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Flowers For Hot Weather – Useful Guide
Are you finally satisfied with the look of your garden? Well, have you considered what to do when hot weather comes? Will your effort go to the drain as your flowers slowly start to wilt on hot summer days?
It doesn’t have to be this way!
If you live in a hot climate, you need to choose flowers that are heat resistant.
The key is knowing what and when to plant. That’s why we made a list of the best plants for hot weather. We hope our suggestion will help you make the right decision.
How to grow heat-tolerant flowers?
Growing colorful flowers in a hot climate pose particular challenges. A lot of plants soar when the temperature goes up. While an occasional hot day or a hot week isn’t that bad, imagine living somewhere where temperatures reach extreme levels.
By the end of the day, your flowers will wilt and dry. Also, when you can’t expect respite from the heat at night, for instance, in hot and humid regions, the effects are even worse.
However, if you choose hot weather plants and flowers, you will have much more success in keeping your garden colourful during the summer. Some species are more tolerant than others, and you can use them as annuals when other plants stop flowering.
Can you protect your flowers from the heat?
While heat-resistant flowers don’t require some special protection, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Here are a couple of things you can do to protect your plants from high temperatures.
Add mulch
It’s essential to keep the plant’s roots cool, especially on hot summer days. For instance, you can spread an about 2-inch layer of mulch, which helps soil retain moisture and maintain an optimal temperature level. Be aware that dark mulch will absorb more heat while lighter one will help the soil stay cooler.
Water
If you have bedded annuals, make sure to add at least one inch of water per week. On the other hand, containers require more since they are above the ground and are more susceptible to winds. You can use a drip system if you have one for easy and consistent watering. Only water in the early morning.
Provide shade
If you add shade-producing shrubs, trees, and other structures to your landscape, you will lower down the surface temperatures and reduce heat in your yard. Did you know that shaded surfaces can be up to 45 degrees cooler than the exposed part of the yard?
The most common hot weather flowers
Angelonia
When we talk about heat and humidity, Angelonia is one of the first plants that come to our minds. Native to Mexico, this plant has evolved so much that it can take hot temperatures without feeling any damage.
Due to its vibrant colors and upright growth habit, Angelonia is great for almost every garden. This is an annual plant with red, pink, blue, lavender, purple, or white flowers.
Creeping zinnia
Creeping zinnia is one of many hot weather plants you can tuck in almost anywhere. These flowers can add sunny yellow colors at the edge of the border, or you can plant them in pots. Due to their low water needs and their trailing habits, they are quite resistant to heat.
This plant is tidy, so it might be great for containers. It produces vibrant yellow flowers which bloom from late spring through autumn.
French marigold
French marigold is a typical choice for hot gardens. They add perky and adorable color to your outdoor space, while small leaves and blooms prevent moisture loss in summer. You can either grow them from seeds or buy them flats; French marigolds are a classic.
This plant can produce white, apricot, red, yellow, or orange blooms. For example, you can plant apricot French marigolds and as the summer heats up, the blooms will change into yellow-pink, while in cooler temperatures, they become pink-plum.
Moss rose
Do you have hot, dry, and poor soil? Well, that’s not an issue for moss ross. These small bloomers will sprout everywhere, and you can even plant them in cracks between bricks. They are ideal for containers, and their fleshy leaves allow them to preserve moisture. Moss rose blooms from summer to autumn and has yellow, pink, orange, or red flowers.
Petunia
Last but not least on our list, petunia is a low-maintenance, beautiful, and fast-growing plant. It has small, hairy leaves that help this plant conserve water. It doesn’t matter where you plant them; this plant will happily bloom in hot weather.
Growing Different Daisy Plants In The Garden
Daisies are a popular choice for many gardens and for a reason. They are cheerful, bright, and easy to grow. However, the name “daisy” is much broader than you would think so, and there are so many options when it comes to picking the right type of daisy to grow.
Also, many of us associate daisies with childhood games when we used to pluck the petals from the flower while singing, loves me, loves me not. Nowadays, you can find more than 23,000 species and 1,500 genera of daisies.
While some resemble the classic daisies from our childhood, others come in different shapes and vibrant colors. Now, let’s explore daisy plants further and see how you can grow them.
Different types of daisies
The term “daisy” originates from the day’s eye. In general, plants called daisies open in the morning and close at night, which applies to all daisies.
Shasta daisy
The most common type is the Shasta daisy. This one has that classic look, long white petals, and a yellow center. This species has large flowers that bloom from summer to fall. Even though they are low-maintenance, Shasta daisies don’t like wet feet and sometimes will fail to appear after a soggy winter.
