Flowers of August
There’s nothing like the dog days of August to reduce the beauty of a garden.
“Every year, we notice that certain plants are beautiful until the heat arrives,” says Martha Smith, horticulture educator with the University of Illinois Extension office in Macomb.
“Then they fade and wither, leaving us with only memories. And watering to keep the plants looking good can become a problem during times of high heat and no rainfall.”
But by planning and choosing heat-tolerant plants, you can keep your garden looking colorful all season, and you can help the environment by reducing your water usage.
Low-water-usage gardening, called xeriscaping, has been increasing in recent years. (For tips on this, see the accompanying story.)
Here are seven tough plants to consider. They tolerate heat and dry periods better than many others:
1. Celosia or cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. plumosa or C. argentea var. cristata). Annual.
This plant is unique for its unusual feathery, or brain-like, flowers of bright red, yellow, orange and pink. It can be planted from seed, but most gardeners buy it as a bedding plant.
It may grow from 6 inches to 4 feet in height, depending on the variety. Deadheading will promote more blooms. It makes an excellent cut or dried flower.
Smith recommends a cultivar “Cristata.”
2. Spider flower (Cleome hassleriana). Annual, but reseeds so much it may seem perennial.
This wispy beauty can reach 4 to 5 feet in height in full sun. The unique spider-like flowers are rose, violet or wine in color.
“It’s an all-season bloomer,” Smith says. “Once it kicks in, it pretty much blooms through to frost.”
Cleome produces long seed pods with 50-70 seeds per pod, and, by the end of the summer, some stalks have as many as 25 pods. The point: Gardeners will never run out of seed.
3. Gomphrena or globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa). Annual.
This old-fashioned annual blooms in a variety of bright colors, including purple, orange, red, rose and pink, and it generally reaches a height of 1 to 2 feet.
It is easy to grow and makes an excellent dried flower that holds color well. For drying, pick the flowers just as they open fully and then hang them upside-down to dry.
“Strawberry Fields” is a good cultivar, Smith says.
4. Madagascar periwinkle or annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus) Annual.
Here is a plant that seems to thrive in hot areas. If you have a difficult southern exposure, this is the one to try. It is slow to start if spring temperatures are cool, and it does not tolerate wet areas.
Its lush dark-green foliage is somewhat glossy and forms a 2-foot-high mound. It comes in white, pink, purple and bi-colors. Because it doesn’t get very tall, it works well growing in front of other plants.
5. Threadleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata). Perennial.
Coreopsis will reach 18 to 24 inches in height with yellow, daisy-like flowers that last from late spring to late summer. It works best if grown in a dry, full-sun area.
The cultivar “Moonbeam” is a favorite among gardeners, but Smith recommends a newer variety called “Crème Brulee” that is taller and has a deeper yellow bloom. After the first big flush of blooms, coreopsis can sheared with clippers and it will pop back with a second flush. This second go-round isn’t as strong as the first, but it’s still showy, Smith says.
6. Orange coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida). Perennial form of black-eyed Susan.
Its cheery, yellow-orange daisy flowers with the distinct dark “eye” brighten up the August garden. The cultivar “Goldsturm” is a dependable perennial in most Midwest gardens.
7. Blanket flower (Gaillardai species). Perennial.
This plant tolerates dry soil and temperatures of 90-degrees-plus. It is available in a variety of hot colors from golden yellow to mahogany red. Cultivars are available in a range of sizes with most growing in the 2-foot-high range.
“All of these plants will survive the hot days of August with very little attention and care except an occasional pruning-off of the old blossoms,” Smith says. “Try one or two next year and enjoy your garden all season long.”
Alma Gaul can be contacted at (563) 383-2324 or agaul@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.