Is anyone able to recommend some sort of hardy plants for the zone 9 area........am having a hard time keeping a lot of plants alive due to the extreme heat and soil conditions.
I currently have a few desert rose plants, a sage palm and some desert grass that IS still living.
Also any books or sites that you could recommend would be great
thanks in advance
2006-10-16 03:40:22 · 6 answers · asked by candy g 7 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
Cosmos, amaranth, zinnia, gerbera daisy, gardenia, camelia, azalea....there are lots. I'm in zone 8, have all those thriving and many many more. Hot conditions, poor soil = water and miracle gro. Want seeds?
2006-10-16 03:46:43 · answer #1 · answered by reynwater 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should look at Australian native plants. Drought and heat tolerant and don't like rich soils(Be careful not to buy A. rainforest varieties).
I'm in Australia and I'm not really sure what varieties you can get easily but you can obviously buy Eucalyptus. Have a look at Callistermons (Bottle Brush), Acacia (Wattle), Hakea.
Iris (Large Bearded - German), Arctotis & Gazanias from Africa.
Grey leaf plants generally wear the heat better (the grey colour helps them). Stachys, Grevilleas, Rosemary, Salvias (some have tubers). And a funny one that people don't think of is Canna's - in 40 degrees C at my place they don't even worry. Usually recommended for wet areas they just grow smaller once estabilshed when they don't get alot of water. Hopes this gives you some ideas.
2006-10-16 14:39:57 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why not go for something seasonal to go in - the fuchsias and geraniums will stop flowering through the winter so put something in that will give you a display then - colchicum and/or autumn flowering crocus for example. You can leave them in and they'll come back next year. Snowdrops for January, and some daff's or narcissus (similar to daff's but smaller) for March. And to plug those gaps in the summer you could have some lilies. all these bulbs can be put in now and if you arranged them in drifts you'd have seasonal displays all year round, the only thing you need to do with them all is cut the flower heads when they die and wait a few weeks before cutting back the leaves (you wait to let the goodness go back into the bulb for them to come back the following year). Added: I just read someone else recommended dahlias. If you live in the UK they only start flowering quite late - you get stunning displays for a month or two and then have to lift the tubers and store them carefully, planting them back out in May. They thrive in full sun and need a lot of watering in the UK, you need to stake them and watch out for earwigs which devour them. - This is the UK experience anyway so if you want low maintenance, whilst they are gorgeous flowers, perhaps best to steer clear.
2016-05-22 06:16:56 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sunset Western Garden Book--Mediterranean and Drought Tolerant plant sections.
2006-10-16 05:07:30 · answer #4 · answered by Cornpatch 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
check out native plants,u should be able to search the net and find a nursey in ur area that carries them
2006-10-16 14:31:02 · answer #5 · answered by artcherman 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://www.perennials.com/index.html everything you need to know about plants, zones and seasons is here...good luck and keep on growing
2006-10-16 04:10:59 · answer #6 · answered by cookiidou 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