Summer doesn’t just bring sweltering heat and droughts, it cooks yards dead. You need new, stronger plants ready for all that summer can dish out. RCW Nurseries’ Patty Banzhaf shows Tom what summer-ready plants make sense and how to keep your summer greener.
So what makes a plant strong against summer weather?
Certain varieties adapt better in our climate than others, but actually, it’s how you care for them that does help. If they’re planted properly and your soil is mulched well, they have a tendency to survive better.
Is there anything we can do to protect the plants we already have?
Definitely. Make sure that you have proper mulch on the ground, probably about two inches of mulch underneath your plants. A good organic mulch, preferably. When you feed your plants, you should use a mild food, water deeply and slowly, don’t let your sprinkler system go every day. Three times a week max. Watch your plants. They’ll tell you when they need extra water. They’ll also tell you when you’re watering too much.
Which plants are summer ready?
Summer ready plants, right now in the perennials, you have your Salvia. One of my favorites is the Black and Blue Salvia. These are your annual Salvias. This is a particular favorite of mine, it’s called Red Hot Sally. Salvias are very heat tolerant, very drought tolerant. They tend to bloom continually if they’re cared for properly. Choose your plants wisely and ask questions of the people you’re getting them from.
In the shrubs, there’s a lot of shrubs that you can put in that aren’t quite as demanding as some of the old fashioned ones. The ornamental grasses are extremely, extremely drought tolerant. And they give you a lot of movement in the landscape and a little bit of color. Firecracker Fern’s a big hummingbird attractant. You can put it in on the edge of a flower bed and it will cascade over and has red blooms all season.
In the trees, there are a lot of trees that adapt very well here. Let’s go look at some trees that are good for our climate, John. One of the nicest oaks we have is a Bur Oak. It’s also known as the old granddaddy of the oak. It has great big leaves. Wonderful tree, gets very big. It’s not a fast grower, however. John, this is a Mary Nell Holly, tree form. This is a midsized tree. It’ll be evergreen. It’ll give wonderful red berries. Nice midsized tree. Very heat tolerant.
Beat the heat by using your green thumb with summer ready plants. For HomeShowRadio.com, I’m Tom Tynan.
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