Sounds like a job for Mullein. I have seeds if you want some. I could send you a mix of seeds containing some white Yarrow and Queene Anne's Lace too.

I'd look for native prairie flowers like milkweed, coneflowers, black eyed susans, joe pye weed? can it take it dry? I think you should consider planting a tree or two as well to break it up. It might be slow to get going, but in the end will be very nice. And any kind of mulch, free wood chips if you can get them, or old leaves would help. -Ais.

You may be close to me- just south of Charlotte and north of the SC line in Pineville. If you would like some, I can share some Mexican Petunias, Purple Verbena, Rudbeckia. I've never seen any of them suffer. The first two bloom all summer and fall, while the Rudbeckia blooms in late fall. Once you get them established with a few weeks of watering, step back and just enjoy! They all bloom more with full sun. To visualize, the Verbena will cover a low area (maybe 7 inches high?), about 5 feet wide. The Mexican Petunias will grow 24-36" & multiply- so don't put them in if you don't want them. The Rudbeckia are about 6-9 feet tall Black-eyed Susans. Depending on where you plant them, the rudbeckias may need staking. Let me know!

ice plant, delosperma, a dependable semi succulent that blooms all summer long. Low growing. I like the standard type with rosy pink flowers but there are other varieties with small yellow or pink flowers.

I've had success with various sedums in a similar area too.

I'm in Sumter. I'm going to try planting some of these things after it cools down a bit more. Thanks.

Add Yuccas to the list, msot of not all cannas mimosa weeds err trees.

My perennial lantana seems to thrive on neglect.

Hi,

Please tell me what to do to get the black eyed susans' to bloom in late summer. Mine are blooming now. I try to get them cleaned up, but some are just dying from mildew. I really need help trying to keep these plants alive for a greater part of the summer. All suggestions are appreciated.

Let me chime in on perennial lantana. I have some by my mailbox that rarely sees a drop of non-rainwater. It thrives. Also, daylilies seem to grow around the foundations of ghost houses without any care at all too.

Zinnias like the wide open spaces and baking sun. I once knew a farm in Duxbury, Mass. that grew them in a cornfield and sold lovely multi-colored bouquets along with their produce.

claire in sanford

Zebrina - I don't have any good ideas. I have also tried to trick them into blooming again or blooming later by cutting them down and feeding them heavily. The best advice I can give is to try to find other types of Black eyed Susans and plant them now. The hybrid types with larger flowers tend to keep blooming right up til first frost, the wild type with smaller flowers tend to bloom twice each summer in flushes and then stop for fall.

To control the mildew you could step into the clump and rip out handfulls of plants to open up the mass and get more air flow. Spraying with diluted milk is supposed to help but I don't know how well it works on bad infestations.

Second (third) the perennial lantana recommendation, though with a caveat:

I'm not positive of the varieties here, but I have one that blooms solid yellow that is much more hardy and vigorous than the ones that are orange-ish yellow or purple...

Perennial heliotrope is a winner at my dry sunny mailbox that never gets hose water, as is ruellia (mexican petunia). I also have spanish lavender out there, which would love your conditions. Daylilies, esp the orange ditch lilies, are no care. Daffodils fall into the same category. Lots of the salvias fall into that category. For a tree, eucalyptus would do well in those conditions. Altheas/rose of sharon are dead easy, but may not be happy if it's really dry. They'd do fine if established during a wetter year. I do think most everything will need a little bit of water whether from you or ma nature at least right at first. maybe planting in fall/winter would be the best bet.

Autumn Joy or Frosty Morn sedums, juniper :(, knockout roses, lantana, crepe myrtles.

Most any of the herbs would like what you have, it seems. Especially rosemary, lavendar, oregano, thyme, chives...Let me add my endorsement of both the sedum and the lantana recommendations. My Lantana 'Ham and Eggs' is really tough, drought tolerant, and a butterfly magnet. I like the softer yellow and pink of it compared to the orange and gold of Miss Huff, but both are a good bet.

I agree with this already mentioned:

Perennial heliotrope
Perennial lantana (I think mine is 'Ham and Eggs')
Daylilies
Oregano
Rosemary
Spanish Lavender

I concur with all the above mentioned flowers/plants, plus:
any of the Echinaceas - there are some nice new varieties, although I am not sure of their hardiness since they are new;
Monardas;
Plumbago seems to thrive for me, with little watering;
I have had 4 different callibrachoas (Million Bells) survive the winter, staying evergreen. I don't know how well, nor how long, they would survive for you, but I did almost NO supplemental watering last year, and they came through.....;
Crocosmias;
Goldenrods;
the medium-sized and larger grasses, such as 'Morning Light', 'Procupine Grass', etc. - I would avoid pampas grass because it is such a cliche (plus I learned to hate it in CA, where it is highly invasive);
Lamb's Ears;
Coreopsis;
Asclepias;
Gauras;
Agaastaches;
Gaillardia.

There are more, but... Look for natives, or those developed from natives, as they are proven to be tough and hardy, for the most part.

anyone mention gaillardas? They can handle really dry spots. Ratibida has done well for me in my dry corner, too.

Desert primrose. Big pink "cups" in spring, spreads thru underground runners, loves dry sun.

Indigofera seems to be made of cast iron. Its the only thing in my garden that blooms from April to frost and never needs to be watered. I've grown the tall one for years and just planted some ground cover ones because they are so drought tolerant. Adele

i need to know what plants wont die in the imperial valley because i have a freind who wants a nice back yard cant spend a lot of money and dosent like to water her plants.