Successful gardening depends on an understanding of your yard’s microclimates, or different sets of conditions within certain areas. The most significant microclimates are caused by sun and shade patterns that affect temperature and moisture levels, according to the Johnson County Extension Master Gardeners. If your planting site receives at least 6 hours of direct sun each day during the summer, choose flowers and plants that thrive in full sun exposures.
Sun-loving perennials -- plants that grow for at least three years -- hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 to 9 can survive average annual low temperatures to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. For example, the common yarrow (Achillea millefolium), a 3-foot-tall North American native that blooms with large, yellow-white flower clusters. Sea thrift (Armeria maritima) produces bright pink blooms from spring through summer. Native to the Mediterranean and North America, sea thrift tolerates salt spray and grows from 6 to 12 inches tall. Another summer bloomer, sea lavender (Limonium latifolium) thrives in sunny sites. This 3-foot-tall perennial produces clusters of blue blossoms and prefers well-drained soil.
Annuals only live for one season, but many produce long-lasting, colorful flowers. Species for full sun include trailing petunias (Calibrachoa xhybrida), with 3- to 6-inch flowers blooming from spring through fall in a range of colors, from purple to yellow. They may even survive the winter in zones 7 or higher. For bright yellow, red and maroon color from summer through frost, coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria) grow to 3 feet tall and tolerate heat and drought.
Groundcovers not only add attractive texture and color to your sunny spots, they also reduce erosion and weed growth. Sun-loving groundcovers hardy in USDA zones 8 to 9 include hardy ice plant (Delosperma cooperi), a fast-growing semi-evergreen with glossy, dark foliage, blooming with showy pink-purple flowers from summer through autumn and spreading up to 2 feet wide. For year-round color, dianthus (Dianthus plumarius) has grass-like evergreen foliage forming a dense carpet of fine, gray-green leaves and blooms in spring with aromatic, pink, purple and white blossoms. Another sun-tolerant groundcover, the San Jose juniper (Juniperus chinensis “San Jose”), spreads up to 6 feet wide and forms a mat of gray-green foliage.
Evergreen shrubs for full sun exposures in USDA zones 8 to 9 include the redleaf loropetalum (Loropetalum chinensis var. rubrum), a drought- and heat-tolerant shrub that grows quickly to 10 feet tall, producing aromatic pink-red spring blossoms and maroon new growth. Sun-loving deciduous shrubs include the California sweetshrub (Calycanthus occidentalis), a 6- to 15-foot-tall shrub with fragrant, shiny leaves. Also known as the spicebush, this shrub blooms with dark red blossoms from spring through fall.
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