In the Garden ~ Gardening in the Texas Heat

Summer is rapidly approaching and you want to make a garden that your neighbors will be envious of and that is low maintenance.  Which can mean many different things in Texas but the main one is going to be something that can survive the Texas heat!  We all know how hot it can get in Texas, with very little to no rain, during those late summer months.  Here are our top five suggestions to keep your garden in color, and not break the bank on watering.

One of our favorite plants is Lantana.  We happen to have five planted right in front of the breakfast room window, which is perfect for early morning bird watching during the season.  Hummingbirds, butterflies and all sorts of pollinators love this bunch of flowers, and can be seen gathering pollen from the plants, once flowers start to bloom until the first freeze.  Our secret, we do not water these beauties at all.  They keep growing and supplying lovely color, from April until about December, when we cut them back to rest until next year.  Nature keeps our lantana in water when it rains, and they seem to be thriving.

Second on our list is Salvia.  We typically have the blue variety planted in our garden and this year we added a red and dark purple.  This native plant thrives in the Texas heat and can grow to be fairly substantial if given the space to spread it’s foliage.  The beautiful blooms give color the whole season, and come back year after year.  Of course it attracts pollinators of all kinds.  The bees really love the flowers and return every year.

Third, is the Red Yucca.  While we just added our first one to our garden this year. This popular plant can be seen along road sides, in multiple businesses around town and even along the freeway in larger cities.  Native to West Texas, the Red Yucca thrives in rocky soil and tends to be a little drier.   If you are trying to get away from having a yard full of grass and want to add a little xeriscaping, this should be your top pick.

Fourth, is Texas Sage.  The silvery foliage gives color and interest all year round and has a profusion of purple blooms during the rainy season.  Be sure to have enough space for this beauty to spread out, it can grow up to 6 feet if that is your desire.  A great benefit besides being good for those hot Texas summer days, if you have deer, this plant is deer resistant.  Add them along the edge of your beds to form a wall of sorts to protect your garden while adding interest and color throughout the year.

Fifth but definitely not the end, Rudbeckia, loves the sun and Texas heat.  You can find these flowers blooming in hay fields, along roadsides, and in many gardens.  The seeds spread with the wind, so if you only want them in certain locations be sure to move them early before blooming.  If you like a little chaos in your garden then let the seeds fall where they may and see just how far mother nature's hand will go.   These lovely yellow flowers add great color to any garden and of course the pollinators love them.  Be sure to add some to your garden for added color and interest.

While these are some of our favorite plants and flowers to have on hand to combat the Texas heat, there are many more you can find that you might enjoy more.  After all your garden is what you make of it and can be as full or as sporadic as  you like.  We prefer to have our’s be a little chaotic and colorful, with the least amount of maintenance possible.  Stop by anytime to explore our garden or ask questions to discover how easy it is to grow heat and sun tolerant plants. 

In the Garden ~ Perennials

    

     Color in the garden begins with perennials.  Yes, I know you can always add annual flowers for color, although you may have to possibly purchase and replant new annual flowers.  The initial time and effort expended in planting perennials, pays off in the long term, and sometimes creates more plants for you to share or move around in your garden. Therefore, one of the great aspects of perennial plants is the fact that they come back year after year.

    Some of our favorites are Irises.  They have lovely blooms in a variety of colors.  Most often people see purples and whites, though there are so many more choices.  Typically, they only bloom once per year, typically, they can cycle through blooms over the course of a month.  This year’s Iris blooms were not the best. I think partly due to the freeze we had in January.  No matter where we are, we will always have Iris in our garden. We are hoping to add to our Iris collect this year with some new varieties and colors, and are always willing to share from our plants as well.  

    Another crowd favorite are gladiolus.  The long, spear like stem blooms slowly flowering from the bottom to the top creating a riot of color late in the spring to early summer.  These flowers are wonderful to watch bloom and attract pollinators of all kinds.  The challenge is to make sure they do not get too too heavy and fall over as the blooms open.  So many color options are available in these flowers that you can match your garden to any color scheme.  

    Let’s not forget a series of blooming herbs.  Lavender, sage, rosemary, comfrey,  and oregano make up some of the beautiful and simple edible plants that grow in our garden.  Small purple or white flowers bloom on these plants, typically in the spring.  Besides being fragrant they can help keep pests away, and can be dried to use in cooking and for making teas.  

    A large portion of our perennial garden is made up of varieties of lilies.  We have a variety of colors and various bloom sizes in our lily collection, which adds color and dimension to the garden.  One great thing about lilies and Irises they like to spread their wings and are easy to split and move around your garden from plants you already own.  

    Most of our perennial plants are in full sun.  We are slowly adding plants that require more shady areas.  Hostas, cannas, elephant ears and certain ground covers prefer a more shady environment.  I always think it’s fun to see the hostas reemerge in the spring from under the cover of winter.  Deep down you know you are gardening right, when your plants return each year to shower your yard in a wash of colors.  

    Perennial gardens might seem like a lot of work to start but if you have the patience to wait and watch your garden grow, the rewards in the long run will be great.  The return of your plants every year is worth the time and effort to me, instead of having to buy new each year.