Plant Shopping in My Yard
Posted: April 29, 2024 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: African Hosta, Automatic Gardening, Bartram's Oenothera grandiflora, Drimiopsis maculata, Gulf Coast gardening, Salvia coccinea 18 Comments
It is spring and time to fill in my beds. Luckily, I don’t have to go far or spend money. There are plenty of volunteers that pop up every year. Above are White Soldiers that readily volunteer and I’m using them to fill in a bed in the front.
Black-eyed Susans came up here and there. I gathered them to plant closer to each other and make a nice clump of flowers.
The Yellow Evening Primrose, Oenothera grandiflora is happily growing in the lawn and eluded the lawn mower. They will be transplanted next to the others in a bed.
Salvia coccineas are the backbone of my garden. I can always count on them coming back from their roots and reproducing by seed. These Salvias are great plants; deer and rabbits don’t eat them, and bees and hummingbirds love them. I look forward to more shopping in my yard as the weather warms up.
Finally Flowers!
Posted: April 1, 2024 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: African Hosta, Automatic Gardening, cannas, Drimiopsis maculata, Gulf Coast gardening, Gulf Coast Penstemon, Little White Soldiers, purple Oxalis, Year-round gardening 27 Comments
I’ve been slightly jealous of my northern gardener friends’ pictures of daffodils, forsythia, hellebore, and other early bloomers. My plants are finally coming back from the freeze and there are a few in bloom. Above is my “mulch pile” Iris. The Iris arrived in a mulch delivery over 30 years ago and proved to be very hardy. It has managed to reproduce too.
White Soldiers or Drimiopsis maculata is a great plant for this area. It is reliable and spreads. The flowers are not that exciting and after the bloom, they will make bulblets and new plants. They are also called African Hosta and are the closest to a Hosta we can grow here.
One of Cannas has bloomed already. Another plant that reproduces easily.
The Gulf Coast Penstemon is really putting on a show. The only thing is that I did not plant them in this bed.
Black-eyed Susans have also started to flower and make a nice spring mix with the Gulf Coast Penstemon.
The Purple Oxalis is having a very happy spring. These are in two pots I have next to each other and they make a great display. I also have the Oxalis in two beds and they always come back every year.
Just Leaves
Posted: August 22, 2023 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: African Hosta, Chocolate Plant, Drimiopsis maculata, hardy begonia, Hypoestes phyllostachya), Japanese Fern, ligularias, Peacock Ginger, Polka Dot Plant, Pseuderanthemum alatum - 16 CommentsSometimes leaves are enough. All of these plants are perennials in my garden and very much appreciated for their ability to come back every year. Pick your favorite.
Hardy Begonia
Peacock Gingers
African Hosta or Drimiopsis
Chocolate Plant
Japanese Fern
Ligularias
Polka Dot Plant
Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed?
Posted: June 18, 2019 Filed under: Gardening | Tags: African Hosta, Automatic Gardening, Backyard Critters, Drimiopsis maculata, Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, Little White Soldiers, Southern Gardening, subtropical climate, Subtropical Gardening, Year-round gardening 14 Comments
During my morning walk through the yard, I noticed my little bed of Drimiopsis maculata was partially flatten. What critter decided to curl up in my bed? I will probably never know, but I sure don’t like it.
Drimiopsis Maculata grow really well in the Southern garden. They are a great substitute for hostas and are sometimes called African Hostas, as they are originally from South Africa. The plant grows in shade, any kind of soil and easily reproduces which makes it the perfect plant for the Automatic Garden.
Automatic Gardening & Real Gluten Free Food 