July and August are two of the most difficult months for me as a gardener.  In southeast Alabama it is very hot (the heat index was 107 degrees yesterday), we have every kind and size of insect imaginable, poisonous snakes occasionally show us that this was their home first, rain usually comes in the form of strong thunderstorms (very grateful for these this summer), and most plants are a stressed pale yellow-green color.  So what is a gardener to do?  What I do is look for plants that can survive the hot/humid weather.  Some of my favorites are the Althea (Hibiscus syriacus), better known as the Rose of Sharon, Guara lindheimeri, Gardenia augusta, and the Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior).   They show their beauty when most plants are sweating and wiping their foliage......... 

A beautiful hardy, old-fashioned Althea given to me by my daughter.

Gaura is a new plant to me; I just planted mine last summer after seeing some that a landscaper planted in my sister's yard.  After finding the plant at a local garden center, I thought that I would try it.  I planted it close to my pond directly in the hot sun, and it has really thrived.  The Southern Garden Living Book describes it as an airy plant that grows 2 1/4 to 4 ft. high.  The branching flower spikes bear many 1 inch long white blossoms that open from pink buds closly set on  the stems.  It blooms from late spring unto fall with only a few blossoms opening at a time.  It needs good drainage, is used in the South, but performs best in the Southwest.  As I said, this plant has performed exceptionally well for me in Southeast Alabama, especially during the drought.  

The Gardenia fragrance is unforgettable, especially when it hangs in the air on a summer evening.  Silky white, highly perfumed flowers glow against a backdrop of lustrous, dark green foliage.  Gardenias can be frozen when winter temps dip into the single digits and lower teens in the winter, but usually return from the roots.  They can also be grown in pots and cut back to keep over the winter in the garage.  If you can't find one at a garden center, find a hardy shrub in an old garden near you and root a tip cutting, while in flower, in a glass of water.  Alabama and Mississippi Gardener's Guide.

The old fashioned Cast Iron plant is another plant that survives the long hot humid days of south Alabama.  The Alabama & Mississippi Gardener's Guide implies that it is not called "cast Iron" plant for nothing--it is commonly seen growing in dense shade around old homes, still thriving after decades of complete neglect.  The plant, which is often grown in pots even indoors, requires shade all year, or its foliage will yellow and burn.  Sometimes a harsh winter will kill the foliage, but its new growth will appear in the spring.  My Cast Iron plant was given to me from my sister-in-law, and she got hers from her grandmother's garden.  There is something special about having plants that are handed down from one generation to another.