Welcome to the world of gardening. You hv already learned one of the first grim realities--many of the mail order nurseries will sell without regard to what is best for your garden. Having said that, they can't possibly grow and sell plants while at the same time coaching people on a one to one basis.

Join a local plant or garden club if your schedule allows as well as local websites. You are on the right track by posting here.

As to plants you bought, I wouldn't hold my breadth on their success in your garden. But is has taught you a valuable and pricey lesson. Research all before planting.

Many people here will gladly share their wisdom but nothing like befriending some local gardeners. They ALL have been in your shoes.

bossyvossy the thing is I did research before I bought and everything I found said they'd grown here, most of the bulbs would be annuals though and I'm okay with that bc I'd be cutting most of the tulips and hyacinth anyway. So I'm not getting the same info from my sources. Again, I went to a local nursery and they were not helpful at all. So I guess I'm just lost bc I can't seem to get the real deal! I saw in the forum after posting that a lot of people have grown the flowers I asked about here, so I just don't know what to do.

I provided input on what to do, chalk it to "live and learn". Unless you are currently chilling your bulbs, chances are they won't even show up for you to enjoy as annuals. But, if you hv the energy, plant, plant away and see what happens.

When I want to pick on a nursery person's brain, I don't go on a Saturday afternoon or otherwise busy time to get help. They are a biz, not a school, so perhaps that's why you haven't found helpful people there. St Antone has great gardeners and garden centers. Can't help w/ specific names as I live in Houston. Be patient, somebody from your area will post soon. All good gardeners always want to help new ones, especially interested ones as you seem to be.

Landini lillium never grew for me

Don't give up!
Trade what you don't want/can't grow here on the Trading forums.
Sorry to hear about your troubles . . .
This is my first year of "real" gardening, though I've been around it most my life, trying at every house we've been at, and I'm making a lot of beginner mistakes, and now I'm trying winter sowing which I hope doesn't end in failure. I made a boo-boo by sowing an annual - borage - because I forgot it was an annual and didn't double check the packet before I planted! Whoops. It's growing, but the frosts are coming here in Ohio . . .
I know I'm going to read, read, read this winter - every gardening book I can get out of the library, and every catalogue. There is some helpful information to be found in the catalogues, but I've also learned that some of their words are misleading, like "naturalizes readily" means it will take over the world!!!
I would definitely recommend buying books about gardening in your area before buying more plants. And go to the library, and search for good blogs written by people in your area. There are lots of books and blogs about gardening in your area. You'll get a lot of great ideas for plant combinations that way, too.
Good luck!

bossyvossy I understand exactly what you were saying, I was just reiterating the fact that I've heard so many different things and I do not know where to start - everyone didn't start out knowing it all, maybe some did. It's frustrating when you don't know where to start, or turn is all.

I went to these nurseries (Milbergers, Rainbow) in the early mornings at opening mid week bc I wasn't working at the time; they made me feel like an idiot bc I didn't know a lot of the terms, which is why I was skeptic to post here as well. I'm just looking for help bc I don't know.

Bulbs, I am chilling them, bc again I did read enough to know to do that in TX. I'm just going to try and see if anything happens and find out for myself. If not, Brecks gives refunds on anything that doesn't grow, so not a total loss I guess.

What can I grow in Texas?? I'm into basic flowers for now, bc I'm not quite ready for veggies yet! I have like 60 Zinnias and 2 dozen velvet queen sunflowers growing since September that are on their 3rd set of leaves, think they will bloom?

This post was edited by pinkkpearls on Wed, Oct 8, 14 at 15:43

Queen-Gardener I know mistakes will happen and I'm okay with that, it's the only way to learn. What sticks in my craw is when you I'm misinformed. Funny thing is, I've bought more pamphlets, plants, books than actual plants lol I've gotten a wealth of information, I think I will use what I know and hopefully the advice of others and just try and see!!!

I get a little irritated at nursery people, or any people, who tell you that you should have come to them first.

ok, granted.

What'm I gonna do *now*???

If you were here near Dallas, I'd say that the irises should grow, as long as you don't plant them too deeply & don't mulch them, which would invite rot & bugs, but I don't know if they do well in your warmer-winter area.

