Plant Guide: Flowers, Bulbs, Roses, Shrubs, Houseplants

Hello, Syndi, Here are some suggestions for zone 9 shade plants--both annuals and perenntials:
• Begonia
• Caladium
• Coleus
• Crossandra
• Impatiens
• Persian Shield
• Torenia
Near trees, take care. You'll want to minimize root interference, so pick small plants (with small root balls). Check with your Florida county extension for more locally-based suggestions and all the best!

You can plant roses as soon as your can dig the soil. Just make sure its not too wet. If you still have cold nights you may want to plant the roses in pots that you can move into a protected location during the night.

Tulips require at least 8 weeks of cooling before they will grow. You can try keeping the bulbs planted in soil in a conatiner in the refrigerator for a few weeks and then planting them the ground, but this method would have been better if started in December. Tulips are a spring-flowering plant though some tulips do last until early summer. Tulips will return for many years, but do eventually stop producing blooms.

Start with bright-colored annuals (asters, cosmos, zinnias, pansies, sweet peas). Start these from seed or buy transplants. Stay away from bulbs as moles like to eat them. See our list of plants that attract butterflies at www.almanac.com/content/plants-attract-butterflies.

Amaryllis are only hardy in zones 9 - 10, so most people grow them indoors as houseplants, starting in time for the holidays. If you live in the South, you could plant them in gardens after all danger of frost has passed. Otherwise, you can just leave them in pots year-round -- for years!

See our free Rose Guide to learn how to care for these roses. Look at the "winterizing roses" section. http://www.almanac.com/plant/roses

Gerry, We aren't sure where you live, but here is a page on caring for poinsettia and holiday plants: http://www.almanac.com/content/holiday-plants-poinsettia-christmas-cactus-amaryllis

Plant dahlia tubers after all danger of frost has passed. In zones 8 through 11 you can leave your dahlias in the ground all winter.

Hi Thomas, if you are growing hardy roses, by now you should have stopped fertilizing and pruning in order to promote dormancy in the plants. Wait until after a couple of hard frosts (and most of the leaves drop) to provide winter protection. We recommend hilling up organic mulch or compost about 10 inches around the plant. If you have tender roses, they'll need to be moved indoors and stored between 34 and 40 degrees, in a dark basement or attic. Good luck! 

Hi Robinlynn, Mockingbirds love anything they can snack on. Try planting a crab apple or cherry tree, or a low growing shrub that they can nest in. Of course, they will also most likely visit you if you have a birdfeeder and clean drinking water out for them.