Hot and humid. Those are the keywords that describe the weather this week. Hazy also can be used because of the air stagnation. Hot and humid is it. I woke up today at 7 a.m. and the temperature is already 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Whew! It’s the kind of day that you really appreciate your home and the air conditioner cooling the home’s air.
I feel sorry for all of my plants having to stay outside in this wicked weather. Some plants like it hot as long as they get enough moisture. Pentas or Egyptian Starflower comes to mind as an annual (tender perennial?) that does well only when the days are very hot. It just sits there as a small plant through June. Late in June it starts to awaken and starts growing into the full and beautiful plant that it is. Egyptian Starflower comes in white, pink, and various shades of red. My favorite is the bright red color. I like to grow one plant each in three different containers, putting the containers close to each other but at different heights. Each plant does very well in a 10-inch pot. Pentas is not as common as Pentunia but it is well worth the extra work to find this plant.
Hummingbirds are attracted to Pentas which is the first reason why I bought it and I have seen hummingbirds enjoying its nectar. The main reason why I buy now is because I just like how well it does in our hazy, hot, humid summer weather. What a nice, easy-care plant
Garden Today 
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