English daisy
English daisy has earned the reputation of being a weed, and it’s even considered invasive in some areas. When it comes to appearance, the English daisy features flowers with a yellow center and white rays. However, you can also find numerous cultivars with button and semi-double blooms, like Galaxy Red. English daisies prefer a warmer climate and demand full sun exposure.
Marguerite Daisy
Also known as cobbitty daisies, Marguerite daisies feature demure, pink, and yellow color choices. They grow in warmer zones, and they are annuals, which means you have to replant them every year. Marguerite Daisies are at their best during spring and fall when temperatures are below 75 degrees.
Gerbera daisy
2013 was named the year of the Gerbera due to its pleasing shape and remarkable colors. Compared to other types, this South African native has tender petals, limiting them only to a warmer climate. However, you can grow them in containers, and they can make beautiful cut flowers as well.
How to plant and grow daisies?
If you want to grow different types of daisies, you will need to know the basic differences between them. First of all, keep in mind that some daisy plants are annuals, living only one season, while others are perennials, living more than one season.
For instance, if you decide to plant marguerite daisy, be aware that this is an annual plant, which means it will be alive only for one season. However, you get to enjoy stunning flowers in white, bright pink, and yellow color all year round.
However, when it comes to Osteospermum, they are perennial daisies with lavender-blue petals and a darker center. Another thing to consider when growing daisies is your climate. For example, some plants only grow in a warmer climate, while others can stand slightly colder weather.
More or less, all daisies flowers are planted in the early spring. You can grow them from seeds or buy already formed plants. So, when planting your flowers, make sure to choose a sunny site with well-drained soil, which is rich in organic matter.
On the other hand, potted plants should be planted with the crown above the soil. We should mention that all daisies love the sun and don’t behave well in the shade, which eventually affects their flowering.
How And When To Pick Cut Flowers?
The majority of gardeners enjoy growing flowers for the beauty they bring to their outdoor space. However, we also love to cut flowers and get them inside. Nothing can make your indoors more beautiful than a vase of freshly cut flowers.
But, if you think that harvesting flowers is just taking your gardening scissor and snapping the blooms, you couldn’t be more wrong. Flowers are living things and demand proper care and attention. And if you manage to arrange your own cut flowers and provide the necessary conditions, you will have much success in the harvesting process.
Having this knowledge will ensure you select the flowers at their best and have them last the longest.
Now, let’s learn how to pick flowers!
When to pick cut flowers?
Even if you don’t know anything about flowers, you could guess that cutting flowers is best early in the morning. The flowers had enough time to rest during the night and haven’t been exposed to daily warmth. This that case, when you cut the flower, the plant won’t suffer a shock.
But, if you aren’t unable to cut your flowers in the morning, cut them in the evening, as they won’t sag under the sun’s heat. The absolutely worst time of the day to cut your flowers is midday. They have a small amount of water during that time and won’t last long in your vase.
Make sure to cut the flowers that are just coming to full bloom. If you pick them before this, they might be too immature and won’t open their buds. On the other hand, if flowers are picked into full bloom or at the end of the blooming period, they will quickly fade away. Also, older blooms tend to drop pollen and leaves everywhere, creating a mess.
But, how can you know whether a bloom is old or not? Well, it’s quite easy! Blooms that contain a lot of pollen are not good for cutting and should be skipped. The exception to this rule is tree blossoms and daffodils.
How to harvest cut flowers?
The first step would be to get proper tools. For instance, you need a clean pair of garden shears and a bucket to place your cuts. In this case, you will ensure that your blooms stay protected and prevent any bacteria from entering the stem. At the same time, you will prolong the vase life of your flowers.
Even though some types of plants have special requirements, most need a bucket filled with cold water. To learn how to cut flowers, you need to know the optimal blooming stage of your plant. While you should pick some flowers early, others need more time to open in the garden.
Therefore, knowing when to pick will primarily vary from one plant to another. As we explained earlier, the best way to cut flower garden is when the temperatures are cool, usually early morning, alternatively late night. If you want to cut the stem properly, make sure to make a 45-degree angle cut at the designed stem length.
After cutting the bloom, place it directly into a bucket filled with cold water. Additionally, remove all leaves that are under the water level of the bucket. Some farmers suggest that you should fill another bucket with clean, warm water and transfer your blooms there to preserve it. This will help flowers draw more water and rehydrate. After a couple of hours, you can place blooms into vases or make flower arrangements.
