What are some good flowers & vegetables for beginning gardeners in North Texas?
• Tubers or bulbs: Iris, day lilies (Stella de oro is small, gold, & unlike other day lilies, repeats), snowflake, iberis, trandescantia, yarrow, oxalis (tend to spread & will crowd some other plants out). Daffodils, tulips, etc. are fine, but except for small daffs, i.e., jonquils (which are wonderful), have to replace every year. Elephant ears & caladiums require a lot of water & care. Big elephant eras are like having a dog – have to be watered at least once/day. • Seed (flowers & vegetables, herbs): Zinnias, cosmos, marigold, delphinium (a perennial with about 4 weeks of flowering, but reseeds and a patch will last for long time); beans (climbing are fun), lettuce (but you must start very early with lettuce). Start basil when weather is warm – good pot plant, try lemon basil, too. • Plants (perennials, herbs & vegetables): Columbine, coneflower (Echinacea), Confederate violets (except small flowers & short season – but they are violets, hence wonderful), phlox; rosemary (lives for
