Garden Experiments
For the love of gardening and wildlife habitat
Hot, dry conditions require drought-tolerant plants. Find the best drought-tolerant plants for your garden.
Turk’s cap is a perennial, deciduous, shrub-like plant native to the Southeastern United States. It produces small (2-3 inch) red flowers that resemble a closed-up hibiscus. You may also find pink and white flowered cultivars of this plant. This plant is in the Malvaceae family; Turk's cap is also commonly known as wax mallow, Texas mallow, …
Continue Reading about Turk’s Cap – Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Zinnias are annual plants in the Asteraceae family that offer various heights, colors, and types of flowers. Zinnias are very easy to grow and require little maintenance but offer bright, showy flowers. They attract butterflies and make excellent cut flowers. They are also deer resistant Plant heights range from 6 inches to several feet …
Butterfly weed grows throughout most of the United States and parts of Canada. It attracts butterflies, bees, and other pollinators and is especially beneficial for monarchs whose larvae feed on the plant's leaves. It also provides a nice splash of bright orange color for your garden. This native plant is drought tolerant and deer resistant. …
Continue Reading about How to Grow Butterfly Weed – Asclepias tuberosa
Rudbeckia maxima, otherwise known as the giant coneflower, is in the Asteracea family. The flower resembles a brown-eyed Susan, but the petals hang down, and the center is much taller. This plant can grow up to 7 feet tall. Planted in a large group, it makes a nice visual impact. Other common names for this wildflower include cabbage …
Xeriscaping with Succulents and Cacti Creating rock gardens in places that receive little to no water in your yard can provide nice visual appeal with little maintenance. Many cacti and succulents are perennial and when they bloom, they add bright spots of color in your landscape. There are very large eaves on the house, meaning that there is …
Continue Reading about How to Create a Rock Garden for Low-Water Gardening
Philadelphia fleabane is a native wildflower in the sunflower family (Asteracea); it looks like a small feathery daisy or aster. Many may consider this flowering plant to be a weed, but it struck me as a nice addition to my yard. Although it’s not where I would like it to be at the moment, I will dig it up and transplant it. I have noted that …
Continue Reading about Philadelphia Fleabane – Erigeron philadelphicus
