Help planning flower bed

[nachoqtpie]

This would be on the west side of our house... so after noon it would get direct sunlight. I'm not exactly sure WHAT I want there. I've read that part of the pollen can be toxic in rhododendron if made into honey. That kinda scares me!

I posted them on craigslist and I've got 4 people wanting them now. LOL

 

[thistlebloom]

I would think that the west side of a house would be too hot for azaleas
or hydrangeas. if you have a favorite nursery you could go in there and ask them for a selection of plants that will do well on the west side of a house. They should be pretty helpful.

 

[nachoqtpie]

That's the problem... we don't HAVE a nursery here.

ETA: I did try to look it up... but it looks like the closest nursery (which is still an hour away) is mainly doing shrubs and cold hardy palm trees. NOT what we're looking for! LOL

 

[nachoqtpie]

Okay... so I found this picture... and it looks BEAUTIFUL! But I don't know what kind of plants are in it. LOL Let me know if you know what any of these are. I'll label the plants by number.

 

[thistlebloom]

Nacho, here's some ideas I just copy/pasted from "Right Plant, Right Place".

West- and south-facing house foundations (hot afternoon sun)

• Shrubs: birds nest spruce, chamaecyparis, juniper, shrub roses, caryopteris, spirea, crape myrtle, ninebark, lilac, viburnum.
• Perennials: ornamental grasses, aster, coreopsis, dianthus, gaillardia, sedum, purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, ornamental sages, Shasta daisy, hardy geranium, heliopsis, iris, garden phlox, mums, veronica, yarrow, yucca.

That will hopefully give you a jumping off place at least. I'm sure there are a lot more that would work in your climate specifically.

 

[thistlebloom]

1. Lupine
2. Larkspur (?)
3. Delphinium
4. Hollyhock
5. Astlbe (?)
6. Kniphofia
7. Liatris
8. Phlox (?)
9.
10.Dianthus

Beautiful bed!

But....
I can't imagine all of these blooming at exactly the same time and living in the same light and moisture conditions.
My skepticism says these were placed in pots from nursery stock for a photo shoot, but I could certainly be mistaken!

 

[Nyboy]

That photo looks photo shopped

 

[nachoqtpie]

Oh I'm about 98% sure that picture is photoshoped... LOL

@thistlebloom if you could find a lilac that would grow and produce here in zone 8, I'm sure my husband would make you a steak dinner!

And... hubby corrected me... the front of our house is orientated South-Southwest. It still gets full sun from about noonish.

 

[thistlebloom]

Oh I'm about 98% sure that picture is photoshoped... LOL

@thistlebloom if you could find a lilac that would grow and produce here in zone 8, I'm sure my husband would make you a steak dinner!

And... hubby corrected me... the front of our house is orientated South-Southwest. It still gets full sun from about noonish.

That was just a general inclusive list Nacho, you'd have to modify it for your specific zone and location. How about driving around and looking at landscapes, or plants you like in your neighborhood, keeping your full sun requirements in mind. That's a good way to see what plants work.

 

[nachoqtpie]

MOST people around here are transient military folk that don't put a lot of attention into landscaping. Sometimes I really hate living here.