Survivors in Sharon’s Dallas Garden

Despite clay soil, intense heat, and an endless supply of wildlife and insects, beautiful plantings are beating the odds in this garden

Hi GPODers ! Today we ’re in Sharon Holmes ’ Dallas garden that face its fair share of obstruction and challenging conditions . Despite punishing atmospheric condition , clay soil , and a whole host of wildlife and dirt ball that visit her garden , there are plenty of plant that have go and even thrived .

I ’ve been garden at my rest home in east Dallas Texas for 29 old age , although I ’m not sure the first 5 really count as anything but hard lessons . I ’m submitting persuasion of my front garden in April , May , and now June . And a few vignettes of combos that come out nice this yr .

Dallas has its own mind of what will produce here as a Zone 8b , and my primary garden struggles are with clay soil , severe heat , and unlimited bugs . This year has been exceptionally wet , with several violent storm . The last one left us without power for 6 day , and consume trees all over the city .

My ambition is to have something interesting travel on in my garden from spring to wintertime . We live on a parkway with a ironical brook and lots of tall pecan tree and oak . We get lots of critter — opossum , raccoons , squirrel , coyotes , wood rabbit , and an occasional bobcat . The bird list is foresightful . We ’ve lost most of our backyard trees to storms over the years , but the front has a large easterly red cedar(Juniperusvirginiana , Zones 2–9)and a ginormous southerly magnolia(Magnoliagrandiflora , Zones 2–9)that have outlast it all .

Early April under the cedar . The daffodils have finished , the grass starting to viridity . Flirt ™ nandina(Nandinadomestica‘Murasaki ’ , Zones 6–10)has great red outflow color , Spanish bluebells(Hyacinthoides hispanica , Zones 3–8)are dissipate , as is ‘ May Night ’ salvia(Salviaxsylvestris‘May Night ’ , zone 4–8).The ‘ Texas Gold ’ columbine(Aquilegiachrysantha hinckleyana‘Texas Gold ’ , Zones 3–8)has started blooming , and the ‘ Pistachio ’ heucheras(Heuchera‘Pretty Pistachio ’ , Zones 4–9)are a shiny spot under the cedar .

Same area in May . ‘Annabelle ’ hydrangea(Hydrangea arborescens‘Annabelle ’ , Zones 3–9),‘Casa Blanca ’ lily(Lilium ‘ Casa Blanca ’ , Zones 4–9),coneflower(Echinaceapurpurea‘Magnus ’ , Zones 3–8),‘Happy day ’ daylily(Hemerocallis‘Happy Days ’ , district 3–9),2 dissimilar coreopsis , and an ‘ Edward Goucher ’ abelia(Abelia‘Edward Goucher ’ , Zones 6–9 ) .

Same area in June . ‘ Annabelle ’ got whacked by the storm , disordered tree limbs still on the parkway . ‘ Midnight Marvel ’ hardy hibiscus(Hibiscus‘Midnight Marvel ’ , Zones 4–9),a rouge phlox descendent of ‘ David’(Phloxpaniculata‘David ’ , Zones 4–8 ) .

April near the terrace . ‘ Annabell ’ is riff out , leopard plant(Farfugiumjaponicum , Zones 7–10),variegated Solomon ’s seal(Polygonatumfalcatum‘Variegatum ’ , Zones 4–8),golden alexander(Ziziaaurea , Zones 3–8),‘Pistachio ’ heuchera , and ‘ Texas Gold ’ columbine .

‘ Annabell ’ , ‘ Casa Blanca ’ lilies , Henryi St John ’s wort(Hypericumhenryissp.uraloides , Zones 5–9 ) , and‘Midnight Marvel ’ foliage . Red yucca(Hesperaloeparviflora , Zones 5–10),coneflowers , andmealy sage(Salvia farinacea , geographical zone 8–10)on the hellstrip .

The magnolia , wood fern andinland sea oats(Chasmanthiumlatifolium , Zones 5–9)battle it out underneath this guy .

Two year back I cleared out some sorry burford hollies(Ilexcornuta , Zones 7–9)under the magnolia . dwarfoakleaf hydrangea(Hydrangea quercifolia , Zones 5–9),St . John ’s wort , ‘ Sea Heart ’ brunnera(Brunneramacrophylla‘Sea center ’ , Zones 3–9),‘Pistachio ’ heuchera , Tuff Stuff Ah - Ha ® hydrangea(Hydrangea serrata‘SMNHSDD ’ TUFF STUFF AH - HA , Zones 5–9),and an older ‘ Carissa ’ holly(Ilex cornuta‘Carissa ’ , Zones 7–9),and magnolia leave . So . Many . Magnolia . leave .

give thanks you for sharing your garden with us , Sharon — I would never guess a garden looking this lush is dealing with the challenges you look !

Have photograph to share ? We ’d jazz to see your garden , a particular accumulation of plants you do it , or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit !

To submit , send 5 - 10 photos to[email protected]along with some entropy about the plants in the exposure and where you took the photos . We ’d love to see where you are located , how long you ’ve been gardening , achiever you are majestic of , failure you learned from , Leslie Townes Hope for the future , favorite plant , or rum story from your garden .

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Annabell hydrangea with casa blanca lilies

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