Discover the best summer flowers to grow in your garden for colorful blooms, including 45 varieties from dahlias to hydrangeas, sunflowers, and more. Choose from annuals, perennials, bulbs, and shrubs to transform your garden into a dreamy space. Learn how to grow perennial flowers that bloom all summer, including summer flower images and growing tips.
Over 70 different types of sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are stunners in the summer garden, with pollen-free hybrids producing large flowerheads in a range of colors including white, red, yellow, and pink. Beautify your garden with the best summer flowers that will bloom all season long, including annuals and perennials alike.
Some easy-to-grow summer flowers include Delphiniums, Coreopsis Globe, Amaranth, Lantana Morning Glories, Portulaca Alliums, Calibrachoa Sweet Alyssum, Lantana Canna Lily, Portulaca Salvia, Caladium, Hardy geraniums, Erigeron Abutilons, Campanulas, Iberis sempervirens Potentilla Sweet peas, Reblooming perennials like daylilies, lilacs, and iris, and perennials like marigolds, black-eyed Susans, aster, Lantana, and blanket flowers.
Pay particular attention to hydrangeas, marigolds, geraniums, gardenias, petunias, and petite knockout roses. Consider varieties like the sunflower, black-eyed Susan, and Shasta daisy, as well as low maintenance plants like lavender and coneflowers.
📹 😍 Top 10 Low-Maintenance Perennial Flowers ANYONE Can Grow! – Beginner-Friendly 🌼💪
Welcome to PlantDo Home & Garden! Are you new to gardening or looking to add some hassle-free beauty to your outdoor space …
What is the best plant for hot weather?
For a late summer garden, it is recommended that the following plants be considered for planting: Bidens, Calibrachoa, Cuphea, Dahlia, Dipladenia, Dusty Miller, Euphorbia, and Gaillardia (blanket flower).
What flowers are good for garden beds?
Raised garden beds are ideal for showcasing annual flowers, which require little maintenance and provide a burst of color throughout the growing season. Popular annual flowers include marigolds, petunias, snapdragons, pansies, and impatiens. These flowers are also suitable for starting a cut flower garden with zinnias, cosmos, larkspur, bachelor buttons, and dahlias. Perennials, such as daylilies, daisies, coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, hostas, and lavender, require two or more years to establish themselves before they bloom fully in spring. Bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils, crocuses, and alliums, can be planted in the fall when temperatures cool off, providing a year-round display without the need for replanting.
What is the lowest maintenance flower?
The top 10 low maintenance perennials include Hardy Hibiscus, Perennial Geranium, Hosta, Ferns, Catmint, Coreopsis, Black-eyed Susan, Sedum, and Shasta Daisies. These plants are easy to grow, with large white blooms lasting until early fall. They prefer well-drained soil and can be adapted to different heights. Shasta Daisies are classic perennials with large white blooms that last until early fall. Coneflower is a mid-summer bloomer with various varieties in various colors and is deer resistant and attracts butterflies. These plants can be planted in full sun and make gardening easier.
What plants are best grown in summer?
This text provides a list of fruits and vegetables, including beans, beetroot, broccoli, cabbage, carrot cauliflower, celery, chicory, chili, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, eggplant, endive, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, okra, parsnip, potato, radish, rhubarb shallots, silver beet, spring onion, sweet corn, sweet potato, and zucchini. It also mentions fruits and vegetables like apples, apricots, avocadoes, blackberries, blueberries, honeydew melons, loquats, oranges, peaches, plums, raspberries, rhubarb, watermelon, Asian greens, beans, beets, carrots, corn, garlic, leeks, lettuce, spring onions, parsnip, potato, and spinach.
What is the easiest plant to grow in full sun?
The top 10 low-maintenance plants for full sun include hydrangea, Holly, Bloomerang® lilac, Bluestar, Russian sage, Stonecrop, Milkweed, and Ornamental Grasses. Shrubs are ideal for gardens as they provide structure, presence, flowers, and fall color. They require minimal pruning and only require a once-a-year tidying.
Virginia sweetspire is a deer-resistant plant that tolerates various soil conditions, making it an ideal choice for rain gardens. Its mounding habit and arching branches reach 6-8 feet tall. Smaller cultivars like ‘Little Henry’ and ‘Scentlandia’ are available at 3-4 feet tall. They bear cream-colored, cylindrical, slightly fragrant flowers for weeks in late spring through early summer, providing nectar for pollinators and seeds for songbirds.
