During the month of March, most gardeners want to start planting new flowers. But be careful and watch your weather patterns carefully before you plant any new flowers. If you live in a colder region, be sure that dangers of frost are gone before planting anything new in you garden. If it is still cold in your area, just go out to your garden and start doing some clean up and get rid of plants that didn’t survive the winter. If you have snow in your flower garden that is beginning to melt, you can start removing it from the roots of the plants carefully to allow the sun to reach the roots and promote growth. Don’t do any cutting for now, just remove the snow.

In warmer climates like mine, it is time to go out there and start gardening. In my case, I need to first assess how many of my gardens survived the cold winter spells we had and start cleaning up all the dead plants. So far, it looks like my roses survived and I see some growth especially with my knock out roses. I am grateful for this as I have 16 of these planted and don’t want to loose them. The hibiscus shrubs look dead and I am surprised because hibiscus is usually very hardy. This week, I will cut the hibiscus short and wait to see if new growth begins within a few weeks. It is really sad for me to see my beautiful gardens so dead and lifeless but we have no control of weather patterns.

Once I clean out all the dead plants in my flower gardens, it is time to buy new plants and start planting. I will most likely start replacing the flower beds around the rose garden and buy colorful pansies and pentas. The next task will be to get rid of all the tropical shrubs that are dead and decide what I will plant in that area. One idea here might be to look for shrubs that survive cold weather and Indian Hawthorne comes to mind. Not sure if my clematis vines will make it as they look dead right now. What I will do here is to cut them back and wait and see if new growth starts.

Yes, my work is cut out for me this year with my gardening and it is time to get started. And you can do the same, so go out there and start gardening too. Also remember that if you want to plant summer flowering bulbs, the time to order them is now. Summer flowering bulbs ship in the spring and you can get a great selection at Breck’s. This is the company that I use for all my flowering bulbs and love doing business with them because of their great quality bulbs from Holland.

Technorati Tags: Garden Spring Cleaning, Gardening, Hibiscus, Pansies, Roses, Summer Flowering Bulbs

One way to determine whether or not you can grow Hibiscus in the area where you live is by the color of the flower. If the flowers are yellow, peach, orange or salmon and if the flower is double, then these are considered to be a tropical Hibiscus and will thrive in the warmer climates. The hardy type of Hibiscus don’t come in these colors and the flowers are not doubled which means that it can be grown in colder climates.

Did you know that Hibiscus is also a primary ingredient in many herbal teas? Yes, the next time you have herbal tea, check the ingredients in the box and you may find Hibiscus listed. Did you also know that dried Hibiscus is edible and a delicacy in Mexico? Also, white Hibiscus has been considered to have medicinal properties in the Indian traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda. So, Hibiscus are not only beautiful in your flower garden, but also good for you and here is small list of some of my favorites.

Hibiscus ‘Blushing Bride’- Botanical name is Hibiscus Syriacus ‘Blushing Bride’
An absolutely beautiful hibiscus! It starts with green foliage and round yellow buds brushed with red. These buds open to white double blooms with a dark raspberry color base which are hidden beneath multiple layers of petals and sometimes you will see a soft pink blush. This sun loving hibiscus can be planted as a hedge, against a fence, or in the rear of a shrub border. The flowers begin in early summer and it continues blooming until the fall season. It grows as high as 8 feet tall and about 5 feet wide and thrives in zones 5-9.

Hibiscus Southern Belle Hybrid Mix – Botanical name is Hibiscus Moscheutos Southern Belle Hybrid Mix
Here is a hibiscus that you can grow from seeds. The seeds come mixed to give you flowers in red, pink and white. The flowers are huge and the plant only grows to 4 feet tall making this a must have for your flower garden with 10 inch blooms. The blooms all have a red ring at the base of the petals and a spike of yellow in the center. It is tolerant to hot, dry conditions and thrives in zones 5-10.

Hibiscus Disco Bell Hybrid Mix – Botanical name is Hibiscus Moscheutos Disco Bell Hybrid Mix
Disco Bell is another Hibiscus that you can grow from seeds. One packet of mix seeds will produce pink, white and red parasol shaped 9 inch blooms. It is ideal to use as a hedge or a border because Disco Bell only grows to 3 feet tall and blooms all summer long into the fall season. It is pest free and easy to grow in full sun and moisture rich soil. Grows well in zones 5-10 and tolerates heat

Rose Mallow ‘Plum Crazy’ – Botanical name is Hibiscus Plum Crazy
This one is a very different type of Hibiscus in that the flowers and foliage are both purple. Plum Crazy is all purple with large 10 inch blooms that begin in early summer and continue until the fall. It is an absolutely beautiful shrub that is bushy and only grows to 4 feet tall but blooms in masses all in purple color. These are ideal to plant as a hedge and should be spaced at least 4 feet apart. It is recommended that these be cut to about 6 inches from the ground in late winter. Plum Crazy grows well in zones 4-9 and it is resistant to deer and rabbits.

Rose of Sharon Blue Satin – Botanical name is Hibiscus Syriacus Blue Satin
Yes, a blue Hibiscus and it is beautiful. It has 3 inch blooms that begin mid summer and continue until the fall season. The flowers are blue with magenta throats and an ivory center. Absolutely gorgeous! It grows up to 12 feet high and 5 feet wide but if you want to use it as a border, just prune it to the size you want. Blue Satin is hardy in zones 5-9 and it tolerates heat and drought.

Hibiscus Peppermint Schnapps – Botanical name is Hibiscus Moscheutos Peppermint Schnapps
Here is another different type of Hibiscus in that the leaves are bronze color and the blooms are candy cane pink. Very pretty! And, it blooms from spring until frost. The foliage begins in the spring in tones of bronze and an overlaid of purple and green. Then by mid summer, the plant is covered with buds that open to 10 inch pink flowers with a dark red central mark. Peppermint Schnapps grows to 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide making it ideal for containers or borders. It is pest and disease resistant and grows well in zones 5-9.

Hibiscus Sugar Tip – Botanical name is Hibiscus Syriacus Sugar Tip
This Hibiscus also known as Rose of Sharon has double blooms which begin mid summer and continue until mid fall. The leaves are very pretty too which come out creamy white around the edges thus giving the plant the name of Sugar Tip. The double flowers almost look like roses and are a pale lilac and a light shade of pink. Really beautiful! Sugar Tip is a shrub that keeps blooming even in intense hot days of summer reaching up to 12 feet tall and up to 5 feet wide. It is heat and humidity tolerant and grows well in zones 5-9.

So there you have it, a small list of some beautiful Hibiscus plants that will add beauty to your flower garden. No matter where you live, rest assured that Hibiscus plants will give your garden a tropical bold look

The thing to remember when planting Hibiscus is that these can grow very tall, so plan your landscape design properly. Once planted, these require very little care and because they are in the perennial family you will have them for years to come.  Enjoy! Diana

Technorati Tags: flower garden, garden perennials, Gardening, Hibiscus, Perennials