It has been a really hot summer. Since May, when we had a couple of heatwaves, the hot weather just hasn’t let up and with the changing climate, we can expect it to continue. I’ve had to adapt my previous idea of ​​hardy plants for hot, sunny places, but I haven’t given up. My range of plants that don’t need a lot of water for birds and butterflies is just smaller. I want to save water and enjoy my winged friends too.

California native plants are always a good choice for difficult areas. In addition to the common shrubs like manzanita, toyon, ceanothus, coffeeberry, garrya, catalina cherry, bush lupine and pacific wax myrtle, showy native plants like sage, buckwheat, California fuchsia, monardella, wallflower, yarrow, lavatera, penstemon and sticky marigold are at the top of my list.

Everyone should have lavender in their garden. Hummingbirds and butterflies love this plant and every year breeders introduce new varieties. There are dozens of new varieties to choose from. Hidcote Superior forms a bushy, compact mound with sensational purple flowers in early summer.

Or you can try Royal Purple, Betty’s Blue, Violet Intrigue, Sachet or Royal Velvet. Goodwin Creek is an heirloom variety that blooms from spring to late fall with deep violet-blue flowers. For a mid-summer bloom, plant Grosso, a commercial variety widely grown in France and Italy. It is possibly the most fragrant lavender of all. Spanish lavender blooms from spring into summer if pruned. By planting different varieties of lavender, you can have a blooming sequence throughout the season.

Penstemon also attracts hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden. They come in many colors and varieties, from native species to garden hybrids. I especially like the red flowers of Garnet and the flowers of the native Blue Bedder.

Another long-blooming, hardy plant is Achillea Moonshine. Butterflies love to land on the yellow, flat landing pads of this yarrow. The dense flower clusters make good cut flowers and the gray-green foliage matches any color in the garden. Yarrow needs only routine care once established. It can be watered a little, although once established it is drought tolerant. Cut it back after flowering and divide it when the clumps become too dense.

There are so many varieties of sage to choose from and all are great additions to a sophisticated garden. Autumn sage blooms from summer through fall in colors ranging from deep purple to deep red to rose, pink and white. Purple Pastel is particularly beautiful, covering 3- to 4-foot plants with flowers that are full of nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies.

If you’re looking for true blue flowers for your garden, consider planting Salvia chamaedryoides. This elegant front-edge plant has silvery foliage that sets off the bright blue flowers. It blooms most profusely in late spring and fall. Removing spent flowers will encourage rebloom. This Salvia is drought tolerant, but will bloom longer and better if watered occasionally in summer.

More flowering plants that attract hummingbirds, butterflies or both and are easy to grow include marigolds, black-eyed Susans and verbena. Asters, sage, black-eyed Susans, monarda, chrysanthemums, sedum and cosmos are also on the menu for our winged friends. Many of them also make good cut flowers.

Plant some new water-efficient plants that will add color and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Then spread fresh wood chips or compost to mulch the soil. This will insulate and protect shallow roots from the heat of the summer sun. Mulch keeps the soil cool while also slowing the evaporation of water from the soil, keeping it moist longer.

Wherever you plant a garden, make sure you have some flowering perennials to provide food, nectar or berries for our winged friends.

Jan Nelson, landscape architect and California certified gardener, answers questions about gardening in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Email her at (email protected) or visit jannelsonlandscapedesign.com.