The Best For Summer Heat And Drought
June 11, 2008 
Boy, what a hot, dry mess 2007 brought to the Southeastern United States. The worst drought in 100 years strangled this area of the country, bringing landscapers, retailers and gardeners to their knees. North Georgia was one of the hardest hit areas; in Athens this summer the rain spout turned off around the first of July, and did not turn on again until November. Every day in August was above 90ËšF with 14 of those days exceeding 100ËšF. The drought was so severe, that dire predictions of running out of drinking water were broadcast every day. Gardeners were not allowed to water, at all. It was hot, it was dry, but mostly it was depressing.
If stories of Mother Nature taking vengeance on Mother Earth seem familiar, it is because they are. All that changes is the location and the form of onslaught. However, ornamental horticulture has not been around for all these hundreds of years without being resilient. We will rebound again and find a way to put these disasters behind us. We also will learn from our mistakes and lean more heavily on plants that are tested by nature. Here are some of the plants we felt were the best in the summer of 2007, not bullet-proof, but tougher than average. We call them our:
Classic City Awards 2007
Lantana ‘Landmark Sunrise Rose,’ Ball FloraPlant: Many lantanas tend to fluctuate between profuse flowering to sparse flowering. ‘Landmark Sunrise Rose’ was an exciting exception. Every week, this cultivar was completely covered in bright rose clusters of blooms. The heat had no affect on these plants or on the color intensity of its bloom. This is truly a great lantana.
Osteospermum ‘Crescendo Primrose,’ Paul Ecke Ranch: The osteos were planted in our brutally scorching parking lot flower bed again this year and many cultivars thrived. ‘Crescendo Primrose’ from Paul Ecke Ranch was outstanding for the entire summer. The plants were constantly covered in primrose yellow blooms while its neighbors were still generating foliage with very few flowers. I am excited.
Ivy Geranium ‘Caliente Coral,’ Goldfisch: The Caliente series of ivy geraniums has continuously performed well for us in Georgia. This year, the Classic City prize is awarded to ‘Caliente Coral’ from Goldfisch. This ivy geranium produced so many flowers that it looked a large coral red sun in the hanging basket. Heat was no deterrent for this plant as it bloomed and bloomed through all extreme conditions it received.
Petunia ‘Sweet Surprise Soft Pink Morning,’ Dömmen: ‘Sweet Surprise Soft Pink Morning’ grew in our “cement parking lot oven bed” with the osteos where it poured over the bed edges. This cultivar produced endless pink-rimmed, white throat blooms for months on end. We always trim the petunias in mid summer to prolong their lives and ‘Sweet Surprise Soft Pink Morning’ responded well to the trim. Within two weeks, this petunia was once again engulfed by lovely blossoms.
Scaevola ‘Cajun Blue,’ Athens Select: How could we go wrong with a name like ‘Cajun Blue?’ This scaevola was amazing as the sun taunted it and the heat tried to bake it. ‘Cajun Blue’ filled in its container quickly and was covered in dark blue fan-like flowers with white palms in no time. Clusters of these blooms burst from every node and continued to do so all summer. All the Athens Select plants took the heat and drought well, and ‘Cajun Blue’ is truly a robust plant.
Vinca ‘Titan Pure White,’ PanAmerican Seed: So many vincas, so much improvement. This vinca remained disease free all summer, no easy feat given the extremes we encountered. ‘Titan Pure White’ from PanAmerican Seed was one of the vincas that was surpassed all others. The plants were sturdy while being covered by numerous flowers. The flowers were a clean white with a small yellow eye and were abundant for months.
Salvia ‘Mystic Blue Spires,’ Ball FloraPlant: Mystic Blue Spires’ is a wonderful addition to any garden. It grows to 3 to 4 feet tall but it remains upright despite weather conditions. Long spikes of dark blue flowers popped up all over the plant and continued to do so through the heat of our summer. The plants were cut back in late July and within weeks, they were once again covered with fresh new dark blue spikes. ‘Mystic Blue Spires’ required no maintenance which is always a bonus. Perennial, Zone 6.
Coreopsis ‘Sweet Dreams,’ Blooms of Bressingham: This coreopsis obviously did not get the memo that this type does not traditionally grow well in our climate. Every single week, these plants were full of quarter-sized white blooms with magenta rim around the center. We kept expecting this plant to poop out by July, but we were amazed to see its endurance. Well into October, this coreopsis was still producing numerous blooms. Perennial, Zone 5.
Euphorbia ‘Blackbird,’ Skagit Gardens: ‘Blackbird’ is an extraordinary euphorbia for our climate. Its dark foliage is striking and is maintained throughout extreme heat. The flowers begin as compact clusters, but by the end of summer, the blooms explode into what appear to be fireworks. ‘Blackbird’ performed beautifully for the entire year and is well deserving of our highest honors. Perennial, Zone 6.
Many thanks to Meg Green, whose love of the garden got it through this difficult year.
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