FLOWERS AND PLANTS

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BACKYARD TIP: Whether your water is coming from the sky or from your hose, preserve that precious moisture by using mulch. A 2-inch layer of organic mulch will go a long way toward keeping the moisture in the soil.


How’s the weather?


That might seem like simple chitchat to most people, but to a gardener it’s the start of a serious discussion. After all, our beloved flowers are at the mercy of the skies. And every summer, we seem to be faced with extra-hot, extra-dry conditions that can wreak havoc on our plants. Luckily, though, we have a wonderful range of adaptable plants to try.


What Is Drought?


Before we get to the plants, let’s first look at drought. Usually dry spells are normal, because weather is variable. But when they continue week after week, month after month or even year after year, it depletes every bit of moisture in the soil. In short, you’re dealing with a drought.

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Succulents, where have you been all my life? Browsing through Debra Lee Baldwin’s enticing Succulent Container Gardens, I fell just a little bit in love. These plump-leaved colorful plants store water in their juicy tissues, making them a forgetful gardener’s dream. Give them well-drained soil and plenty of sun, and your succulents will look as healthy when you return from vacation as when you left. In fact, they may look even better.


That’s because stressors that might harm or even kill other plants—an extra touch of sun, heat or cold; even a drought resulting from the gardener’s vacation—make many succulents come alive with color. Normally green and blue-green leaves heat up into a vivid spectrum of reds, orange, pinks, purples and yellows. Another bonus: succulents tend to be winter bloomers. So when you bring your frost-tender plants inside to protect them from the cold, you’ll get a flower fix just when you need it most.


Easy care, a host of hues to choose from, and winter flowers: Are you ready to become a sucker for succulents, too?


With a thicket of loosely branching vertical stems, each about the diameter of a pencil, sticks on fire looks almost like something growing on an undersea reef. Also called red pencil plant, it has tips that turn yellow in summer and red in winter. Beware: When broken or damaged, the stems ooze sap that may irritate skin.


Why we love it: Height and shape make this the perfect thriller in any container, while the changing colors ensure a fabulous show.

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Baby's Necklace
(Crassula rupestris subsp. marnieriana)


The stacked geometric leaves of baby’s necklace prefer some sun protection yet will still reward you with a rosy blush. In winter, pretty white blooms emerge from the ends of the leaf strands.


Why we love it: When planted front and center in a container, the strands of leaves turn upward like eels, making baby’s necklace a fun three-dimensional spiller

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Succulents, where have you been all my life? Browsing through Debra Lee Baldwin’s enticing Succulent Container Gardens, I fell just a little bit in love. These plump-leaved colorful plants store water in their juicy tissues, making them a forgetful gardener’s dream. Give them well-drained soil and plenty of sun, and your succulents will look as healthy when you return from vacation as when you left. In fact, they may look even better.


That’s because stressors that might harm or even kill other plants—an extra touch of sun, heat or cold; even a drought resulting from the gardener’s vacation—make many succulents come alive with color. Normally green and blue-green leaves heat up into a vivid spectrum of reds, orange, pinks, purples and yellows. Another bonus: succulents tend to be winter bloomers. So when you bring your frost-tender plants inside to protect them from the cold, you’ll get a flower fix just when you need it most.


Easy care, a host of hues to choose from, and winter flowers: Are you ready to become a sucker for succulents, too?


Dark-green leaves with white or yellow prickles bake into hot colors under direct sunlight. But peek at the shaded surfaces underneath and you’ll find tender greenery. Grow a golden-toothed and you’ll be spoiled for plain aloe vera.


Why we love it:  Vibrant red-orange flowers shoot up on slender stems during summer, offering nectar your hummingbirds will find hard to resist.

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Best Double Bloomer: Giant Sungold
The Teddy Bear cultivar first made double-blooming sunflowers popular—and now you can find even more varieties, including our top pick, Giant Sungold. This plant can easily top 6 feet, while the big puffy blooms grow up to 8 inches wide.

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Verbena


You can expect summer-long color from these beautiful blooms. These full-sun plants sport attractive clusters of flowers and grow to about 18 inches high. Keep the soil moist but well drained; dry conditions can hinder flowering.

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Bellflower


In addition to perennials, the bellflower family includes annuals and biennials, all with graceful blossoms lasting from late spring into summer. Although it also enjoys full sun, planting in partial shade preserves its delicate colors. Keep bellflowers happy by watering regularly.

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Dwarf Iris

This fragrant, petite early bloomer grows from just 2 to 12 inches high.
The vibrant flowers, which do best in full sun, emerge in late winter to early spring.

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Cyclamen


These late-winter bloomers boast white, pink, purple and red blossoms nodding above leaves that resemble lily pads. Cyclamen prefer partial shade, so they’ll happily take root under trees and shrubs. Mulch generously each fall if your zone is on the cooler side.


Why we love it: Although cyclamen are not native to North America, these gorgeous flowers are not invasive.

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Tulip Tree
Though hard to see from a distance, the tulip tree’s unique early-summer flowers are sure to dress up your yard. The cup-shaped blooms have greenish-yellow petals with orange bases. But be patient: Most types won’t begin to flower for 10 to 12 years.