[BrnEyedGrl]

Okay, since flower planting officially starts on Mother's Day, I have a question for all the gardener's out there.

What kind of flowers can I plant in area's that get mostly sun at the hottest times of the day??? I am talking about flowers I can put in pots on patios and such. (And flowers that will really spread out and get full! I like the BIG look, lol.

And can I plant Hosta in sunny locations? OR are they just a shady perennial plant??? (I do LOVE Hosta though.)

Thanks guys.

[SeptemberMorn]

Petunias and geraniums are good for hot, sunny areas and don't require too much water.

There is a kind of petunia that is called "Wave." It spread quite a bit and several colors in a large pot look great! I've done that myself.

There are so many kinds and colors of geraniums that you could have a good variety of them and nothing else. There are some that are bush type and some that are trailing.

Good luck!

[BrnEyedGrl]

Thanks SeptemberMorn,

I am thinking of the Wave petunias, sound perfect.

" <font color="#008800">Happy Gardening to ya! </font>

[nothemama8]

have planted Gladiolas (sp) , Nastursums, and Irises, in the front yard. In back I have a Lilac bush, day lilys, and want to put in Roses

[(JD)]

Vincas are good and easy (periwinkles.) They grow fast, and spread well, very hardy (they handle my dog jumping in and out of them hours each day.)..and will come back next year.

Hostas grow best in morning sun and afternoon shade. They lose their blue waxy color if they have to endure the direct sun for long.

[Brian37]

keep the Hostas outta the direct sun....they will grow, but not very well
they like shade

geraniums, impatients, daisys, all are good for sun

if you plant in pots...you need to water more often than in flower beds
they will dry out quickly in pots

Miracle Grow every couple weeks......my secret

[Perna]

I wish I were in my old house for you; it faced east/west so the ends were north/south and the north side was all hostas which I did not care for, find boring, and I would have sent them to you, LOL.

I have a wisteria in a pot (to cover the "hidden" fence put-the-ladder-behind-the-shed opening between my neighbor and myself) and it's nice purple and tall and nice.

I have my veggie garden out front and usually just plant different colored marigolds and the like in there randomly for a bit more color. The veggie fruits (tomatoes) and vines have color and yellow flowers here and there.

[(JD)]

For perligoniums (geraniums) you need to keep them cut back. Yes, they grow fast but if you let them get leggy, they'll look horrible. You can take the cuttings though, and just stick them back into the dirt, and they will root and grow! (Cuttings less than 6" are best.) One of my favorite... hey! I don't have any planted here!

What about begonias? They are bushy and colorful. I would think if they can handle Florida heat and sun, they'd do fine up there!

[BrnEyedGrl]

nothemama8
Sounds like you have a great variety. I love lilac's soooooo much.

Roses too.

[BrnEyedGrl]

Sky
Periwinkles sound good. HAHAHA Loved the fact that that they hold up after the dogs are in em everyday!

[BrnEyedGrl]

Hey thanks Brian for the tips. I will water more, that may be why my few pots last year did bad, but then again who knows. (It may be me, lol.)

Impatiens are a fav. of mine.

[BrnEyedGrl]

Perna....OH how I would of loved that, lol.

I do love veggies but have hesitated putting in a garden. I dont have much space but miss my tomatoes. There is nothing better than a sweet home grown tomato, so nice!!!
Thanks.

[(JD)]

You can grow potatoes and tomatoes in the same pot... what one plant gives off, the other needs for growth! You can also grow tomatoes hanging in a planter, btw. Root them in well, put a screen or such secured to the top of the planter so when the vines grow down the weight doesn't pull them out by the roots.

black eyed susans... full sun... though tall....so for pots perhaps not..

[BrnEyedGrl]

Sky

I think I will give the tomatoes a try in a planter this year. Good Idea.

[SeptemberMorn]

If you use Miracle Grow every two weeks in anything that is in a pot, make sure you leach out the soil. That means soak the pot by running water in it till it runs out the bottom pretty good.

I used Miracle Grow for years and it stopped working for me a couple years go even after leaching. Now I'd rather use bone meal, blood meal, alfalfa meal and fish meal if you can find it. If not, use the liquid stuff and make sure it's "deoderized." It still smells a bit but not nearly as bad as the UNdeoderized stuff. This should last you all season long.

[TaintedGoth1]

Marigolds can grow almost anywhere!!! My dad loves them cause they will flourish in our flower beds, which are in the direct sunlight...

Good luck!

[(JD)]

Oh yes marigolds...they attrack ladybugs and repel harmful insects! They grow fast, can stand extreme heat and sun, and spread out too. Good idea Goth!

[BrnEyedGrl]

I like the idea of repelling the insects and love orange and yellow so the Marigolds are a good option too.



Quick question.....this is not related to flowers but does anyone have/had a problem with wasps/bee's/hornet's nests??? This year they seem to be everywhere around my house, in the shed, just everywhere. I cant seem to find where the nests are, how do I do that and do the regular sprays actually work? Its making it hard to enjoy the outside and my son who loves to play is becoming scared to go out. Not good!!!

Thanks for the advice on the Miracle Gro too. Is it safe to use that on edible things like Tomatoes, etc? (I mean since we eat the fruit eventually?)

[nothemama8]

check in the corners of your house under the eves, spray the nest totally, or call a extermanator, miracle grow won't hurt ediable plants that I know of, BTW did you know you can use Nastursums and Pansys in salad, very tasty

[(JD)]

Outdoor wasp sprays work well. Spray bushes and under and house or shed edges...they hide their nests because they are a delicacy for some birds like the Blue Jay. Put up a bird feeder? If you spray in early morning or evening, it will kill more of them as they are usually out flying around during the daytime.

Wasp sprayers usually have the ability to spray a stream several feet away.

BTW wasps don't usually bother humans unless bothered by humans. If your son keeps running into bushes etc, then yeah, you probably need to spray.

Moth balls put into the shed (if you can stand them) will also repel the wasps. You can also put them around in plant beddings, to initially run them off (works on cats too) if you can handle the smell.

TC

[TaintedGoth1]

I"m thinking high pitched noises can really make these insects irritated...so yeah I'd certainly spray them. We have the same problem in our windows and around the house and garage.

Spray at night...that's a good time to spray them.

[splitimage]

Begonias, snapdragons (the miniature kind) petunias, impatients, gersaniums all do well in pots and in sun. That's mostly what I'll be planting this year in addition to a whole whack of herbs.

It's still a little early to plant up here - I'll wait a couple more weeks.

splitimage

[(JD)]

BTW geraniums also repel insects.

[SeptemberMorn]

Yes, it's safe. Miracle Grow even has some especially for tomatoes. I haven't figured out why, though, because tomatoes are so hardy that they'll grow anywhere. Maybe if they're in a pot where the soil nutrients are limited?