Summer in south Louisiana is hot.
A statement that, while being obvious, still feels like a gross understatement as temperatures approach approximately 2,000 degrees.
It's not just people that feel the heat either, take one look at those wilted pepper plants and it's pretty clear that garden is suffering the same stress from the heat.
So while the summer may not be the most opportune time to garden, there's still plenty of opportunities for both the novice and experienced gardener to bring in a little color.
Native flowers that thrive in the heat offer up can bring just as much color to the garden as an exotic plant and the best part is because they're used to the soil here they require very little maintenance.
Marcus Descant, The Urban Naturalist, says that planting these flowers right before a rain will get them established in no time at all and from there the best thing you can do is just leave them in the light.
"The only way you can really kill these plants is by over watering, so I would not recommend watering them at all." Marcus says.
These natural flowers bring in more then just colors, they play host to a whole range of very beneficial insects, insects you actually want to bring into the garden.
Native bees will typically avoid exotic plants, but native species will draw them in which can help pollinate other plants in your yard, especially vegetables.
There are also predatory bugs that come in and will help control the population of pests that otherwise would chew through your garden in about a day.
The flowers are self seeding, which means that simply by letting mother nature do her thing the garden will replant itself year after year.
It doesn't require a whole lot space either, keep the plants about 18" a part in a spot in the yard that gets full sunshine and watch as they take off, thriving in the Louisiana heat.