I'm feeling pretty frustrated with my garden this year. It's August, and I haven't even had a moment to enjoy it! I've been constantly battling pests and diseases, and a lot of my plants, even established shrubs, are struggling. My garden is mostly wide open and the heat has made it tough for everything to flower. Before all this, I had tons of pollinators buzzing around. I'm looking for suggestions on what I can plant now that will bloom in these heatwaves and attract bees. Thanks for any help!
2 Answers
Beth Chatto has a fantastic book called "Drought-Resistant Planting" which might be really helpful. She shares insights from her gravel garden, which doesn't require watering! I decided to create a drought-tolerant garden, thinking about saving time on watering, and it’s been great! Even in this heat, I barely had to water, and the plants are thriving! Definitely check out her blog if you're interested. The bees really seem to love it too!
Have you considered planting lavender? It’s super hardy and the bees absolutely love it! Just remember to keep it trimmed once a year to prevent it from getting too woody. Foxglove is another great option; it needs some water initially, but once established, it self-seeds and can thrive on its own!
What did you end up planting?