Plants that are survivors!!

Too survive in my garden is a challenge.  We have harsh winter, hot dry summers and plants have to be survivors... Here are a three of my favorites...

First are these rugged, aggressive lilies which grow anywhere and choke out all weeds.  Often called "Ditch Lilies" or "Roadside Lilies" because if they fell off a truck they grew wherever they landed.  They are a bit aggressive for a perennial bed but dazzling when given their own stage and their handsome foliage is a bonus...

Aggressive plants can be great assets if you take great care on where you plant them..

Next is this yellow rose... the Harison's Rose. sometimes called the yellow rose of Texas, the pioneer rose, or the Oregon trail rose.  It is often found by derelict farms.  The people have died, the house has collapsed and the rose survives with no care..... It is extremely difficult to get going as it does not root from a stem cutting and even if you get a root cutting it is still iffy. But once it's established, it is there forever.

I have a huge bush at the back of the property and have been nursing this baby along by the house for three years and I think it is going to make it.

You will see it listed in most mail-order catalogs but it most likely says "out of stock" and if you do order it you will most likely receive a "crop failure" notice at the time of delivery.

Once it is established it needs LOTS of room and can be killed with kindness.

It is my conviction the most underused and undervalued perennial in America are the perennial geraniums or Cranesbill geraniums.  The thrive in shade, part shade and full sun.  They can tolerate wet soil or dry soil.  They come from tiny 12" plants with lacey leaves up to  24" plants with large handsome leaves.  They are available in many colors of whites, pinks, purples and blues.  Here they are in my garden as ground cover in full shade and are just budding up to bloom but I would grow them just for their foliage..  They get no water and no care and happily choke out the weeds.

And here they are in part of the garden that was abandoned.  Most else has died but they thrive. Many have beautifully scented leaves.  There is a nursery in the UK that specialized in only these hardy geraniums and sells over 200 varieties.

As I was walking around taking pictures I found this old copper rooster I did many years ago... Both his head and tail feathers are long gone and he is listing badly.  I put drastic restoration for him on my summer list.  When I tore down the  potting center there was an old roll of tarnished copper.... perfect!!!