I've made a little area to plant stuff in to help with curb appeal.. I might could take a picture later, it's a work in progress though.

Full sun, drought conditions - basically looking for stuff to make it look purty. Any suggestions, or should I post a picture first?:lol:

cactus? :lol: that seems the best for the conditions

ROFL - that's an idea :)

here's the pictures, ignore the wonky angle, I was holding a wiggly toddler and these were quick...

here's the front overall, the plants in the tin thingie are going to be planted on either side of the mailbox..
http://www.mindspring.com/~jpilcher/house1.JPG

and here's a better view of where I want to plant.. I need to get two more of the edging pieces..
http://www.mindspring.com/~jpilcher/house2.JPG

coneflowers, little miss muffet daisies, black eyed susans, scabiosa, coreopsis, gaillardia, and bellflowers all do well in super hot drought like conditions. and, they are colorful and bloom through the dog days of summer.

I would pick out only 3 different plants for an area this small. If you put too many different kinds in, it can look messy very easily. All of those that Robin mentioned are great - the strongest growers in Georgia from her list are coneflowers, black eyed susans, and coreopsis. I would also add daylilies (a repeat-bloomer like Stella D'Oro, which is yellow, or Little Business which is red. Southern Shield fern is also GREAT - grows in full sun!

And... thinking about the color of your house, I'd go for reds and blues and not focus so much on yellow - if you're looking for curb appeal. Salvias - especially one called "mealybug sage" or veronicas are good for blues.

Split your hostas and put them in there too. Then add things to both boundries that are shorter to mirror that on the other side as well. I agree, don't pick too many. Black eyed susans would look great with the hostas, as would cone flowers. I think the cone flowers would look the best and they are the same type of perennial as the hostas making it come up and die at the same times each year. That would look good and be easy maintence. Then put in something that has a different cycle so there is always something there. Perhaps some tulips? Is it drought conditions early in the year? Tulips come up before hostas and coneflowers. That will extend the beauty and also not add a ton of maintaince. Things that will live like that later in the season that won't choke out your bulbs would be annuals. Perhaps some short sunflowers? Or even some daliahs (another bulb perennial)? Both of those would have to be watered though... I don't know. But something to extend the season a bit.

Val

if you are looking to do it on a budget (since you are selling), a good annual to plant in our area is mexican heather.

it grows like mad here, loves drought and full sun. it is deep green with wee purple flowers. about $1.50 a plant at home depot right now. when we leased homes i would plant that for fast, good color on the cheap.

sometimes they overwinter and come back, sometimes not.

if you don't mind spending a little more but you'd get slightly less color initially (but your buyers would have more next year) salvia is $2.50 per small pot at WM right now. purple or white flowers. salvia is sage btw. different varieties, not all are edible or medicinal exactly...but they are perennial.

you'd need 8-10 of either plus mulch (cypress is great!) in that area...

coneflowers are great...echinacea is one of my faves personally. i need new ones...mine seem to have expired their life span (growing but not really blooming this year.) they are taller though...up to 2' so not really a border plant. if you get a short variety of coreopsis that would work but they are yellow so probably not as good since your house is yellow.

Tracey, depending on what zone you are in, it will take a while longer for Echinacia to bloom. Mine are just starting to get their flower heads (won't blume till late summer) and I am in zone 7.

Val

hrm.. I need to go plant shopping, I think :) I'm going to plant the day before we take pictures and get the listing ready so that they won't die when I need them :)

Val, wouldn't splitting the hosta now kill them since they're in bloom?

Longterm it's not my problem, I just need it to look good for the next two months or so.

oh, and Val.. Eric's getting lots of calls for Tacoma/Federal Way/Seattle.. so we may end up near y'all after all.. :) it'll either be there or the portland/vancouver area.. and we're hoping to move in August.

Tracey, depending on what zone you are in, it will take a while longer for Echinacia to bloom. Mine are just starting to get their flower heads (won't blume till late summer) and I am in zone 7.

Val

i'm in 7B but mine have always bloomed in late may to early june, and then continuously until early october. they're a couple years old and aren't reseeding themselves. one of them *may* bloom later but one of them is only 3 inches tall this year...normally they get to 2+ FEET tall by now. i really do think they're expiring :lol:

hrm.. I need to go plant shopping, I think :) I'm going to plant the day before we take pictures and get the listing ready so that they won't die when I need them :)

Val, wouldn't splitting the hosta now kill them since they're in bloom?

Longterm it's not my problem, I just need it to look good for the next two months or so.

oh, and Val.. Eric's getting lots of calls for Tacoma/Federal Way/Seattle.. so we may end up near y'all after all.. :) it'll either be there or the portland/vancouver area.. and we're hoping to move in August.


i wouldn't split the hostas in georgia in june. i wouldn't split them after mid feb here...and not again until after first frost.

mexican heather won't die that fast and will look good through fall.

We need to get the pillars reinstalled on the porch and we're going to put hanging baskets out there too... it's going to be done, eventually, right??

Oh yay! Yes, let me know when you move. We will have a play date. :D

If you are just looking for the short term, don't split the hostas. I was thinking it was more of a long term thingy. ;)

Val

I have pink coreopsis, but not the mutant kind that Tracey has LOL

I think out of my list I would do black eyed susans (because they don't get too tall) and coreposis because it looks like grass when there are no flowers. They are both super easy to grow and maintain. Coneflowers are lovely and I have about 4 of them, but they get tall so I would save them for a corner.

that is my professional opinion! I am not wonderful gardener and I don't play one on the interweb either lol.

I have pink coreopsis, but not the mutant kind that Tracey has LOL

snort. :hahaha:

i cut mine down to the ground and they are already coming back! AAACCCCKKK!!!!! attack of the mutant coreopsis!!! :lol:

yeah, I went out and look and mine today thought about you LOL.

You could always take out every other hosta on the one side, replant them on the other side, and do some Mums in between them. If you want color between those times, you could plant a row of annuals along the front outer edge only. Salvia would do really well there. However, if you don't want to have to bother with watering every other day when there is no rain, do Marigolds! Marigolds, Mums and Hostas could live through a nuclear blast. LOL