Annuals: ageratum . . . blanket flower . . . calendula . . . California poppy . . . celosia . . . cleome . . . cockscomb . . . cosmos . . . dusty miller . . . foxglove . . . gazania . . . geranium . . . globe amaranth . . . gomphrena . . . Madagascar periwinkle . . . marigold . . . Mexican sunflower . . . ornamental kale . . . ornamental pepper . . . pansy . . . petunia . . . salvia . . . statice . . . strawflower . . . sweet alyssum . . . verbena . . . wax begonia . . . zinnia.

Perennials: achillea . . . ajuga . . . artemisia . . . aster . . . asclepias . . . baby’s breath . . . bee-balm . . . baptisia . . . black-eyed Susan . . . butterfly weed . . . candytuft . . . chrysanthemum . . . columbine . . . purple coneflower . . . coral bells . . . coreopsis . . . daylily . . . gaillardia . . . gynura . . . gazania . . . gerbera . . . goldenrod . . . ice plant . . . Lenten rose . . . hosta . . . iris . . . lamb’s ears . . . lavendula . . . liatris . . . nepeta . . . oriental poppy . . . peony . . . phlox . . . red hot poker . . . sedum . . . shasta daisy . . . Stokes’ aster . . . verbena . . . veronica . . . yarrow.

Remember xeriscaping in California a generation ago? When they learned that stones contributed to global warming, xeriscaping fell out of favor, but a different horticultural approach evolved from the stones. “Water wise” has become the new direction of gardeners, but with water resources in some parts of the nation nearing crisis levels, plants surviving in minimal water environments are now in greater demand than ever before. Unfortunately, some tradeoffs in cultural practices may have to be made.

* Vinca is an example. If you have an area where supplemental watering is impossible, vinca will survive like gangbusters. Tropical temperatures in the upper nineties don’t stifle vinca in any way, but you may want to take extra protection against collar rot (phytophthora) by putting soil around the trunk where it exits the soil.

* Lisianthus tolerates 90-degree temperatures and full sun in stride, but sharp sand must be worked into the soil when planting to reduce chances of root rot. Planted over the next two weeks, lisianthus will be well established before the first week of July.

* Gazania with its socio-daisy looks dresses up gardens with its silvery foliage. After planting, don’t irrigate. Flowers have a nasty knack of closing on sunless, cloudy days, but the blossoms rejuvenate fully after the next sunrise. Again, work sharp sand into the soil when planting to avoid fungal diseases with the roots.

* Nierembergia qualifies as a drought-tolerant annual by our standards. Across the nation, the plant has won accolades for its absolute survival in long-term drought situations. Midwest gardeners have long eulogized nierembergia as a drought-tolerant alyssum. Tropical heat and full sun aren’t problems, but the plant scares the living daylights of gardeners when foliage and flowers wilt, then with sparse watering, the plant miraculously recovers overnight. Normal summer rainfall satisfies the plant’s needs.

Other annuals for summer drought insurance are salvia, butterfly weed (asclepias tuberosa), coreopsis (especially coreopsis lanceolata), rudbeckia (yellow coneflower), salvia (autumn sage) and sedum.

Improving plant performance in times of drought:

* If your area routinely experiences some drought conditions during the growing season, take time to improve the soil early in the spring before setting out bedding plants. A good rule of thumb is to work in substantial amounts of leaf mold, compost or rotted manure (preferably composted cow manure) into the top 8-to-10 inches of soil. A good estimate would be to incorporate 25 percent of this organic matter into the soil. The dividends include increased moisture retention in the soil and substantial improvements to the soil structure. You can never add too much organic matter to the soil.

* Rely on soaker hoses to provide optimum water for plants. Cover hoses with two inches of chunky mulch so water spewing from hoses is deflected downward into the soil instead of wetting plant leaves and triggering foliage diseases (botrytis, leaf spot, etc.).

* Remove sick or diseased plants as soon as possible, also withered leaves on the ground. Sanitation will spare bedding plants otherwise destroyed by the spread of disease.