This is Lantana in the middle of Summer.  It started from a small stump of Lantana cut back from the previous year.  This was in June before the plant was so large it threatened to take over the driveway and move down toward the street on an adventure of unknown proportions.

Lantana, plant from Hell.

This also used to be our little experimental vegetable garden.   We had tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini and a few other plants.  It is on the south side of our house, with the east end up against a privacy fence (you can see in the other photo.)  The south side of our house between May and September maintains a temperature that can easily melt lead.  You can deep fry a turkey on that side of the house without the burner.  It’s hellaciously hot, beyond Africa hot.

Needless to say our vegetable garden never fared very well there.  It was a combination of not being able to afford to have a dedicated 10″ main and water supply, and our inability to acquire special environmental suits with air-conditioning in order to stay on that side of the house for more than a few milliseconds to do menial tasks such as weeding and wondering why the plants did so poorly.

So off to our local nursery at Smithfield Gardens.   We specifically asked for a plant that could survive the extremes of the heat and dryness on that side of the house.  We were introduced to Lantana.  It is freaking amazing.  We might water it a little in the Spring to get it started, but after that it just takes control of that side of the house.  We usually need to trim it back several times just to keep it from taking over the neighborhood.  It’s a great plant that even I can’t seem kill.  It attracts butterflies, moths, humming birds, and a variety of other bug creatures.  Sadly it only survives the summer.  It’s spirit goes on vacation to Hades for the Winter, and it looks like this…

It's mostly dead.

Regardless how ugly it is in the Winter, it’s a great plant in the summer.

Now I know you anal retentive types think I just leave a hose unwound from the reel year around don’t you?  I can’t speak to why the first photo has it unwound, other than possibly being unable to get to the hose reel without a machete.  The second one I have an excuse.

I bet you thought I was going to tell you my excuse didn’t you?