Viburnums are people-pleasers with a variety of sizes to fit every garden in every hardiness zone. They flower beautifully in spring, take almost zero maintenance once established, and deer often walk right by them. Korean spice viburnums have the most intoxicating fragrance, while linden viburnums are a smorgasbord for birds with bright red berries each fall. All viburnums flower best in full sun but can take some shade and are not fussy about soil.
What flowers bloom the longest in the summer?
Petunias are the best plants that thrive throughout the growing season, from spring to winter. They are versatile and can produce flowers throughout the year, including the popular “Purple Wave” hybrid petunia, which can be produced in various colors such as pink, blue, red, or creamy white.
Zinnias are another type of flowering plant that thrives in the summer and can be grown in the same planting season. They are reliable in handling temperature and can fill your garden with flowers that last for longer periods. Zinnias come in various types, such as small-sized flowers, daisy-type zinnias, pom-pom types, and dwarf varieties. These plants can be used as bedding plants or around fences, providing a beautiful and appropriate ambiance for your garden.
In summary, petunias, zinnias, Gaillardia, Globe Amaranth, Sea Holly, Stella de Oro Daylily, Evergreen Candytuft, and Brown-Eyed Susan are some of the plants that can thrive in the summer season while maintaining an appropriate and beautiful ambiance. By choosing these plants, you can create a beautiful and welcoming garden that enhances the overall ambiance of your home.
Which plant grows fastest in summer?
In July, there are 10 quick-growing herbs, vegetables, and flowers that can be planted in any location. Arugula, a quick-growing herb, can be harvested in just 30 days, while beans are incredible climbers. Basil is a quick-growing herb, while kale and Swiss chard are tall plants. Cucumbers, squash, and zucchini are also quick-growing vegetables. These plants can be planted in the middle of summer, regardless of where you live, to ensure you have access to many of your favorite edible plants this summer and delicious fall crops.
What flowers are good for full sun?
Mandevilla, lavender, geranium, penta, lantana, and cuphea are popular tropical flowers that can be grown indoors or outdoors. Lavender is known for its relaxing scent and can withstand heat. Geranium is easy-to-care for and can grow indoors or outdoors. Penta, lantana, and cuphea are also popular. Rio Dipladenias, heat-hardy and disease-resistant, requires full sun and 4 hours of direct sunlight per day. These plants make perfect additions to gardens, containers, or hanging baskets.
What is the easiest flower to keep alive?
Zinnias are a low-maintenance, sun-loving plant that attracts butterflies and comes in various colors and sizes. These easy-to-grow flowers are perfect for those with limited gardening experience. Impatiens, a resilient annual flower, thrive in both shaded and sunny conditions but can be sensitive to water scarcity. Regular watering is essential, especially in warmer conditions. Petunias, heat-tolerant with minimal watering requirements, offer a wide variety of colorful flowers without complex care.
They prefer five to six hours of full sun per day but don’t require constant watering. To avoid root rot, allow the soil surface to dry between watering sessions. For the best blooms, add fertilizer to the soil every few weeks.
📹 5 Popular Bulbs You Can Plant Now for Gorgeous Summer Color! 🌸🌼🌺 // Garden Answer
MAILING ADDRESSGarden Answer 580 S Oregon St Ontario, Oregon 97914.
Living in MO (aka clay soil insanity), I always find it crazy when Laura “digs” with her hands or even the auger. When I dig a hole, the entire thing comes out in one clump and you have to beat it apart to get the dirt to fill back in around the plant roots. The plus… we don’t really need irrigation for a good portion of the growing season. Happy gardening y’all with all our various pros and cons!
Good morning to all who love and follow Laura and her beautiful family and gardens. Laura and Aaron, I am a relatively new follower and just today joined your website as I want to do what I can to support you so you can keep doing what you clearly love ❤️ to do. 😊🌸😊🌸😊🪴 I love your articles and even though I’ve been gardening all of my life, I learn something of value from all of your articles. Today, I learned things I never knew about planting these bulbs even though I’ve grown all of them. I always look forward to Russell’s visit and antics. Benjamin makes my heart so happy and so can relate as I have an almost 3 year old grandson who “helps” me in the yard. You are a breath of fresh air in our crazy world and you make me feel like you know me. I start my day with a cup of tea and your daily article. It gets my day started on such a positive note? Keep up the great work.
