What more could one want than beautiful flowers on the hot deck that don’t die when you forget to water them?

From the day we brought them home from the gardening center, these plants have bloomed in variations of pink and yellow, and they have bloomed endlessly.

So what are they?

The one with the variegated leaves (lighter green with white edges) is Mezoo Trailing Red (Dorotheanthus). This plant is native to Southern Africa, so growing it in hot, arid conditions is perfect. Find the hot spot on your deck and it will grow and bloom like mad.

Its leaves are like succulents, filled with water, so it would take a long time to kill this plant from not watering it. The best way to kill this plant is to water log it, so only give it water when its completely dry. I watch the soil and when it starts pulling away from the side of the pot, I water the plant.

Even though this is a sun-loving plant, it will also grow in the a semi-shady area, though it may not bloom as much. And if you want to winter it over, you can take it indoors; however, these plants typically won’t bloom indoors.

Another plus with the Dorotheanthus? It’s dog friendly, which really makes this the perfect plant for your backyard.

The plants with the dark green foliage are Portulaca Grandiflora. These are not dog friendly, so if you have pets, make sure they don’t munch on these plants. We have Italian Greyhounds and they are munchers, but they have ignored these plants thus far.

The foliage on these plants is also succulent-like and the care of these plants fall right in line with the Dorotheanthus. They thrive in hot, full-sun, and low-water conditions. You also don’t need to deadhead the flowers to keep them blooming. What’s even more interesting is the blooms on these plants close up every night and open when the they see the morning sun.

You don’t need to fertilize the Portulaca Grandiflora either. It will simply make the plant more “leggy” and you’ll have fewer flowers. In other words, the best way to grow these plants is through neglect—ignore them. The best way to kill these plants is through too much love (too much water).

So what do you do if you overly love these plants (a.k.a. killing with kindness)? Read this article on How to Rescue an Over-watered Houseplant. I’ve bookmarked the site for future reference, just in case. :)

“Earth laughs in flowers.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist, lecturer, philosopher and poet

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