Annuals? They should be called "Daily-ies"...

I was visiting a house in Round Rock last week for a Basic Stage Coaching and as I approached the front door, I scribbled on my notepad, "Too many pots... not enough flowers..." One of The Stage Coach's Greatest Hits: "Pots are OK - but they must have a live plant or flower." It's an easy rule: either put the pot in the garage or plant something new.

While discussing Curb Appeal with the homeowners, I brought up the pots.  One of the owners asked, "Should I plant some annuals?"

I smiled - I get this question a lot as almost every Home Staging publication I have ever seen has a statement that says, "Planting annuals is an easy and inexpensive way to increase curb appeal..."  My answer is somewhat more complicated than this blanket statement.

"Only if you are prepared to care and maintain them." In Central Texas, Annual flowers require water almost daily, especially if they are in the sun.  That's why I call them "Daily-ies".

Personally, my preference is to put in some Native Texas and Adapted Plants. These plants will require less water and maintenance than their "Daily-ies" cousins.  Luckily, the City of Austin has some PDF's you can download that will help you choose which to plant. Their Plant Guide PDFs are available here.

Bulbines, Blackeyed Susans, and Daisies are just a couple of flowering perenials that are listed.  And there are several Yuccas, Ornamental Grasses, Cacti and Succulents that will do great without a lot of care.  And many of these make great potted plants.  All of these will not only require less water than annuals, but will grow better in the sun and the heat.

In the end, the homeowners' plan is to vacate the home just before listing, so we had to come up with a plan to accomodate this.  Needless to say, Annuals are not part of the plan - who wants to come back every day and water them? They will be moving their pots around, placing several on the back patio. The rest of their curb appeal was in great shape: great beds, nice grass [some spots, but they already had Dillo Dirt down and stepped up the watering], nice front porch, etc...

Now we just need to work on the paint colors inside...