Every garden has its own unique set of challenges to overcome, and we’re here to help! For many, the scorching sun and high temperatures can be a real struggle. But don’t fret! You can create a garden that requires less maintenance by choosing hardy plants that are well adapted to sunny gardens. Below is a list of 11 plants we recommend for sunny gardens.
Tarkaleaf (Caladium)
This plant is not only well tolerant, but also particularly likes the heat.
This means it is perfect for areas where the summer heat is particularly sweltering. Another unique feature is that, as well as growing in semi-shade or full shade, it can tolerate full sun just as easily.
If planted in a sunny spot, keep the soil evenly moist. Nearly 30 different varieties are available. 30-60 cm tall and the same width. Suitable for border planting, mass landscaping, balcony boxes, containers. Annual, except in frost-free zones where it can overwinter.
Egyptian starry bouquet (Pentas lanceolata)
This plant boasts extra large flower clusters. It thrives in high heat and high humidity, making it an ideal bedding and container plant for gardens that get a lot of sun. These plants are medium-sized varieties that are well suited to planting in the middle of beds. They are 45-55 cm tall and 40-60 cm wide. Their colourful flowers attract butterflies and bees. They come in four colours – red, pink, rose and lavender. An annual plant.
Buttercup (Scaevola aemula)
This plant, native to Australia, is extremely hardy. It likes warmth, doesn’t mind low humidity or drought, and doesn’t need a lot of plant space to flower. It has leathery leaves and fan-shaped flowers in shades of blue. It looks very pretty in window boxes. Pollinators are very fond of it, so it’s also a good plant to plant near insect hotels. Planted in masses, it makes a great bee-keeper and a fabulous addition to the landscape. Height 20-35 cm, width 45-60 cm. It is an annual plant.
Dog’s milk (Euphorbia)
Despite its delicate appearance, this is a very hardy plant, and it is also a reliable all-season performer with brilliant white flowers. It looks particularly beautiful in vertical containers and garden beds, but is also an excellent landscape plant. It easily survives heat, low humidity and drought. Height 30-45 cm, width 30-45 cm. Annual plant, except in particularly hot areas.
Dwarf sunflower (Yellow Helianthus)
Fabulous-looking dwarf sunflowers have a tall, neatly branched, bush-like shape that makes them perfect for the back of a bed, planted as annual shade plants, lined up along a fence or grown in large containers. The flowers are about 10 cm in diameter and you don’t need to cut off the dead heads to keep the blooms going from spring to frost.
You can make the bushy plants more shapely by removing the dead flowers if you wish, but the more you cut, the more flowers you will have. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies love these flowers. It makes a great bedding plant, but can also be planted in large containers on terraces. Height 60-90 cm, width 50-80 cm.
Sweet Caroline Ipomoea
Sweet Caroline’s brightly coloured leaves and lush form are stunning, and it thrives in containers with other plants without overpowering them. They also look good as ground cover and grow well in shady and sunny conditions.
Whether they are grown in the cooler north or in hot southern climates, you will notice that, unlike other varieties, they retain their colour excellently. Height: 15-40 cm, width 50-90 cm. They need a shady, sunny spot. Annual, except in very hot areas.
Lantana camara(Lantana camara)
The pedestrian rose blooms throughout the season without being cut back. This plant is perfect for those looking for low maintenance, heat and drought tolerant, long flowering, pollinator friendly, deer resistant flowers.
Luscious Royale Lemon Tart is a relatively compact variety with golden yellow flowers. Luscious Citron is a larger plant with softer yellow flowers. Perfect for adding a big splash of colour to the garden without having to use too many plants.
Luscious Basket Tangeglow is a unique golden yellow and orange flowering plant with a touch of red. It has a slightly horizontal growth habit, making it ideal for hanging baskets, beds, low maintenance gardens and street frontages. Height 50-76 cm, width 50-76 cm. It is an annual plant.
Salvia rockin
This large, bushy sage variety is very attractive to bees and butterflies. A vigorous, tall plant with long, large upper leaves in shades of blue, purple and violet. All Rockin sage tolerates heat well and can tolerate drought once sufficiently established.
They are excellent as bedding plants (centrally) but can also be an accent addition to terraces, planted in larger containers. Height 60-120 cm, width 60-76 cm. Annual plant, except in very hot regions.
Echinacea (birch)
A showy species with robust habit, large flowers that look very impressive in any sunny garden. It attracts pollinators and its seeds are natural bird food in autumn and winter. It is a late summer colour in the garden, but can also be a beautiful feature in large containers on the patio. Height 45-61 cm, width 40-50 cm. Annual but perennial in warmer regions.
Perennial Hibiscus
Although perennial hibiscus are relatively well known, they are still not very popular, although Summerific hibiscus, for example, is incredibly heat-tolerant and can survive even the most arid summers. The end of the unique, rare-flowering ten-foot-tall winter-hardy hibiscus.
This variety grows to 90-120 cm tall and produces huge, almost plate-sized flowers up to 20 cm across throughout the summer and into autumn. It is suitable for both hedging and ornamental use. Height 150 cm, width 120-150 cm. It is a perennial.
Rock ‘n grow Crowsfoot
This variety of crowflies grows taller and more spectacularly than other varieties of crowflies and flowers later in the summer until autumn. They are dense-growing, hardy plants that are loved by pollinators and in the autumn birds love to peck at their seeds.
The ‘Lemonjade’ variety produces lemon yellow flowers instead of the traditional pink and the ‘Coraljad’ produces coral flowers. ‘Back to Bladk’ produces almost black leaves and unique cream-coloured flowers with deep garnet-red centres. Any variety of crowfat is great for perennial gardens, rock gardens, pollinator friendly gardens. The plant is variable in height, usually 40-55 cm tall and 66-80 cm wide. It is a perennial.
