Lantana is a hardy, sun-loving and drought-tolerant flowering shrub. This evergreen shrub is fabulous and highly valued in any landscape for its very long bloom season. (In warm climates, it blooms all year around.) The highly drought-tolerant lantana is also an excellent addition to a xeriscape garden, providing plenty of flower color.

The blooms are tiny flowers in tight clusters, resembling a miniature bouquet. In full bloom, the shrub is heavily covered with a profuse showy display that attracts both butterflies and hummingbirds.

Lantana hybrids fall into two major categories: upright and trailing forms. The upright forms range in size from 2-5' tall by 3-6' wide. The trailing varieties range from 1-3' tall by 3-6' wide. Lantana hybrids come in many colors and color combinations including yellow, pink, red, purple, cream, magenta and lemon yellow, orange and pink, and yellow and orange.

Plant the trailing varieties in the front of your hedge, on a hill or on an embankment. The larger upright forms are beautiful as background specimen plants or in a cluster of three with other drought-tolerant perennials surrounding them.

Lantana is a rapid, vigorous grower. Don't be afraid to maintain the size and shape of each shrub with a good spring pruning to keep shrubs lush and full. Without this pruning, lantana can get woody. Lantanas also benefit from a regular feeding of Dr. Earth Organic 6 Flower Garden Fertilizer every two months spring through fall, which will keep them in top blooming form.

We have many different lantana hybrids from which to choose. So stop by and let us help you to transform your gardens to a water-wise flowering bouquet!

Tropical gardens lift our spirits and transport us into magical, exotic places such as Hawaii, Bali, Florida's Keys, the Bahamas and beyond. Although not everyone wants a completely tropical backyard, the beauty of tropical plants is undeniable. The addition of tropical plants to your garden may bring you one step closer to your dream of these wonderful, faraway places.

When you think of tropical, what comes to mind? Large-leaf foliage plants, spectacular splashes of colorful flowers, exotic looking flowers and foliage. The tropical look has been aptly described as "flamboyant in form and contrast." As you read this article, release your biases regarding the uses of tropical plants. Imagine ways that you can engage your favorite tropical into your cottage garden or classic garden. We think that you will find the perfect location for your favorite one.

Alternatively, tropical garden lovers, discover other plants not classically considered 'tropical' and put them into your garden - and you'll love the effect. Abutilon is excellent for this. Tibouchina (princess flower), acuba, fuchsia, camellia and impatiens are other plants that help you ''think out of the tropical plant" box.

From the horticultural point of view, "tropical" means a plant that cannot sustain freezing temperatures. So, not all plants so defined will have that lush tropical look, will they? In fact there are "tropical" desert plants too, including cactus and succulents.

Tropical plants exemplified in this article may be included simply because they are tropical looking. And some plants may also be drought tolerant and not from what we consider a classic tropical locale. Blended together, they create that exotic tropical look.

Plant them into your garden, whatever its style may be...Well, keep in mind that plants can take on the characteristics of their surrounding plant neighbors. This is why we would encourage you, if your choice is not a tropical garden, to consider our tropical friends anyway. The variation in foliage color, textures and size will add a new element. Remember in garden design, it is good to vary these elements to add interest to your garden borders.

The tropical plant (and tropical-look plant) list is long and diverse. Here we list just a few:

Trees: Bananas (musa and ensete), brugmansia (Angel's Trumpet), palms, tree ferns, dracena, cassia, tibouchina, tupidanthus, schefflera, and feijoa (guava).

Shrubs: Abutilon, aucuba, brunsfelsia (Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow plant), ferns, philodendrons, hibiscus, fatsia, gardenia, iresine, and strelitzia (Bird of Paradise).

Vines: Honeysuckle, bougainvillea, Distictus (trumpet flowers), and passion flower vines.

Grasses: Cyperus (papyrus), sedges, bamboo, and liriope.

Miscellaneous: Aloe, begonia (rex hybrids), clivia, plumeria, bromeliads, fuchsia, and impatiens.

Are you able to find a perfect place in your garden for any one of these? If you need more help with this, just ask any one of us. We will be happy to help you create your tropical island garden get-away!

Lawns are put to the test this time of year. Any weakness in water coverage, soil nutrition, or weed control shows up in the heat of summer. Now is the time to recheck your sprinkler system. Plugged or broken heads need to be fixed or replaced. Brown patterned circles in your lawn generally indicate a sprinkler head has been plugged by a grain of sand or has become a victim of a vicious lawn mower attack.

The irrigation system in flower beds should also be inspected. Many times we plant in front of a sprinkler. This is not a problem when the plant is small, but it can result in disaster for other plants in the bed as the new guy grows and blocks the water for the others. Make the necessary adjustment and watch your plants flourish.

Summer is upon us and so is the hot weather. We can choose to be miserable and suffer through the heat, or we can be smart and make a difference. One way to be more comfortable is to turn up the air conditioner and enjoy the arctic air. This works well until the utility bill comes. Energy rates have increased rapidly in the last few years, making the arctic air solution not very practical.

There is one solution that not only makes you more comfortable, but can also save you money or even make you money. The key to comfort lies in the landscape. With properly placed trees and shrubs, you can reduce your energy bill by up to 50%. When plants, especially trees, photosynthesize, they release a large quantity of water into the air, resulting in natural evaporative cooling. Research has shown that an environment that is shaded by plants will have an air temperature that is 3 to 9 degrees cooler than non-shaded areas.

When planting trees and shrubs you should be careful where you plant or you will actually waste more energy than you save. You want to reduce the summer sun as well as allow maximum warming winter sun. Placing trees on the east and west sides of the house has maximum summer cooling effect. These shade the walls and windows when the sun is low in the morning and evenings. If you place trees that shade southern summer sun, you may well have an decreased energy bill. To create maximum savings, you need to select a large shade tree such as a Chinese elm or a camphor tree that will grow large enough to shade the southern roof in midsummer and lose its leaves in winter to allow the needed heating. Shrubs and vines also provide sun protection and increased insulation and result in significant energy savings.

Proper placement of trees and shrubs not only saves you money, but can also make you money. Nothing has a higher return on home resale value than the landscape. On the average, landscaping returns 110% of the investment and continues to increase over time.

So get out and make your summers more comfortable and more affordable by planting trees and shrubs in your yard today.