plants that beat the drought

Written on August 4, 2011 at 11:36 am , by Denny Schrock

This combination of prickly pear (Opuntia) cactus, horned poppy (Glaucium flavum), and hummingbird mint (Agastache cana) is looking good despite the heat and lack of moisture.

Earlier this week while making the rounds in the yard, I noticed how many plants were showing moisture stress. It’s not surprising. After one of the warmest Julys on record, and just an inch and a half of rain in the last six weeks, only the toughest perennials could be expected to be perky in these drought conditions.

Plants must be tough to survive in my yard. I don’t water, except during the establishment year. (That may soon change. I intend to set up some rain barrels, and use my new RainPerfect solar powered rain barrel pump to water some of the more sensitive perennials. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the rain barrels in place before the rains dried up.) But for now, I rely on natural rainfall and mulch to keep the perennials happy during dry periods.

The airy bubblegum-scented foliage of hummingbird mint is a perfect complement to its tubular lavender-purple flowers which, as it’s name suggest’s, attracts hummingbirds, as well as other pollinators. It can grow up to four feet tall. If that’s too large for your yard, consider ‘Purple Pygmy’, a dwarf version that remains under three feet in height.

The combination of hummingbird mint, horned poppy, and prickly pear provides a long season of color. The prickly pear starts the season with bright pink flowers (see below), closely followed by golden blooms on the horned poppy. The “horned” part of the name comes from the long, curved seed pods that develop after blooms fade. I deadhead the seed stalks to expose the deeply fringed silvery foliage, which looks great all summer. If you prefer, you can allow the seed pods to ripen and self-sow.

Pink prickly pear blooms

Deep yellow horned poppy bloom

Purple Pygmy hummingbird mint

summer’s humming right along

Written on August 13, 2010 at 3:42 pm , by Jane McKeon

Summer ends in a whir of wings in my yard. While some gardens are winding down for the season, mine is revving up with late-season flowers that cater to the sweet appetites of Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. Perennials such as hyssop (Agastache), butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii), and cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), join the 24/7 dessert buffet provided by long-blooming annuals, including begonia, lantana, cardinal climber, Pentas, petunia, salvia, and zinnia.

Where have these thumb-size iridescent cuties been all summer? No doubt they’ve been noshing on native blooms and bugs in fields near my home. Just this week, though, I spotted a female hummer hovering in front of my kitchen window as if to say, “Hey, you! Didn’t you have a feeder hanging in this very spot last year?” It’s true: Hummingbirds have amazing memories. They return to the same nectar-rich gardens each year.

August and September bloomers are especially important to the Ruby-Throated (the only hummingbird species that resides east of the Rockies) because they fuel a marathon migration to Mexico and Central America that begins a few weeks from now. The males leave first, followed by the females and offspring. Hummers double their weight for the 2,000-mile trip, taking time to top their tanks in gardens that also serve sugar water, the avian equivalent of an energy drink.

After spotting my first dazzling diner, I wasted no time filling my collection of hummingbird feeders and hanging them within view of every room of my house. One of my favorites is a window-mounted model available at Wild Birds Unlimited. It adheres to glass with suction cups, awarding closeup views. You can purchase packaged instant nectar, but I prefer mixing up small homemade batches made from 4 parts water (boiled, then cooled) to 1 part sugar. Contrary to popular belief, the solution need not be tinted with red food coloring. I clean feeders every few days and refill with fresh sugar water.

By Labor Day, most Rubies will be gone. In the meantime, I’m going to relish these final days of summer, the sweetest season of all.