Nothing is cheerier than the sight of daffodils and forsythia brightening our landscapes-the brilliant yellows are the perfect antidote to the long winter. A mix of bulbs, annuals, and perennials with various bloom times will keep the color show going strong from spring through summer. But once their blooms start to fade, your garden should be planned so that every season has time to shine.
In addition to easy annuals that bloom all summer long—Petunias, Impatiens, Marigolds, Geraniums, Zinnias, Yarrow, Sage and Heuchera, and others—here are a few garden plants that ensure months of steady color:
Irises are easy to grow and reliably bloom from late spring into summer; Siberian Iris blooms in spring, while the classic bearded iris blooms in summer. Flower colors include white, blue, purple, orange, yellow, and pink.
Alliums, ornamental members of the onion family, are grown for their brilliant pom-pom flowers atop stalks at a variety of heights. Take care to mix them with plants that will camouflage the leaves once they start yellowing.
Peonies produce big round buds that open to large fragrant blooms and keep on flowering for decades with very little care. Different types include doubles, semi-doubles, anemone-centered, and singles, available in bright and pastel hues.
The soft blue flowers of Nepeta, or Catmint, open in spring and continue throughout the summer. While the gray-green foliage is pretty, you can shear back plants to encourage another flush of bloom. It tolerates hot weather and drought conditions and is a draw for bees and butterflies.
Coneflower is a reliable summer bloomer with daisy-like flowers in purple, white, yellow, orange, burgundy, and shades in between. It is s nearly pest and disease-free and makes a lovely and long-lasting cut flower. Shasta Daisy and Black-Eyed Susans are similarly pleasing choices.
Garden and meadow Phlox are ideal in mixed borders with large, scented blooms in white, pink, lavender, purple, and red. Low-growing types such as moss pinks and creeping phlox make colorful ground covers that add color all summer long.
While it is technically a biennial—needing two years to bloom—once Foxglove is established, they reseed, so they seem like perennials. Their tall spires are covered with a mass of bell-shaped blooms. Plants in an open area may need to be staked to protect them from wind gusts.
Down to Earth Garden Center in Rockland County, New York, is filled with perennials, flowers, shrubs, and trees, with new arrivals coming in every week. The 10,000-square-foot showroom has an incredible selection of contemporary, classic, traditional, and transitional teak, aluminum, and all-weather dining and deep-seated furniture.
Down to Earth Garden Center is located near Bergen County at 1040 Route 45, Pomona, New York. Hours of operation are 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily.
Visit dteliving.com or call 845-354-8500 for more information.
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