Hello new zone friends. I'm moving from a cold 5b (upper Midwest) to a sultry 9a (Louisiana) in a few months. I've been reading through this forum and learning a lot so far. I am wondering which of my perennials I can bring with me. It looks like my hosta collection is out - also peonies? (I have Tree peonies and herbaceous). I know next to nothing about tropicals but I'd better learn. I found a great LSU guide for vegetable gardening (especially the different planting times) but not much on perennials.

Anyone have a cottage garden or mixed perennial garden to advise me? Thanks a lot.

Catherine

I bet your hostas will be fine but not the peonies. I grow all different kinds of hostas in the shade. I have tried to bring many plants home from the Northwest. It is our heat that kills most things. I don't have a perennial garden to help you out. But when you get going on your tropical garden I can help there! Welcome to the South!

Hi, Catherine,

I agree herbaceous peonies will do poorly that far south, but, if you have the transport room, I think it would be worthwhile to try Itoh or Tree Peonies. Worst that would happen is they don't survive or don't bloom, right? But if they do well...

The thread "Peonies in Florida?" in Peonies forum
http://peonysenvy.com/peonycar...

Welcome to the Texas forum! I've sent a treemail to one of our members who lives in Louisiana. She grows all kinds of plants in a small town outside of Baton Rogue. I think she can guide you as to what you can take with you.
She's also a Master Gardener and can probably tell you what to leave behind.

I also grow hostas here in Austin, but in pots. There's a small area in LA. called Forest Hills. There are nurseries on either side of the highway that winds through there. You will be amazed!

Thanks for the kind welcome. We're leaving this week to go down and find a home. We are downsizing quite a bit but will be minutes instead of days from family.

I think I'll bring hostas in the spring and try some starts. I've heard that my tree peonies bloom better after cold winters (here on ATP) so depending on who buys the farm I'll either leave them with instructions or transplant to a neighbor's.

I love what's blooming now on this forum - we've recently warmed up to freezing here, but the kids have the A/C on!

Catherine

We bought a lakehouse about 60 miles northwest of Austin from a couple who had lived there from the mid 50s. She had huge peony bushes in the front yard. (I remembered seeing them in Illinois at my mother-in-law's). I decided to dig them up from the lake house and take them back to Austin. They withered and died. It was too hot for them, and I didn't have a clue as to how to take care of them. You may have better luck. Maybe just take one or two with you.
You will find the growing season in Louisiana is longer than in Illinois. There are quite a few active garden clubs to check out. I just remembered someone else from LA on this site that I can ask to pop in.

@Moonhowl , can you give our new member some good info/suggestions on growing plants in Louisiana?

Thanks so much Bubbles. I talked to a neighbor last night and I think I talked her into taking some of the plants. Maybe someone who gardens will buy the farm (hoping).

Catherine

Hi Sandi. Thanks for the shout out. I am sending links here for Catherine,
@jerseyridgearts ,that I feel will be most useful for her. Dan Gill and the folks at the LSU AG CENTER have compiled a lot of very useful info and there are Co-operative Extension Agents inevery parish that are very helpful, be it veggies, flowers, fruit or trees.

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/por...

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/top...

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/por...

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/por...

http://www.offthegridnews.com/...

http://www.southernexposure.co...

http://www.tomatodirt.com/toma...

http://zydecoirises.com/Cultur...

http://www.motherearthliving.c...

http://www.nola.com/homegarden...

http://louisianasnursery.com/s...

http://invasive.btnep.org/inva...

http://srwqis.tamu.edu/media/1...

http://www.nola.com/homegarden...

Below is listing of "La super plants" These are all tested for this area.

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/por...

I hope this listing helps you figure out what will survive here, and what new lovelies you can grow.

Welcome to La.

Moon/Jean

@jerseyridgearts This should keep you busy reading, thanks to Jean!

Thanks so much, Jean! I'm eager to read through the links, also. Our zone overlaps LA's at times.
.

Thanks everyone. Leaving in a few hours to head south. Thanks for all the support. Happy New Year!

Have a safe trip, @jerseyridgearts

Most welcome, Sandi. The links are pretty much useful across the "deep south", if for no reason other than that Southern heat and humidity is ubiquitous from Coastal Georgia to your own Austin garden.

Hope 2017 is a year of good things and much joy for you and your's.

Safe travels Catherine...Welcome to Louisiana..Oh, here's the weather forecast for the next 10 days..

DAY DESCRIPTION HIGH/LOW PRECIP WIND HUMIDITY UV INDEX SUNRISE SUNSET MOONRISE MOONSET
TODAY
scattered thunderstorms
JAN 1
Scattered Thunderstorms
74° 65° 50% S 11 mph 87% 2 of 10 7:03 am 5:19 pm 9:22 am 8:42 pm

MON
thunderstorm
JAN 2
Thunderstorms
74° 53° 100% SSW 17 mph 83% 2 of 10 7:03 am 5:19 pm 10:02 am 9:40 pm

TUE
mostly sunny
JAN 3
Mostly Sunny
74° 51° 10% WSW 9 mph 62% 4 of 10 7:03 am 5:20 pm 10:41 am 10:39 pm

WED
mostly cloudy
JAN 4
Mostly Cloudy
61° 44° 10% N 12 mph 72% 3 of 10 7:03 am 5:21 pm 11:19 am 11:39 pm

THU
mostly cloudy
JAN 5
Mostly Cloudy
62° 53° 20% NNE 11 mph 63% 2 of 10 7:04 am 5:22 pm 11:58 am --

FRI
partly cloudy
JAN 6
Partly Cloudy
52° 42° 10% NE 12 mph 58% 3 of 10 7:04 am 5:22 pm 12:38 pm 12:41 am

SAT
mostly sunny
JAN 7
Mostly Sunny
54° 39° 20% ENE 13 mph 53% 4 of 10 7:04 am 5:23 pm 1:22 pm 1:44 am

SUN
partly cloudy
JAN 8
Partly Cloudy
55° 47° 20% NE 10 mph 63% 4 of 10 7:04 am 5:24 pm 2:09 pm 2:48 am

MON
mostly sunny
JAN 9
Mostly Sunny
61° 54° 10% SE 9 mph 73% 4 of 10 7:04 am 5:25 pm 3:01 pm 3:54 am

TUE
partly cloudy
JAN 10
Partly Cloudy
70° 61° 20% SSE 13 mph 78% 4 of 10 7:04 am 5:26 pm 3:57 pm 4:59 am

The weather is glorious!. 64 and sunny. IL weather is warm too- 34 and rain.

Well, I finally found a house! Our closing won't be until the end of August (what a time to move south....) but hopefully all will turn out.

The house has a big lot with 5 live oaks, a few camellias and a ton of Louisiana Iris plus other plants I haven't a clue about. There's a small sunny area where I think I could plant a vegetable garden.

My yard up north is overgrown and weedy. I've got about a week to straighten it up before we start to show the farm for sale. Gonna be a wild summer. I brought my 10 year old granddaughter back with me and she's going to be a big help.

Finally this is going to happen!

Congratulations! Welcome to Southern living!

Glad you found a house. You are going to be super busy Catherine. Your granddaughter will certainly be a big help.