundcover which keeps its dark green
color year-round. This plant runs along
the ground and sets roots along the stem.
It can become invasive and grow up into trees if not contained.
Creeping Thyme
Evergreen flowering herb that is covered with a blanket of
pink-purple blossoms in the Spring. It
can handle some light foot traffic and reaches a height of 3”. Grows in full sun to partial shade.
While more MAY be better in some cases, it’s not better to have more in your landscape. Not spacing out your plants and over-filling them may offer instant gratification for the first year your new plants are in the ground, but in two years, your plants will begin to die because they’re fighting for space and nutrients. This common mistake is a HUGE WASTE of time and money.
HINT: Fill in empty spots with annual flowers until your shrubs mature!
Not Knowing Your Landscape’s Needs
You’ll want to have an idea of what your yard requires and then choose plants that fit those requirements. How much direct sunlight does your yard get daily? Is your soil clay-based, sandy, or rocky? Are there any water restrictions? Are there drainage issues? Knowing the answers to these questions can help you make the best choices for your landscape. There is NO REASON not to research and learn more about the plants you are putting in your landscape. Planting shade plants in sun, or sun plants in shade is an inexcusable snafu in any landscape.
Starting Without A Plan
Don’t go to a Garden Center with a “my heart will guide me” mentality. This will lead to over purchasing and a major loss of money. You’ll also run into issues during your landscape install that could’ve been solved by planning ahead.
Not Paying Attention To The Style Of Your House
Your landscape should complement your home and increase your curb appeal! Different landscape styles work better aesthetically, so always use the look and structure of your house when deciding on garden bed shapes (i.e. A farmhouse-style home won’t work with a formal landscape). Unsure where to start?
HINT: Use a garden hose to help aid in the process of figuring out the shape of each bed; lay out the hose on the ground and use it as your guide, it’s soft and can follow the curves of your house, leading to perfect garden bed shapes.
Planting Too Close To Your Home
When planting, you must bear in mind that bushes, trees and plants WILL get bigger! Where you plant them is SO important – typically, leaving a minimum of 1-3 feet between your plants and your house. Ignoring how large a tree or bush will get can lead to walkway, sidewalk and foundation damage – or, even worse, it can rot your siding, allowing moisture and bugs to creep into your home. Not cool.
Relying On Pinterest To Do Your Landscape
It is SO EASY to get excited and jump into a project when you scroll through Pinterest. HOWEVER, you need to keep in mind the time, resources, and money that go into the ‘simple’ photos you see online. While it can be helpful for ideas, you have to get real about where you and your yard are located zone-wise and how much the project will cost overall.
Mint, or mentha, is grown practically everywhere in the world; therefore, it makes appearances in almost every cuisine. This versatile culinary herb is delicious both dried and fresh.
So, why do people hate growing mint? Bring up the topic of mint with many a gardener, and you’ll be greeted with a resounding, “Don’t plant mint! It will take over your yard!” With thoughtful preparation and placement, however, mint can be a wonderful and containable addition to your culinary garden.
Perennial or Annual?
Mint is a hardy perennial that is one of the first to arrive each spring. It also retains its potency of flavor over the years.
How to Plant Mint
Where: Mint performs its best in full sun if the soil is kept moist, but it also thrives in partial shade. Mint is considered an invasive plant, since it sends out “runners” and spreads vigorously. Don’t let that fact deter you from enjoying fresh mint in your garden. Opt to grow mint in containers or, if you want to plant mint in the ground, submerge it in a large container and leave about two inches of the rim exposed above the soil to prevent spreading.
When: Plant mint at any time. Mint is sturdy and resilient. Don’t waste your time starting mint from seed.
How to Cultivate Mint
Soil: Mint thrives in moist, rich soil. To keep the soil moist, cover the soil with a little mulch.
Sun: Mint can grow in sun or part shade. If you are planting mint indoors, where it also performs well, make sure you place your container near a sunny window.
Water: Regular watering is really the only maintenance mint needs. Always keep the soil moist.
How to Harvest Mint
Mint is another herb that is easy to harvest, and can be harvested at any time. In fact, regular harvesting is encouraged, in order to prevent legginess. You may opt to harvest most of the plant at once, clipping away up to 2/3 of the length of the stems, or you may clip away only what you need.