5 No Maintenance Summer Plants
Right now we are experiencing some pretty hot temps around North East Georgia, which is fairly typically for August, and unfortunately we have deficit in rainfall so most grasses, plants and flowers are looking rather blah and hot. But despite these summer conditions I put together a list of 5 no maintenance summer plants that seem to rise above the lack of rain and scourging temps to add a bit of color and greenery around Duke Manor Farm.
5 No Maintenance Summer Plants
Daylily
One plant that does extremely well and is seen frequently in most of my landscape beds around Duke Manor is the Day Lily. Daylilies are easy to grow and depending on the variety, can bloom from Spring until Fall. I have a few varieties in different colors. Some naturalize, meaning they will spread themselves and others I will divide and replant when they get too big. Daylillies are also adaptable to various soil conditions which is perfect when you have a whole lot of red Georgia clay around and don’t want to amend the soil.
Asparagus Fern
I know I have talked about my love for the Boston Fern which is a staple on my front porch. But another fern that does equally as well is the Asparagus Fern. Why it’s included in my 5 No Maintenance Summer Plants, is that the Asparagus fern does well in shade or sun. I have a few on my back patio that have looked amazing all summer despite the heat and periodic watering. In fact it grows so much, I will occasionally snip the ends and use in flower arrangements.
Knock Out Roses
We love Knock Out Roses around Duke Manor Farm and this year I decided to plant some in containers for the back patio. They add the perfect amount of color and height to the space. They continue to do well despite the hot temps and I water every couple of days when we don’t have any rainfall. Be sure to see my tips for growing them in containers here and here.
Eugenia and English Ivy
Two plants that never fail me or my front porch is my Eugenia and ivy. Year after year my Ivy continues to be front and center in containers on the front porch. For the last several year I have added the Eugenia topiary for added height. I clip the Eugenia every couple of weeks throughout the summer season. Granted there are in a shady spot on the front porch, these plants will do well in full sunlight as well.
These are 5 No Maintenance Summer Plants that have done well for me. I am interested in hearing what some of your favorite summer plants are.
grateful
for a great start to the new school year
Beautiful plants….your property is gorgeous Laura!….I am so envious of your daylilies!….The plant for the hot weather that I have luck with is Lantana….drought tolerant and the deer does not eat it!! Have a great day!!!
Hi Laura! I live in north Georgia too! My black eyed Susan’s are in bloom and are a bright spot in my garden.
I’ve never tried English ivy but yours is beautiful. I will give it a try. Your yard is beautiful!
the good ole black eyed susan. i should have added that to the list. Hope you are having a great week. stay cool!
Thanks for all the info on the plants very helpful. They are all so beautiful especially the knockout roses will have to get some for my patio .
thanks so much! so glad you stopped by
I enjoyed this post as well as your blog, always, Laura. I am a little envious of your day lilies because I love them, but we have deer, and they love them too! It is a constant battle! Thankfully we have no problem with any of your other suggestions. Thank you for taking the time to compile this. Your photography is always adds beauty to my day. Stay cool!
You have a lovely yard. I find where I live (Kansas) where we have an abundance of heat and clay soil, that my go to plants are knockout roses, day lilies, cannas, and four o’clocks. Even with our winters they seem to thrive. For container plants, I love Kim Queen ferns, Esperanza, and vinca.
thank you so much for your sweet comment. luckily my dogs seem to deter the deer away from lots of my landscape and garden. hope you are having a great summer.
sounds like some great choices Mary. I have never heard of 4 oclocks is it a flower?
Yes, four o’clocks are beautiful flowers that open up in the evening hours. Mine are a bright yellow and others are bright pink, and some are a mixture of pink and yellow. You plant a seed that is about the size of a pea and it produces a large tuber that looks like a sweet potato that you can dig if you are so inclined. They readily self sow and can get somewhat tall and and can take over. They don’t seem to mind the bad soil. Would love to send you a couple pictures if only I knew how. The other container flowers I use a lot, (couldn’t think of the name yesterday) is angelonia, they can take the heat too.
I live in NE GA. and my best plants this summer are the knockout roses, daylillies. hostas, and some limelight hydrangeas I planted last year. They get a good bit of sun, have doubled in size, and have incredible big, beautiful blooms despite the heat and only twice weekly watering….and barely amended clay soil! They are huge! Going to look for some little lime or bobos for some other areas….My endless summer hydrangeas are suffering in their shady areas despite water and care!
We had english ivy when we moved in….but all along the driveway, not in containers. It was full of leaves, weeds, and snakes, and was a task to eradicate! But its beautiful in pots! Than ks for the lovely pictures.
I have always wanted to get some limelight. They are so beautiful. do they only come in white?
They start out a soft green, then become creamy white. They should turn into pink tones in autumn, but this is my first year with them in bloom so havent seen it yet. Soil type doesnt affect the color but the more sun they get, the whiter the bloom seems to be. They do get huge, up to 8 feet and can be pruned as a small tree, or cut back late winter. Do try one, or its smaller versions. They are easy and beautiful.