I have already mentioned Lavatera and Penstemons, which are borderline hardy for me, and it occured that many of our tender plants would probably be ideal for a Texas type climate. A couple that spring immediately to mind are Cistus and Phygelius.

I grow Cistus x purpureus with it's tissue paper pink 3 inch (7.5cm) flowers with a purple blotch at the base of each petal. Mine has been with me in a sheltered position for about 8 years now and is covered in flowers from late May to mid July. Each flower lasts only a day, but that adds to the charm of the plant, the fallen petals look lovely in the evening, and if you are an early bird you can watch the new flowers unfurl as the sun warms them. They are available in pure pink, pure white, white with purple blotches and all with golden yellow stamens.

The phygelius is also represented by one member only in my garden, that being x rectus African Queen, making a large bush, eventually, and suckering (free easy additional plants), the flowers are pale red and tubular with a yellow mouth and hang in panicles all summer long. Other colours available over here are yellow and purple. Both the Cistus and the Phygelius revel in the heat and the Cistus in particular enjoys dry conditions.

One group of plants that is hardy for me, but does not enjoy our moisture is the dianthus family, I wonder if anyone grows them, and if so what success they have. I know they will stand any amount of warmth this country can produce, but not sure how they would fare in Texas type heat.

Picture of Cistus Varieties

and another...

The pictures are not mine, they are from a very good book on shrubs and it would only be fair to the authors to give it a mention.....
It is - Shrubs by Roger Phillips and Martin Rix and published by Pan. 1900 shrubs are covered with full colour photographs. It also has a very good section on Clematis.

Terry, these are lovely! I've not seen them in the nurseries here, so it'll be something to hunt for in catalogues. Maybe Maggie has seen it in one...?

I have a lovely 'Bath's Pink' dianthus that makes great mounds for edging in my raised bed. I keep trying 'Helen' but no luck on it coming back, unfortunately. Anyone have any suggestions? I've planted in several spots but nothing has worked so far.

Maggie, I wish I could read some of these varieties?!!? Any way to blow the pix up so I can add them to my wish list...sonny's gone for the night so I don't have my computer wiz about.

Another note, some of these pictured remind me of althaea. Terry, is that one you grow? Maybe you call it Rose of Sharon....

Love this Terry! Am just heading out to downtown and must rush away... I'll be backkkk.

Your wish is my command Gail...

First picture left to right, top to bottom....
x skanbergii
salviifolius
creticus
Anne Palmer
palhinhae
x purpureus
x corbariensis
x pulverulentus
x purpureus Betty Taudevin
x anguilari

Second picture left to right, top to bottom
monspeliensis
albidus (yes it is the pink one)
Silver Pink
laurifolius
Alan Fradd
ladanifer
x Halamiocistus wintonensis Merrist Wood Cream
populifolius

I will e-mail the full size scans to Maggie....wish I had thought of that before! I typed in all the names...

What's in a name?

I grow Althea officinalis Gail, but we call it Marsh mallow. The plant we call Rose of Sharon is Hypericum calycinum. A friend of mine recently asked me to paint Black Eyed Susan, now I guessed as she is from the States that she meant Rudbeckia fulgida, but we refer to Thunbergia alata, a climbing plant as Black Eyed Susan. That one, the Thunbergia, is also a tender one for me, probably for you Texans also, it originates in Tropical Africa.

The Althea is slug proof, the Rudbeckia sure isn't, pity because I really like that plant.

I saw that genetic engineering has already had an airing, but just thought I would put forward a suggestion and possible results.

The geneticists could probably take the gene that makes Geraniums unpalatable to slugs and add it to a whole range of suseptable plants. Then the slugs would have to adapt/evolve, with the result that they would now have a taste for Geraniums also.

Sorry guys and gals, I tend to drift around a bit in my posts.

Love the drifting! I grow rue-becky without any slug problems. Have tried the Thunbergia about 3 times. It's sooo hot here it just melts in full shade. Your suggestion on slug deterrant is the only good thing about genetic engineering that anyone has come up with! Great suggestion! Any scientists listening?

Perfect growing weather here at the moment, too perfect, shall have to send out a search party to try to locate my paths. It always seems such a shame to have to cut everything back just as it really starts to grow. Price you have to pay for planting up every inch of space.