Alliums are basically onions, so they should do well.

Texas gardeners buy *tons* of tulip bulbs every year, enjoy the blooms the following spring, & either never see the bulbs again or dig them up & compost them.

Our weather is just too hot for them.

Best thing to do *right now* is look on the Exchanges Page & click on San Antonio Swap.

Those people are totally enthused about gardening, they're generous, they're knowledgeable & helpful, & they always have a good time!

Plus, you will go home{{gwi:807}} with plants that will thrive, & you won't spend money!

Just bring something garden-related to trade;
if you don't have anything, stop at Dollar Tree & stock up on the gloves with rubber bonded onto the palms & fingers, garden tools, baskets, coffee filters, soaps, sun block, aspirin, lotion, vinegar, baking soda, corn starch, garden 'junk', etc.

Gardeners always need that stuff.

Gardening is fun, time for you to start having some!

edited to add:

can't tell exactly what plants you have there, but the sweet potato vine thrives no matter what you do or don't do, but it's an annual, so take cuttings before a hard frost, & grow them in water over the winter.
The purple/lavender flowers...are they mums or dianthus (pinks)? Either way, they will do well;
some mums are annuals, & some are perennials.
The stores like to sell the annuals so you'll come back next fall!
Best way I know to be sure you get perennials is to get them from a gardener.

& here's the link to the swap thread;
it's a week from this Saturday!

Here is a link that might be useful: San Antonio Swap 10 18 2014

This post was edited by sylviatexas on Wed, Oct 8, 14 at 15:49

sylviatexas thank you for your response! Very helpful!!!

I am gonna plant half of my stuff in a bed that gets morning sun, a few hours of shade, then evening sun and see how they do, bc it does get a little bit cooler in that shade, I moved an impatien back in this area that was crying bloody murder in full sun, now it is thriving and is outgrowing the pot, but the season is almost up anyway so no biggie.

Those other fat purple flowers are mums, they are struggling, getting a lot of browning of the blooms, unsure why. But I'm still learning.

I can't wait to join the swap, I have tons of stuff I can bring and would love to pick brains to find out what I can grow here and be happy with! you were especially helpful and I'm very thankful for your response.
The tulips, hyacinth, and crocus I read in almost all posts in relation to TX to treat them as annuals, so I definitely felt like that info wasn't skewed! Again, i'm cutting them up so I'm good with rebuying them. I JUST WANT THEM TO GROW LOL

The vines I have already put some in the house; my heart broke when I found out they wouldn't survive. However, I have already taken some clippings inside for growing, bc I didn't have houseplants, one has grown so big I took clippings off of that!

Mums need a lot of water;
maybe yours are just getting too dry between waterings.

Pinlkpearls- I hear your frustration and I can relate. It almost seemed like you needed to know the "secret handshake" in the gardening world when you were just learning what questions you needed to ask to experienced gardeners so they could best give advice. Well there isn't a secret handshake, but it will take some time. Time you don't feel like you have right now, maybe?

I'm sorry I don't have specific answers about your flowers- I try to stick to xeriscape perennials when I do them, and I don't have experience with most of the ones you've listed.

A local nursery that I think is a little more helpful that one ones you've mentioned is Shades of Green. If you're willing to travel a bit The Natural Gardener in south austin is excellent as well. Now be forewarned, water usage is a big concern in this part of Texas (for good reason) so don't be upset if they try to steer you towards things that can actually survive around here and look decent. It might not be the look you're used to, or would prefer,but in San Antonio we talk about aquifer levels and watering restrictions like we used to talk about how much rain we got overnight up north.

Put a few plants in your cart, take some pictures with you to show specifics and hopefully you'll get a better sense of how to salvage some of what you have.

When you're ready for books, there's a couple beginner texas gardening books I'd recommend. Just let me know.

Hope this helps- Lisa

I suspect you're not getting a lot of response regarding the plants you're asking about because although they can be grown possibly for one season, many of us who have tried, found out that they simply weren't worth the time, energy, and/or water to repeat the experience and so have limited to no experience with these plants.

