Flower bulbs push the gardening year right up to the edge of winter and there’s nothing more uplifting than the first garden blooms! For me, one of the greatest joys of gardening is seeing those first spring bulbs breaking through the earth as if by magic.
The lovely daffodil named Thalia
If you enjoy an early spring bulb garden, you’ve probably thought how wonderful it would be to keep those beautiful blooms going from early spring to summer. Fortunately, with the extensive variety of flower bulbs available today, you can easily achieve a long spring season by planting early, middle, and late-blooming bulbs.
Anemones tucked at the feet of perennial Lady’s Mantle
While spring bulbs are in their glory, take a few minutes to evaluate your own garden and perhaps visit others for some flowery inspiration, then plan on ordering your bulbs early before they sell out. As you browse catalogs or websites, try to visualize what you’d like to see in your garden and choose a color palette that appeals to you. Next, pick your favorite early spring bloomers and extend their season’s beauty by using the early, middle, and late-flowering variety plan.
Later-blooming Daffodils with Anemone and Heuchera
For example, Daffodil bulbs can bloom as early as late February here in Northeast Massachusetts and bright yellow Rijnveld’s Early Sensation is one of the earliest. Snowdrops and crocus are also very early bloomers and would make good companions. Ice Follies, a classic early to mid-season bloomer, looks stunning with the smaller bulbs of Early Snow Glories (Chionodoxa forbesii), Hyacinth, and Siberian Squill (Scilla siberica). Thalia, a pristine white beauty, blooms next along with Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) and old-fashioned Bleeding Heart while late-season Pheasant’s Eye looks lovely with the stately globe alliums as well as early spring perennials.
Thalia with old-fashioned Bleeding Heart and Vinca
You can try this method with many spring bulbs including Tulips, Alliums, Hyacinths, Daffodils, and of course the earliest bloomers such as Snowdrops and Crocus. Something to keep in mind is that smaller flower bulbs make great supporting stars for their larger spring cousins!
Alliums make a bold exclamation point in the late spring garden
Seek inspiration and plan your bulb garden now, purchase and reserve bulbs early to get the best varieties, and plant this fall for a colorful and long-blooming display next spring!
If you live with trees, you’re probably blessed with an abundance of leaves every fall. For many people, fallen leaves are just a seasonal nuisance to be disposed of as quickly as possible. Fortunately, savvy gardeners know that using leaf litter is a natural and effective way to protect, feed, and beautify our garden spaces, and it’s free!
Blue Star Juniper with natural leaf mulch
Utilizing autumn leaves in our gardens can be as simple as letting them lie where they fall, especially in woodland settings. Undisturbed, the leaves provide not only nourishment for all the varied plant life but also shelter for creatures and overwintering insects. Plus, I happen to love the natural look that leaf mulch creates in my home landscape.
Using leaf mulch in this garden ties it into the woods beyond
Another way to use fallen leaves is to shred them with a lawn mower for flower bed mulch. These smaller leaf pieces will break down quickly to add nutrients to the soil and won’t suffocate your perennials under their weight. Dry, shredded leaves are incredibly lightweight to carry around and make any mulching chore that much easier!
A newly planted garden with traditional bark mulch Two years later, the same garden with leaf mulch just naturally blends into this forest edge setting
Want to save your leaves for later use? Whole fallen leaves can be piled up and composted in their own designated spot or added to an existing compost pile. They will break down more slowly than shredded leaves but, over time, you will end up with rich leaf humus – the best garden soil additive around!
Japanese Painted Ferns appreciate a humusy soil
Leaf humus is beneficial in the garden as a nourishing soil conditioner, improving aeration and encouraging healthy root development while also aiding in moisture retention throughout the hot and dry summer months.
A Rainbow Leucothoe fits right into this woodland garden
If you haven’t utilized autumn leaves in the garden before, I urge you to give it a try. Your future garden will thank you!
The spring of 2023 may go down in local history as “the spring that almost wasn’t.” For those of us who love spring flowering shrubs and look forward to a colorful display every year, this spring’s performance was a bitter disappointment!
What I’m talking about is the significant lack or loss of blooms on many early spring shrubs and small trees. When my golden forsythia, that most dependable harbinger of spring, didn’t bloom, I was heartsick!
When the forsythia bloom, spring has definitely arrived (Photo courtesy Pixabay)
As the season progressed, there were more shrubs that suffered the same fate. To name a few in my own garden, the Winterhazel, Pieris, Dogwood and Azaleas either never bloomed or produced so few flowers that I barely noticed them. So, what happened to those long-awaited and coveted spring blooms?
Dogwoods have a serene beauty all their own (Photo courtesy Pixabay)
Like many mysteries of nature, there’s no short answer here, but if we look back over the last year we can better understand the causes. Our relatively mild winter with sporadic record-cold temperatures was coupled with low snowfall which offered little protection for our plants, shrubs and trees. Add to this the ongoing drought of 2022 and 2023 and it’s easy to see how the combination of these adverse conditions has profoundly affected our plants, literally nipping many of them in the bud!
