Some survived, some did not. The heat took its toll on my plants this summer. I tried to save them all, but water just wasn’t enough. Too many weeks of 100 degree temperatures was just too much for the purple and pink petunias in the mailbox planters. I finally gave in this weekend, pronounced them dead, and replaced them with some golden lantana.
I have learned this summer that lantana can take the direct heat much better than petunias.
Lantana continues to grow and bloom even in the hottest weather.
I do have petunias on my porch that have some shade part of the day, and they are in the survivors group. All the other petunias I had around the yard have shriveled in the heat.
The porch has also protected my sago palm. It is flourishing even in this unrelenting heat.
I can’t exactly describe my lemon tree as flourishing, but it is still growing new leaves. I’m very proud of its progress, considering it looked like a sad switch when I took it out of that shipping box in June.
My blueberries look great. The heat has not seemed to damage them.
I’m growing the blueberries in containers on my patio. I’m wondering if they would be happier if I transplanted them to the flower beds now that they are getting larger.
All the day lilies have been very hardy in the heat this summer too. These baby lilies survived the rabbit snacking on them earlier this summer and then the extreme temperatures. I think I’ll plant more day lilies next year.
And I’m so happy that the hydrangea survived. Not only did it thrive in the heat, it’s still blooming.
The drought and heat have been a challenge this summer to my gardening, but next spring I’ll try it again.
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