National Gardening Day April 14th Time to dig in and reap all that Mother Nature has to offer in our gardens. I live in the Texas Hill Country with rocky soil and an abundance of whitetail deer. In years past my garden has offered a buffet for the deer in the neighborhood. Through trial and error, I have learned that “deer resistant” does not hold true when it gets hot. When everything is scorched by the August sun my plants are no longer safe. Here are a couple of my favorites from my garden.
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- Mexican Bush Sage or Salvia Leucantha: It is tough, hardy, drought resistant and has rich purple flowers that bloom from late summer to first frost. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.
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- Silver Falls or Dichondra Argentea: Herbaceous and evergreen perennial ground cover with soft fan shaped foliage. Very heat and drought tolerant. It is especially popular in hanging baskets because of its trailing foliage.
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- Lambs Ear or Stachys Lamiaceae: A soft white woolly leaf that thrives in full sun. Mine have really taken off this spring.
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- Blackfoot Daisy Melampodium Leucanthum: A tough little flower that blooms all summer. A beautiful plant
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- Rosemary or Rosmarinus officinalis: A beautiful upright fragrant evergreen herb. A good source of calcium, iron & vitamin B-6.
You can always add pops of color with annual flower varieties. Check out the Proven Winners website for varieties that do well in your part of the country. These are less expensive than perennials. I know they won’t last forever so I don’t feel as bad when the deer eat them right before fall.
I am branching out this year into container gardening. Here is something to check out if you are curious about container gardening. I love tomatoes and peppers. I have planted seven varieties of tomatoes, four pepper plants along with a couple of varieties of basil.
Are you trying anything new this year?
– Megan Baker
