This post is like Survivor TV: many of the plants start out with high hopes of 'making it' to that final A+++ rating, but first they have to survive. I tried out a LOT of new plants since I redid the front beds. The front beds are in a brutal situation: near the street, on a slope, lots of sun, sandy loam soil, and that occasional dog that decides to mark his territory. I also do not fertilize except with compost once a year. In other words, they'll live the life of a wildflower.
I also did NOT want to water these plants endlessly, so here goes:
THE LOSERS:
The white angelonia did not do well (the other colors of Angelonia did splendidly), the cilantro bolted after a week, the Ruby Star got eaten and decided it did not like it here, and the creeping thyme, well, here's the picture:
Creeping thyme got the dreaded two thumbs way down award. It will be a long time before I try Thyme again.
(I was hoping for more Thyme in the garden, guess not..ha ha)
NEXT: THUMBS UP PLANTS
I really was hoping for something with small, delicate foliage and lots of endless blooms to soften the hard edges of the agaves. Angelonia is FANTASTIC for this purpose. I highly recommend this plant for Houston gardens. The dahlberg daisy is a sweet little plant and a native to boot. The salvia is an old friend along with the sage. The cleome is taller, and currently suffering a bit from the high temps. Still, it gets a thumbs up.
AND NOW~ THE COVETED DOUBLE THUMBS UP:
These plants have beautiful foliage, are compact, and add interest to the dry, rock garden.
Most varieties of lavender cannot stand our high humidity, but Goodwin Creek is the exception. I LOVE this plant. The white licorice plant is from South Africa, and has a low habit with nice, silver foliage. It can recover from a wilted condition in an hour. The rosemary is another old favorite, but it comes in so many varieties that it can be very confusing. This one has a larger leaf and used for culinary purposes. I like it.
And finally, the ultimate award goes to blue daze (Evolvulus) It blooms endlessly, honey bees LOVE IT, it takes drought well, it stays low, and has a small, intertwining habit. I wish the flowers would last all day, but they fade by noon.
Blue Daze and Angelonia are great together.
I have a few other wonderful plants that passed with flying colors, but that will have to wait 'til next week.
BLUE DAZE is the winner!