Iris can be grown in this area, so that's one I'd just put them in the ground now (mulch and water well), but the other bulbs need to be chilled in a brown paper bag in your crisper drawer for about 8 weeks before being planted.

I'm in the Austin area and typically I would consider alyssum and pansies for winter annuals and would plant them in November. However, my main focus this time of year is putting in perennials as fall is the optimum time for planting them. This would include your rock rose and lantana. If mulched and watered, they may look like they died, but they're just napping through the winter and will come back next spring. Lantana always seems to take the longest, but just be patient. I would put the Rock Rose in the back of the flower bed and the trailing lantana in the front. Hope that helps.

every garden is its own micro climate ...

just plant it all ...

what grows.. grows.. what doesnt.. doesnt.. live and learn ... literally.. and metaphorically ...

and be sure to understand.. that you are not a green thumb.. an accomplished gardener... until you have killed EVERY plant.. 3 times ... before you succeed ...

too many newbs.. think gardening is a science.. in the sense of research.. maps.. expectations...

unfortunately.. gardening is more of an art ... relegated to the whims of mother nature and the gardener ... which loosely translates into.. wing it ... lol ...

since you are new to the area... i highly recommend finding a local garden club ... usually a bunch of real old ladies ... who have magnificent gardens.. and more info smeared in the dirt under their nails.. than you will ever track down on the web .... and if you could ingratiate yourself to the group.. you not only would have a font of local information ... you would probably come home with a trunk full of plants every time you visited one of their gardens.. because that is what gardeners do... with excess plants .... they give them to friends ....

also take your camera everywhere ... and when you see something you like.. snap a pic.. get an ID here... and make plans ... EVERYTHING you need to know.. is within 5 miles of your house.. so turn off the blasted technology... and experience your local flora ... right flora... lol ...

and .. a good.... local nursery ... is prime... in spring.. buy one of everything they offer... because... 99% of what they sell ... should grow in your area .... we need.. on some level to support the local peeps... as way too many of them are disappearing ....

good luck and have fun ...

ken

Everyone has been plenty helpful and I greatly appreciate it. I'm hoping to share some horror stories and happy ones with you guys after a while. I am going to be putting in some pansies and i'm extremely happy about that! Thank you all so much!

Enjoy the process. I've planted tried and true plants that were all but guaranteed to do well and didn't and I've had some experiments in pushing the envelope that turned out great. It's part of the fun (and sweat, lol).

Looking forward to your next round of pictures.

Hi pinkkpearls,

I'm kind of in the 'plant it and see what happens' school of gardening... especially if you avoid emotional entanglements with the experimental items. If planted where they get deciduous shade (meaning sunny when the leaves are off in late fall/winter and shady in summer) you might get the hyacinths to come back. They're less robust but still say "Spring".
My garden is in far northwest Austin so my garden blog probably can't help you, but take a look at the garden blog connected to the Central Texas Gardening show on PBS (maybe you get the show in San Antonio?). It has links to many, many individual blogs by people who garden here. I bought Texas gardening books to read even before I moved here, but over the years learned as much from blogs as from those books.

Central Texas is a weird place - I've spent more than a decade sharing information and plants with gardening friends here and our individual experiences have been quite different. Gardeners just a few miles apart can have totally different soil, get different amounts of rain and wind, are colder in winter, hotter in summer.
It takes quite a while to get to know your own piece of land! Personally I think spending time looking, watching, observing and writing down what you do and what you're seeing is important.

Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: KLRU Central TX Gardener Blog

Highly recommend joining your local Master Gardener program to meet and learn. Excellent program and a great way to get plugged into your new community!

Here is a link that might be useful: Bexar Co. Master Gardener Program

This post was edited by mrs.wiggley on Sun, Oct 12, 14 at 13:30

Ok first of all who told you bearded irises would not do well here? Because seriously I have found them to be iron clad perennials in my raised beds and don't even fertilize them that much.

phoenix7801 an associate at Milbergers. When do you plant yours? I have some really dry and hard rhizomes with green in the middle I wanted to plant in my raised bed or mound. They're both a Mel's mix with lots of worm castings.

