The Best Flowers to Plant in Houston
- Gardening in Houston can present a challenge.Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
Gardening in Houston, Texas can be a bit tricky if you're unfamiliar with the growing seasons, temperatures and rainfall. Houston soils also tend toward clay and must be amended if you're going to have a garden full of flowers. Houston is located in USDA hardiness zone 9a, listed as humid subtropical and the sunlight isn't as harsh or glaring as it is farther north of Houston. - Pick blue daze for a low spreading ground cover that does well in the hot weather Houston is famous for. Blue daze has soft, feltlike leaves, and lavender or blue colored petals with white throats. This plant will spread 2 to 3 feet and tolerates poor soil, as long as it drains. Full sun is the best light exposure to ensure good blooms, but a little afternoon shade is OK. Overwatering, or very rainy periods, will cause blue daze to develop fungus and may kill the plant.
- Opt for this herbaceous perennial if you'd like to have a shrub that grows up to 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. This South Africa native prefers full sun and is reasonably drought tolerant, although it does like to be watered regularly. Bright yellow flowers float above dark green foliage and present a beautiful display in your garden.
- Add pizazz along borders, and attract birds, with India pink. This low growing summer bloomer is a member of the Dianthus family and should be treated as an annual in zone 9a. India pink grows best in full sun with well-drained alkaline soil and has a blooming period that lasts from June through September. The seeds for the following season may be sown any time from fall through early spring.
