Hi,

I am so new at this garden thing. This year I planted a veggie/fruit garden in the back yard.

I also planted (at least I tried to) a flower garden in the front next to the door with a maple tree ( I think that's what it is ). I add my 2 aloe vera plants which had over grown there pots and several pretty colorful flowers I can not remember the name, but some were yellow with red, all yellow, orange, white, and purple. Well as of right now (I want to personally thank the rain) the only thing left are the 2 aloe vera's some purple flowers and that tree.

I am from Texas and I would love to have or plant flowers that last all season. Are there any? And if so what can I plant? I will be out working on that area this weekened.

I used some black roll stuff to lay down before I put fresh scotts dirt. Why do I have a BIG feeling that that is my problem. Because even my aloe veras are getting smaller and man they were BIG. If some one knows what I can do to help this problem I would really like to know. Any advice is welcomed and I want to Thank you in advance.

Again thank you,
Nicky

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http://s80.photobucket.com/albums/j184/ladyk24/

I sit in my vegetable garden so that I can see them grow.

fabric is to deter weeds, not to go under the plants

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I love the sweet scents wafting in the breeze. I stop to admire the vibrant colors of all living things. And people think me odd. Then ODD I am!!!

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First of all you need to know your USDA Plant hardiness zone. For San Antonio Texas that is zone nine.

The next thing you need to know is how much sun the location gets per day. If you are planting under a maple tree that you are going to get dappled shade so I would look for flowers that do well in full sun or partial shade.

Then of course how much water it gets. There are plants that are drought tolerant and these like your aloe may be your best bet outside. But if you are willing to water you have many more possibilities you can plant.

After that you need to take a soil test and find out the pH of your soil. You can change the pH of your soil so that it will be what you need for the flowers that you want by adding either sulpher or lime. There is a fact sheet that explans the process on the web site just google it. If you have put down potting soil over your natural soil your pH is probably doing to be balanced that would be a number 7. Once you have all of that information you can begin selecting your flowers based on your likes and dislikes.

For me I like things that are rose like in shape and also feather like in appearance just to name two. And I am less fond of things that are daisy shaped. And some people do there gardens based on a single color like a blue garden. Or a given theme like bible gardens, knot gardens, cottage gardens the list is very very long.

Once you have figured out all that information lol. I know it sounds like a lot you can go Down to where the plant profiles are and starting looking at all the different flowers. Bill takes fantastic pictures and gives the detailed information on all of them so that you know what will work in your area.

Here are a few that I would probably try. Assuming your maple is probable about 5 feet high or more.

Giant Hyssop it is full to part sun will grow in zone 9 is drought tolerent after it is established which means you will have to water it until it is at a mature height which is some where in the 3 foot range. These have a long flower spike and come in a number of colors in the purple to red range and bloom for a fairly long time so are a good choice for the garden in my opinion.

Chocolate Flower Native wildflower from the Southwest that produces a succession of dark-eyed, yellow daisies over a compact rosette of foliage. The flowers have a wonderful rich chocolate aroma in the morning hours. Seeds heads ornamental. Prefers dry, pitiful soil. Very easy to grow. Best with minimal water once established. Grows to 12 to 18 inches tall.

Red Valerian Red flowered selection with dense showy heads held above glossy foliage. Exceptionally long bloom season. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Grows 2 to 3 feet in height and comes in a variety of pinks and reds.

Of course if you are willing to water roses come in all heights from climing roses that can go over 8 feet to grown cover roses that stay within a foot of the ground.

But there are plenty of choices within your range. Just make a list of your requirements and then begin searching through the plant profiles here and then various on line catalogs until you have found exactly what you are looking for.

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Well you gather up that information on your garden area and you'll have all kinds of suggestions for your garden. But you really do need to know what's in your soil or you could loose a bunch of flowers and that gets expensive.

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