The Ground Cover That Handles Heat And Still Looks Lush

When it gets around to the middle of summer and your garden is looking a little on the tired side, especially if you're in a warmer region, you probably long for some nice, lush plants that will add vibrancy without succumbing to the scorching heat. This might mean a trip to the nursery to see what you can find to spruce up some of those duller areas of your yard. While you're there, you might want to keep your eye out for an unusual ground cover commonly known as Turkish sage or Jerusalem sage (Phlomis russeliana). This lovely plant can handle the heat and still look nice and lush, with its large heart-shaped leaves that grow along the spreading stems.

What will surprise you even more are the interesting flower clusters that appear in early summer on 3-foot-tall stems. If you look closely at the stems, you'll see that they are square rather than round, which is an easy way to spot plants in the mint family. The whimsical flowers are arranged in a whorl around the stem and consist of petite, tubular yellow blooms. Even more amazing is that these don't just grow on the tips of the flower stalks but can be found right along the floral stem at each leaf junction. These attractive blooms then transform into outstanding deep brown seed heads, which are loved by birds and are especially useful for winter feeding, when other food sources might be absent.

Turkish sage can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 10. Although it thrives in full sun, it doesn't mind growing in part shade either, especially in warmer regions. In fact, plants grown in a more shaded position will require very little water during the hotter months. Best of all, this plant is not fussy about the type of soil you have as long as you can provide it with good drainage. The large leaves, which are stacked on top of each other, provide excellent coverage over the soil, thus helping to suppress weeds. The plant grows quite quickly, so if you pair this with other ground covers that thrive even in the harshest sun, your weeding woes could be over sooner than you think.

To add even more benefits to those already mentioned, this stunning ground cover is also salt-tolerant and the flowers are excellent for cutting. Even the decorative seed heads can be used in floral arrangements. The blooms are attractive to butterflies, and the plant's foliage is fragrant, hence deer and rabbits won't go near it. Turkish sage would look particularly stunning when paired with blue ornamental onion (Allium caeruleum) or cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus), both of which are some of the best flowering plants for your garden that are deer-resistant.