Wow I am impressed, thank you so so much for all the information, it is very helpful, you have no idea how much I appreciate this!!!rainbowgardener wrote:So you did grab a very mixed bag of stuff. Many of them are tender perennials, meaning if you are at least in zone 9 (10 for some of them) they will survive the winter outdoors. Things in pots need more winter protection than things in the ground.
Here's how I sort them out:
Dry, sandy, well draining soil and plenty of sun, don't fertilize much, if at all: lavender, vinca, cuban gold, joseph's coat, plumbago, salvia, celosia, vinca.
Keep moist, but not soggy, sun, but maybe protection from hottest afternoon sun: mandevilla, torenia, angelonia
Filtered light or morning only sun, keep moist: calla lily, dracaena, impatiens, kalanchoe
Special notes: heather is an evergreen shrub. In its proper surroundings it gets very big, too big for your containers. However its proper surroundings are no farther south than zone 7. It does not handle hot weather. There's a reason it is associated with Scotland.
Joseph's coat is an amaranth, I.e. an annual WEED. Do NOT let it go to seed or you will regret it forever after and so will your neighbors.
I didn't include daylily, because it is incredibly tough and hardy and will do well whatever you do to it.
Hope this helps. Everyone tells me I have a green thumb. I think that means that over the years I have learned about what conditions plants need. Every plant has its own ideal conditions for sun exposure, soil, water, acidity, fertility, etc. If you give them that they will thrive. Then each has a range of conditions around the ideal that it will tolerate. In those conditions, it will at least survive. Outside the range, they just die.
If you don't mind re-doing your pots, if you group them like this, they will do much better. Get some cactus mix and mix it half and half with your potting mix for the "dry, sandy" ones. Buy a few extra pots and uncrowd them!
