What kind of soil do you have? Is it well-draining sandy loam, really fast-draining sand, clay, clayey loam, etc.? I'd vary my recommendations depending on the type of soil y'all have.

Ajuga usually is easy to find in spring. Be sure you look for it in the area where they have ground covers because that is where most garden centers have it stocked. I don't know if you could find any this late in the season, but I saw lots of it in April and May. Usually, ajuga will form new runners off the main plant and you can remove those from the mother plant and plant them separately. I wouldn't do it in the heat of the summer in our hot climate. I'd do it anytime from fall through early spring.

Dawn

It's more of a clayey loam, it seems to drain relatively fast. The biggest issue is when it rains (what's rain again?) it comes off the roof and puddles pretty much right below the left corner of the front window - husband isn't a big fan of putting up guttering though. :(

Man, I looked and looked for ajuga this year and could not find any around here, but I will try your suggestion of separating some pieces this fall - thank you!

We've got the same problem, really. Our two front flower beds sit right on the street, facing almost directly west and get no shade at all. None.

Spring bulbs. Summer bulbs. Hollyhocks. Gladiolus. Blazing Star. Vinca minor (spreading periwinkle.). We're also trying some alyssum this year. Also have some alliums in that bed, but they were small, immature bulbs and are storing energy for next year, I hope. Also, cosmos seemed to do well in those beds, last year.

Another option, which I resorted to last summer, was to simply plant (edible) sweet potatoes in those beds. Mixed with the cosmos and periwinkles, it put on a decent, if not great show.

Oh, yeah. Add lots of mulch. At last three inches of it!! Holds moisture very well. Beds facing west with no shade dry out in a quick hurry w/o mulch. w/o mulch, you'll spend all your time trying to keep them watered. The mulch will help to keep the crowns of the roots and the bulbs much cooler, as well

I'm sure that others will have many options for you, as soon as they see this thread.

Thank you wbonesteel! I must admit I'm a gardening newbie, and have yet to figure out a bulb schedule. When do I buy them, plant them, and when will they grow? It seems all the stores around here have bulbs up for sale in the spring, and then they are gone the rest of the year. My mom told me you plant in the fall for spring bulbs... I am rather confused.

Definitely got the mulch on lock down, unfortunately that is all the color I have in my bed up front right now. >:( Thank you for the suggestions!

Daylilies, Iris, roses (knockouts are easy), autumn sage salvia. I have pictures posted on a thread, I will link it for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant Suggestions for Very Harsh, Very Hot Bed

Thank you Lisa, that thread is very helpful!

I think a good size evergreen to the left and then a row of knockouts would look great!

I had never considered knock out roses, I figured they would be too delicate but after reading about them I'm thinking they're in! A row of 3 or so would look great against the brick, thank you momfryhover!

Herbs! They originally come from rocky ledges in the Mediteranian, and can take the heat.

Sage, Oregano, Thyme and Rosemary come to mind.

Moni

I am so sold on knockouts...after moving mine at least three times, they are back strong as ever...long live the knockouts! lol

The thing I've found with knockouts is that buying the larger ones is worth the extra couple bucks. The smaller ones I've planted just sit there, the big one has flourished.

I second day lilies. I have found the bought kind (I don't know what else to call them) hold out in the heat & drought better & longer than the orange "ditch lilies" which gave up last summer (happily they cme back).

Also lamb's ear and lantana seem immune to the heat.

No matter what time of year you get them, bulbs go in the ground right away. Spring bulbs, summer bulbs, doesn't matter. Plant 'em as soon as you get 'em! Some bulbs will keep for quite some time in storage, but you'll lose some bulbs to rot, or else they'll dry out too much. So, go ahead and plant 'em.

Availability from seed catalogues, stores and nurseries is another matter. Part of it is, if you want spring flowers, for example, you plant the bulbs in the fall. So, stores, nurseries and seed catalogues are geared up that way. If you have a little patience and plan ahead, you can plant the bulbs any ol' time you get 'em.

