five flowers

[razaa1]

could you please give me the names of five flowers which

1. can grow in a damp moist portion of the yard with no full sun
2. are colorful
3. can grow directly from seed in the soil

thank you very much
houston, tx

[rainbowgardener]

Interesting challenge, especially the grow from seed part.

Here's my choices:

milkweed/ butterfly weed, coreopsis, beebalm, coneflower, salvia.

They are native wildflowers and once well established will be very hardy for you. However, the seeds may not be widely available, you might have to look for a good on-line seed catalogue. They probably are best planted in the fall and allowed to overwinter and sprout in the spring. And they will need a certain amount of babying the first year, and mostly will not bloom the first year. If you get through that then they will be easy and smooth sailing (or you could just buy some plants).

Those are all perennials. If you just want some annuals you could put seeds in the garden now, that will take less care getting started, choices would be:

bachelor buttons, cosmos, zinnia, larkspur, marigold.

[applestar]

I don't know how well these grow in Texas but...

How about Hibiscus mocheutos?
Also Golden or Heart leaf Alexandria.
Cardinal flower -- red or purple
Swamp milkweed
... Can't think of a 5th ... Maybe a goldenrod?

[pinksand]

could you please give me the names of five flowers which

1. can grow in a damp moist portion of the yard with no full sun
2. are colorful
3. can grow directly from seed in the soil

thank you very much
houston, tx

I'm assuming "no full sun" means "full shade?" I think that some of the suggestions so far might be sun lovers.

For full shade, what about fern leaf bleeding heart? Mine are starting to bloom now and continue through fall and have become a new favorite. Helleborus aren't particularly bright flowers but I think they're beautiful in a shade garden or maybe some Heuchera (coral bells). Epimedium doesn't seem to bloom long but I think they're very pretty! Astilbe is the 5th option I'm throwing out there. I've never personally grown any of these from seed though!

[Susan W]

In your brief description of your area, may, will, need some amending and some thought on plants. I suggest you go to a garden center and look at the shade plants, not the showy sun ones.

It will be difficult to direct sow plants and get much. You can build a shade garden over time buying starts, often in qt or gal containers.

[applestar]

Forgot to mention -- the ones I suggested are all plants that I've randomly tossed seeds from existing plants around and had some grow. (I did buy the Swamp milkweed Cinderella and started them from seeds, but the common swamp milkweed actually grew onits own, then seeds scattered naturalized.)

Out of the five, I guess Hibiscus Mocheutos I have now are in full sun but I've had them growing in noon to 3PM + another hour or s of filtered sun area. Others are Mid morning to maybe 2PM sun then full house shadow.

All are growing in damp areas -- rain garden, edge of native bog garden, etc.

[rainbowgardener]

I was assuming "no full sun" meant part sun. The plants I mentioned should be fine in part sun, like half day direct sun or all day dappled sun. They would not handle full shade.

[imafan26]

Impatiens
coleus
canna
marsh marigold
Iris (Siberian or Japanese)
Calla lily

If you are ok with colorful leaves instead of flowers:
caladiums
calocasia (elephant ears)
painted ferns
bromeliads
sanseveria
liriope

Some of these are not from seed, but bulbs, corms and rhizomes.

[razaa1]

thank you