Keep Your Garden Looking Fresh This Summer With 10 Flowers That May Beat The Heat

No matter where you live, chances are you’re preparing your garden for the summer months. Not all plants are made for the sweltering temperatures, and in areas where water shortages are frequent, this can mean that your garden won’t look as lush and colorful as you’d like. While some of your flowers may not survive, we’ve compiled a list of 10 plants to keep your garden looking fresh – despite the summer heat.

Madagascar Periwinkle

Also known as the rose periwinkle, the Madagascar periwinkle is a perennial that thrives in both humidity and dry heat. The flowers may be found in white, pink and rosy-purple. These should be planted in a dry garden bed, preferably with some sand or other grit. The key is providing poor soil for the plant: excessively fertile soil can actually reduce the number of blooms. So remember: water sparingly!

Lantana

These beautiful, delicate clusters of flowers are particularly fragrant, and manifest as a mix of red, orange, yellow, or blue and white florets. They’re easy to add to any garden: choose a sunny location and plant them in well-draining, slightly acidic soil. Soaking them about once a week should suffice, but too much watering puts them at risk for developing root rot. These flowers do a particularly good job at attracting butterflies, too!

Zinnia

These annuals make a great addition to your garden, especially if you’re looking to add bright color. Mature plants are somewhat drought-tolerant, but younger plants require moist soil, so watering at the base of the plant is needed. Experts recommend that zinnias be planted in a sunny flower bed.

Petunia

Caring for petunias is easy: plant them in sun-drenched areas and water them about once a week. These plants don’t tolerate high humidity or frequent rains very well, but with the proper care and conditions, they will provide abundant blooms all summer.

Black-eyed Susan

These perky flowers grow all summer long, and are a heat and drought tolerant specimen. They thrive in a full sun to light shade location and attract all kinds of wildlife, such as deer, butterflies, rabbits, and other critters. To avoid this, plant them near lavender, rosemary, or other repellant plants and keep them at bay.

Reflexed Stonecrop

The reflexed stonecrop is a succulent, which means that it thrives in dry, hot conditions. It also means that it’s a popular choice for homeowners who have rock gardens because the weather causes their grass and other plants to turn brown.

Blanket Flower

These bright blooms thrive on neglect, so the less they’re watered and the more they’re exposed to the sun, the healthier they’ll be. However, newly planted blanket flower seeds need to be kept moist until the plants mature.

Penstemon

These tubular flowers are popular in the Western United States and tolerate drought conditions and low-nutrient soil. As young plants in your garden, they need to be watered about once a week. You can reduce the frequency of watering as the plant matures.

California Poppy

As its name suggests, this flower blooms in a drier, hotter climate and does not fare well in wet soil or in shade. Plant in full sun locations with highly fertile but well-drained soil for the best results! This perennial wildflower is California’s state flower because of its bright color, but is considered a possible pest plant in some areas.

Mexican feather grass

These ornamental grasses are native to the south-western United States, northern Mexico, and Argentina, and thus are accustomed to drier climates. Adding these grasses in your garden is quite simple: during its first growing season, water a few times a week to help it grow healthy roots. After that, the plant only needs a deep watering once or twice a month.

Your garden is your haven: regardless of which plants you choose to add to your yard, we’re sure they brighten your day, every day!