By Abby Lapides Elliott
You want to be a good gardener, have gardens overflowing with blossoms, gardens your family can be proud of. But alas, you’re super busy and watering is the last thing you have time for. Don’t despair, there are lovely plants that do well with less watering, and even plants that prefer dry conditions. For sunny, hot spots try these perennials:
Small yet mighty, a mini Butterfly Bush. Pink Mico Chip Butterfly Bush, Buddleia only grows 18”-20” tall and wide. Abundant pink flower panicles appear nonstop from early summer into fall. Its diminutive size makes it ideal for small gardens and containers, or as a ground cover or edger. Why plant annuals when you can have brilliant, non-stop summer color for years with these long lived perennials.
You’ll be living like royalty with Crown Jewels Butterfly Bush, Buddleia. Crown Jewels sparkles with brilliant gold foliage and sharply contrasting, dark magenta purple flowers spikes. Its fragrant blossoms appear in summer and fall. You can count on hoards of hummingbirds and butterflies getting in on all the floral fun with this treasure. Makes a wonderful cut flower. Grows 36”-48” tall.
Enjoy sky blue flower spikes from spring until a hard frost with Blue Hill Salvia. A long time favorite and still considered one off the best. Waves of beautiful light blue spires top mounds of green foliage spring through fall. With a little maintenance plants will repeat bloom. After each flush of bloom, cut spent flowers all the way down to the crown of the plants. In no time they will be sending up fresh flower stalks. A long lived perennial that is very easy to grow. Deer and rabbit resistant. Fragrant foliage.
Fast becoming summertime blooming favorites due to their prolific, white or blue daisies, Japanese Aster’s, Kalimeris, flowers just keep coming. Tolerant of heat and humidity, they always looks great, even in the hottest of summers. 1” white or blue daisy-like flowers appear on emerald green compact mounds all summer. Very easy to grow, Japanese Asters hardly need any maintenance. Plants grow 18” tall. Fantastic in mixed pots and adored by butterflies.
Although the plants listed are drought tolerant, they should be kept well watered until established. Mulching the plants will help keep moisture in the soil. To see images and growing instructions for these plants, along with more drought tolerant plants, visitwww.sugarcreekgardens.com.
Abby Lapides Elliott is the owner of Sugar Creek Gardens, 1011 N. Woodlawn, Kirkwood MO 63119. 314-965-3070. Sugarcreekgardens.com.