I LOVE irises. I do think that it is better to get irises from friends and neighbors because they seem to have a local preferences. I mean, my irises that I got from my grandmother's place in Pennsylvania had a heart attack when I put them in my West of Austin Hill top. I know they are here in spirit, but they literally vaporized in quick order.

Texas gardening is all about understanding the PH of your land, and the species that will do well with once a week watering. Timing of planting and watering to establish is crucial. Salvia greggii is a great beginners plant.

If you come to the San Antonio swap, I can get you several Salvia greggiis. The plant swap for San Antonio is this Saturday the 18th. Come on down and meet the crowd. It is very personable and even if you come with nothing , you will go home with something. Most of us don't like to go home with what we brought. Check the exchange page.

Here is a link that might be useful: San antonio Swap

wantonamara don't you tell me any stories!! I want that IRIS and I will definitely be there! I have a ton of stuff, but not sure what to bring! Should I just list what I got?

Pinkpearls I was gifted some lovely purple iris rhizomes from the lovely Kathy in the beginning of summer 2010. I plunked them in the ground and didn't bury them too deep. They've survived Feb '11 and Winter '14. Every year I worry that I haven't trimmed or fertilized them enough and every spring they put on a show.

I know this sounds like a plug but I work at the San Antonio Botanical gardens and we have an area called The Old Fashion Gardens. If you can grow it in SA, it will be in those beds. Also don't neglect to ask question here on GW or listen to Bob Webster on 550 KTSA on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Phoenix Joey, where is the 'Old Fashioned Garden' located? Is it on the map? I'd like to see what's growing there. Pinkpearls, there will be a plant sale on the botanical gardens on Oct. 25. There is an announcement on this page somewhere..

Old Fashion is the garden that has all the mango plants in it. Its by the rose garden and the sacred garden. If you see mangos...bingo!

Also yes pink I forgot the gardens are having a plant sale as part of our Bootanica event on October 25th. Volume discounts!

Pinkpearls, I see you have already decided to attend our swap on Saturday...that's a great first step. (Sylvia,, thank you for pointing her in the right direction !)

As you'll learn, Pink, we are all fanatical about our plants and I think you'll learn a lot -- you may consider bringing something to take notes with. Phoenix is Joey, who comes to our swaps when he's not working at the botanical center. Wantonamara is Mara, who also attends, so you will meet her Saturday. Roselee is Ragna who will also be in attendance.

Irises are a great addition to our gardens here. There are usually some to be had at just about any swap. Another plant family that does well here is Salvia. There are a thousand different salvias in the world and they all look a little bit different. So many colors and forms! and one of my favorites in my own garden.

I have been attending and hosting these swaps since they were brought to central Texas almost 20 years ago. Before that, they were only held in Houston and Dallas, a bit far for those of us in the San Antonio/Austin area. We have our swaps in San Antonio spring and fall, and there is another just south of Austin, which is sometimes attended by some of the San Antonio group.

Please go to my listing on the Exchanges page for the San Antonio swap and see if there is anything you'd be interested in. As you may have already seen, I do not require plants in trade, but always love some good junk if you have anything you want to get rid of. Shoot me some pictures, send me an email and let's trade !!

If you have any questions about the swap please ask me, as I've been doing this for a long, long time.

Patty
castro_gardener
soriano471@sbcglobal.net

Okay Joey -- gotcha'. Yes, an excellent area to explore for what grows well here. I always think of that area as the 'Cottage Garden', my favorite section of all the SABOT gardens, but it stands to reason it would be referred to as the 'Old Fashioned Garden'.

Here is a link that might be useful: San Antonio Botanical Garden plant sale Oct. 25, 2014

depending on where you are located, there are several very wonderful nurseries with knowledgable staff - Millbergers (Loop 1604 @ Bulverde Rd), Rainbow Gardens (Thousand Oaks), Shades of Green (Sunset), Fanick's Garden Center (WW White @ Holmgreen). You can look at Plantanswers.com also has great info.

if gardening is not for you you are in big trouble after the swap lol!
It was a pleasure to meet you and if you have any questions about the plants you can e-mail any of us from the swap or post on here.
Tally HO!