Focus on Flowers

The common sunflower goes by the botanical name of Helianthus annus. Extensive breeding has resulted in a great number of cultivars with yellow, orange, red, cream, white, and bi-color blooms, in many different sizes and flower shapes. 
The plants can grow 3-10 feet tall and so some need support. They are not temperamental plants, and most are native to Northern Mexico, Canada, and the United States. They are deer resistant and easy to grow and the seeds can be harvested for sowing in subsequent years. Plants are both annual and perennial, but all must have full sun and well-drained soil. 
Since their heads are mostly heavy, they prefer a sheltered location or un-staked plants can be easily blown over. Plant seeds 1 inch deep and 12-18 inches apart if they are annuals. Perennial varieties spread by rhizomes so need to be spaced 2-3 feet apart. Fertilizing at planting time helps the roots grow strong, which protects the plants from blowing over. 
Some gardeners plant annual sunflowers at two-week intervals from spring to early summer to ensure a succession of blooms. Mulch well to retain moisture and deter weeds. Do not fertilize much, because if the heads get too big, they are likely to break their stems. Divide perennial plants every three years. 
Since there are over 70 species, there are many types to choose from and experiment with.
“Heli” means sun and “anthus” means flower.

Many annuals need to be deadheaded to keep blooming all season. While snipping off the spent blossoms can hardly be described as hard work, it is easier not to have to remember to do this chore. For that reason, many of us try to buy annuals that do not need deadheading in order to re-bloom all season long and right into fall. 
One such plant is lantana, which is great in regions with cold winters where it can’t winter over and so doesn’t get aggressive. While I would never grow it in my native Australia where it is a terrible invasive, I do plant it in the Midwest garden where the deer leave it severely alone. Once established it flourishes with no help from me. 
I also love angelonias. The tall ones make good cut flowers and the shorter ones look pretty anywhere in the garden or in pots, and they also are deer resistant. They grow in full or part sun and come in pinks, whites, blues, and purples. 
And, how would we manage nowadays without begonias? They come with both green and dark-colored leaves, like both sun and shade, and are perfect in pots, boxes, hanging baskets, and beds, and stand up well in hot weather with less water than many annuals. My favorite is Dragon’s Wing Begonia, but most available varieties perform beautifully and require minimal attention.
I also love the dark red coleus ‘Redhead’ for pots, and cuttings root easily in water, so one can have a great many. Any kind of coleus, as well as any annual salvia, is trouble-free and require no daily deadheading.

William Shakespeare included so many botanical references in his plays that there are about 175 mentions of flowers, fruits, grains, grasses, seeds, weeds, trees, spices, herbs, and vegetables in his works. 
There are also lots of comments about how to care for various items so he must have been knowledgeable in this area. Here are just a few examples you may recognize. 
Acorns, Garlic, and Figs
As You Like It:
Celia says, “I found him under a tree, like a dropped acorn.” 
A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
Puck says, “All their elves for fear, creep into acorn-cups and hide them there.”
Bottom advises, “Most dear actors, eat no onions or garlicke, for we are to utter sweet breath.” 
Titania suggests, “Feed him with apricots and dew berries, with purple grapes, green figs and mulberries.” 
Roses
Henry VI:
Somerset says, “Here in my scabbard meditating, that shall dye your white roses in a bloody red.” 
Violets
Hamlet:
Ophelia says, “I would give you some violets but they withered when my father died.”
A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream:
Oberon notes, “Where oxslips and the nodding violet grows…”
The Tragedie of Cymbeline: 
Queen Cymbeline mentions, “The violets, cowslips and the primroses...”
 
[Reference: Botanical Shakespeare by Gerit Quealy, illustrated by Sumie Hasegawa-Collins, (Harper Collins, 2017)]

I don’t have a watering system, so I get tired of watering when there are long periods of hot, dry summer weather. Here in the Midwest when it is over 90F, potted plants need watering twice a day and beds on slopes do too. It is a chore that makes me wish I had more drought tolerant plantings. 
A drought tolerant landscape does not mean zero watering, but it requires plants that can tolerate low amounts of water, even in extreme heat. Xeriscape plantings (“Xero” is the Greek root meaning dry) still need some watering during extended dry periods, but less than other plantings. 
While plants are getting established, they need deep watering to ensure good root growth. This is essential if you have sloping beds, as I do, and hillside plantings where water runs off. 
Sedums, lavenders, euphorbias, yuccas, yarrows, alliums, lilyturfs, salvias, oenotheras, santolinas, lobelias, gauras, coneflowers, and coreopsis are not big drinkers. Remember, too, that small plants need less water than tall plants, so grow lower varieties or keep plants pruned back when it is hot. Afternoon shade is also helpful.

There are over 200 species of hibiscus, and they are beloved because of their big showy flowers and green, clean-looking foliage. They fall into three different major categories: tropical, perennial and hardy. 
The tropical hibiscus is native to Hawaii and comes in beautiful colors, and we often see them in photos tucked behind the ear of a beautiful model. 
The perennial varieties go dormant in winter and come back the following spring, but they often do not survive cold snaps.
Hardy hibiscus come just in three colors—white, pink and maroon—and can be grown from seeds. Their blooms are large and showy and grow on small shrubs about 3-4 feet tall. A popular one in Midwest gardens is 'Blue Bird' and it is as lovely as its name. 
Rose of Sharon shrubs that grow up to 15 feet tall are old-fashioned members of the Hibiscus family, too, and they reliably bloom in late summer/early fall, year after year, in purple, white, and violet shades. 
While the older varieties self-seed everywhere, modern ones do not. So, try 'Cherry Cheesecake' with pink flowers with maroon centers, which grows 4-5 feet in full sun and also part shade. But before you buy any hibiscus, check to be sure it is hardy in your zone.