Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - Alternatives to roses, that kind-of look like roses?

Vespertino · February 24, 2015

I would loooooove peonies but it's too hot here, I had them back in NY during a time when I lived in a house and I enjoyed them more than any other flowering plant. I read somewhere that a gardener around here had managed to grow peonies, but it required placing several large blocks of ice over the ground during the late fall and winter (and replacing them once they melt). It's really a pity about the rosette virus, I do enjoy roses, but without any virus proof varieties it would be pointless to try planting new ones since the rosette has contaminated the whole neighborhood.

I hadn't thought of cannas but they look really nice, and they bloom during summer/fall, correct? How are they for partial shade?

Flowering quince is native and drought resistant, so is Turk's cap. This would be for the front yard, so sadly my HOA will issue a "no" on apple trees. My only complaint on the quince is that they look kind of crummy once spring is over and the blooms fall off, so I'd need some other blooming plants around it for summer and fall.

I have a pair of live oaks in the front, the roses are around them in partial and full shade. Once I remove them the front will look like crap, but I need to spruce things up anyway. We had a large bradford pear removed because it was crowding out one of the oaks, so that has left a big, bald spot of ugly which is where I hae the quince in mind.

The bald spot where the pear was is in full sun, but may eventually become partial shade in 5-10 years as the oak tree canopy grows out. I also need something with a little height to fill closer to the oak, which is in shade so I was thinking of using turks cap for the areas under the tree that are too shady for much else.

I have liriope growing around the street-facing side under the trees but nothing in the back half. And I'd need low growing plants to fill that in. I was thinking a nice mix of ferns in the full-shade areas (closer to the tree trunk), and some flowers in the partial shade areas. Other than ranunculus for some of the sunnier spots- which are very pretty and resemble cabbage roses- I don't have anything picked out. I already have some daffodils out there thanks to the previous owners but I'm not a fan.

Cannas looks promising, I hadn't known about them. I was also thinking of oxblood lillies.

February 24, 2015	#6
Vespertino Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Southlake, TX Posts: 743	I would loooooove peonies but it's too hot here, I had them back in NY during a time when I lived in a house and I enjoyed them more than any other flowering plant. I read somewhere that a gardener around here had managed to grow peonies, but it required placing several large blocks of ice over the ground during the late fall and winter (and replacing them once they melt). It's really a pity about the rosette virus, I do enjoy roses, but without any virus proof varieties it would be pointless to try planting new ones since the rosette has contaminated the whole neighborhood. I hadn't thought of cannas but they look really nice, and they bloom during summer/fall, correct? How are they for partial shade? Flowering quince is native and drought resistant, so is Turk's cap. This would be for the front yard, so sadly my HOA will issue a "no" on apple trees. My only complaint on the quince is that they look kind of crummy once spring is over and the blooms fall off, so I'd need some other blooming plants around it for summer and fall. I have a pair of live oaks in the front, the roses are around them in partial and full shade. Once I remove them the front will look like crap, but I need to spruce things up anyway. We had a large bradford pear removed because it was crowding out one of the oaks, so that has left a big, bald spot of ugly which is where I hae the quince in mind. The bald spot where the pear was is in full sun, but may eventually become partial shade in 5-10 years as the oak tree canopy grows out. I also need something with a little height to fill closer to the oak, which is in shade so I was thinking of using turks cap for the areas under the tree that are too shady for much else. I have liriope growing around the street-facing side under the trees but nothing in the back half. And I'd need low growing plants to fill that in. I was thinking a nice mix of ferns in the full-shade areas (closer to the tree trunk), and some flowers in the partial shade areas. Other than ranunculus for some of the sunnier spots- which are very pretty and resemble cabbage roses- I don't have anything picked out. I already have some daffodils out there thanks to the previous owners but I'm not a fan. Cannas looks promising, I hadn't known about them. I was also thinking of oxblood lillies.