Grow them for a compelling architecture of shapes, sizes, textures, and colors. DuKai photographer/Getty Images Succulents arepopular houseplantsbecause of their variety of unique shapes, and they require little care. They can be grown indoors or out. Credit:DuKai photographer/Getty Images Some grow quickly, such as jade necklace, and others like Haworthia have a slower growth rate. Most require the same care, no matter the species. This doesn’t mean you’re free to’t grow them in high-rainfall areas, though....

These delightful bulbs love our Southern climate. Key Takeaways Refreshing temperatures remind me that autumn is near. What will Grumpy be doing? Credit: Patrik Stedrak/Getty Images Its botanical name,Leucojum aestivum, distinguishes it from the slightly earlier blooming spring snowflake,L. It is also much more amenable to the mild winters we have in the South. Unlike many spring bulbs, it blooms reliably as far south as central Florida. Credit:Courtesy of White Flower Farm...

Their colorful flowers can be as big as dinner plates. Many have deep red centers. Their blooms appear in mid-to-late summer, beginning in June and continuing into fall. Credit: Jozsef Sandor Benkovics/EyeEm/Getty Images According toThe New Southern Living Garden Book,hibiscus are “among the showiest flowering plants in Southern gardens. They typically bear funnel-shaped blossoms sometimes as big as dinner plates and often with prominent stamens. Themany speciesoffer an astonishing range of flower colors, and most bloom over a long season....

Grow your own sunny blooms. Blooms can be red, chocolate, peach, lemon, or burgundy. it’s possible for you to even buy multicolored selections. Credit:Robbie Caponetto Depending on the variety, mature sunflowers grow to nearly 10 feet tall with minimal maintenance requirements. This occurs only in young flowers– the mature flowers only face east. The flower os a sunflower is actually a pseudanthium, or flowerhead, made up of many small flowers....

These super bloomers beat Grandmas old-fashioned impatiens by a country mile. SunPatiens (Impatiens x hybridaSunPatiens). These hybrid plants were developed from the old-fashionedgarden impatiens(I. walleriana) that became popular in the 1960s. Credit: Steve Bender But SunPatiens have a lot more to offer. SunPatiens provide instant impact for borders,containers, and hanging baskets. They produce so many flowers that there is no need to deadhead spent blooms. All you oughta do to keep them blooming all season long is an occasional light dose of fertilizer....

It’s no wonder age-old sweet peas are still a favorite Southern floral. Some gardeners think they smell like orange blossoms, honey, and jasmine. Others say they have a grape-like scent. Credit: Michael Boys/Corbis/VCG / Getty Images Sweet peas aredeer-resistant, but butterflies and bees love them. you might differentiate between the two becauseL. latifoliusdoes not have the sweet scent. Elsewhere, plant them fromlate winterto very early spring. Plants are available for a very short window, so most gardeners plant seeds directly in the garden....

Grow beautiful trailing, spilling sweet potato vine in pots or as ground cover plants. They can be three-lobed, heart-shaped, or deeply cut like a Japanese maple leaf. Plant them after all danger of frost has passed and temperatures have warmed in late spring or summer. Credit:Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Lydia Pursell The more they get, the better they do. These plants will grow in light shade, but their colors will be duller....

This fragrant, flowering evergreen shrub delights the senses. What’s thatfragrance perfuming the garden air? This species belongs to the genusOsmanthus.Osmanthusspecies are drought-tolerant, evergreen shrubs that thrive in full sun or partial shade. Credit: Masao Akiyama / Sebun Photo/Getty Images Their calling card is their deeplyfragrant blooms, which appear throughout the year. The flowers appear as tiny, white blossoms, but their size belies their big, floral perfume. Bloom is heaviest in spring, but plants flower sporadically throughout the year....

No plant takes the heat better than this beautiful blooming bush. The silvery leaves of Texas sage shrub offer a visual respite in the height of summer heat. It should be planted in spring or fall to allow time for roots to establish. Credit:Diana C. Kirby Once established, Texas sage thrives in rocky soil and rough conditions. Here’s everything you gotta know to grow and care for Texas sage. Plant Attributes Texas Sage Care Texas sage is a woody evergreen shrub....

Texas Star Hibiscus produces exotic tropical blooms day after day through summer. Texas Star hibiscus blooms mid-summer into fall. Its tropical-like flowersattract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Credit:Daniela Duncan/Getty Images It can tolerate all but the harshest freezes to return from the root in late spring. It thrives in full sun, where it grows vigorously. Plant it in the spring, and it will grow to 6 feet tall or more by summer....

These late-blooming magnolias from the ‘Little Girl’ series are the right size for most gardens. If it is followed by an arctic blast of cold air, the glorious colorful flowers turn ugly overnight. ‘Ann’ magnolia is a late-blooming magnolia that escapes such carnage. Credit: Steve Bender The small, tidy stature and no-prune nature make it an ideal choice for the average-sized garden. Plant this magnolia in late fall or early winter in the South....

At just 18-to-36-inches tall, the tiny Summer Crush Hydrangea has cottage appeal and then some. Mopheads bloom in either neon purple orraspberry redperfect for brightening up the yard in a flash. It can just as easily be worked into larger landscapes. Credit: Bailey Nurseries If you thought the draw of this dazzling, berry-hued wonder was its attention-seeking color, think again. What makes Endless Summer hydrangeas of any variety so popular is their repeat blooming....

Plant tomatoes in your backyard for a tasty slice of summer. Tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) are divided into two types: determinate and indeterminate. Most grow to three or four feet tall, although some patio varieties top out at 12 inches. Credit:erin1979/500px/Getty Images The stems and compound leaves of tomato plants are very hairy and have a distinctive musky scent. Provide consistent moisture and a side dressing of tomato fertilizer for thebest-looking fruit....