Requirements for specific flowers
To give you a broader picture, we’ve selected a couple of common garden varieties and their best picking time:
- Daffodils – while the bud is tight.
- Marguerites, dahlias, and daisies – when coming into full bloom, if you notice too much pollen, you have missed the cutting time.
- Delphiniums, foxgloves, and lupins – when blooms are fully open, and upper-level buds are yet to open.
- Poppies – when blooms have just burst open.
- Peonies – when the petal starts to unfurl.
- Chrysanthemums -when buds are fully open.
As you can see, there is no exact time whether one flower should be harvested or not. It mostly depends on the type; however, it’s important to notice the first sights of blooming and then decide when to cut your flowers. We hope these tips helped you learn how to cut flowers from your garden.
Tips for Decorating with Houseplants
Decorating your home with houseplants has all kinds of benefits. While they produce extra oxygen, houseplants are great for minimizing stress or even increasing your productivity levels throughout the day.
If you don’t have green fingers, we suggest you start slowly, with just a couple of plants on side tables in your home, and then gradually increase the number of plants. Regardless of how you want to do it, decorating with houseplants brings freshness to your space, adds purpose to your life, and ensures you have a mini garden to tend all year around.
Now, let’s see how houseplant décor can change the look of your house.
Start from the light
Don’t forget that houseplants are living things, so our first piece of advice would be to start from the light. Some plants need more or less light exposure. Therefore, it’s necessary to know the plant you are growing and how much light it requires.
Also, make sure to inspect your home and divide it into zones. For instance, you can have low light, medium light, indirect light, bright, and direct sunlight zones. Rooms facing east-facing windows will receive most of the light, while west-facing windows will have the least amount of light.
Evaluate your space
So, after you have identified the available light, it’s time to map how much space you actually have for houseplants. For instance, do you have enough room on the windowsill for a plant? Is your floor space big enough for larger plants? Can you hang some from the ceiling?
Make sure to create a list of plants that will work best for each light zone. In this case, you will avoid purchasing plants that don’t fit in your space.
Select different sizes
Decorating with plants should be easy enough, right? While this is an interesting process, it still demands a bit of your time. However, if you want to avoid making mistakes, then make sure to group together plants with different heights and widths.
This difference in size provides a more organic look than houseplants of the same size, which can appear uniform and slightly bland. Also, don’t forget about different leaf shapes and growth types. For instance, you can combine a fountain-like plant dracaena with photos and a fiddle-leaf fig tree to form an interesting and harmonious arrangement.
Decorate sunroom
If you have a blank space on the wall, make sure to add a mirror. It will reflect the light and create an impression that you have more plants. When your plants get too big, be prepared to downsize them. Usually, cutting the prunes will get them back into their original shape.
It’s crucial to find a balance. This means you shouldn’t pack your room with houseplants; otherwise, it will look untidy and chaotic. Place a couple of containers on a coffee table, maybe two or three of them on a window seat, and match this number with containers that hang from your walls.
Decorate bathroom
A bathroom is a synonym for a dark and humid place, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a couple of houseplants there. In fact, they significantly enrich this space and provide a new dimension. Considering baths usually have one small, north-facing window, they don’t receive much sunlight.
Therefore, there are a couple of ways to fix this problem. First of all, you can install some grow lights or use sheer window treatments. However, you need to keep bathroom space private, so you will have to install opaque shades after all. In that case, growing light is your best option.
Make sure to place plants as close to the window as possible. Also, choose plants that thrive in a humid environment. For instance, you can place one house plant on top of the cabinet, while the other can go on one of your shelves. Some of the common bathroom plants are Maranta leuconeura, Asplenium nidus, and Calathea spp.
Decorate north-facing nook
Considering privacy isn’t an issue, a sheer curtain or a shade that lets more light in will completely fit a north-facing window. To decorate this space, you can use houseplants like Chinese evergreen or even hang a couple of pots on the walls to take advantage of available light.
On the other hand, you could add a small shelf or plant stand under the window and place a couple of pots there if you don’t have a window sill. In case you have a sill, place a couple of small pots there. You can use houseplants like the ZZ plant or snake plant, which tolerate dim light quite well.
Also, here are a couple of more suggestions you can use for a north-facing nook: Epipremnum aureum, Aglaonema spp., or Zamioculcas zamiifolia. They are all an excellent choice. Using plants in home décor is one of the best decisions you could have ever made.
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