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color in full sun

JLink's picture

color in full sun (post #15394)

JLink on Thu, 10/16/2008 - 04:20
in

Hi


I'd like to learn about hardy plants & flowers that would do well in 16 hrs of full sun in a small flower bed. I'm in Oklahoma, officially in Zone 7. If I put good-looking flowers in containers, there is some worry that they'd just burn up. Would coleus do well here? What about mums? How tall would these get?


Thank you


 

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BDinMA's picture

(post #15394, reply #1 of 3)

by BDinMA in reply to JLink [original] on Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:31

16 hrs of full sun? Are you sure?

The hight on mums varies widely depending on the variety, also (for some) on how much you pinch them back. Mine do fine in a lot of sun in the ground; unclear if you want to plant in the ground or in containers.

You wouldn't want just mums though, since they'll come into bloom midsummer at the earliest.

Astrid's picture

(post #15394, reply #2 of 3)

by Astrid in reply to JLink [original] on Thu, 10/16/2008 - 20:12

I'd try zinnias, they come in all shapes and sizes and colors, and don't mind heat . They are annuals, growing to full size in one season and then dying. However they will scatter seed where they are when finished blooming ,so you may get another irregular display the following year, which would probably be sort of informal, but then you could add other flowers to fill in.

New Mexico home organic gardener

Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience. Emerson

Edited 10/16/2008 4:13 pm by Astrid

Edited 10/16/2008 4:17 pm by Astrid


Edited 10/16/2008 4:25 pm by Astrid

New Mexico home organic gardener Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience. Emerson
Lunaria's picture

(post #15394, reply #3 of 3)

by Lunaria in reply to JLink [original] on Wed, 01/28/2009 - 16:30

Just found your query in Inspired Design section....will think on it.   Some very tough perennials and/or herbs might work.  What is the soil like?   No on the coleus (old-fashioned.)  There are the new sun coleus, but even they might falter in all that sun; but you could try some of these in pots that you water regularly.  Not sure what you conditions are really like, but here goes suggestions of the heat-happy things in my garden. .....


Annuals: Tall zinnas as suggested are good.  I bet orange cosmos would also make it and these would reseed.  But I will bet the new smaller zinnia cultivars would make it. I am just in love with "Star" zinnias that come in orange and white and have little single daisy-like blooms.  Another winner - Profusion variety of zinnias that make bigger single blooms  (2" across) on short plants (1 foot) in orange, pink, and white.  I plant the Star ones behind the Profusion ones.  These zinnia hardly need deadl-heading - maybe once in summer and in early fall to keep them going.  They go right up to frost (except orange cosmos). 


Gomphrena (sp). would also probably make it.  It comes in purple, pink, and white and stay about the size of the Profusion zinnias.  However, last year I learned about a taller orange one that I really like...so much so I have made a special spot for it to show it off better this year.   It stands about 2' and is not compact like the shorter ones, but very unusual.  People always ask me what it is.  


I plant all of these annuals in the front of my beds (except the orange gomphrena)  and balance their colors with some Lamb's Ear at corners as a shrub*, and add pots of Purple Heart (houseplant) among them.  These two would also survive heat, though you would have to water the houseplant regularly...but it is also pretty tough. I alway propogate at least three mid-size pots of it on my balcony and then move it into the beds later.  *  FYI: I grow the improved Lamb's Ear - I think it's called Helen Steiner - not the old variety.  It does not flower and has huge leaves - a very "foundation" sort of plant for the front/edge of a garden.  Its gray leaves are a great foil for all the riotous color of the annuals. 


There you go, just put the tall zinnias and cosmos behind all of the above and you have a real colorful display.  For perennials, some sedum, some grasses, and some kind of flower with spires behind everything would add interest.  Well I could go on and on.  What fun! Pat/Lunaria