Although we have enjoyed some rains this spring, I can’t help but notice that we have entered the oven-hot months of the summer, and I also notice that my life has a certain repetitive rhythm to it: water all day long at the nursery, drive home … and more watering.

With all these hours spent holding the hose, I am having ample time to reflect on which plants perform the best during the summer months.

There are seven trees which stand out: Monterrey oak, Texas persimmon, Texas mountai...