Today we’re visiting Janelle in the suburbs of Oklahoma City, where vegetables, flowers, and native perennials grow together in a garden built to handle summer heat. Here’s what Janelle has to say:
I garden in the suburbs of Oklahoma City. I started by growing only vegetables but quickly realized a garden needs to function as an entire ecosystem to thrive. Now, I grow a mix of annual flowers and native perennials alongside my vegetables, and they attract a surprising amount of wildlife to my suburban yard.
Plants need to be heat- and drought-tolerant to make it through an Oklahoma summer. I rely on zinnias (Zinnia elegans, annual), portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora, annual), globe amaranth (Gomphrena globosa, annual), cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus, annual), and black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta, Zones 3–7) to provide color through the hottest months. Some of my favorite perennials are pink muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris, Zones 6–9), hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos, Zones 4–9), and Russian sage (Salvia yangii, Zones 4–9) for year-round visual interest.
Black-eyed Susans brighten the garden while providing an important nectar source for pollinators.
The dinner plate–sized flowers of ‘Midnight Marvel’ hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos ‘Midnight Marvel’, Zones 4–9) make a dramatic midsummer statement against its burgundy foliage.
A colorful mix of globe amaranth, cosmos, and other summer blooms keeps the garden buzzing with pollinators.
‘Double Guava’ moss rose (Portulaca ColorBlast ‘Double Guava’, annual) thrives in Oklahoma’s intense heat, producing vibrant blooms even during dry spells.
Double garden arches covered in climbing cucumbers (Cucumis sativus, annual) maximize growing space in the vegetable garden.
Barrel planters overflowing with cosmos, zinnias, dill (Anethum graveolens, annual), and sunflowers (Helianthus annuus, annual) combine ornamental beauty with plants that support beneficial insects.
Thank you, Janelle, for giving us a tour of your Oklahoma garden.
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