The summer that everyone wants to forget. Between the continuing drought and hottest months on record - ever! - feelings of despair and finality rule the day for the gardener. Having just finished a consultation with a gardener looking to rearrange her garden, she proclaims "just get rid of it". I suggest that maybe it's the wrong time of year to decide on these things. What about spring?

I have been observant this summer. I have tried really hard to see what survives the high heat and low rain, yet looks good. The new roundabouts on Route 50 have given me some points of observation and choices. I drive through them everyday. No one waters there, the extent of care given to the plants in the circles is the occasional weeding. Surrounded by black top, open to the sun, never a drop of water, and exhaust spewing all day, how much more difficult could survival be?

Some good choices were made in plant selections for our roundabouts. The native plants have succeeded beyond my wildest expectations. We should all take note. The particular shrub I am referring to is Rhus aromatica 'Gro Low'. Related to poison ivy, a member of the sumac family, the worst traits found in the family are not found in this shrub. The stamina they share make it the perfect choice. A low growing shrub with leaves that do resemble poison ivy, it grows from a central core and does not run like sumac. The leaves are not poisonous and turn a glorious red in fall. After watching them from day to day, I have not seen any signs of stress. No leaf curling or dropping. In the past I have observed this woody shrub at Green Spring Gardens as well, planted as an understory shrub.

Few plants can tolerate the robbing of nutrients and water from towering trees above, yet this wonderful selection of Rhus aromatica does.

The other native plant that has proven me right again is the native grass Panicum virgatum 'Heavy Metal'. There are assorted panicum cultivars, I love them all. This particular selection is old, discovered maybe 20 years ago. The grass blades themselves reach about 4 feet and are topped by wispy seed heads that blow ever so gently to 5 feet. Its common name is switch grass and there are other notable varieties. Some that really stand out are Panicum 'Northwind', P. 'Dewey Blue' (discovered at Dewey Beach), and P. 'Shenandoah' (much shorter). In one of the roundabouts there is a single Panicum 'Shenandoah' planted with the taller P. 'Heavy Metal' and it stands a full 12 inches shorter.

In times of stress, it has often been said the gardener can tell the difference between the native plants and non-native. I think that certainly rings true this year. The year that crab grass ruled and gardeners cried 'Uncle'.