Pieris shrubs normally begin blooming in late winter (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
Though there is little we can do to protect our gardens from record-cold temperatures, we can help them better cope by keeping them well watered, even into late fall. Products like Wilt-Pruf are useful in preventing desiccation due to water loss, and a winter mulch of compost around young shrubs and trees will also keep them hydrated and help protect them from extreme temperature fluctuations.
Old-Fashioned Mountain Laurel (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
There will never be a “perfect” year in terms of growing conditions, and Mother Nature has her own agenda that doesn’t include consulting us! As gardeners, we must learn to accept the bad with the good and focus on those small triumphs that always seem to come along. Who would have thought that 2023 would be a banner spring for the humble Mountain Laurel, but I’ve never seen them more beautiful!
As the colorful display of early spring bulbs fades away for yet another year, many gardens fall into a mid-spring flower gap – that pause before the summer perennials and tender annuals really get the party going!
The following are some dependable early perennials I grow in my own gardens that get me through the mid-spring flower gap and beyond with color, fragrance and form:
Creeping phlox with early spring companions – Photo by Nancy Marie Allen
CREEPING PHLOX
A classic spring perennial here in New England, creeping phlox blooms prodigiously for several weeks beginning in May and is a sight to behold when planted en masse as a garden edge or along rock walls. If I had to choose one plant to carry my gardens through to early summer, creeping phlox would be it!
Close-up of Snow-in-Summer – Photo by Наташа Беликова on Pexels.com
SNOW-IN-SUMMER
My mother grew Snow-in-Summer in her garden, so for me this plant has pleasant associations that bring me back to my childhood. Although Snow-in-Summer is an absolute stunner when covered with snowy white blooms in May, it continues to please all season long with soft, silver-blue foliage.
Yellow Iris complement a purple Bloomerang Lilac – Photo by Nancy Marie Allen
IRIS
Iris are typically thought of as June perennials, but many are early bloomers that add subtle fragrance and bold, sword-like foliage to our garden beds. In the photo above, this bright yellow variety never disappoints when it blooms with the lilacs!
Basket-Of-Gold Alyssum – Photo by Nancy Marie Allen
BASKET-OF-GOLD ALYSSUM
Golden alyssum looks best when planted in rock garden crevices or spilling over walls with other May bloomers. A stellar companion for all shades of creeping phlox!
Jack Frost Brunnera looks lovely all season – Photo by Nancy Marie Allen
I place these two plants together because they have a similar look to their foliage and flowers although the Brunnera is a larger plant and more sun-tolerant. Both have silvery foliage and tiny, sparkling blue flowers that resemble forget-me-nots. In my opinion, Brunnera and Lungwort light up a shady spring garden like nothing else!
Geranium Macrorrhizum – Photo by Nancy Marie Allen
EARLY HARDY GERANIUM
Hardy Geranium Macrorrhizum is a May bloomer with bright magenta flowers that rise on dainty stems above the rounded leaves. As a bonus, fall sometimes brings shades of crimson to the foliage. This particular geranium makes an excellent groundcover as it slowly spreads to fill in any spaces. Hardy geraniums are perfect companions for cottage gardens!
Sweet Woodruff grows beneath a Hemlock tree – Photo by Nancy Marie Allen
SWEET WOODRUFF
Delicate-looking Sweet Woodruff is an excellent ground cover to grow under trees where it sparkles in the dappled shade. This plant will spread via runners to quickly fill shady areas as long as there is adequate moisture. Lovely for naturalizing in woodland gardens!
Versatile Solomon’s Seal – Photo by Nancy Marie Allen
SOLOMON’S SEAL
I know I sing the praises of this plant on a regular basis, but Solomon’s Seal is hard to beat for versatility in the garden! Tall and highly ornamental with its artistic splashes of white, variegated Solomon’s Seal will quickly form impressive colonies. I find that it grows equally well in full sun to full shade, and even dry shade. Charming, fragrant bell flowers dangle along the stems in spring and you can look forward to golden foliage and berries in the fall!
Pink Bleeding Heart – Photo by Nancy Marie Allen
OLD-FASHIONED BLEEDING HEART
This large, almost shrub-like plant, makes a powerful floral display in May but then magically melts away once temperatures heat up. Because of the ephemeral nature of Bleeding Heart, be sure to plant them next to summer perennials such as ferns or hostas which will easily fill those vacant spaces come summer.
All of the above plants are deer and rabbit resistant and hardy in my Zone 6 New England garden. The Iris, Basket-of-Gold Alyssum and Snow-in-Summer prefer full sun locations while the Solomon’s Seal, Creeping Phlox, Geranium and Old-Fashioned Bleeding Heart tolerate both sun and part shade. The best plants for shady gardens are the Brunnera, Lungwort and Sweet Woodruff.
As a gardener, I enjoy growing plants, shrubs and trees that hold their own in providing beauty over our long New England winters. I’m charmed by the sight of evergreen boughs covered with snow, bright berries clinging to shrubs and the delicate tracery of bare tree branches.
