Thinking Drought Resistant… add your favorite plant

Get Ready For Summer!

Here at Flea Market Gardening, the topic came up on gardening in hot dry weather typical of summer conditions in much of the US. This is a gardening question endlessly discussed by those who live in really hot dry climates as well as areas that have just freak hot spells that devastate their gardens. So many of us are spending the months of July and August just trying to keep their plant babies alive.  So,… What are the best garden plants in your garden,…the best survivors and performers in the ‘time of hot and dry.’  Help!   ~~ Sue

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Pamela Thompson And what plants are thriving in the heat? I just can’t water everyday~!!
Barbara Bowlby Blackeyed Susans and gallardia..even in the hottest weather.
Kim Kohler Mexican Petunias and Red Hot Hibiscus
Beverly Bollhorst Russian sage and coneflowers
Nancy K. Meyer yes, my blackeyed Susans are doing well, too.
Gail Brunke My sedums are beautiful my coneflowers, baby’s breath feverfew ,yarrow just a few of hardy plants in my gardens
Shawna Espinoza Zinnias,cosmos,marigolds and of course sunflowers. But I’m cheating and watering on days I’m not suppose too 🙂 Can’t stand to see them droop!
Alex Kingston Peppers
Gwynn Cook Bates My lavender is doing well with hardly any water and on the south side of the house against steel siding
Doris Swenson Yarrow and Sedum
Affordable Lamps SUNFLOWERS! 🙂
Mary Alice Sneed My hibiscus are all doing well, as is my Peegee hydrangea and day lilies. Also, my vinca, none of which I purchased; they all came up from last year, are doing phenomenal. And my zinnias are all ginormous. My peppers are going bonkers……
Glenda Barker  Lavender, roses, sunflowers, candytuft. Hot summers, cold winters, they hang in there.
Pam Eagler Ferry I’m in Oklahoma and the sages are doing the best
Jeanne Malaby I guess I am fortunate to have a well, so I water a LOT and all of mine are doing quite well but it is a constant care ( I love doing it tho and have the time so not a problem )
Linda Ogburn ‎…cactus…some of the above plants don’t seem like they would thrive in my kind of HOT weather…100+ degree days.
Lacy Winchester My English Lavender just thrives in the dry & hot weather
Cindy Martino All my sages..oregano..purple leafstrife…blackeyed Susan..all my hostas are doing well..my live forever….I do water all my pots and sometimes twice a day!!
Carla Hargrove We grow LOTS of cactus (prickly pear, yucca, barrel, horse cripplers, etc) …roosters take out just about everything else that isn’t protected by wire fencing….
Crista Bishop Abel Marigolds and lantana thrive in this weather! We’re used to this kind of weather in Arizona ,and really sympathize with folks in the rest of the country. It’s sooo hard tget through the heat when you’re not used to it —- for plants and people both!

Jane Snider I’m in the Kansas City area, NOTHING is doing well here. NOTHING. There was even a big report about the garden losses throughout the KC area on the news this evening. People have lost entire veggie crops, flower beds and lawns. I’m pretty much out of the game this year. I’ve done a bit of “lifesaving” watering but our own personal economy prevents me from running up the water bill. The rodents and pests are THRIVING in this area right now, so even if the garden is alive… it’s been attacked by the critters. It’s awful. It’s heartbreaking its so bad. There are so many people in this predicament that it’s not unusual for it to be the ONLY conversation you hear when you go into a gas station, grocery store, bank, or anywhere else people are standing in line.
Joy Hale

My favorite bright yellow flower in my garden are called helenium or helianthums. They are indestructible! The more you deadhead, the more they keep blooming! Love them!
Marilyn Saville I have some baby zinnias that are still doing ok. I water a little, planted them very close together so the foliage shades the soil and maybe keeps it from drying out so much. Today was our 13th in a row over 90 degrees in southern Iowa. Will post the orange and yellow zinnia picture.
Krissi Stull Okay, well in Texas in triple digit weather any perennial that survives is a miracle as we are in drought. When I drive home I have large highway flashing “serious drought precautions” conserve water. This is a respectful thing for all to do when in a drought. Water long and deep twice a week. Don’t forget your trees every three weeks. My lantana, gaura, coneflower, Mexican saliva, Mexican petunia, columbine, gaillardia, and anything that can survive. I have birds here that are suffering so as well as the squirrels. I keep water in the birdbaths. sigh, sigh, sigh. I would love my lush green lawn back as well as my beautiful butterflies!
Gail Roberts Purple leafstrife and vinca, the petunias did well for awhile but they are beginning to die.
Sandy Tomsu Faust Right now, my Black Eyed Susans are doing great in all this heat!
Linda Wesson Lantana, chilopsis linearis (desert willow), Mexican bird of paradise, purple hopseed, coneflowers, penstemon, sage, fig, sedum, lysianthus, African daisies………….
Julie Brown ‎ Sue Langley, what is this fabulous flower in your picture?
Jayne Spooner My bee balm, cat mint, Joe pye weed, rudbeckia and purple coneflowers are wonderful!
Keep it Simple   It is lavender…

Nancy L Fortner Roses, nicotiana, sunflowers, prunella, daylilies, bearded iris, penstemon, sticky monkey flower, kangaroo paws!
Kathy Gilbert In Louisiana we love our caladiums, bachelor buttons, purslane, salvias, blue daze, and potato vine. Mariclare Schmeling I live in Colorado in “high desert” conditions…lots of hot, dry wind. Also, we are on water restrictions which mean we can only water twice a week. I have much success with native plants – Coneflower, Back-eyed Susan, many varieties of Hyssop, Coreopsis, Blanket Flower, and Russian Sage. These plants are carefree, colorful and bring much pleasure to the eye!
Susie Williams Coral Fountain plant and Lisianthus without a doubt. Just thinking about that today. Incense Passiflora does well too- Phoenix, AZ
Becky Capps Purslane. And Portulaca. Also Phoenix.
The Ruth Bancroft Garden Aeoniums! They were the first succulent Ruth ever bought, they’re beautiful year-round, and they like the wet winter/dry summer. (Check out The Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, CA, specializing in drought tolerant plants. ~~ Sue)

Flea Market Gardening: I really like all your suggestions,…it’s nice to know the tried and true. Maybe all this experience will help others wondering what to bet on plant-wise what to choose plants for next year. Please add more drought resistant performers to this list as you think of them ~~ Sue