Hot and dry
Garden Clippings for May 28, 2022
“I have 2 window boxes on the sunny west side of my garage. The usual Petunias and Geraniums don’t do well because it gets quite hot and the soil dries out too quickly. They need daily water but occasionally I forget to water and sometimes I cannot water because we are away for the weekend. Any suggestions?”
Today we will look at a challenge that has come to the forefront in the past few years: choosing plants that can tolerate drought. Hanging baskets are the worst offender. Growers, in an effort to cut costs, are increasingly using smaller pots that hold less soil. That’s fine early in the season, but by the time July arrives and plants are mature, sometimes even a daily watering is not going to do the trick.
To begin, stay away from the usual large and fast-growing annual flowers. Geraniums, Petunias, Coleus and Impatience are always thirsty, and will not tolerate dry soil. Marigolds, Zinnias, Verbena, Calibrachoa-Million Bells and Begonias will do slightly better.
My go-to plant for dry soil is Portulaca, a sun loving, trailing plant with delightful yellow, red, white and orange button-like blooms. Portulaca is a carefree bloomer that performs all summer long. In the evening and on cloudy days flowers close up. Portulaca grows only a few inches high, making it a good choice for shallow stone containers. For a larger pot where height is needed, use Portulaca along the edges accompanied with a larger plant behind.
Related to Portulaca, but less popular is Purslane, a relative of the nasty rubbery weed that grows in veggie gardens all summer long. Purslane thrives on neglect and is will not disappear until the first October frost. Brightly coloured, twoonie sized flowers cover the plant all summer. For Purslane, the hotter and sunnier the better. As a bonus, Purslane is edible with the same nutritional value as spinach.
Sedums are a big family of succulent-type creeping plants often grown in rock gardens and perennial borders. Several will grow nicely in containers. One of the finest is ‘Lemon Coral’ with fine textured leaves forming a brightly yellow mophead.
Gazania, otherwise known as Treasure Flower or African Daisy is a highly resilient plant with daisy-like blooms in shades of orange to yellow, along with less common red to pink. Flowers contrast nicely against its slender, almost grass-like leaves. Gazanias are not aggressive growers and will not grow more than a foot high.
For larger somewhat drought tolerant plants consider Lantana, Mandevilla or Salvia. Lantanas are bush shaped dependable bloomers that behave like Geraniums but requiring far less attention. Salvias are hardy upright growing plants with fire engine red flowers from summer to fall, after a few frosts.
Mandeville or Dipladenia, is a beautiful plant growing both as a bush and trailing or climbing vine. Leaves are glossy dark green. Blooms are brightly coloured trumpet shaped, attracting hummingbirds. Dipladenia can be brought indoors and grown as a houseplant.
Succulents are a diverse group of plants grown for their texture, colour and form rather than bloom. Ideal for shallow dish gardens, succulents rarely need water. When planting succulents, choose an attractive container that will look good both indoors and out.
