So Many Bloomin' Things To Do

These warm spring days are really great for gardening. Our plants are in high gear during this transition from winter to summer in the south. Cool-season plants love it because it is not too hot, but it's warm enough for warm-season plants to really take off. This makes for our busiest season.

Before planting it's important to remember a plant's preferred exposure to the sun. When the blasting heat of summer arrives in the south, shade lovers (and heat haters) will melt if not given a break from the sun. Likewise sun lovers refuse to bloom up a storm when tucked away from their place in the limelight!

We've been planting flowers for cutting all week in our garden. Another succession planting of gladiolus and a sowing of tall zinnias went in to keep their flowers coming this summer. I really enjoy growing cut flowers in our garden. With a broad mix of species, there is always something to bring in and put on the table. When we go over to friends for dinner, a take-along bouquet is a welcome surprise.

Each season I love to experiment with lots of new varieties. That's just part of the fun of gardening. However, I also always hedge my bet with some "old faithfuls", those proven plants that I know won't let me down. That way, if some things don't make it I still have a good-looking garden.

That's why in our new garden beds we included old favorites such as Firebush (Hamelia patens), Esperanza (Tecoma stans), a few perennial hibiscus, and some Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia leucantha). These are but a few of those tough performers that will carry us through no matter how hot the summer gets here.

Hope you are enjoying this great spring season in your garden.