I recently traded some alliums for some daffodils. Both sides of that trade planted the bulbs as soon as we received them. We also put a thick layer of mulch over them, after we planted them.

I won't see any flowers from the Daffies until next spring, but the bulbs won't sit around and rot, either. They'll be growing roots. The other side of the trade got her alliums too late for this year's summer flowers, but she'll have flowers by next summer. In the meantime, they'll be growing roots and storing energy. The alliums I traded her had good roots and green leaves, too.

(Naw. I knew about planting bulbs, but the other lady was also making danged sure I knew to go ahead and plant them.)

Alright, knockouts are on the list for next year and I'll start researching some bulbs online. Thanks a lot guys, I'm actually excited for the yard again instead of avoiding it!

And thanks for the run down on bulbs wbonesteel, it makes a ton more sense now!

Lowe's sells the spring flowering bulbs--daffodils, tulips, crocus, hyacinth- in fall and the summer flowering bulbs-gladiolus, cannas, lilies, tuberoses, dahlias, callas, iris--in the early spring.

Globe amaranth is one of the most heat tolerant annuals. My knockouts get sun from dawn til about 6 at night this time of the year. It looks like your west facing exposure does get late evening shade, so they should do fine.

Maybe I'm just not in "gardening mode" in fall so I miss it when they bring them up here - we only have a Walmart, so don't get too much variety.

Thanks for the suggestions mulberryknob!

In west-facing beds I have been happy with the performance of cannas, daylilies and tall verbena (verbena bonariensis), and also catmint and purple coneflowers. Globe amaranth laughs at the heat. It has reseeded itself here into pastures that get no watering whatsoever, and even survived most of the summer of 2011 when we'd had less than 10" of rain through August. It died to the ground, but came back as soon as rain fell. Helenium is a nice autumn bloomer in the heat too. We have grown crape myrtles on the west side of the house too. They are really tough plants.

Daffodils are my favorite bulb. Tulips don't do very well for me. I think the problem is that we don't get enough cold. They may come up one year, but never to return. Grape hyacinths and regular hyacinths are great too.

You could do some grasses in that bed,

The blues are "annual" blue salvia, which are perennials here :) and the shorter ones are veronica. On the right hand side is Archduke Charles rose (with a daylily hiding underneath). Don't forget you can use some "hard" details, birdbaths, statues, something. Your bed will look a little bare in the winter.

Betty...if you ever lose your ditch lilies, I have PLENTY I can share with you!

On the other daylilies..Stella d'oro is the most popular one out there. However it can be a little bright. If you would like a clearer yellow, Happy Returns is pretty good. My Lowe's has been carrying it this spring.

Awesome, thank you lisa_h!

I may be speaking out of turn here, but what about Yucca? And the kind of lavender I have prefers, dry, heat. Lantana? Tropical Milkweed? Angelonia? The experts will be able to better advise you, but those are some on my drought/heat resistant list.

Ah, I've seen some Yucca around town and was wondering what it was. I've got some Lantana's in the back yard that are doing well, I think I will try some up front.

Thank you momofsteele!

I wouldn't plant real Yucca, you will regret it forever! I finally got rid of mine when we moved :)

Red Yucca though is interesting. I am trying one this year.

Lantanas are wonderful. I have a couple perennial ones and I have been enjoying those (and enjoying not having to replace them :) )

Lisa

Here is a link that might be useful: Red Yucca

My house faces west, and the plants that have survived and are happy include the Bandito Lantana which is a dwarf, purslane and moss rose, Becky daisies, chrysanthemums which bloom spring and fall, New England Asters, pentas, decorative grasses including Muhli grass, spirea, red yucca, and lots of ground cover (sedums) to keep the weeds from invading. And the mainstay is garden phlox, which does wonderfully and gets lots of butterflies.

Blue Daze is great for a true blue color; and Million Bells, especially the new varieties, do well in the heat.

I have pots of geraniums, million bells, and sun loving coleus on the front porch where the heat is brutal.

Sandy