Best year-round plants?

Question

Are there any good plants that could grow anytime of year or all year? Vegetables too? If so what are they? I live in central california. And I'm looking to plant a victorian garden.

Answer 1

The underlying theme of the Victorian garden, as in much of Victorian life in general, was man's conquest over the elements. So I can see your desire for evergreen growth to represent their search for the universal rule of nature. The great vegetable gardens of the Victorian era gave us items such as glass cucumber straighteners, rhubarb forcers, cloches and dibbles, all interesting additions to the potager or potting shed.
A very Victorian plant was the bergenia. This was popular in the earlier years and it is evergreen.
I grow Bergenia omeiense 'Snow Chimes' It has panicles of nodding white that become light pink with time. I grow Anemone 'White Splendor' as a companion bloom. It makes a white flower grouping with contrasting foliage. The large glossy leaves of Bergenia against the filigree of the Anemone.
I also have Bergenia x omeiense 'Appleblossom' White blossoms turning pink with a darker throat on red stems. Flower spikes of large 1.5" light pink (not dark like pepto bismol) bells. The leaves lie very flat so the bronzed Fall color is very obvious.
Bergenia omeiense 'Snow Chimes' http://www.northwestgardennursery.com/plants-woodland-images/3915.jpg

Bergenia omeiense 'Appleblossom'
http://www.northwestgardennursery.com/plants-woodland-images/2234.jpg


Bergenia ciliata is like an African Violet for the garden with 10" spikes of white flowers in early Spring http://www.lazyssfarm.com/Plants/Perennials/B files/B_images/bergenia_ciliata.htm

Bergenia ciliata ‘Patricia Furness’ pink flowers

Bergenia cordifolia ‘Baby Doll’, 'Winterglut' (or 'Winter Glow' flowers red), 'Abendglocken' really dark leaves with pepto bismol pink flowers

Another exotic the Victorians collected was the fritillary bulbs.
Fritillaria camtschatcensis
http://www.northwestgardennursery.com/plants-woodland-images/2480.jpg

After 1860 they became interested in the year round use of plants like pampas grass and bamboo, they focused more towards plants with attractive foliage rather than flowers. The yucca, tamarix, acanthus and the lovely camellia were brought back to become the basis of the subtropical garden. Tresco Abbey Gardens on Scilly were built to exemplify the Victorian Garden.
http://www.tresco.co.uk/the_abbey_garden/

Answer 2

Hosta and Astilbe are the old shady standbys. If you can use something with some height, Ligularia 'The Rocket' is stunning, maybe for a corner. There a lots of new Heuchera cultivars recently that will add lots of colorful foliage. Also Dicentra (Bleeding Heart), Lamium, Alchemilla, Pulmonaria.....Look them up, they'll all work in the shade. These are all herbaceous perennials (they die back to the ground in the winter). If you'[re looking for something more shrubby, try Clethra (Summersweet), All of the Cornus species, or Viburnum.

Answer 3

You are in a area that has water problems, I would suggest that you plant natives, you will probably need to watch gardening shows or look them up on the web, but these plants are water resistant.

Vegs, well again, look at what is suitable to your type of garden and the area. I am in Australia and we have the same problems and I often look at the gardening shows on TV to get ideas.

good luck

Answer 4

Ixora chinensis, Tabarnaemontana coronario `florepleno`, Rosa, Jasminum sambac `japanese rai`, Thevetia peruviana, Millingtonia hortensis, Casuarina equesetifolia, Quisqualis indica, Plumerias, Magnolias, Gardenia Jasminoides, Murraya exotica and etc.

Answer 5

Veggies are seasonal. Herbs are available all year round, or could be.

Look up your zone and see what grows best there.

Answer 6

tomatoes?