Weekend Gardener: Keeping Color in Your Garden

This weekend, our garden expert Laura Stone from , has the following tips for getting the most color out of your garden all the way until the end of summer:

Some plants thrive as summer heats up. If your perennial beds lack color, try a few of these plants that flower through sweltering August afternoons. All are drought-tolerant once established.
 
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.) brightens the garden with cheery yellow blooms perfect for cutting. It's a good choice for a wildlife garden. Flowers beckon butterflies; seed heads are a goldfinch favorite.
 
Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) unfurls silvery foliage accented with lavender blooms. Plants are deer-resistant.
 
Threadleaf tickseed (Coreopsis verticillata) opens daisylike blooms in shades of yellow, white, or pink. Low-maintenance plants have fine foliage and open flowers steadily until frost.
 
Yarrow (Achillea) drought-resistant color in the summer garden. Look for flowers in many shades, from white, to red, to peach, to yellow.
 
Avoid watering during midday, when more water will evaporate than soak into soil.
 
It's not uncommon for plants to wilt on hot afternoons even though soil has adequate moisture. The wilting occurs because plants are losing water faster than their roots can absorb it. Leaves should revive by early evening, after the sun is no longer directly on leaves. If not, water deeply
 
Some shrubs need weekly deep watering now. Rhododendrons are beginning to form flower buds for next year's show, and adequate water is vital. Fruiting plants, such as hollies and firethorn, need water to ensure berries mature and don't drop.
 
Enjoy the Weekend!