You’ve packed your bags, boarded your beloved dog, stowed your kids in the back seat with games galore, but one thing has you worried as you depart on vacation — will your landscape survive?

For those of us who get enjoyment or pride from our garden or landscape, summer vacations mean a break from the maintenance, but not the worry. For a worry-free vacation this summer, plant these tough plants. Waterwise and heat-tolerant, they still manage to be beautiful!

Sizzling summer color is powered by Southern Living perennials, which are not only water-wise and tough, but also provide a feast to the pollinators. Add brilliant highlights in yellow with Pot of Gold Little Lucky™ Lantana or vivid red with Firestorm™ Lantana; both bloom spring to frost while keeping a compact nature 12-14-inches tall and wide.  

Partner these jewels with Southern Living salvias for a pollinators’ paradise. Saucy™ Red blooms in deep red and grows to 2-3 feet tall and wide. Be reassured: the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds will be watching the landscape while you are on vacation.  

Perfect for our Southern climate, Agapanthus (also called Lily of the Nile or African Lily) are tough, heat and drought-tolerant perennials. Our Southern Living Agapanthus are early blooming and rebloom spring through summer, and their green foliage is a lovely textural element in your landscape beds when not in bloom. Find your favorite bloom color and plant them in mass, in containers or in your garden borders. Then, when you return home, bring them in for cut flower bouquets.

Shrubs can be low-maintenance but they don’t have to be boring. ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia is a prime example. It has quickly become one of the most-loved plants for shady spots in the landscape. Those unfamiliar first think ‘Soft Caress’ might be a palm, while others think perhaps it’s a fern. You'll instantly love it, and that is even before you realize that in the late fall, it offers up sprays of yellow blossoms that bring out the pollinators for a taste of spring.  

Abelias rank among the best low-water plants. Varieties like ‘Kaleidoscope’ Abelia with gold, orange and red ever-changing leaves, and the showy green and gold variegation of Miss Lemon™ would make a thrilling combination. They will reach 3-feet tall and up to 4-feet wide, with pendulous branches adorned with white flowers that attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. 

What could possibly be more electrifying than to combine ‘Soft Caress’ Mahonia and 'Kaleidoscope' Abelia with ‘Lemon-Lime’ Nandina? It just seems all other plants or flowers look better when partnered with lime green or chartreuse. Many have never thought about the rugged perseverance of a nandina, but once established in your landscape, this is one plant you can count on to make that camping trip to the beach just a little more relaxing. 

‘Lemon-Lime’ is leading a Nandina revival in the country, offering a compact habit that reaches 3- to 4-feet tall and is non-invasive. It is grown for the incredible foliage that offers deer resistance, disease and pest resistance, and an easy-care habit. Whether you partner it with shrubs or flowers, it will make a stunning companion. 

Purple Daydream® and Red Diamond™ are two Loropetalum selections that grow more compactly than the traditional giants, and when established, offer treasured drought resistance while you are away honing your golf skills or perfecting your tan. Both are easy care and deer resistant.

With less maintenance and the ability to thrive with less water, at least for the length of your vacation, these plants will make for a relaxing retreat!