Re: Hot Weather/Gardening style


Mary,

my summers here are very hot and humid with little reliable rainfall.  I
plant things that are very drought-tolerant and rely heavily on foliage.  I
purposely planned for this very thing by interspersing dark foliaged plants
along the borders and those with silver to break up the long expanses of
green.  I use some variegated foliage, but not much because it can make
some things look jumbled.

I use annuals, too.  They love the heat around here (don't you just love
those green zinnias? They look great with hot pink and purple).  Don't
forget about using bulbs and tubers.  Because they have their own little
food factory in those large roots, they get along just fine in the dog days
of summer.  I like dahlias, cannas, and lilies.  Some perennials that
trudge along just fine in the heat in July in my yard:

rudbeckia
echinacea
monarda
salvia
achillea
hollyhocks
anthemis (especially 'kelwayi')
veronica
yucca (I don't think anything could kill this except for a nuclear bomb)
phlox paniculata, carolina, or maculata (I've got some of each and I love
them all)
kniphofia
heliopsis
coreopsis
adenophora (which should be used by everyone who wants a heat-tolerant
campanula look-alike)
globe thistle

Val in KY

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