I wonder how many people are in a warm enough zone to even consider some of these less hardy plants? I think the Cape and the South Shore, and the states to our South, CT and RI, right? I know a lot of gardeners in colder zones who crave a little exotic but often go for tropicals in containers in the summer that they then winter over indoors. I wish I could grow Dahlias without digging them up in the fall.

I try to make my garden low maintenance for the most part and trying to push the zone seems to invite more work to me. [g] But maybe not. Plus I am not sick of NE garden plants at this point. I really didn't start gardening with perennials and shrubs until about 10 years ago, so I am still happy with the variety I have in my own zones.

I do grow sedums and sempervivums and would like to hear about the newer varieties. I am aware of 'Angelina', which I am trying, but I thought that was very hardy. I tried it last year for the first time and it wintered over outside in a pot. I love escheverias. The larger and the darker the better and I plan on creating a large succulent pot next season if I can. Some of my problem is with my clay soil, in addition to my zone. I tried ice plant and it didn't grow well for me. I would love to grow and have tried a couple of the western agastaches that are not as hardy here, that hummingbirds enjoy, but they dislike my clay soil and less than perfect drainage. I was looking for seed for Prickly Pear Cactus at one point, but I never did follow through on that one because I don't have a grouping of plants that it would look right with.

Broadleaf evergreens for shade would be something I would like to explore. Camellias would be something different. The flowers are so perfect and waxy. I love fragrant plants and so does my husband, so the gardenia and jasmine would be interesting. I didn't know there were hardy varieties. Hardy to what zone?

Vegetables would be something I could work up some motivation to try. I am really wanting to try to grow something all winter. Maybe with the use of cold frames.

I think with all the climate changes we continue to see, we probably do have warmer weather in the winter than we ever have before, so it may not be such a stretch.

As for your desire to grow cactus, It's true that they don't always look good in a mixed border, but a dedicated raised bed (for good drainage) can be very interesting. Placed in an area of hot summer sun, possibly where watering is not easy to do, would be good. I have dozens of pads that have fallen off and lay all over one of my driveways. I'll be sweeping them up for the trash, but if you want some you'll have growing plants in no time!

I hadn't heard about Camellias that were hardy to zone 6. I will have to read up on those. Flowers in the shade, doesn't it? I just googled that Gelsemium and see that North Creek Nurseries has it. It gets 8-12ft, that's nice and even takes part sun. I have a lot of that. I like that it is attractive to hummingbirds. Are you growing this Bill? I haven't seen it at any local nurseries.

Bill, you are a wealth of interesting information on types of plants that I have not really paid much attention to before. Probably because I have considered them not hardy here. Thanks for the new ideas! Would love to see photos of your garden when you have some.

Here is a photo of the Yucca. It's more of a specimen in front of the house rather than blended into the landscape.

Yucca

I am growing the Gelsemium. It has gone through two growing seasons and spreading to over 8 feet. I suspect that this year it will fill in more. Hasn't lost a single leaf in the winters so far, so seems totally hardy here.

Fall blooming camellias may be better if you're in a colder area, since the buds won't be subject to freezing like the spring blooming types. But I grow both.

Camellia "Snow Flurry" - fall blooming

Camellia "April Remembered" - spring blooming

I think a cactus "bowl" would be fine. These things are very hardy.

Bill

The link to that Arnoldia article didn't work for me.
I'll try to get a list together this weekend of failures, successes and wish list for the future. When it's done I'll E-mail you.

Bill

Look at the nice shiny leaves on the camellias. I like the double 'Snow Flurry' especially. 'April Remembered' has a very distinctive and pronounced center. They have pretty buds too. I would love to know where you placed them.

And I was hoping that when you had some time, you might start a thread on your trip to The Chelsea Garden Show. Did you take a lot of photos?

The yucca could reach 8 feet or more measuring only the trunk, so add about 3 feet for leaves, and another 5 feet for the bloom. But I don't know how long that will take. I planted it in 1997 with no trunk. It now has multiple trunks (4) approximately 4 feet high. I suspect that had I kept it to a single trunk, it might have been taller. I have cut off pups in the past few years and I'll keep those single and see what happens. It makes a lot of side shoots. I'm thinking of potting some up and putting them on Craig's list.

"Snow Flurry" has proven rock hardy for me. Even in the terrible cold of January, 2004 it showed no damage whatsoever. It generally blooms for me from mid to late October and will continue up to Christmas if the weather stays fairly mild. A few nights in the mid 20's may start to bother the flower buds.

My camellias are against a south-facing stone wall. The "April Remembered" does get a bit of the west wind in winter, but I haven't protected it. It did almost die in the cold winter of 2004, but after a few months, it sprouted from thick wood near the base.

I will see about getting some Chelsea photos together. I actually took more at Kew Gardens and RHS Wisley, both of which I actually liked better than Chelsea.

