Whether you have a large backyard patio or a small, postage stamp-sized balcony, there is nothing better than filling outdoor spaces with potted plants. Indeed, container displays are one of the easiest ways to transform any outdoor yard.

The trouble is, many patio seating areas are positioned in sunny spots where you can enjoy the sunshine with a refreshing drink and chat with family and friends. But when temperatures climb and humidity lingers, many popular bedding plants grown in pots in sunny positions can begin to wilt, stop flowering, or simply give up altogether.

Fortunately, there are plenty of patio plants that thrive in such conditions. The key is choosing species that evolved in tropical or Mediterranean climates where hot, sticky summers are simply part of the environment. A little heat and humidity in July and August won't worry these plants too much.

Whatever you grow, remember that even the toughest heat-tolerant container plants need a little help every now and then. Water deeply rather than little and often, feed regularly during the growing season to encourage extra blooms, and always use a quality, free-draining potting mix so roots never sit in water.

With the right care, these humidity and heat-loving patio plants will reward you with spectacular displays from early summer right through to the first frosts. Here are five of my favorites that I have grown in my time as a gardener.

Heat-Loving Patio Plants

While all of these patio plants enjoy sunshine, always match them to your growing conditions. If your yard is especially hot and dry, lantana and bougainvillea are hard to beat, while mandevilla and hibiscus will appreciate regular watering during prolonged dry spells.

Whatever you choose, though, good drainage is essential for these plants. So, always buy pots with drainage holes (or drill them yourself), and combine a little sand, grit or gravel in the mix to help. With the right care, these five heat-loving low-maintenance patio plants will keep your containers looking colorful and healthy all summer long.

1. Lantana

With clusters of fiery orange, yellow, pink and red flowers, lantana will bloom almost continuously through summer. It thrives in heat, humidity, and even periods of drought once established.

Hardy in USDA growing zones 9 to 11, it is typically grown as an annual in cooler regions, although you can overwinter container plants indoors or in a frost-free greenhouse from November through March.

Try these live lantana plants, available via Amazon, planting them in pots filled with good quality, free-draining soil. Or, if yellow borders are more your thing, try the 'New Gold' variety of Lantana, available now to order from Fast Growing Trees.

One word of caution: lantana is considered invasive in some frost-free parts of the US, including Hawaii, Florida, and parts of Texas, where it can spread into natural habitats. It is also toxic to pets and livestock if ingested, so always check with your local government office before planting and keep pots away from curious dogs or cats.

In summer, I would also suggest using an organic bloom-booster feed, high in phosphorus, or potash, which will help to encourage flowering for as long as possible. Something like this Dr. Earth fertilizer, available from Walmart, should do the job.

2. Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea will always remind me of holidays in Italy where brilliant cascades of hot pink and magenta spill over whitewashed walls and terracotta pots in the summer sunshine. It looks wonderfully exotic, but it is also one of the toughest patio plants you can grow, thriving in heat, humidity and full sun where many other flowering plants struggle.

Hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11, bougainvillea is best grown in containers in cooler regions, allowing you to move plants indoors or into a frost-free greenhouse before winter arrives. Given plenty of warmth and sunshine, don't be surprised if it puts on 3 to 6 feet of growth in a single season.

The 'La Jolla' bougainvillea variety, available via Walmart, is a particularly striking variety, producing vivid fuchsia bracts that create a spectacular display all summer long.

Plant it in a pot filled with free-draining potting mix and resist the temptation to overwater. Bougainvillea actually flowers best when allowed to dry slightly between thorough soakings, so a bit of neglect is no bad thing. To keep blooms coming, feed weekly from mid-spring through to early fall

3. Mandevilla

Rocktrumpets, or mandevilla, are native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, stretching from the southern United States through Mexico and into Central America. As you might imagine, these are plants that positively thrive in high heat and sticky humidity, making them one of the best choices for a summer patio.

Given the right conditions, this vigorous climber can easily produce 10 feet of growth in a single season, although newer compact varieties are perfect for smaller patios and balconies.

Live mandevilla plants are available to buy from the Fast Growing Trees store, just be sure to water well on delivery and position in a bright, sunny location on your patio. While they enjoy consistently moist soil during the growing season, avoid letting containers become waterlogged.

In cooler regions, simply move pots indoors before temperatures begin to dip in September or October. Kept somewhere bright and frost-free, the evergreen foliage will carry on looking good until it is time to return the plant outdoors the following spring (typically around April).

4. Hibiscus

With enormous blooms in shades of red, pink, orange, yellow and white, hibiscus shrubs are hard to beat, particularly as they seem to flower all the more enthusiastically during long spells of heat and humidity.

Most tropical hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) are native to Asia and are hardy in US zones 9 to 11, although they thrive in pots elsewhere, allowing you to move them indoors before the first frosts arrive.

For a North American option, Hibiscus coccineus, also called swamp hibiscus or rose mallow, is native to the southeastern US including Texas. It features striking, bright red, firework-like flowers. It thrives in warm but wet, swampy areas down to zone 6.

Position containers somewhere warm and sunny, watering deeply whenever the top inch of soil begins to dry, but never allowing roots to sit in soggy compost (unless you are growing the swamp hibiscus!).

During the growing season, feed plants every week or two with a fertilizer high in potash to encourage as many blooms as possible. Remove spent flowers by deadheading as they fade and, with a little care, your hibiscus will keep producing spectacular tropical color right through to fall.

Walmart has a range of attractive hibiscus varieties, including some beautiful bicolored options.

5. Geraniums

No list of heat-loving patio plants would be complete without zonal pelargoniums. Often called geraniums, these classic summer flowers have been brightening pots, window boxes, and patios for centuries – and for good reason.

Native to South Africa, they are perfectly adapted to hot, sunny conditions, producing masses of flowers in shades of pink, red, salmon, orange and white throughout the summer months.

Pink and red live pelargonium plants can be ordered via Amazon and planted at any point through the summer. Position in a sunny spot on the patio (they will also cope with part-sun/part-shade), water, and feed regularly for the best results. Removing faded flower heads will also encourage fresh flowers well into October.

Shop Patio Garden Essentials

To find out more about inspirational gardens and gardening, read The Garden Through Time by Thomas Rutter, available from Amazon. From Persian paradises to New York’s High Line, this volume offers practical ideas and plant selections to help you design a gorgeous, low-maintenance garden. Telling the story of 45 gardens found worldwide, it is an essential read (or gift) for gardeners looking for timeless inspiration.