BUNGALOW & COTTAGE GARDEN FLOWERS FOR HOUSTON & THE GULF COAST

I've been asked to design a colorful entrance to our church in the historic Houston Heights district. What an honor and what fun!  My inspiration comes from the wonderful color beds designed by professionals in the Galleria area. The person who invents these is a genius and makes the drive very pleasant even in the worst traffic. I also love to see what's going on at my 3 favorite garden centers in town. Most of these flowers can be used all summer in a cottage garden or sunny bungalow garden.

This is a perfect balance between blooms and foliage. It's not overpowering, but still eyecatching. I like it because it has endured an awful summer with drought.  Pictured: Purple verbana, Silver Lamb's Ear, Silver Dusty Miller (Artemesia), Yellow lantana (not in bloom), Rudbeckia (daisy), and a tall Blue Salvia in the background. Photo from a church on Montrose Blvd.

Zinnia linearis, Gomphrena (tiny purple globes), Sun-loving Coleus, Caladiums, Salvia, Rudbeckia, and white Angelonia. All can take full sun.

A little space between plants gives a cottage garden feel to these Rudbeckias (yellow) and lavender Obedient plants.

A rock or two adds interest to a mix of Zinnia, Vinca, Cuphea, and a lavender-flowered bush I don't recognize.

European fan palm, roses, loripetalum and a grasslike foliage plant gives a different look.

Another beautiful, mixed planting

Coneflower, angelonia, zinnias, and a dwarf hibiscus are fabulous together.

Zinnia linnearus with lime green Sweet potato vines are an unusual mix, but seem to work together.

Well, that's it for general impressions. Scroll down for Part 2 and a list of my 3 favorite nurseries in town.

Thanks for stopping by.

David/ :-)

FULL SUN FLOWERS FOR HOUSTON SUMMERS ~ Part 2 ~ DETAILS

 There seems to be a larger variety of flowers these days for Houston gardeners. I'd say there are probablybetween 20 and 40 great choices ~ more than enough to get away from the standard begonia/vinca/lantana mix for office parks. Ready to see something new?

Dwarf hibiscus, purple verbena, and white angelonia. Wow!

Melochia tomentosa ~ gray green foliage, lavender flowers, unusual leaf shape would contrast well with fine, feathery grasses.

Almost all ornamental grasses grow well here in Houston. These are Miscanthus.

Mexican feather grass is a sensation. Drive along Gessner at Memorial City Mall to see it in action.

Rudbeckia fulgida is a smaller, more dainty Black-eyed susan. It is very drought tolerant. It goes great with purple angelonia.

If you cannot find blackfoot daisy, this Zinnia linearis will do nicely as a stand in. It likes superb drainage.

These are new to me, but because they are in the white, proven winners containers, they will probably do fine here. I do not know the name, but these would be nice in front of larger plants.

If you don't like the 'sunflower' look but want a massing yellow flower, get Golden Shower Thryallis. It is filled with delicate star-shaped blooms all summer.

For foliage accents, dark green rosemary is stunning behind the silver gray leaves of licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare)

Add purple, white, and violet flowers for a wonderful landscape.

Salvias are sensational in a mixed bed with taller Rudbeckias. Some flower sparsely, but this powder blue Rhea selection looks strong.

Blue daze (Convolvulus nuttallianus) is my favorite as a delightful ground cover along borders.

OK, I'll admit these Vinca do look beautiful. I would sprinkle a few in a mixed planting to showcase individual plants. I'm guessing this is a resistant strain to a wilt we have here in humid conditions.

                                                 The End ~ Happy Gardening!
SO WHERE DO YOU FIND THESE PLANTS? IF YOU LIVE IN THE HEIGHTS AREA OR CENTRAL HOUSTON, GOOGLE THE FOLLOWING & STOP BY:    
           ANOTHER PLACE IN TIME

           JOSHUA'S NATIVE PLANTS

           BUCHANAN'S NATIVE PLANTS