I'm just finishing up a two-month-long renovation of my living room and dining room. Started with wanting to paint the LR. It was never painted before.....always wall paper or latest was a fabric type wall covering. Well after a LOT of prep to the walls, and finally getting a color that I liked, the carpet look shabby. Since the two rooms are open to each other, the carpet is all one piece, so I had to paint the dining room too. Well, then the LR furniture looked bad, so I had to go out shopping for that. Well how could I not get new window treatments in both rooms? So after many many weeks of work, including pushing the piano into the kitchen so the new carpet could be installed(!) I am about ready to relax! A few more chores this weekend and I'm calling it done. Then I will start on that list.

Bill

I had no idea a Camellia would bloom in mid October. How fun would that be to have blooms on the Camellias at the same time my chrysanthemums were in bloom. Well, you've piqued my interest enough to make me look up the new hardy camellias and I see that some of them are supposed to be fragrant too. I found an article on the Camellia Society website on the Ackerman hybrids, that 'Snow Flurry' looks like a great choice and the best of the white IMO. I also like the looks of 'Winter's Dream'. I see they are recommending winter protection the first year or two. Anyway, I am going to have to give this some thought before the spring. I may have a place for one. I don't have a nice stone wall facing South, wouldn't that be nice to have. :-)

I can't think of something I would look forward to more than drooling over photos of gardens in England while looking out the window at snow. [g] Can't wait.

When I first read "exotics" I thought of tropicals, which, surprisingly, don't do much for me. My MIL loves them and is always asking either my advice or my opinion - the first of which I can't offer and the second of which I don't want to, lol, to spare her feelings.

I know this doesn't fit your question, since it is non-hardy here, but I do grow an evening-scented jasmine. I got it from Dena and Wild Bill about 5 years ago (or more!) and have - amazingly - successfully overwintered it indoors all those years. I do love that plant - how can you not, with that fragrance?

I also tried yucca one year. I had a few variegated (Gold Swords) in pots on my patio for winter interest. For some reason they looked gorgeous throughout the winter and promptly died in late spring. Never did figure out why and never tried them again.

I just might have to consider a camellia. I just organized a talk last night at my library where the owner of a local nursery spoke, and he was praising camellia (wish I could remember the one he discussed). Between that and the photo above, I think it's an omen....

:)
Dee

I'm growing Jasminum officinale outdoors. It's gone through three winters with varied degrees of success. It keeps coming back, but only thrived and bloomed one year.

As for those yuccas that died, I wonder if it's because they were in pots? They should be hardy in the ground.

Take a look at the Camellia Forest Nursery web site (www.camforest.com). They have a great selection of hardy camellias.

I had posted some photos of my indoor plants on Jan. 4 ("A sunroom break from snow and cold!"). Most of them go out for the summer.

I also posted quite a few photos on Sept. 9 ("Some photos of my flowers") which is a collection of blooms at various times of the year.

I will try to get some of the English garden photos together next week.

Bill

I wondered the same thing about the yuccas. I had them in pots for two reasons. First, when you look out my back window, you see the brick patio and a large expanse of black asphalt driveway/parking area. In summer, not so bad because of the backdrop of trees, as well as many contaiers on the patio. In winter - blah! So I wanted some winter interest and put some redtwig dogwoods, junipers, and the variegated yucca in pots. It really did look nice throughout the winter.

Secondly, I've read that yuccas can become overly aggressive, so I hesitate to put them in the ground. What has your experience with this been, Bill?

Thanks,
Dee

As for CamForest..........go for it!

With a little luck you may even get a flower or 2

[img]http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/userpix/1600_100_0592_1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/userpix/1600_100_0650_1.jpg[/img]

Your garden looks good!

Bill

Claire

Thanks for that info on the yuccas, Bill. Maybe I will try some in the ground. Still haven't looked at the Forest Farm link yet, lol - I'm still debating with myself! Maybe I'll spend the evening doing a bit of browsing there....

:)
Dee

Bill...I never saw a slug in my yard until last year. We had a lot of rain that wouldn't let up and they started showing up. Where do they come from, out of nowhere? [g] You remind me of me... when I can't sleep in the summer, I will get up and go out in my pjs with the flashlight and a paper cup and look for earwigs, which I hate! They seem to love me for some reason. Just the same I enjoy being out there at that hour. You get to see all the night creatures and some of the fragrant plants make the trip worth it. And if there is a moon out, a warm breeze and it's very quiet, it's almost magical! And you can't see all your mistakes at night. [g]

A little research and I found quite a few other Opuntias
that potentially survive and a few other varieties. A few bags of gravel and sand in a very well draining raised bed and they seem quite happy. I think I have a little over a dozen different plants now, mostly Opuntias.

I did have some sort of critter 'sample' one of them once last year, beyond the spines Opuntias have surprise for intruders in the soft looking hairs on them. Glochids, barbed almost invisible things that likely left the critter with a sour mouth for at least a few days.

Slugs do like munch also on cactus.

Bill