Since several people have asked, I’m posting a list today. No, it’s not one of those house-fixing lists I mentioned full of projects. But related, in a way, as it constitutes my contract of To-Do fun with my yard, garden, flower beds, and planter pots. It’s my seed and plant list–what I’ve put in thus far, and some of what I intend to add, the latter being primarily a larger batch of the listed Wildflower Sowing Mix. It’s my own blend, by the way, concocted from reading up on and observing what is native and/or simply adapts well in our part of the landscape. Starred (*) items are known natives or very long established growers here in north Texas, and items marked with two plus signs (++) are ones I’m emphasizing in placement or quantity because they’re particular favorites of mine.
Be Careful What You Ask Me
For the Front Yard Flower Beds:
Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisirynchium)* ++ I’ve long been attracted to the tiny-orchid flowers of this miniature lovely, and was thrilled to discover the plant is native here. A surprise bonus when moving to a place that has a generally less easy climate than my place of origin in the Pacific Northwest.
Chives, Garlic (Allium tuberosum)
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)* ++
Garlic (Allium sativum) I don’t cook with a whole lot of garlic since marrying a Supertaster, but since they’re beautiful plants, I figure I’ll get what little garlic I need for cooking and have the garden attraction besides.
Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)
Nasturtium(Tropaeolum ‘Milkmaid’)
Penstemon (Penstemon spp.)*
Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa)* ++
Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum)
Spreading Petunia (Petunia x hybrida ‘Purple Wave’)
Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis)* ++ Seriously, how could I not put in any of this classic when I’ve moved to Texas? Not to mention that I’m a sucker for blue flowers. And things that will self-perpetuate once established.
Herbs (Planted front, back, indoors and out)
Basil, Sweet (Ocimum basilicum)
Borage (Borago Officinalis) ++ A rather magical herb, in my estimation, with its refreshingly cucumber-like flavor and exquisite bright blue flowers.
Chives, Onion (Allium schoenoprasum)
Marigold (Tagetes)
Parsley (Petroselinum hortense)
Curled
Italian Flat-Leaf @ John: I’ll try to have it fully in leaf when you show up here!
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) ++ I have one healthy plant going, and since it seems to thrive in this yard and I love the plant and its culinary qualities, I have a feeling it will get siblings eventually.
Vegetables (Mostly integrated into the flower beds, for fun)
Beetroot (Beta vulgaris ‘Tall Top Early Wonder’)
Kale (Brassica oleracea ‘Dwarf Blue Curled Vates’)
Carrot (Daucus carota ‘Petite ‘n’ Sweet’)
Corn (Zea mays)
Ornamental, ‘Rainbow’
Sweet, ‘Silver Queen’
Sunflower, (Helianthus annuus)* Mixed Colors +
‘Vanilla Ice’
Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)
‘Black Krim’
‘Black Sea Man’
‘Cherokee Purple’
Tomatillo Purple
Vines
Cardinal Climber Vine (Ipomoea sloteri) [Backyard]
Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) ‘Tangerine Beauty’ [Backyard]
Morning Glories (Ipomoea)* [Backyard]
‘Crimson Rambler’
‘Heavenly Blue’
Passionflower (Passiflora) [Front Yard] ++
Blue (caerulea) I grew this one in Washington and loved its exotic look.
‘Maypop’ (incarnata)*
Purple (edulis)
Red (alata)
WILDFLOWER SOWING MIX [Backyard]
African Daisy (Osteospermum)
Annual Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus)
Baby Snapdragon (Linaria maroccana)
Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila muralis)
Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba)*
Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Blue Flax (Linum lewisii)
California Bluebell (Phacelia campanularia) ++
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
China Aster (Aster x frikartii)
Chinese Forget-Me-Not (Cynoglossum amabile)
Clasping Coneflower (Rudbeckia amplexicaulis)*
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)* ++
Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum)*
Cupid’s Dart (Catananche caerulea) ++
Dwarf Cornflower (Echinacea)
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta)*
Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella)* ++
Lance-Leaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)
Larkspur (Delphinium)
Lemon Mint (Melissa officinalis)
Lupine (Lupinus perennis)
Maltese Cross (Lychnis chalcedonica) ++
Mexican Hat (Ratibida columnaris)*
Moss Verbena (Verbena tenuisecta)
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum)
None-So-Pretty (Silene armeria)
Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)*
Poppies (Papaver somniferum) ++
‘Drama Queen’
‘Pepperbox’
Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia uvaria)
Red Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)
Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon palmeri) ++
Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Salvia Blue Bedder (Salvia farinacea)
Scarlet Sage (Salvia coccinea)
Shasta Daisy (Chrysanthemum maximum)
Shirley Poppy (Papaver rhoeas)
Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa)* ++
Siberian Wallflower (Cheiranthus allionii)
Sulphur Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus)*
Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis)*
Wild Annual Lupine (Lupinus lepidus)
Wild Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)*
Live Plants Added
Bicolor Salvia(Salvia sinaloensis)
Blueberry(Vaccinium corymbosum ‘Biloxi’) ++ You may recall that I really dislike eating blueberries–but I know the birds and creatures will like them if I leave them, and I think the plants are beautiful!
Clematis (Clematis, var.) I’ve put in several varieties, and the first leaves are beginning to appear, so I think I had better give those little green pretties something to climb up soon or risk their meandering in the underbrush.
Columbine (Aquilegia ‘Origami Mix’)
Corkscrew Rush (Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’)
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) The first of our little city give-away adoptees appears to have survived the winter, but won’t yet show its bud growth.
Fig Tree (Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’) I found a sturdy fig tree rooted in a three-gallon pot for four dollars. How could I refuse? Even if it turns out to be only semi-productive (though I’m told they grow well enough here), the leaf will be a nice variant in the yard.
Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia) A good shot of early color is always welcome.
Horsetail Reed(Equisetum hyemale) Strangely for a place that verges on drought, the yard here has one or two water-collecting spots! So wet-footed plants should do fine.
Lamb’s Ear (Stachys byzantina)
Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana)
New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax) Going for a bit of large-scale drama, here. (You can see the NZ flax’s big burgundy swords in front of the wet growing bed above.)
Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra)
Soapberry (Sapindus saponaria)
Texas Sage ‘Desperado’ (Leucophyllum frutescens)* ++
Tulips (Tulipa spp.) Of a white unnamed variety; oh, yes, I did succumb. I put just a dozen in my front porch planters. Half of them were soldas orange, but buying a generic handful of bulbs, one gets what one gets, no? And white tulips are beautiful too, so I shan’t complain.
Variegated Flax Lily (Dianella tasmanica) ‘Variegata’