Garden Experiments
For the love of gardening and wildlife habitat
For those of us who live in hot locations - or just have really hot summers - planting gardens that include heat-tolerant plants means we have more color in our garden for longer in the season. Find the best heat-tolerant plants for your garden.
As spring arrives, our garden has a carpet of low-growing, bright pink flowers that catch your eye. It’s a splash of bright color before the rest of our garden has awoken. It really is a sight to see. Blooming Time Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) blooms in late March through May. Flowers come in pink, lavender, magenta, purple, white, and …
Continue Reading about Creeping Phlox: Spring-blooming Ground Cover
Large, copper or brick-red colored flowers adorn the flower spikes of the copper iris (Iris fulva). Native to wetland areas, this unique plant thrives in wetter soils, making it an excellent addition to gardens with moist conditions. We planted this iris in our backyard in a spot with wet, clay soils. It has flourished, spreading and producing …
Continue Reading about Copper Iris (Iris fulva) – A Native Plant for Wetlands and Wildlife
Cooper’s ice plant (Delosperma cooperi) is a favorite of mine. Don’t let the name fool you – this hardy plant thrives in the dog days of summer. It’s perfect for adding bright color to dry, hot areas of your garden. You’ll recognize Cooper’s ice plant by its dozens of tiny, bright magenta, daisy-like flowers and fleshy leaves. The plant grows …
Continue Reading about How to Grow Cooper’s Ice Plant in Your Garden
Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is a perennial native plant that blooms from mid-summer to fall. The flowers on the bottom of its tall stalk bloom first, gradually opening to the top of the stem. It is also known as red cardinal plant or red cardinal flower. Colorful Plant for Moist Soils - How to Grow Cardinal Flower This native plant …
Continue Reading about Cardinal Flower Grows In Wet Soils & Attracts Hummingbirds
The slender, bright red, tubular flowers blooming at the ends of the coral honeysuckle vine (Lonicera sempervirens) will add a bright spot of color to your garden. The interior of the honeysuckle flowers is often yellow, making them stand out even more against the green leaves of this vine. Although the flowers of this vine don't have a strong …
Continue Reading about Coral Honeysuckle Vine: How to Grow This Native Vine for Hummingbirds
If you haven’t been introduced to this tiny plant with fuzzy little pink flowers, you are missing out. It might not be much to look at, but sensitive briar does something pretty amazing. It moves. By itself. No, really. Sensitive briar – Mimosa spp. There are several species in the genus Mimosa that share the common name sensitive briar or …
Continue Reading about This amazing native plant actually moves when you touch it
