Re: question about what to plant

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Comments:
: Hi Mollie,
: Great info!!!  Yes, I can tell you're new to this, but that's just fine. Meant to congratulate you on your new home!!  :-)  I'd like to suggest that you consider some ground covers once you have your plants in.  They will help keep weeds at bay, keep moisture levels more even and generally give a more complete look to the bed. Mother nature doesn't like blank spaces and will fill it in for you. Since you have found that groundcovers will take over, I would like to share with you that there are 'runners' and there are 'clumpers'.  Runners will take over, but the clumping variety won't.  I call plants that clump plants with good garden manners. Some that will take full sun and come to mind are the creeping thymes.  Also consider hardy geraniums as groundcovers and perennial plants.  Some are even evergreen.  Here's a site that should be helpful.

: www.stepables.com

: You can look up these plants at www.google.com and put the name, preferably the botanical one, in quotes like this: "Liatris spicata". You can also click on 'Images' at google and get pictures as well.  For your full sun flowers try and pick plants that clump and have a staggered bloom time for longer interest. 
: Condsider:  
: platycodon - balloon flower Liatris spicata - gay feather
: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10370_12146_12213-36387--,00.html
: Blue (or white) indigo - Baptisia australis (this one has a long tap root, so once you plant it, there it should stay)
: Hardy geraniums
: http://www.geraniaceae.com/
: Solidago - Goldenrod
: hemerocallis - daylilies
: scabiosa
: Callirhoe - wine cup
: http://www.noble.org/imagegallery/Forbhtml/WineCup.html
: Salvia
: http://www.cabrillo.cc.ca.us/divisions/becho/hort/salvias/html/index.html
: Iris sibirica - Siberian iris
: Phlox paniculata - summer phlox
: Lobelia siphilitica - Blue lobelia
: Alchemilla mollis - lady's mantle
: Sedum - many varieties and different heights
: Ornamental grasses - many different heights, colors and sizes, most of which form clumps.
: http://www.prairiefrontier.com/pages/prargras/prairegrs6-10.html
: Perovskia - Russian sage
: Many different types of asters
: Campanula - bellflower
: Peony - herbaceous and tree
: http://www.reathsnursery.com/
: http://www.treepeony.com/
: Amsonia montana - an herbaceous shrub

: 
: Here's some sites you should find helpful.
: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/tngard/
: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/newgard/
: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/peren/

: There's also a great book called 'The Well Tended Perennial Garden' by Tracy Disabato-Aust.  You might want to look in the library to see if you like it.  There are also many books in the garden section there that have plant encyclopedias in the back of them.

: Hope I didn't throw too much at you!
: Any more questions, just ask.
: Newt


: : Hi Newt!  I didn't think about including that info.  Can ya tell I'm new to all this? :)  I live in Memphis Zone 7.  The flower bed receives full sun.  The hollies are planted on the two sides of the house included in the bed and the nandinas on the outside following the curvy walkway.  There is a crepe myrtle in the center.  I don't like all the empty space.  To me it looks like something is missing; therefore, I bought 4 stepping stones I placed randomly in the empty space.  I have not given thought to whether or not I want ground cover because my mother-in-law has groundcover and it smothered out her other plants.  I have 12 hollies and 10 nandinas so I think I have enough shrubs.  Oh, I planted hycinth around a little girl statue but of course they only bloom once in early spring.  What do you suggest I plant?
: : Thanks for your reply!
: : Mollie ;)

: : 
: : : : I moved into a newly constructed home.  I have a large half circle flowerbed.  They mostly planted nandinas and holly bushes.  There is TONS of empty space.  I purchased several 6" thick concrete stepping stones.  What would be something good to plant in the empty space that wouldn't hide these cute cherub stepping stones?  Thanks for your advice!  :)

: : 
: : : Hi Mollie,
: : : We would need to know your hardiness zone and sun conditions.  Most hollies want full sun and nandina will grow in part shade to sun.  Also, are you looking for groundcover, other shrubs, flowers?

: : : http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/zip.cgi

: : : Newt



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