Scorching hot days are looming, but that doesn’t mean your landscape has to fry. Now’s the time to perk it up with some heat-hardy plants!
Summer doesn’t officially arrive until this weekend, even though it already feels like it’s here. Why not celebrate summer solstice by swapping out cold weather annuals for warm season annuals?
Here are some examples of warm season annuals that are easy to grow and don’t take a lot of water to keep them happy and showy!
 Marigold – These showy annuals thrive in hot weather and bright sun. Deadhead fading flowers and gangly stems to keep them blooming all summer long. |
 Pentas – Butterflies and hummingbirds love feasting on the clusters of tiny flowers. Pentas also thrive in container gardens, as they love well-drained soil. |
 Periwinkle – This popular shade-loving flower, also known as vinca, can be found in a rainbow of colors. It’s also highly drought-tolerant and pest-resistant. |
 Portulaca – Sometimes called sun rose or moss rose, portulaca thrives in full sun and is exceptionally easy to grow, even for beginners. |
 Purslane – This low-growing annual scoffs at dry, hot South Texas summers. Originally from India and Persia, purslane also looks striking in a hanging basket. |
Of course, instead of annuals you could plant a new bed in your garden with hardy drought-tolerant plants that can survive the summer with little to no water — and use our WaterSaver Landscape Coupon to help defray some of the cost. Or if you prefer, use the WaterSaver Patioscape Coupon to replace your grass with a pervious patio!
Short on ideas? Visit the San Antonio Botanical Garden’s Watersaver Garden and Watersaver Lane to get ideas on landscapes that sizzle in the summer heat.