Thank you guys so much for all the hard work you put into your guys’ articles. I recently enlisted into the AF and I don’t have the joy of gardening this year while in tech school, but everyday at I wake up at 6 and the first thing I do is watch your daily upload. They help quench my gardening urges and really kickstarts my day!
“bad banana” 🤣😂 so cute. It’s always so adorable to see the garden through the eyes of a child. My daughter is 6 and she used to call her great-great-grandmothers peonies “nanas panties” 🤣😂 we didn’t have the heart to correct her 😜 I feature her sometimes on my little youtube website, because she loves to “show the people” our plants. She grew bean plants at school and was upset that only 2 of the 3 sprouted. You and me both sista! 🤣😂 And my one year old just realized that strawberries come from plants and he wants to raid my raised beds constantly now when we are out there 🤣😂
Thank you Laura (& Aaron) – I’m such a visual learner, this is great! Have you considered adding a journal to your merchandise? Since perusal your articles I’ve made a 3-ring binder to keep notes from your articles in, but keep thinking a GA journal to transfer them to would be so special! (Maybe a spiral bound, hard cover for ease of use while in garden?) ~ Kim
Because of you I faced my fear and tried dahlia bulbs in containers and today I see buds ..thank you laura for always inspiring us all to try something out of our comfort zone …i am so proud of myself and its all because of you and your countless articles that are always a teachable moment for me ..I have grown so much as a gardner and I could never of done it without you and Aaron..thank you so much for starting this gardening website and for inviting us all into your live ..
Good morning everyone from here in Ohio. Thank you Laura for making this article I learned a lot about my bulbs that I didn’t know before I’ve been perusal the website for five years now I believe and it never gets old!!! I don’t really watch actual TV anymore but I never miss a garden answer article. Thank you for sharing your love and knowledge with all of us❣️
I discovered Dahlias at my local Lowes about 4 years ago. I bougt it because I thought it was the most unusual and beautiful flower. I’m in zone 9 so I don’t dig them up. Past few years I never really put much thought into their care, I didn’t count on them coming back each year. We often planted other things over them then had to move/ remove things. Your articles have given me such inspiration & I have taken quite an interest in growing them. I hope next season I can grow some Cafe au Lait. Thank you for all the great inspiration and information.
Hi! I’m so excited about planting some bulbs!! I am moving from an apt (balcony planting) San Diego up to a home in Northern California, (so I can play in the yard!) back to my hometown, where it’s hot and dry….but colder in winter. I have a blank slate of a weeded yard…with basically no watering system and no grass. So I have a lot to work on and then I will have a beautiful space to share with my friends and family! Thank you so much Laura for all of your information and inspiration ❤ 💕
Ah Laura, you have gifted me with the need to add pots to my garden. 😂 I’m buying pots to avoid the excessive weeds in my back yard, and doggie stuff. My yard is covered in Bermuda grass and other weeds, thanks to over a decade of neglect from previous owners. I’ve added trees in the last few years, but wanted to start a garden. Then I added a raised bed, a half wine barrel, and two new terra-cotta pots. Thank you
My dahlia order came yesterday. I thought I was pushing it by ordering a dozen LOL Your articles make me want to do more, more, more. I love seeing your house & gardens develop. I always slow it down for the drone shots, trying to figure out where what was going on. If someone gets adventurous one day, it would be cool to see comparisons over the years.
Just want to thank you guys for making my days brighter and happier! I so enjoy perusal you! Last year I had my yard xeriscaped and started perusal your articles after that happened, so today I went out and found the most lovely urns, which are lightweight (as I am older), and planted them with some lollipop shaped miniature roses with some trailing vines at soil level. They look so gorgeous and I never would have done that without your inspiration! Also I always look for Proven Winners now when I shop! All because of your sweet help and cheerful attitude! Thank you!!
