Big Idea
- What are good summer flowers? Heat tolerant perennials.
- What flower will bloom all summer? Heat and drought tolerant flowers.
- What flowers grow best in the full hot sun? Tropical plants for full sun and heat.
- Full sun flowers for pots that grow in hot weather.
The heat isn’t really going away! But your garden loves it!
The brightest flowers of the summer planting season wait until temperatures rise above 90 degrees to do "their thing." Like sunbathers on a golden Lake Powell beach, summer-blooming varieties are planted when the sun is bright, and temperatures are hot. Here are my top 11 flowers that outpace the rest in fragrance and ability to flower through the heat of summer.
Black-eyed Susan – These plants thrive in full-sun containers and beds. Their yellow or rusty red flowers with black centers bloom summer through fall and attract birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects.
Butterfly Weed – A hardy plant with beautiful red and yellow flowers that sit atop bright green foliage, butterfly weed is a must-have to attract butterflies to a garden. It can tolerate heavy clay conditions and is the perfect plant for full- sun areas.
Coneflower (Echinacea) are available in a multitude of colors, from purple to pink, orange, red, yellow, and white. Typically, the daisy-like flowers consist of petals surrounding an orange dome-shaped cone. They bloom from spring to fall in full sun while attracting butterflies and bees—deer and Rabbit resistant.
Coreopsis - This is another daisy-like flower with smaller blooms than the black-eyed-Susan and coneflower. It's easy to grow and guarantees an abundance of flowers spring through fall. There are many colors of coreopsis - yellow, orange, pink, maroon, red, and chocolate. The blossoms are like magnets to butterflies, and the seeds attract birds.
Dahlia - These blooms are show-stoppers! They have a broad range of flower types, shapes, and many different colors. Dahlias are as robust as they are beautiful. In the hottest areas, they should be in light shade.
Impatiens – These ever-popular beauties are the workhorse of the shade garden. The mounding habit can attain a height of 2 feet as they enjoy full to partial shade with regular watering. Impatiens are beautiful when planted in mass plantings in beds, pots, or baskets.
Lantana – Clustered top dark green foliage, these fragrant blossoms bloom in yellow, orange, red, lavender, white and bi-colors. Birds and butterflies love lantana. It needs to be planted in full sun and requires little water once established. Cute as a shrub, ground cover, or in pots.
Lemon Slice Calibrachoa is closely related to petunias, and because their profuse blossoms look like mini-petunias, commonly called Million Bells Petunias. The plants become so covered with blooms their foliage is almost invisible. Lemon Slice has a unique yellow and white striped blossoms. Its neat mounding habit makes it perfect for container gardens as well as garden beds. Plant in full sun, and it will bloom all summer abundantly.
Salvia - There are many different types of salvia in various sizes and many different colors. All are easy to grow, with most varieties preferring full sun. They attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds—deer and Rabbit resistant.
Sun Parasol Mandevilla vines show vibrant red, long-lasting blooms. They are straightforward to grow in full sun, and once established, require little care. Hummingbirds love them! The vines are 12 - 15 feet long and perfect for trailing from hanging baskets and window boxes and climbing over trellises and arbors.
Zinnia – Generations of gardeners have been passionate about this favorite summertime flower. The big flowers come in many different colors and are tough summer blossoms. Plant them in full where they attract butterflies and hummingbirds—deer and Rabbit resistant.
Until next issue, I'll see you among the summer-loving flowers here at Watters Garden Center.
Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter .
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Watters Garden Center 2020 Garden Classes
Each Saturday @ 9:30am, Watters hosts a FREE garden class, open to the public!
Free Saturday Garden Classes at Watters Garden Center
- Classes are tailored to Mountain Landscapes
- Top tree information for landscapes and privacy
- Newcomers can jump right in with these secrets
Free Garden Class offered every Saturday @ 9:30 am in the fresh air at Watters Garden Center, 1815 Iron Springs Road in Prescott.
Classes are also live-streamed at FB.com/WattersGardenCenter - you can join right in!
Gardening for Newcomers
August 29 @ 9:30 AM
Learn all the mountain secrets to local garden success.This is an information-packed class guaranteed to increase garden blooms and fruit this year.Learn about growing zones, frost dates, soils, and more; you’ll know exactly what to do in the gardens after this class.
Top 10 Trees and How to Plant Them
September 5 @ 9:30 AM
Privacy, shade, color, evergreen, and blooms. We cover trees from every angle. With so many choices, picking the perfect tree can seem overwhelming, but not after this class. Free tree planting guide to all attendees.
Climbers & Covers in the Landscape
September 12 @ 9:30 AM
Vines climb quickly up fence posts, pergolas, barbed wire, walls, and trellis.
They block, screen, and shade better than any other plants in the nursery, but not all vines are created equal.
Easy to Grow Mountain Plants
September 19 @ 9:30 AM
Rock landscapes without these core plants tend to look strange, immature, and lacking. Learn how to garden with these simple, but effective planting combinations for a design that WOWs all four seasons of the year.
Privacy Screens and the Secret Garden
September 26 @ 9:30 AM
Tired of looking at the neighbor’s RV? This class shows off the best, fastest-growing plants to fill in your privacy screens! You can screen unsightly neighbors, enhance your view, or block pesky traffic and cut noise and light pollution after this class.
