September Gardening
Looking for some patriotic garden color to dress up your patio for the 4th of July? Civano Nursery has all of your reds, whites, and blues rooted and ready to go! Read on for some suggestions on what you can plant now to add some floral flair to your party this Independence Day.
(Learn which plants will be showing off their patriotic colors on the 4th of July.)
By far, the quickest and easiest way to add color right now is with summertime annuals, and there are plenty to choose from. If planted soon, mixed annual planters will be full and flowering by the 4th, and they’ll continue looking great until it’s time to replace them with winter annuals in fall.
Alyssum (pictured at the top of this post) – This low-growing annual can be found in white and multiple shades of purple (which can make a good substitute for blue in a pinch). It makes a perfect border around the edges of a planter or garden bed.
Bacopa – Trailing and low-growing annual with little solitary flowers all along the stems; available in shades of white and pale purple. Try this one in hanging baskets or tall planters to take advantage of its trailing habit.
Lobelia – Another trailing annual that looks great in borders, hanging baskets, or planters. Although this plant is more abundantly available in spring, it provides one of the truest blues for a patriotic planter.
(This annual is often available in darker blues and purples.)
Nierembergia – Even though this herbaceous perennial typically survives our winter temperatures, it’s often treated as an annual because it looks its best in spring and fall. Still, it’s a decent choice for a shady summer planter, and you can get them in white or purple.
Pentas – These starburst-shaped flowers in red or white look almost like tiny fireworks, so they’re an excellent choice for the 4th of July. Give this annual plenty of sun and cut back spent flowers to keep it blooming through the rest of the summer. Bonus feature: it attracts lots of butterflies.
(Pentas will flower like crazy through our summer heat, and butterflies are quite fond of them.)
Salvia – This group of plants is very popular here in the Sonoran Desert, and there are a whole lot of varieties to choose from. Grouped with the annuals, you’ll find a popular variety called ‘Lady in Red’ that gives a bright pop of red, as well as some blue flowering varieties that will continue looking great through the summer.
(Hummingbirds absolutely love salvia flowers.)
Vinca – Annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus) is a tough plant that gets about 6-12 inches tall and takes the sun and heat like no other. Available in a variety of reds, whites, and purples.
There are also some lovely perennials that you can pop into your patio planters for some easy holiday color. Here are a few of our favorite plants that can be planted now to give some color through the summer and into fall.
The Reds:
(Salvia greggii provides true and reliable reds through the summer, and attracts hummingbirds.)
(This ‘Hot Lips’ salvia has red flowers in the summer, and red flowers with white edges in Autumn.)
(Sometimes called firecracker bush, Hamelia patens will flower through summer and attract hummingbirds.)
(You can even add some reds with a red-spined cactus like this Fire Barrel.)
The Whites:
(Trailing white lantana will flower until temperatures get too cold, and butterflies love it, too.)
(Blackfood daisy is a low-growing, mounding perennial that flowers through fall.)
The Blues:
(This Mexican blue salvia has lovely silver foliage, so it provides some white and blue colors.)
(Cape plumbago also comes in white, but I’m a big fan of this ‘Imperial Blue’ that we grow at Civano. This perennial shrub is covered in flowers from spring through fall.)
(Passion flower can be planted through the summer, and its unique, quirky flower provides both blue and white colors.)
Did we leave one of your favorites off of the list? Feel free to tell us which plants you’d choose to display the best reds, whites, and blues in July!