I’m so glad I stumbled onto your YouTube website months ago has really been helpful answering questions that I might have and such an inspiration with your beautiful gardens I live in an area with a very small yard and hopefully I can send you a couple of pictures of what I just plinanted I moved here in Central Indiana in September and I’ve had a clean slate
I’ve always been intimidated with planting bulbs and always stuck to buying plants from nurseries. After seeing your success with dahlias in your cut flower garden, I decided to try planting dahlia tubers this year. The dahlias are growing beautifully so far ♥️. Thanks for a really informative article. I’m also a visual learner, so seeing you describe and point out all the particulars about the bulbs and then perusal you plant them makes the whole process less intimidating. I’m going to try calla lilies next.
I’m trying dahlias (3 clumps) for the second time – my first time, about 3 or 4 years ago, was a complete failure! This time I’ve tried the pre-sprouting method – placed them in a containers, half cover with soil and let sit about 3 weeks; two are sending up lovely leaves that’s about 4-5″ long; the 3rd is lagging behind but I’m hopeful it’ll soon wake up. I bring them outside for a few hours on days the temperature climbs but they’ve spent the nights on the floor of the shed. Today I had to rush outside to bring them in because to my horror and disbelief there was wet snow coming down! I don’t think they will be ready to go in the ground for another couple of week but I’m looking forward to the day I can dig a hole and get my three little clumps planted.
Laura you are such a great teacher to all of us! This is my first year growing Dahlias and glads and now I NEED every lily you mentioned 🤣🤣🤣 you are such a blessing to my gardening heart but terrible for my wallet 🤣🤣🤣 no worries it’s all for a good cause! 💗 What’s the saying “do what makes you happy!” Thank you always for the beautiful articles guys!
So helpful! Love this article. Thank you so much for explaining the structure of each one and how to plant them. And thank you to the camera man for zooming in on the bulbs as you describe its parts. You have no idea how helpful it is to really see what you’re talking about without having to try and strain my eyes
Laura thank you so very much for your informative articles! I learn so much and get so much inspiration from you! I never knew much about fertilizing the plant, how to take care of my landscaping and I am so very glad that I found your website God bless you ❤️ You also have a beautiful family and such a sweet cat. You exude a calm and peaceful demeanour. You can tell you have a very lovely temperament because the cats are always around you.
Loving the new structure where u jump from talking to visualising especially with the dahlias and more especially given I planted all mine the wrong way round last year hence there is nothing this year. I thought those nibs/nobs were growing roots. Well u learn something new every day! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much to do the visual planting. I have everything planted that you listed but my dahlia did not come up and now I know why I planted them wrong, I put them up & down instead of laying on their side, I read the package over and over but could not understand quite what they were saying, I finally looked in the pot and they were all rotten poor things never had a chance. I learned so much from this article . I will definitely purchase some more bulbs and give it another try, thank you!!
Good morning all. Thank you Laura for doing this article. I think I rescued a calla lily from a big box store’s clearance rack. It had no tag but the few leaves has those speckled spots on them. I have not been able to keep it happy. You actually didn’t mention how much sun this plant needs. I live in zone 7b, and the leave are still dying. I brought it inside and it is still dying. Help! Should I put it back outside? Should I planted it in the ground? What can I do to bring this plant back to its full glory? Thanks in advance for your help.
Thanks so much for the excellent information. I am a beginner bulb growing home gardener. I will use the info. next year when I start my bulb beds in the yard. We moved in last Summer so it is on my punch list to landscape the existing desert yard here at the house. Many on my street have very minimal landscaping and lots of gravel since we have expensive water (and limitations may come due to probable drought).
I have failed in all my attempts at caladium bulbs so far and I have figured out a few of the reasons, but the bulbs I have tried with were very small and impossible for me to figure out top/bottom positioning if that even matters for planting. I would love a article done on just those if ever possible. Loving all you share from North Idaho zone 6a 💚🌻🌿
Do all of these bulbs have to be dug up in the fall or can they stay in the ground/ container? I just recently purchased 140 tulip and daffodil bulbs (no clue where they’re all going, and inspired by your amazing spring color of tulips) but am a big fan of calla lilies and dahlias! Also, did you get your Delphiniums and grass staked? 😊
Thanks for this information. I was looking for these type of information in the internet. I have planted my gladiolus bulb in containers. Do I have to take out the bulb at the end of the season? What will happen if I leave them inside the pot? In that case how should I take care of the bulb for next year? I have planted them in few 1 gallon containers. Can I do the same with dahlias. In winter I will bring the pot inside and in spring I can bring them out, will that work?
