On these hottest of days, where any amount of effort results in sweat-soaked clothes and stinging eyes, it can be tempting to just sit inside and watch cat videos. While I've done plenty of that, I still long to be outside.
While it is possible to plant new plants in the heat of the summer, it is generally a risky prospect. The problem with planting now is the amount of watering involved in establishment. Unless you are in a reliably rainy phase or can commit to watering daily, I wouldn't advise planting until temperatures cool off a bit (usually by October in middle Ga).
So against my better judgment, I decided to plant a new bed, albeit small! Last year we had an old and declining Asian pear taken down. The resulting ground made a prime spot to plant something. The soil is dark and rich and it is lightly shaded by a nearby pecan.
I planted Zinnias in May, but by now they naturally look tired and mildewed. So I decided to pull them out and replant with 3 perennial salvias. I have a bunch of rooted Salvias that needed a home, and I love late-season color, so it made sense. My hope is that in a few months when the Monticello Garden Club comes to visit, this bed will be aglow with rich color!
In the photo to the left, you can see the stump surrounded by 3 Salvias: 3:00, Salvia regla (Orange Mt. Sage), 9:00, (Salvia mexicana), and in the foreground, Salvia leucantha (pink form). If they bloom simultaneously, I'll have pink, orange, and purple mixed together!
Do you notice the rocks? The reason for that is to build a barrier against armadillos and squirrels. I've had too many of my newly planted things dug up by hungry varmints, so I find that pinning plants down with medium to large rocks helps protect them. It isn't full proof, but it certainly helps!
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