AlexUnder said:This June/July is extremely dry in Toronto, my Asian lilies are rather pathetic and even blanket flowers are not that great. I guess time to turn to lavender :)
Catmint (nepeta) works, too, in dry areas (or during drought like we are experiencing in Ontario this year). The only problem with catmint is that many cultivars tend to sprawl and need a large planting area. I am going to try corralling mine early in the spring with some strategic plant stakes and green twine to see if I can improve on that. My daughter did that in her garden and it was very effective and not noticeable.
I love lavender, but have a hard time keeping it alive for more than a few years. It does well for a few years, and then a hard winter will kill it. Maybe you would have more success in Toronto than I do here (Eastern Ontario).