Can’t wait to see everything grow ❤ We plant them too here in Southeast Asia out in the landscape. They are beautiful all year round. Just curious how Amaryllis would do there if you plant them like you did with these 5 plants. We plant Amaryllis in containers and they are glorious in our >100 degree temp. They even broke the plastic pot they were in due to heavy bulb production in just 6 months.
I live in Indiana (zone 6a) and successively planted 5 gladiolus in a small bed last year. They are not even close to being hardy here, so I usually just let them rot over the winter and replant the next year since they are pretty cheap to buy. Well, to my surprise I noticed in March that I have a stand of around 20 glads coming up. I’ll have glads coming out of my ears in about a month! 🤣
Could you talk about wintering the bulbs? I’m in NH- zone 4-5 and my Dahlia bulbs rotted in my basement last winter- packed in sawdust. Lifting bulbs in the fall and keeping them healthy is my challenge. I think all of these bulbs must be lifted for my zone- which is why I don’t have any planted, though this article makes me reconsider if they are worth it! So pretty.
This is great! I’m planting glads today – thank you for all the info. I, like so many of your viewers, watch your articles with my morning coffee, and nothing thrills me more than going to my local garden shop and finding varieties of plants that you have used in your articles… I was never so thrilled to find Rockin playing the blues salvia last year! I have a question about my hydrangeas – I bought 4 Proven Winners varieties last year, they were all zoned for 3 or 4 (we are a zone 4-5), 4 of them took forever to break dormancy this spring, but nothing grew on the branches from last year – it’s all new growth from the ground – and not much of it… is this normal? And we had a fairly mild winter this past year…
Thank you for this article! A few questions: How can I encourage more blooms on a calla lily? For caladiums, do you need to dig the bulb up at the end of the season or could they stay during winter in Zone 8? We had our first real snow in 25 years this past winter, and I don’t feel that it will be every year.
Good morning Laura, and family, I’m glad to know about these bulbs now I can plant them and have beautiful colors in my garden thank you Laura for always sharing with us have a great rest of the day, that Russell just loves you he knows who his buddy is. Jean Brewer from Oklahoma Panhandle, ( Texas County 6b).
Laura, I LOVE your instructional articles. You are, as usual, spot on with the info needed to teach and inspire! You and your family are a bright spot in my daily routine! This is off topic but related to a previous article where you planted some gorgeous lupine in your garden. I’m in zone 4, and rarely see lupine in landscape plantings.They are beautiful, so why aren’t they used more often? Are they short-lived or have pest problems? This year Lowes had tons of them at $5 each, so I know it’s not lack of availability. Of course, I couldn’t pass them up but to be honest, I know close to nothing about growing them so it will be an adventure!
Hi Laura! Thank you for this article. Im a beginner gardener and this past fall I planted some Glads for this year. The stalks are up and I had maybe 2 dainty blooms on them and they died now I have these huge balloon things on where the flowers were..what are they??? Are they seeds? Thank you for all your info and inspiration!
Do you always have to dig the tubers out? We are new gardener first time having dahlias and calla lilies but we bought the actual plant at our local garden center.. canas we got clearance 99c 2 years ago planted them and they didnt die in winter they keep coming back. So happy! Im in las vegas zone i think 9a. It woukd be amazing if i can plant dahlias and not worry about them if they keep coming back next season… great weekend everyone 🙂
Laura this is probably one of my very favorite articles it was full of information. And most of what you displayed was things that I really needed to know and plants that I’ve grown for the first time. Thank you so much for the information and demonstrations. Although I do have one question if you only have one piece of Dahlia and it does not have an eye on it what do you do? I have Googled it I cannot find out so you are my resource. Please give me some info.
Laura, have you ever tried to grow Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria)? I bought three starts recently and only one has survived so far; I think perhaps I am overwatering. I really struggle with container watering but, am too scared to put it in the ground for fear of forgetting it because it’s so small at the moment.
