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OK, I am apparently an imbecile when it comes to gardening and flowers and stuff, so consider yourselves warned.
I had some tropical hibiscus plants in my backyard that froze to death winter before last. I got rid of them and did not realize how much I enjoyed them until after they were gone. So now I want to get four more and plant them (zone 9) where the other ones were. Obviously I know about the cold weather concerns from my previous experience.
I saw some Hibiscus plants with different colors, with names like "President" (red)," "Tequila" (yellow with red centers), "Fort Myers" (yellow with red centers) and Peach at the nursery up the street.
Is it a good idea to mix the different colors and kinds when they are right next to each other? Or is it better to get them all the same color, such as red? Please do not tell me that it depends on what I like because I do not know, and I want something that will be attractive for a long time and not odd looking or too busy.
I have 17 feet of garden and I think I probably need four of them.
Thanks for any thoughts that you guys have on this.
I put a red hibiscus in a planter on my front steps every year. It is one annual I am willing to buy. Personally, I would not pick 4 different colors for a 17 foot garden maybe 2 different colors but it would also depend if you are planting anything with them.
BTW there is a cold hardy hibiscus, cherry brandy. I am in zone 7b and I tried it last year, also in a planter. It has just started sprouting up!! I believe it can live in zone 9.
I put a red hibiscus in a planter on my front steps every year. It is one annual I am willing to buy. Personally, I would not pick 4 different colors for a 17 foot garden maybe 2 different colors but it would also depend if you are planting anything with them.
BTW there is a cold hardy hibiscus, cherry brandy. I am in zone 7b and I tried it last year, also in a planter. It has just started sprouting up!! I believe it can live in zone 9.
Thanks for the suggestion. It sounds like you think that 4 different colors might be too much. That is what I am concerned about.
I have looked into the hardy hibiscus, but based on what I can tell it really is a completely different plant. It appears to last the winter ok, but it takes a long time to get going and the flowers are bigger, but probably not as pretty.
I think in zone 9 the freeze concerns should be just a few days a year, and probably not every year at that. I have been advised that if a hard freeze is coming to saturate the soil and roots with water, stack up the compost and probably wrap the plants with frost cloth, and maybe also wrap Christmas tree lights around them, as these give off some heat. It usually does not get down below the upper 20's, and it does not get down below 20 more than once every 10-20 years. Snow is not more than half an inch a year in the unusual years when it does snow. So, I think I am ready to risk the cold here, although it will be a little extra work when it does get cold.
It is really the aesthetics of the colors of the flowers that I am uncertain about. I think I may be aesthetically challenged. LOL.
In the ground before the freeze gets to you put some kind of stakes in the ground for temporary use. Use a cloth type canvas to cover hibiscus with for below 34°. Uncover during the day and recover at night until the cold weather passes. Do not use a plastic cover as it will burn the plants where ever it contacts them. It is possible for rare freezes to kill hibiscus even in northern zone 10. I live in zone 9a and lots of hibiscus and crotons get killed most every winter . It's not hard to build a permanent frame with PVC to cover them with. All mine are gone but the house is being sold and the new owners can plant to their liking.
Thanks for the suggestion. It sounds like you think that 4 different colors might be too much. That is what I am concerned about.
Yes, I think that 4 colors in 17 feet would not look as good as one color.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spartacus713
I have looked into the hardy hibiscus, but based on what I can tell it really is a completely different plant. It appears to last the winter ok, but it takes a long time to get going and the flowers are bigger, but probably not as pretty.
They are relatives, and I think look pretty similar, but they are different species.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spartacus713
I think in zone 9 the freeze concerns should be just a few days a year, and probably not every year at that. I have been advised that if a hard freeze is coming to saturate the soil and roots with water, stack up the compost and probably wrap the plants with frost cloth, and maybe also wrap Christmas tree lights around them, as these give off some heat. It usually does not get down below the upper 20's, and it does not get down below 20 more than once every 10-20 years. Snow is not more than half an inch a year in the unusual years when it does snow. So, I think I am ready to risk the cold here, although it will be a little extra work when it does get cold.
It is really the aesthetics of the colors of the flowers that I am uncertain about. I think I may be aesthetically challenged. LOL.
I grew up in zone 10, and we had the occasional freeze there every 2-3 years. My mother's hibiscus was planted in a corner of a tall concrete block fence. I don't remember her doing anything in particular to protect the shrub when a freeze was predicted. It would freeze back to the ground, then in spring would bounce right back. But then it undoubtedly had a pretty robust root system. I can't imagine that a freeze in your area would get deeper into the ground than a half-inch or so. So yes, take steps to protect the top growth, but I think protecting the root zone is probably more important. Just pile up some straw or dry leaves on the ground at least out to the dripline.
Personally, I think hibiscus look best when like like colors are kept grouped together and not mixed, especially if you don't want anything too busy or something that you will get sick of. Mixing different colors next to each other reminds me of a modern abstract art painting when what I prefer is a more relaxed classic look that doesn't look like a mixed bouquet or a crime scene of colors. Again, that's just one opinion and thankfully, there are no hibiscus color laws. As long as you pick colors that YOU like, it will be alright either way.
Personally, I think hibiscus look best when like like colors are kept grouped together and not mixed, especially if you don't want anything too busy or something that you will get sick of. Mixing different colors next to each other reminds me of a modern abstract art painting when what I prefer is a more relaxed classic look that doesn't look like a mixed bouquet or a crime scene of colors. Again, that's just one opinion and thankfully, there are no hibiscus color laws. As long as you pick colors that YOU like, it will be alright either way.
Thanks for your suggestion. I guess I will probably try to stick with one color.
Look at Tony Avent's beautiful selection of hardy hibiscus. And google hibiscus and you can see lots of names like mallow, rose of sharon, annual and perenial. I don't mess with many annuals at all. I am very tight with my gardening dollars cause I tend to over spend all the time. When I designed I had to use sweeps of colors and plants because most of my clients did not garden. But for my own craftsman type home I have cottage gardens and lots of bright colors through out. So as far as color goes, it depends on what else you have growing around them. If they will be in a real garden bed with lots of other flowers then 2 colors would not look bad at all but if they are to be growing alone then I would stick with one color.
I put a red hibiscus in a planter on my front steps every year. It is one annual I am willing to buy. Personally, I would not pick 4 different colors for a 17 foot garden maybe 2 different colors but it would also depend if you are planting anything with them.
BTW there is a cold hardy hibiscus, cherry brandy. I am in zone 7b and I tried it last year, also in a planter. It has just started sprouting up!! I believe it can live in zone 9.
I'm in zone 7a and each of the 3 cold hardy hibiscus I planted last fall are just starting to come up. They were so small and fragile when I planted them that I thought the winter killed them off. I can't wait to see them blooming
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