OUR BEST AND MOST GIVING AND
FORGIVING PLANTS & SHRUBS FOR 2011
What makes this list great is that all these plants
demand fairly minimal care and they continue to give back
a lot to enhance any sunny landscape and I have a few for
the shady also. They are all truly proven performers for
us.
Our 3 favorite shrubs we have mentioned before.
But they do deserve another mention.
Sweet Almond -
A tall evergreen shrub that can grow 10 - 12 ft. tall and
is
Sweet Almond (Click to Enlarge)
Photo: Joani MacCubbin
definitely a butterfly and bee attractant. It will have
clusters of tiny white and very fragrant flowers on the
tips of its branches almost year round. If we have a frost
it may drop a few leaves and look a little shabby for
awhile. But when it warms up the leaves will return as if
nothing happened. They also grow easily from cuttings so
you can share them with friends.
Tea Olive or
Osmanthus. I know I talk
Osmanthus (Click to Enlarge)
Photo: Joani MacCubbin
about this one all the time and
here I go again. The tea olive is an evergreen shrub that
grows about 8 - 10 ft. tall with clusters of tiny white
flowers that blooms off and on throughout the year. It
takes little holidays from time to time but the flowers
will return. Sometimes you won?t even notice the flowers
until you walk by it and smell it?s fragrance......then
you stop, back up and take another couple of deep breaths.
Then go on your way.
Cassia is another shrub
to try out in your yard. If you see large, yellow
flowering
Cassia (Click to Enlarge)
Photo: Joani MacCubbin
shrubs blooming right now, it?s probably the cassia. It
blooms in late fall and continues for 3 to 4 months. At
maturity it may reach 8 ft. tall and as wide.
Now
for a few tough plants that we treat as annuals here in
Florida. They do well planted directly in the ground or in
pots.
For sunny areas -
Our #1 favorite is
hollyhocks. We started growing them a few years ago
Cassia (Click to Enlarge)
Photo: Joani MacCubbin
and they have grown and reseeded themselves very well. The
ones we have are different shades of pink and medium to
deep shades of fuchsia. They grow about head high and will
bloom for a long time As the flowers fade they leave
behind seed pods. If you wait until the pod becomes brown,
that means the seeds are ready for harvesting. Condition
of the seeds should be a medium to dark brown and dry for
saving. Store them in a cool place. Then in the spring
plant the seeds and the little resulting plants you can
plant for yourself or share with
Hollyhock (Click to Enlarge)
Photo: Joani MacCubbin
friends.
Other
tough annuals that you should add to your landscape are
angelonia, 2 dwarf zinnias called Sahara and Profusion.
Many colors are available.
Finally .sweet alyssum.
A tough, low growing small flowered plant. Colors range
from white to shades of pink and lavender. Use as border
or cluster plantings in a garden or in clay bowls. Over a
year ago we had a clay bowl with an assortment of
plants....all looked good for awhile.....some plants died
off but the alyssum stayed, reseeded even changed colors
as they grew along and are still doing well.