I built a berm ? A hill type spot of sand and lighter soil over my clay side of the yard. Planted it full of tulips,daffodils,crocus etc that put on a great show all spring. I leave it in all year, Michigan. My glads came back in 2 other spots without lifting so they will bloom next. Im thinking of moving some into the back side of the berm nearer the fence. Now I want Dahlias too. Lol
I was super exited for this article because ive been wanting info on iris’s for a few years lol… but DANGET, not for an Iris. I dont know if I Havent found it or do you have any articles for them? Would really appreciate info on when is the right time to transplant, and if you can plant them together to get new color combos? Thank you!!!
I’m concerned about not watering until there’s above ground growth. So, does that mean I shouldn’t try them in the landscape here in Massachusetts? We could get a pop up thunderstorm without much notice. I really appreciate how thorough you are with information. It gives us confidence to try things that are out of our comfort zone. Also, any info about rabbit resistance would be appreciated. Thanks!
Such an wonderful informative article! I live in CT and we have so many rocks. I have never used an auger, did I spell that correctly? I have trouble digging holes, my son who is in his 20s helps me and he gets frustrated with the rocks. We live near the town of of Rockville so you can just imagine. Any information on augers or how to deal with planting in rocky areas would be so appreciated! I am a new subscriber so perhaps you already have articles on these issues. Thank you for your help!
I’m planting my one ‘Emory Paul’ dahlia this weekend. I started it indoors in April. I look forward to the bright fuchsia color later. Nicole of Flower Hill Farm left her gladiola corms in the ground last season, no mulch, and all came back this season in her zone 4b upstate New York. I have a few corms so will try this.
Thank you! I did plant some gladiolus bulbs a week ago and now I am wondering what a good low-growing landscape plant would accompany them? I have some corydalis and gaura “flowing” around in that space – but I like the idea of another plant and just can’t seem to settle on one! Love your “assistant” – Russell is too cute!
I think I asked on another article but I’ll ask again; I planted a lot of my dahlias ; I planted them vertical with their growth points up; they are growing but will it cause a problem? Also I planted in clumps; I’m curious will planting the one tuber result in a smaller plant ; not as strong? Will it produce less flowers per plant ; if just one tuber? Sorry so many questions; these are my favorite flowers; and last year was my first time growing and I’m hooked! I really stepped up my planting of them this year and now I’m worried!
I started my Calla Lily bulb inside in late winter. Unfortunately I did not think of getting rid of the sawdust and packing material that came with it. I think that’s why I ended up getting tons of aphids. I actually got rid of the plant because it was totally infested on the beautiful flowers and leaves. I was fearful that it would spread to all my tropical indoor plants. Next year I will plant directly outside.
If you don’t make a article can you tell me some to plant in a comment. Trying to have an epic colorful flower garden to be proud of. I’ve been working so hard on it and researching constantly. But some bulbs I planted when I started aren’t coming up because they aren’t getting enough sun where I planted them. So I need some flowers to replace those. One more thing, can you tell me if it’s okay to move bulbs after planting, with growth or not?
Hi Linda ! I kust bought my daughter the same Calla Lilly you planted in the container. It looked like a sunset here . The direction stated to ” place in The shade moist spil, dappled sunlight only . Is this correct ? So far we have noy done well with our plants ( even hydrangeas, yes; Hydranheas). Any help ?
I got daffodils, hysintias and tulips bulbs from my workplace. They dogged them out. I have taken the leaves out which were drying out anyways. I have it singled them out and they are in my garage in a newspaper to dry out. I am in Toronto, Canada. Please advise, how to store them and can I plant them straight to ground now or wait till Sep before planting them. I do get good light in my garage. Thanks
Quick question: I bought some bulbs last year in spring and i didnt get the chance to plant them. I stored them in their paper bag in a cool, shady place. I’m thinking of planting them next year, when I’ll have the space for them to grow. Would that be a too long of a time period for them to be stored or is that okay?
I always disliked planting bulbs due to the arduous digging, we have hard clay soil. perusal you and learning how to amend soil and learning there is an auger that will do the hard work makes me want to order some bulbs, tubers and or corms to have beautiful flowers each year. I did order Dahlia seed to try my hand that way first.
I live in zone 11b if not 12. I wish there were bulbs that grew great here. In hot humid weather. I have shade and sunny spots. I just want something deer resistant (Yes we have key deer on our island of Big Pine Key, Fl Keys. Im stuck growing succulents, orchids, and airplants, etc.) I tried day lilies years ago and anemones. They did very poor. Any suggestions for something pretty that thrives in heat?