Surviving the Scorching Heat in Style

It's been a blistering few days here at Blessing Hill as we've tried to survive not only the heat but the humidity as well. Luckily for us (me, the flowers, the dog) God sent some rain to intervene. We've had rain both Tuesday and Wednesday nights after some really unbearable temperatures. I'm talking daytime heat indexes of 110. It's a real testament to what holds up well in the garden. Of course there's always the tropical plants like elephant ears which thrive on this weather. My dwarf uprights have filled this swan planter with an abundance of foliage. Nice. But there are plants, perennial workhorses, who keep the garden fresh and beautiful no matter the degree of the inclemency. Here are some of my favorites:

Echinacea or Coneflower

A native of central and eastern North America, this hardy perennial survives diverse weather conditions from dry prairies to open woodland. It's being bred so that almost any color is available. My favorite varieties are white swan pictured, pink double delight, and coconut lime. However, I have several of the simply normal purple sprinkled through my gardens. They perform. When other flowers are wilting under the glare of an obtrusive sun, coneflowers are in their glory. Because coneflower is such an old garden standby, it can be dismissed for being too common. But, when the heat is scorching every parcel, you'll be glad you planted them. Zones 3-9, from Michigan to Louisiana.

Achillea or Yarrow

With around 85 species of this versatile perennial, I have to wonder why we don't see more variety in our nurseries. I would love to see a nursery carry a. clypeolata or a. ptarmica. Maybe I've just missed them when shopping. Anyway, I have several varieties in my own garden from pink grapefruit to moonshine, pictured is apricot. This season I've planted paprika and King Edward, red and light yellow respectively. There's a size, color, and light requirement for every need. The King Edward is a tiny yarrow, growing no more than six inches tall and spreading no more than nine inches in diameter whereas Moonshine can get up to three feet tall and two feet wide. Most flower all season with regular deadheading. Wonderful.

Hemerocallis or Daylily
This perennial can boast that it has over 50,000 named cultivars. If a person cannot find a size, color, and light requirement to fit the bill then maybe that person should just not grow daylily. These garden warriors can survive zones 3-10, preferring full sun but tolerating some shade. I have Stella de Oro planted in beds that receive full sun from dawn to dusk and in beds that appreciate the sun just till noon. In both places, they preform beautifully. Daylilies make exceptionally good border plants. When in bloom, there's not much showier. Just look at this gorgeous Barbara Mitchell I picked up at the end of the season clearance at a local nursery. What a gem. I have around 10 different daylilies in my garden beds and each year they just get better.

Some other heat tolerant favorites are rudbeckia, tall phlox, sedum, tanacetum vulgare, scabiosa, and oenothera.

Tomato Talk:

In a previous posting, I discussed Spectracide Immunox 3-in-1 Insect & Disease Control Plus Fertilizer. I'm happy to report that after spraying my plants, no further foliage damage was incurred. I pulled back the mulching material to increase air circulation, applied a balanced water soluble food, and watered vigorously. The plants look marvelous and are they ever setting tomatoes! Tomatoes love heat but not humidity because without proper air circulation, humidity breeds fungus. The straw I initially placed around my tomatoes to keep them moist in order for them to establish later becomes a problem if the air can't penetrate during humid conditions. So, problem solved.

Pictured are my Amana Orange tomatoes, a new variety I'm trying this year. Other new varieties to my garden include Cherokee Purple, Granny Smith, Black Krim, Pink Oxheart, and Orange Oxheart. I'm really experimenting this year. Usually, I'm a stolid Pink Girl grower. And yes, there are plenty of Pink Girls thriving. It's a race between one Pink Girl plant and a Black Krim plant to see who will have the first ripe tomato. I'll let you know if I would recommend any of the new varieties for next year's garden.

And, ooohh . . . EYES OPEN FOR THE GREEN HORNWORM! Yesterday, I was trimming my boxwoods and out on the ground fell two big, fat hornworms. Double Yuck!