Garden

I am new to USDA zone 8.

Plants I have tried or am trying:

Flowers

• Freesia, planted fall 2008. The spring blooms were fantastic, long lived, and fragrant. Note to self, don't plant them in the same bed as the tulips and daffodils as they will take over and over top.
• Spanish lavender, came with house. self seeding taking over. pleasant scent.
• Paper Whites, came with house. meh
• Tulips, planted fall 2008. streaked, some good color, not as high a success rate as I was expecting.
• Saffron, planted fall 2008. bloomed and produced first season in ground.
• Daffodils, planted fall 2008. bloomed, not as showy as I was hoping, too many freesias in the same bed
• Anemonie, planted fall 2008. several came up only one bloomed.
• Tea Roses, came with house. pruned per the rose club's directions, having strength issues.
• Roses-not tea, came with house. Pruned per the rose club's directions, having strength issues.
• Echenasia, planted fall 2008. two didn't over winter. others have leaves up and first blooms. note to self purchased sampler from "high country gardens"
• Zinnia, spring 2008. only three grew of seed packet sown.
• Cosmos, spring 2008. only one of packet grew. suspect helpers weeded them out.

Veggies (in raised beds unless otherwise noted)

• Sugar Snap Peas, planted winter 08 and 09. good crops. leaf miners in some of them. Note to self, plant along the fence or look into self supporting types.
• Tomatoes
  
• Beefsteak, planted spring 08. Didn't bloom until August, trouble setting due to heat. Never did get any fruit. Note to self, very smoky July and blistering hot August.
• Collard Greens, started January 08, small rosette until fall 08 . Had serious case of aphids. Tasty.
• Basil
  
• sweet: only one plant survived. tasty. summer 08.
• type named after a city in Italy (Genoa?): only one plant survived. hot, tannic flavor, ok mixed with sweet basil.
• Butternut Squash, planted spring 08 started indoors. copious crop. nice flavor.
• Leeks, spring 2008. none germinated.
• Loofah, spring 2008. of six planted, only two survived. picked on fruit too early, horridly bitter flavor. Others made good sponges.
• summer squash spring 2008. killed
• zucchini squash, spring 2008. killed. trying again 2009-put in tree well with regular drip system.
• Cantaloupe, spring 2009. two up or four planted-in tree well with regular drip system.
• hot pepper mix (burpee) spring 2008. one grew. trouble with seedlings (water fail).
• Bell pepper mix (burpee) spring 2008. one plant grew, two fruits, very small 2inches long perhaps.

Fruit Trees

• Fiji apple (?), came with house. good crop.
• navel orange, dwarf, came with house. killed
• lime, dwarf, came with house, might still be alive.
• lemon, dwarf, came wit house. killed.
• Cherry, spring 09, bare root. leafed out.
• pomegranate, spring 09, bare root. had buds at last check, need to check. note to self: sat out of soil in garage for two days.
• grapefruit-ruby. dwarf, spring 08. frost damage, suspect dead.