For VZ

Here's something to get you going this morning...

Bougainvilleas are one of the best bloomers in our hot summers.

-Royal Purple is known to out bloom most

-Juanita Hatten was a grower in Louisiana and this one is named for her.

-Ixora will do well in full sun and bloom most of the summer. you can find varieties that bloom red, pink, yellow and orange.

-There are different varieties of Crotons that have different colored leaves and some with different sized leaves. But not all will take the summer heat.

-Splitleaf Philodendron will take full sun in the yard, but sometimes in a pot on the patio the temperatures get too hot for it.

-Xanadu Philodendron has smaller leaves but a lot more. It needs pretty much the same conditions as other philodendrons.

-Most succulents can take the summer heat and they look right at home in a container, but they don't wilt so don't forget to water them.

-Gray Santolina can take the heat and the Texas soil.

-Jerusalem Sage blooms in the spring and gets bigger each year.

-Powis Castle Artemisia also gets bigger each year and is evergreen.

-Hypericum or St. John's Wort a shade loving shrub that blooms in the summer and gets about 2' tall. It's not easy for growers to grow, so it might be hard to find.

-Pink Skullcap is mostly evergreen and blooms on and off most of the summer.

-Mexican Feather Grass will get about knee high and sways in the wind. No need to ever trim it.

-Coral Bells Heuchera is a perennial that is deer resistant and best grown in shade. There are a dozen varieties with a variety of bloom colors. The deer resistance will probably depend on your deer population and availability of native food sources.

-Variegated Japanese Sedge does great in the shade and will get about 12" tall. There are a new selection that gets 24" tall too, so you will have a choice.

-Turk's Cap is a native perennial that gets 3' tall and blooms all summer. It is a Texas native and food source of hummingbirds. It freezes to the ground in the winter and comes back in the spring. There are several varieties available including a pink bloomer and a giant one that gets over 6' tall.

-Viburnum suspensum is one of the best shrubs for shade and landscapes where deer are a problem.

-Variegated Flax Lily has sword shaped leaves that get about 15"-18" long.

-Holly Fern is my favorite evergreen fern for Texas .

-Autumn Sage is a Salvia that blooms best in full sun but also blooms in partial shade. You can find it with quite a few different flower colors.

-Prostrate Rosemary stays about 15"-18" tall and 2' wide.

-Stonecrop Sedum is one of the most deer resistant and it adds color to your landscape.

-Blue Plumbago blooms best in full sun but it does okay in some shade. And usually deer don't eat it.

-Acanthus mollis is a plant that gets bigger every year. Some hot dry summers it might lose half it's leaves but they will regrow n the fall.

-Giant Leopard Plant is another shade loving plant that doesn't like to be too dry but it is definitely a unique plant for your landscape.

There are a lot of new varieties of Esperanza avaialabile now. Below are

-Gold Star- one of the best repeat bloomers

-Bells of Fire- orange blooms

-Sparklette- grows 4' tall and has a red throat.

-Elaeagnus is a great shrub for a hedge where you have problems with deer. And it's drought resistant.

-Gray Santolina is low growing and also drought resistant.

-Society Garlic blooms all the time and nothing bothers it.

-Need a low growing rose. Try Drift Roses. They come in about 6 different colors and bloom from spring until first frost. This is Coral.

-PUrple skullcap is about as carefree is a plant gets.

-Mexican Bush Sager gets 4' tall and wide.

-Splitleaf Philodendron can take the drought and still look great.

-Prostrate Rosemary stays low and deer don't bother it.

-Firebush loves hot weather.

-Goldsturm Daisy is a variety of Blackeyed Susan that gets better every year.

-Foxtail Fern is easy and drought resistant.

-Pink Muhly Grass really puts on a show in the fall.

-Agapanthus blooms in the spring. You can find those with blue flowers or white.

-Blackfoot Daisy is a Hill Country native that blooms most of the summer.

-Purple Heart Wandering Jew is an old favorite becaus it's easy and dependable.

-Rock Rose is another Teas native that blooms most of the summer.

-Chocolate Chip Ajuga is only about 3'" tall and very tight growing. It does have short blue flower spikes in the spring.

-White Datura is a sprawling plant that blooms on and off in the summer.

-Zexmenia is a Texas native that blooms in the summer.

-Rock Rose or Pavonia is another native that blooms in the summer.

-Foxtail Fern is an asparagus variety that freezes back in the winter but return in the spring.

-Goldsturm Daisy is a great summer bloomer

-Pink Muhly blooms in the fall.

-Red Star Cordyline almost looks like a pineapple bu the leaves are very soft.

-Wooly Stemodia is a drought tolerant ground cover.

-Gregg's Mist Flower is the best plant to attract butterflies.

-Chocolate Chip Ajuga is a tight growing ground cover.

That's all for now. Let me know if you have questions.