Blooming Plants that take the Heat

August has just arrived and we have already experienced weeks of 90 degree weather! We can only look forward to several more weeks of the same. If your garden is like mine, it is looking a little bedraggled. Take heart – there are many blooming plants that take the heat and keep on performing. Look around your garden now and consider where you need to add a punch of color to cheer up the garden in the late summer. Fall is the best time to plant new shrubs and next spring you can add the annuals for the coming summer. Here are a few of my favorite July and August bloomers.

Annuals:

The SunPatiens® Series is a collection of heat-loving impatiens that keeps on blooming in full sun from spring to fall. I got the spreading variety with variegated leaves and a salmon colored bloom and planted them in large containers. They have not stopped blooming since being planted in May. They make a cheerful addition to my back deck and need little attention but water.

The Dragon Wing Begonia is another great container plant that does well in hot conditions if given filtered sun/partial shade. It is easy to grow, with large clusters of red or pink blossoms that will last through the fall months.

Shrubs/Perennials:

The butterfly bush (Buddleia) is a magnet for butterflies and produces lilac-like flowers that continue to bloom in the heat of the summer and through the fall. There are dozens of varieties of Buddleia, so choose the right one for your sunny area. Some can get very tall and wide but are easy to cut back. There is a new dwarf version on the market called Buddleia Lo & Behold™ Blue Chip that only gets 2-3 feet tall. It is drought and heat tolerant and does well in planting beds and containers. I have a large butterfly bush that is over 5 feet tall and this year I added three of the dwarf ‘Blue Chip’ with lovely bluish-purple flowers. It is fun to watch all the butterflies flit around the garden in August.

Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ is one of my favorite hydrangeas because it can take several hours of sun and doesn’t wimp out with the foliage going limp like most hydrangeas do when exposed to sun and heat. Another plus for this hydrangea is that it can be pruned at any time except when the plant begins to form buds. You may want to prune it occasionally since it can get over 8 feet tall, or you might want to shape it into a small tree. The flower is a panicle (cone shaped) and blooms in July and into August. It is so rewarding to have these spectacular blooms (changing from lime green to cream) to enjoy in the late summer.

‘Knock-out’ Roses have been a hot seller for several years and have earned a place in the garden because they are easy to grow, have little disease issues and bloom off and on from spring to frost. You get a big flush of blooms in May and the plant rallies again throughout the summer with additional flourishes of bright blooms. They are drought tolerant and do well in the full sun. I have them planted in tough conditions – getting full afternoon western sun and my ‘Knock-outs’ continue to thrive.

Dwarf Crape Myrtle Razzle Dazzle® Series – these compact deciduous shrubs burst into cherry red bloom in late July or early August and are a spectacular addition to the sun garden. They stay small, have little disease problems and love the heat and sun.