I'm trying to get perennials going, especially gypsophilia paniculata, but it hasn't bloomed yet, tried some crushed drywall (chalky) to lower the ph a little. Coreopsis went double on me, loved that, but hard to train right, cut it back. I have grown annual salvia 2 years now but want to go perennial where I used that, blue crystal this year and sangria last year, also a freebie yellow coneflower looks nice, meadow sage is good, haven't had time to mulch it yet and can't get that bed watered much. Some Color Parade lilies. Trying to get some delphs and white foxglove going. Crazy daisy should bloom next year. And catmint, not doing much this year but hangin' in there. Annual alyssum is very drought tolerant. White, pink and purple phlox. I stuck in some Rudbeckia Prairie Sun, very striking but not where it is, supposed to self-seed. I want something medium height or tallish with purple bells. What might that be? Failed twice trying to get campanula? ladybells going from seed, will give it one more shot. Russian sage I love but it gets too big, should try to find the smaller variety. Finally, clematis. Have two kinds going well now; one too young yet, one won't bloom, and one isn't happy where I put it. Many of the plants people in warmer zones are using doubt will grow in my zone.

Very Large Shrubs -- Acca (Feijoa) sellowiana PINEAPPLE GUAVA Caesalpinia pulcherrima BARBADOS PRIDE, RED BIRD-OF-PARADISE (semi-deciduous) Callistemon citrinus LEMON BOTTLEBRUSH Nerium oleander OLEANDER Punica granatum ÂNochi Shibori ORNAMENTAL POMEGRANATE Vitex agnus-castus CHASTE TREE Large Shrubs -- Callistemon citrinus ÂViolaceus VIOLET BOTTLEBRUSH Callistemon viminalis ÂCaptain Cook CAPTAIN COOK BOTTLEBRUSH Viburnum tinus LAURUSTINUS Medium Shrubs -- Cistus ladanifer CRIMSON-SPOT ROCKROSE Cistus purpureus ORCHID ROCKROSE Leucophyllum frutescens TEXAS RANGER Nerium oleander 'Casablanca', ÂLittle Red OLEANDER Salvia greggii 'Desert Blaze', 'Furman's Red' AUTUMN SAGE Salvia 'Purple Majesty' PM SAGE Teucrium fruticans BUSH GERMANDER Viburnum tinus ÂSpring Bouquet LAURUSTINUS Joe

Just went out to add some mulch to my beds, and saw a few plants that I forgot to mention earlier - so here's my complete list of drought tolerant items from my beds: Smaller things: Blue Daze - just water every few days till established, mulch & forget about it Mexican Heather (both purple and white blooming varieties, they've been coming back every year for about 7 years, just weed-whack them in the winter after they go brown, or they get leggy when they come back in the spring) LANTANA!!! - blooms like crazy, don't bother watering it after the first few weeks. I have the type that stays close to the ground, purple blooms, but there are upright varieties, and blooms in pink, yellow, red, and purple... Dwarf Mexican Petunias - multiplies like crazy, and lots of blooms in full sun, if you plant in the shade, it looks nice and leafy, but no blooms Echinacia (full sun to part sun - it's my first year with this one, supposed to be pretty hearty and heat tolerant) Shrubs/Trees: Oleander (needs full sun to bloom & fill out) Bottlebrush (evergreen with neat red flourishes in spring) Plumbago (light blue clusters of blooms, butterflies FLOCK to it, blooms April to September in my yard) I've added the link to the Texas Superstars website below for you to have a look Here is a link that might be useful: texas superstar plants

Getting worse by the day (and no rain in sight). I am trying to hold my nerves as any watering now, unless deep and plentiful, is going to be worse than none at all...since roots have been reaching deep into the soil and I do not want to tempt them into thinking surface water is available. Yep, the baptisia is now a withered stump, various campanulas are also diminished...all in all, the allotment is a bit f a disaster this year. I am planning on removing quite a lot of plants and really doing xeric planting as I actually have rainfall somewhere on a par with Israel or Beirut...ie. not very much at all. Mediterranean plants are OK to a point...and I do have an urban temperature hike, unlike Norfolk, where my wood is much colder over winter. Rouge - nearly all the roses (I have around 80 or so) are OK, although most are single flowering. The remontant roses have shut down their bloom cycle...but, with a quick trim, should have at least another decent flush. True, I also grow 'no fuss' ones such as species roses, ramblers, chinas, gallicas, rugosas, and burnets.