Flowers to Plant in July in the Deep South

The Flower Garden's Appearance

• The annual flowers planted earlier in April reach a peak in May and June across the Deep South. Petunia, verbena, angelonia, ageratum, geranium, marigold and cosmos perform beautifully initially --- until the summer's warmth and humidity reaches a high plateau in July. While these annuals may continue to grow and flower into July, stems become leggy, and flowering is no longer as profuse. The heat causes them to look gangly and peaked --- and they won't look any better as July turns into August.

Change-Out Schedule

• As early-summer plants begin to fizzle out, replace them with more heat- and humidity-tolerant flowering annuals. Gardeners along the Gulf Coast in southern Texas and peninsular Florida experience the sultry heat slightly earlier than their counterparts from New Orleans to Jacksonville. In the southern areas, planting the more durable midsummer annuals begins in June, and by July near Little Rock and Birmingham. Whatever plant fails in July, be sure to plant only heat- and humidity-loving replacement flowers, as these brutal conditions remain across the Deep South well into September.

Shade Flower Recommendations

• Impatiens traditionally are favored by gardeners for the summer shade garden. However, the hotter the temperatures, the more important it is for garden soil to remain moist; otherwise, impatiens wilt. New Guinea impatiens display more ornate foliage and sturdier plants and tolerate some direct sun, unlike the standard impatiens. Wax begonias, especially green-leaved cultivars, do well in shade. Wishbone flower, also called torenia, does well in an evenly moist soil in dappled to partial shade. Plant these annuals anytime in July to rejuvenate your Southern flower garden.

Sun-loving Annuals

• Any garden plot basking in sunlight in July definitely gets hot in the Deep South. Choose flowering plants that do not quickly wilt, even if the garden soil isn't constantly irrigated. While lantana is a classic midsummer flower that attracts butterflies, so does the Egyptian star cluster, also called pentas. Butter daisies or melampodium display bright green leaves topped with nickel-sized yellow flowers. For garden beds that are hot and receive reflected heat from a sidewalk or road, choose portulaca, batface cuphea or Madagascar periwinkle, also called vinca. Wax begonias also tolerate sunny conditions, especially those with bronzed or reddish foliage.