I’m a Garden Writer, and These Are the Toughest Plants I’ve Ever Grown

Lamium, also known as dead nettle, is an underappreciated groundcover. With silvery-green foliage and pretty pink, purple, or white flowers, it adds splashes of color to shady locations, though it can take some morning sun. This perennial is a fast grower but won’t take over your garden. I’ve grown many types but especially like ‘Pink Chablis.’

Stonecrop, also known as sedum, is a succulent so it’s drought-tolerant. It provides beautiful late-season color and food for pollinators. Mine is always covered in honeybees in late August and September. Many new cultivars have been introduced, but ‘Autumn Joy’ is an old favorite that still delivers, while ‘Brilliant’ has more intensely pink flowers on sturdy stems.

Catmint is virtually indestructible. Heat and drought tolerant, this sun-loving perennial has silvery-green foliage and tons of purple flower spikes that bloom for months. It also attracts pollinators. I love ‘Purrsian Blue’ for its dark purple-blue flowers and ‘Picture Purrfect’ for its earlier bloom time.

This vigorous annual vine comes in colors ranging from chartreuse to deepest burgundy. It looks beautiful tumbling out of planters or window boxes and doesn’t fade one bit in the heat. It’s equally happy in shade or sun. I prefer to plant it solo in pots because it will crowd out other plants in a container.

This honey-scented, low-growing annual is a delightful plant that attracts tons of beneficial insects to my garden. It’s gorgeous when spilling out of window boxes and mixed planters. My favorite cultivar is ‘Snow Princess,’ which blooms nonstop until a hard freeze. It’s often one of the last annuals to survive well into late fall.

For hot, dry areas of your garden, you can’t beat Russian sage. This perennial has willowy, silvery foliage that’s covered in tiny bright blue flowers. The effect is ethereal when planted in drifts. ‘Denim ‘n Lace’ is my favorite cultivar, and hummingbirds like it, too!

Hellebores are late winter to early spring bloomers that really need very little care. Besides being extremely cold-tolerant, they’re ignored by hungry rabbits and deer. Their exquisite blooms also make excellent cut flowers. Though this perennial is slow to take off and took about five seasons before it really showed off in my garden, it’s been worth the wait.

I love hydrangeas and have about 25 different varieties in my garden. But the type that’s the most carefree is panicle hydrangea. They’re equally tolerant of cold and heat, and because they bloom on new wood, you won’t lose this year’s blooms, even if you had a harsh winter. My favorites include ‘Bobo,’ ‘Quick Fire,’ and ‘Little Lime.’

Cuphea is a favorite of pollinators, and it’s a tough plant that seems to bloom and bloom and bloom even in the worst heat. Keep it watered and fertilized, and you’ll have flowers until a hard frost. My favorite varieties are ‘Vermillionaire,’ which is also loved by my visiting hummingbirds, and new cultivars such as ‘Totally Tempted Vivid Violet,’ and ‘Enchantia Purple.’