Genius! Certainly the people who've lived in an area for ages will have found everythiung that thrives easily, and most of the things that are possible.

And cruising through entire neighborhoods avoids getting mis-information from just one person.

It is great to grow things that are well-adapted to my own climate! It makes me think I'm a good gardener. For me, that would be Rhododendrons and Delphiniums. I've heard that Lupins like my climate ... maybe I'll try them next.

Thank goodness my neighbors have GIANT plumeria trees!!!!


RobertB

I don't know if that picture was supposed to illustrate what you should or shouldn't plant, I'd guess though that musseanda and plumbago would both do well in your area. I just got a white musseanda like the one in the picture and it is kind of straggly too. I think they usually look a bit bare at the bottom. I love the blooms though, and hope that I can hide the bare spots and see the blooms.

Jonna - I should have probably mentioned that - while I love the Mussaenda - I have lost three so far because they are SO cold-sensitive. I have planted yet another one.
I think they get more lush with more water but my yard is on the dry side.

Great advice! It also is prudent to make sure you take note of how much different areas of your yard get direct sun and for how long. Also if you have small trees -- the amount of shade you have in the future will depend on how fast they grow and how much shade they produce. Planting "upper story" trees under other "upper story" trees will only result in disappointment.

Excellent point! That should be its own separate tip!

Yep, but there's shade and then there's shade.....meaning what grows in the shade of a building may be totally different from what can grow in the shade under a tree. Some shade plants just can't compete with tree roots. Of course, different trees have different roots, so even that gets complicated. When I moved into my house in the country, all the neighbors came by and told me not to bother to plant trees, because they "won't grow out here". I planted trees anyway, and shrubs, and perennials, and thousands of bulbs, and more. Their trees continue to die and mine flourish. THEY didn't do research on what type of trees to plant! I did. THEY should have gotten soil and water tests and made any necessary improvements. They also allow grass to grow right up to the tree trunk, where I mulch the whole drip line so that grass doesn't steal water from the tree. We're in a hot, windy, droughty area. In the city, just 2 miles north, it's a whole different ball game.

Asking around for input from local people can't be over-emphasized if you moved from somewhere else or haven't gardened before. I know that in Texas it's crucial. In many areas, big box stores are not a good place to start out. Some of their plants won't work here...or they might, if you want to go to all the extra trouble of babying them a LOT. Their employees can't give good advice either. And my DD (who has had no gardening experience) had a house built and got a really bad landscaping guy that didn't even amend the soil in the yard and put some plants in helter-skelter...mostly bad choices. She ended up hating almost all of it. To give you some idea how clueless that man was, he planted a small fig tree...next to a sidewalk alongside a busy street. Now she's having a REAL landscaper work with her yard to fix the problems. I hope it works out...she doesn't live near me, so not a lot I can do.

It takes a year to really know the levels of sunlight you have in different areas. I've lost quite a few plants because of that, I would plant them in the winter when the sun is lower and comes under some of the things producing shade, come summer they would be getting only a few hours of afternoon sun. That's a hard thing to fix, I've finally decided that some of my plants will do better in summer and others in winter and as long as they can survive the off season I'll be happy.

Besides peeking at what DOES grow well for your neighbors, look extra hard at the yards of people with scraggly, struggling, dieing plants. That tells you what NOT to plant, or at least warn you that those plants will need something their current owners are not giving them.

If you spot the same plant doing well in Yard #1, and poorly in Yard #2, you know who to ask for advice!

One thing you can always do in return for advice (or cuttings) is to offer to water for them if they go away for more than a few days.