'Katie' Ruellia is a drought tolerant, durable perennial that handles heat, humidity, and a wide range of soil conditions. Continually blooming through warm months, its bluish purple, petunia-like funnel-shaped flowers nestle in a background of narrow, green leaves. The shape and color of the flowers give it its other common name of Mexican Petunia. Easy…
Looking for a heat-loving plant that will brighten your landscape with splashes of color? We carry a wide variety of Lantanas that can fit that bill perfectly! Heat and drought tolerant, they offer not only beautiful flowers, but aromatic foliage. Their wide array of colorful blooms attracts hummingbirds, bees and butterflies, while having the opposite effect on deer and rabbits. These tough and durable plants require little watering once established and will bloom from Spring through Fall. If they begin to look leggy or start to set fruit, just trim them back heavily and new growth will start flushing out quickly. Performs best in Zones 8-12 in full to partial sun.
While most Hostas are touted as shade lovers, their sunlight requirements can vary widely. The best rule of thumb for the planting of Hostas is the lighter the foliage, the brighter the sun. Ones with deeper darker foliage retain their color best in moderate shade. The variegated varieties need more sunlight to keep their white and gold stripes. All Hostas need some shade and most will not do well in direct sunlight. In spite of their almost tropical look, Hostas are tough and once established, they can tolerate almost any soil type that has good drainage. They also can withstand short periods of drought.
Daylilies can be some of the most low-maintenance and easy care plants on the market today. Most varieties have distinct bloom periods that last 3 to 4 weeks in late spring and throughout the summer. The varieties grown here at Creekside Nursery are called "re-bloomers", meaning they will periodically re-bloom throughout the summer and fall months. Deadhead the spent blooms to discourage seed production and to encourage new buds. Considered as semi-evergreen, they are moderate to fast growers spreading via clumps and prefer full sun, but will grow in partial shade. They are attractive to pollinators, are pest resistant and are even considered edible for some of their human gardeners!
We carry two different varieties of Gaura here at the Nursery and they are both beautiful! Cherry Brandy blooms with soft pink flowers that open from dark pink buds above a low mound of bronze-green leaves. Whirling Butterfly has delicate white blooms tinged with pink that rise above their green foliage on tall stalks. Both varieties are tough perennials that tolerate heat, humidity and some drought conditions making them a perfect plant for Texas landscapes. They do well in full sun with organic soil for taproot development. Deadhead spent flower stalks to encourage new blooms. Deer resistant, but highly attractive to butterflies, add these graceful spots of color to any long-summer landscape setting.