I'm very new to gardening.

==>> i can tell.. and welcome to GW ...

i am not even going to try to speak to what grows in houston.. others will chime in there...

but let me tell you what is the easiest way to make a list .. this spring.. simply take the camera/phone .... and as you tool around town.. snap pix.. bring them here.. so we can ID for you ... and start a list of things YOU LIKE.. in your area.. odds are .... they all thrive there ...

next.. check the link.. and memorize it all ... it might take years.. lol .... but do it.. planting and first year aftercare.. are the ONLY important things.. after choosing an appropriate plant ... and we plant in NATIVE SOIL.. we do not amend planting holes ... but we do mulch heavily after planting ... read those parts closely ..

if you succeed.. and they get well ESTABLISHED... most shrubs become entirely are free but for some pruning in the decades to come ... [which is what was NOT done on the old ones ] ....

i would never bother transplanting what you call a mature shrub .. jsut too much work .. for what are basically rather cheap plants ...

well when you grasp all that.. you are all set to start digging.. lol ..

and TIMING of planting is very important .. and i want you to NOT think about doing this all this spring.. we will find a couple things.. for you to experiment on .. but dont delude yourself into thinking you are going to landscape the whole yard in the 'proper planting season' ... this spring ... if that is imperative.. hire a landscape architect to develop a plan for you.. and to plant a vast majority of the project ...instant gratification is not for the novice .. IMHO ...

and after a few this spring.. we will shoot for a few in the fall/winter planting season..

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

It's a bit late now but if you move again and find shrubs in your new place try to id them before removing them. Many good shrubs can look scruffy if not looked after (as Ken indicated) and could be renovated with the right kind of pruning.

Look around and ask locally, as Ken said, and either this Forum or the Name That Plant Forum can id them for you.

Hi & welcome to Gardenweb!

Feel free to show a pic of the spot. Sounds like you're looking for a few "foundation shrubs?" You might like Gardenia, Camellia. Flowers AND evergreen. Maybe Daphne is evergreen where you are, IDK, smells really really good though.

Agree with all of the above.

Something not yet mentioned, install your plants with the mature WIDTH in mind as well as height, in regard to distance from other items, especially the walls of your house, you need to be able to paint, caulk, whatever. Ask local people, or look around the area, to know what to expect from a mature one, not the info on the tag. Unless you like wrestling with shrubs yearly to control their size, just putting it where it has enough room to do its' thing is so much easier. Not that it doesn't often need to be done due to incorrect placement/choices, or just some people who like trimming shrubs, which is cool. Trying to keep a big shrub small is not fun to me, or the appearance of freshly whacked bushes.

Some shrubs NEED to be trimmed, or they will look awful and not grow as well, like a Hydrangea, butterfly bush, or confederate rose. So beware of those also if you don't like trimming. Not usually an issue with evergreens, but just throwing it out there so you'll have it in mind in the future, as you look around your yard and get other garden urges...

blburson, I'm in Houston, too. I suggest you go to Buchanan's Native Plants in the Heights (on 11th) and talk to them about what would work in your area. They have a lot more than natives, and only stock what will work here. There are lots of possibilities, depending upon light, spacing, and $$.

Right now is a great time to plant. Larger shrubs can be transplanted, but you have to get a LOT of the root ball, and may have to prune quite a bit, which could set the plants back. If they're in pots, no problem.

What are the sun/shade conditions in the area? How many hours of direct sun, what time of day is it sunny (morning or afternoon)?