Plants that Thrive in the Summer Sun

The secret to a beautiful garden is planting things that will bloom at different times of year. Many of the flowers that were beautiful in the spring won’t continue to thrive under the summer heat. However, there are several plants that do well in summer sun and can make your garden stunning throughout the summer months.

• Lavender: A reliable full-sun herb, lavender is actually part of the mint family. It’s not picky and can grow just about anywhere, as long as it has good sun and proper drainage. Throughout the heat of summer, you’ll get to enjoy its beautiful, rich color and relaxing fragrance.
• Sedum: One of your garden’s hardest workers, sedum looks great as ground cover, in containers, or in borders. It’s drought-tolerant and adapts well to many different conditions. Just as everything else stops blooming, sedum steps up to its full glory, bringing vibrant fall foliage as a spectacular finale for the summer.
• Bottlebrush: These perennials are popular in desert areas because they’re fairly drought-resistant. They’re Australia natives that love full sun and thrive in moist, well-draining soil. The dwarf varieties can make for a beautiful, low, shrub, while the largest varieties can reach tall as about 15 feet.
• Hibiscus: This tropical show-stopper produces big, gorgeous blossoms in a wide variety of colors that includes red, pink, orange, yellow, purple, white, and green. It’s native to warm-temperate, tropical, and subtropical regions, and thrives in full sun and humidity. Make sure to give it plenty of space to grow and tons of water to help it flourish.
• Penstemon: Also known as beardtongue, this perennial features foliage with a burgundy tint and tubular flowers of red, pink, or purple. Some varieties are self-sowing, so you can expect more in the future. Best of all, they attract hummingbirds and bees.
• Lantana: It used to be regarded as a weed, and that could be because it’s so tough and prolific. A native of tropical climes, lantana likes full sun and moist, well-drained soil. It’s very forgiving, will tolerate drought and heat well, attracts pollinators, and repels mosquitos. As if that weren’t enough to recommended it, it also comes in a wide range of colors, so you can take your pick of red, yellow, orange, pink, purple or white.

If you’re looking for the perfect plants for your garden, head to Moon Valley Nurseries. Moon Valley Nurseries started as a small neighborhood nursery, and now has locations all across the West. We deliver and plant anything in our massive inventory, and because we grow our plants ourselves, we can give our customers the lowest prices in town, guaranteed. Contact us through our website, call us at (602) 388-1529, or stop by to check out all we have to offer.