The bed beyond my main pond was a lawn until Spring last year. I planted it up with a mix of perennials and many other things came up from dormant seeds, particularly the foxgloves which are just about to start flowering. We love to watch the bees alighting on the lower lip and then disappearing into the tubular flower, only to reappear a few seconds later covered in pollen.

I have in the same bed a Polygonum bistorta Superbum ,strange name, but it does have pretty little pink spikes of flowers above the rather large oval leaves. This one looks as though it could be a monster, it is growing fast in the warm wet weather, just hoping it's neighbours can keep up. Sorry, out of date name, Polygonum is now Persicaria, my book tells me, wish they wouldn't keep changing em.

That last message took quite a few goes to post, is anyone else having problems???

Our ISP is in the process of merging with another co. and has been fouling up our access all week. I'm afraid that it also affects our forum functions when its on the blink. So, am sorry guys - lets hope its very temporary. Thanks for sticking with it Terry.
Do you grow the lovely hybrid foxgloves as well as or instead of the dear pinky-purple wild one? I have had the creamy yellow and some white ones on the edge of the shade gardens in the past, but their seedlings don't quite catch the right season here for self-sown germination and they really struggle in the summer heat, after a spring bloom. There seems to be a lot of folklore stories as to the origins to the 'foxglove' name. I like this one...
Because the bloom is the perfect shape and size of a fox foot, it is told that the bad fairies grew them for fox to wear when stalking prey - for a more quiet sneak-attack.
The P. bistorta looks wonderful in Botanica book photo, and I can easily imagine it at water's edge, but oh my gosh!!! it is related to the Japanese knotweed, and that is a bit scary, yes? But then too is David's treasured Tovara and apparently many other great border goodies, so we just have to be careful about which persicaria we select/accept.

Don't talk to me about ISP's, it took me 7 attempts to connect last night, then the *@*#@*# kicked me back off after three minutes.
Sorry just felt the urge to moan.

Foxgloves are self seeded wild ones, the seed must remain viable for a long time, the lawn had been down for four years before I dug it up last year. I have tried a pink one and a yellow one in the past, but neither made it to the flowering stage. Occasionally a white one pops up amongst the purples as a natural mutation. I am surprised to find that you grow them Maggie, they wilt in the sun over here, and those large leaves need lots of moisture. I envy David his Tovara, I assume it is Painters Palette, a beautiful plant, and one that I failed to provide the right conditions for, and lost.

At least you got on yesterday! I couldn't get to the forum for my daily dose! It drove me to the point of going outside and working! Despite the fact it's above 90 degrees!

I'm much better today...I can get on and ramble with you guys. Maggie, David, there's a plant sale off of 287 --- 50-75% off. Going today at lunch for a look-see. Says they have bamboo! May thwart David's threat to have you over, Maggie! Hee, hee....someday when we have bathrooms again...I should warn my neighbors to not look behind any trees for a few days...If you want address, call me at work today. It's on Avenue H North of Rosedale, South of 30. Weird location but hey, suppose to have LOTS of greenhouses.

Just a side note...I was hoping I couldnt' get on because someone, ah-hem, was posting Monet's garden just for me. Ahh-HEM! or should I say Ahhh-HER! But, alas, I was only dreamin'...still dreamin'...wishin'... hope-in'...

And having company just CAN'T be an excuse, can it????? Sitting my the pool drinkin' beer doesn't count either!

Oh no, she's at it again!!! Which would you rather do Gail, spend precious limited time with your cousin clone or rack your brain to write something it won't focus on right now ;-).
Take a lunch at the Kimbell soon. Hangings from their perm collection includes 2 Monets. Plus some very limited pieces of the same era are temp there while under litigation due to family feud, and may never again be publicly viewed in our lifetime. Attempting distraction/appeasement here.

Thanks for the heads up on the plant sale Gail....Gee, I hope they have Black Bamboo for you because I have even found a better supply than my mother's yard!!!!!
Maggie it's O.K. about Monet....First of all he was a frog and second he is dead, so he will not be going any where SOON!!!!

Okay, okay, EVERYONE is invited over to see my black plastic garden because I DIDN'T find any black bamboo but found other goodies! It was an individual with 3 acres of beds who just pots up what he has to divide and he had TONS of stuff. Julie and I came home with plants on our laps, as usual. My prize was a double blooming althaea in deep purple AND a Japanese something-or-the-other which I wrote down but don't have in the house. Tall, evergreen stalk with LARGE leaves. Reminds me of the plant that Maggie has in the purple bed on the side back. Maggie, could it be the same? Does your stalk stay evergreen? Get's to be about 20 feet +?

