I just returned from 12 days away on vacation. There were torrential rains, multiple times while we were away. I expected a jungle of weeds. Didn't happen. I have a jungle of flowers instead. Last fall, I mixed together 1 bag of organic cow compost with 3 bags of organic garden soil... the $1.50 per bag variety from Timberline (at Lowe's). I used the mix as a top dressing throughout my perennial beds after the first frosts and clean up. I direct sowed larkspur, poppies, nigella, flax and other seeds for spring bloom. In April, after the spring plants were all up out of the ground, I spread a thin layer of the organic Timberline compost (cow manure) and sowed my summer annual seeds (zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, celosia, etc.) The cow manure was a great medium for seed germination, btw. Went away. Came home. Can't believe how few weeds are out there. The total cost for my large garden was less than $60. I had the bags of compost and soil in the back of my pickup truck. I pulled the bags to the edge of the tailgate and dumped the contents into my wheelbarrow to mix. So, I didn't have heavy lifting. I used my shovel and rake to spread the mix around the plants. For the landscaped areas (shrubs, trees...not garden areas) my husband mulched with triple ground hardwood mulch in the fall and in the spring at the same time that I did my garden composting. He had a lot more weeds to pull in his areas than I did in my entire flower garden!

I have about a 20'X3" flowerbed on the east side of my house that I planted with red roses in February and am also trying to find companion plants after removing mint (although I notice here and there it's coming back, probably won't EVER be able to get it all out, but am trying!). I easily rooted a skullcap this winter and planted it to see how that would work out,, but it looks like it's struggling, so am looking for some sort of companion plants, too. I do notice that a purple salvia does well in this bed, it gets morning sun and afternoon shade, so may go with that and be done with it.. The roses are Firefighter, Oklahoma, Francis Debreuil and Stephen's Big Purple (yikes!), along with a Souv Dr. Jamain that hasn't done anything for two years, and the wonderful Dr Huey that sprung up out of nowhere (and I can't get rid of). I'll be interested to see if this works. Must say at this point I am enjoying the wild colors, so we'll see...This is pretty much my first foray into the more modern roses, and so far they look healthy.

I'll list some plants here that are drought resistant because I find that beginning gardeners have the most trouble remembering to water on hot summer days. - Daylily (Hemerocallus) is great in sun and partial sun. It is drought resistant and comes in many colors. It also spreads so you can divide it and plant more of it about every 2 years. - Sedum. My sedum never seems to wilt. I think the thick leaves store water so it does great during the hot summer months. Flowers in the fall. - Morning glories. They don't grow much at all unless the temps are 85F. Then they grow FAST. Needs a fence or tall trellis (the higher the better) to wind around. Annual. - Sunflowers. Easy to grow from seed. These LOVE hot weather but will need to be watered if the temps hit 85F. They grow lots in hot weather (over 80F) and not much if it's cooler than that. May need to be staked or tied to a fence. Tend to be 6' tall or taller. Needs LOTS of sun or it will be short. Annual. - Sage. Smells nice, nice flowers, drought resistant. - Snapdragon. Not a true perennial but self seeds for 2-4 years after you plant it. - Wild violets. Pluck these from your lawn and they will bloom as long as temps are less than 80F. They are already acclimated to your region. - Four o'clocks are non-hardy perennials if you pull up the taproot and don't let it get below 40F during the winter. They get big and often tip over, they will need to be staked. But they produce blooms all summer, once they start. And seeds are large and easy to harvest, plant next year, or trade. - Primrose. - Jacob's ladder. This will spread via seed very rapidly, but easy to grow. My best advice: water all plants if temperatures reach 80F that day.

I'll second Melva's advice on the crepe myrtles and mint. Crepe myrtles look ever so much better to me when they haven't been chopped back. Mint grows nicely here, but don't plant it in the ground as it will spread everywhere! I've had good luck with thyme, sage, oregano, marjoram, mint, and rosemary in pots. I recently put the rosemary in the ground and it's doing fine. The rest don't like full sun in the heat of the summer, at least for me. Maybe I don't water them often enough then? But, if I move them back to where they get afternoon shade, they're happy. I've tried lavender, it did really well in a pot for a couple years and even rooted itself into the ground. Then we had a bad winter and it croaked. The one I tried last year didn't make it through the summer. I'm debating trying again. As for regular plants, I like lantana, salvia greggii (Autumn Sage), Texas Sage/Cenizo, Henry Duehlberg salvia, Mystic Spires salvia, daffodils (some survive our summers better than others, I've had good luck with Ice Follies), gladiolus (although some don't come back), and iris. Oh, and cast-iron plant (aspidistra) is a good one, too. Also "Wandering Jew" (can never remember the "proper name") can be good, I've had good luck with the solid color one with thicker leaves, BUT it will spread quickly and easily and is difficult to get rid of. I've got it surrounded by the house and driveway. If you're willing to put in a bit of time and effort on amending the soil, the Earthkind roses can be easy-care once they're established. They're grown on their own roots and typically don't require pruning unless you just want to, don't need to be sprayed regularly as they're not prone to the mildews and such, and really only need to have their mulch replenished to a 3" depth every year. I also have a number of tropical and semi-tropical plants in pots that move into the greenhouse every winter. They do fine outside under the oak trees during the rest of the year. Good luck and have fun with gardening.