Gail, tell more about this place. Is it open regularly, by invitation only, by appointment, what? Sounds fascinating. I really want some althea. Always had it, but none here at this house, and I really miss it. I do have lots of oleander here. Must have been what the previous owner planted instead of althea.

I paid $4 for a 10 gallon althea. Got the double AND the peppermint. He also had a pink one I've already got and a white with pink center. I'll tell you but must also say...don't go alone. It's off of Rosedale. Take 35 to Rosedale and go east to Wallace. South on Wallace to Avenue H. Left on Avenue H. A few houses down the street on the right hand side there's a house that you can't see because of the garden growing inside the chainlink fence. The potted plants are everywhere, beds everywhere. Phone 534-6323. 3812 Avenue H OR from I30, exit and go south on Oakland. Turn right on Rosedale and South on Wallace, East on Avenue H. Just a guy and his garden. Not the best neighborhood. I pulled into the driveway and he waved us in. We were there about an hour surveying everything. Oh, he had a really odd nandina that I hadn't seen. It was REALLY airy looking. Reminded me of a pencil plant. Has anyone else seen this?

Wear your dirtiest shoes and bring plastic or paper to put on car seats if you don't have a pickup. Inside and outside plants. Got a huge pink angelwing begonia that's about 5 foot tall and trails over the pot. The plant I couldn't think of earlier, he called a Japanese varnish tree. He had a couple growing that were lovely and large. Great foliage. He has lots of salvia, penstemon, cannas, hollies, trees, shrubs, hibiscus, butterfly bushes, pond plants, ground covers, liriope of all kind. Had Nellie R. Stevens holly for $3 in a 10 gallon and also Burford holly. Oh, and roses.

Interesting difference in the way we size our plant purchases, we always refer to the pot size in inches.

I love to find the out of the way places, usually run by one person, you can pick up some really unusual items not stocked by the large commercial growers, a bit like visiting private gardens but all the plants are available to take home. We visit such a place when we go to see our friends in Scotland, and I always end up with a few plants that I have never heard of before. Unfortunately the West coast of Scotland has a much milder (Gulf stream effect) Winter climate than ours even though we are much further South. This means a lot of my purchases turn out to not be hardy enough to survive outside the greenhouse, but enough are, and I enjoy seeing just what can survive, particularly now we are experiencing some milder Winters ourselves.

Terry, we also measure pots in inches when buying plants. However, when it gets to the really large pots, like gallon size, then the reference switches over. I'm not sure, Gail, do you know where to transition is: at a gallon?

Carolyn, a gallon is usually where I make the switch...hmmm, don't know why. Another friend went to this guy's place and managed to pick up one of the "varnish trees" too and we really think it is what Maggie has already. I dropped one of on her driveway, so we'll know when she has a chance to tromp out in the rain to take a look-see. Of course, BJ also picked up some things I hadn't seen, so now I'm thinking of making another trip...so glad I got things planted before this rain came pouring. Hope my new paint job on the house doesn't wash away!

Why is it, in this world it's always about inches????? Just kidding.....2",4" 6" and then quart size,then it's 1 gallon,2 gallon,3 gallon,5 gallon and more....
Gail you mean Bj spent money??? Wow, thats a shock.....

BJ reads us here, David. HAAHAHAAHA And you should witness her purchases at a nursery sometime - makes us all look tight as wellll. You really must get to her know better :-). She is as generous as you in the sharing department and as is as generous as she is avid in the gathering dept as you too. How was that for a good save!?!, but is so true. BJ offered to take me over to the Jay's place above Sat, but I didn't get away in time to meet up with her. boohoo ,, will try again sometime...

On the thought of another Anglo/Amer garden terminology variance, Terry... since Brits refer to pre-mixed potting soil as 'compost', as well the homemade stuff from the compost pile,,, how do they know which one a text or person is referring to? I guess its all in the context of the use, but imagine it could often be misleading.
And don't know if you've caught this somewhere or not, but we over-here say compost with the accent on the 1st syllable, as opposed to the last, but you can write it anyway you like,, we won't notice the diff ;-)