The problem is that I’ve never had much interest in winter. Even as a child, I had little enthusiasm for outdoor cold-weather activities. While my rosy-cheeked friends frolicked in the snow, enjoying ski trips or skating parties, I preferred the warmth and comfort of my mother’s kitchen and a good coloring book. The only thing I learned to do well in the snow was falling on my derriere and so, not surprisingly, sledding became my only winter sport – at least with that I was able to remain safely seated!
In later years, as a working mom, winter became the season of the dreaded drive. Not only was taxiing my children around a challenge but commuting to work on snowy and icy roads felt at times downright life-threatening. With its constant struggles, winter was the season to get through as quickly as possible on my way to spring!
It has taken me much of my life, but I think I’ve finally made peace with winter. Through my love of gardening and nature, I’ve learned to value all that winter has to offer. Today, I find winter to be a season of peace and rest, the pause at the end of one growing season and the beginning of another. It’s a time to look forward, to dream and plan!
Next door – The old mill in winter (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
Winter is also a season of such stark beauty that any color in the landscape immediately draws my eye and helps me truly appreciate all the wonders that the other seasons bestow in joyful abundance.
Winter moss and lichen (Photo by Nancy Marrie Allen)
As I look out at my sleeping gardens in January, pared down to their very bones yet holding the promise of life just beneath the surface, I find that perhaps winter holds plenty of interest for me after all.
Every fall, I’m pleasantly surprised to find that some of the loveliest silver hues come late in the gardening season. Perhaps it’s the colder temperatures or the way autumn’s softer light is reflected on the leaves that brings out the intense color. Maybe it’s simply because there is little left in the garden to draw my attention, but I’ve found that silver foliage plants are definitely more striking in November than they are in July.
The featured photo above is Snow-in-Summer or Cerastium tomentosum, an old-fashioned perennial that is covered with enchanting pure white flowers in May. After blooming, the finely textured silver foliage remains a lovely focal point in the garden although these plants prefer and look best in cooler temperatures.
‘Sweet Romance’ Lavender is a workhorse in the sunny summer garden producing abundant wands of fragrant deep purple blooms over a long season while also attracting many pollinators. Although ever so pleasing to us, the deliciously sweet scent of Lavender repels deer and rabbits.
‘Berggarten’ Sage makes an eye-catching addition to the herb or flower garden with its bold yet softly textured leaves. Not only is this plant extremely showy but it also makes an excellent sage for use in the kitchen!
Japanese Painted Ferns incorporate a tapestry of colors on each and every frond while retaining an overall striking silver sheen.
‘White Nancy’ Lamium is one of my favorites for filling in garden gaps as this plant loves to politely ramble and spread amongst its neighbors without overpowering them.
Lamb’s Ears or Stachys byzantina should be included in every garden for its softly textured leaves that just beg to be touched! A classic grown with roses in the June garden, Lamb’s Ears also looks stunning next to white or blue flowers which are remarkably enhanced by its pleasing silver coloration.
Cobweb Hens and Chicks or Sempervivum arachnoideum is a remarkably hardy succulent that loves to tuck itself along and in between rocks or pavers. Colorful early summer blooms on long arching stems look like something from an alien planet but it’s the unusual cobwebby rosettes that make this plant special year round. An easy and fun plant for children to grow!
‘Excalibur’ Pulmonaria or Lungwort is an early spring charmer with pink to blue, forget-me-not style flowers. Long after blooming, the elegant lance-shaped leaves hold their striking silver color well into late fall!
Fall is prime gardening time so take advantage of these golden days to beautify your space, tackle some outdoor chores and get a head start on next year!
REFRESH SUMMER FLOWER POTS that are looking tired. Gently pull out any spent plants and replace with fresh annuals or perennials. Some cold tolerant varieties include Lamium, Pansies, Violas, Asters, Heucheras, Grasses, Ornamental Kale and Cabbages, as well as classic Chrysanthemums.
BRING IN ANY TENDER PLANTS you intend to keep over the winter. Summer houseplant vacation time is over, so make sure you bring your babies back inside now before evening temperatures start dipping into the 30’s. If you intend to save corms or tubers such as Caladiums, Cannas, Gladiolas or Dahlias, make preparations to store them properly over the winter so that you can enjoy them again next year.
CLEAN UP YOUR FLOWER BEDS by pulling up dying annuals and cutting back any dry and withered perennial leaves or flower stalks. Be sure to leave some seedheads for the birds and winter interest! It’s surprising how some minimal tidying up in the garden right now will refresh and revitalize the space and carry it through until that final killing frost.
LIFT, DIVIDE AND TRANSPLANT any overgrown perennials or add a few new ones. The moderate temperatures and reliable rainfall of autumn help plants get quickly established before winter sets in, giving perennials a vigorous head start on growth next year!
Photo courtesy of morningchores.com
PLANT FLOWER BULBS now for early spring color. The list of bulbs available for fall planting is vast so narrow it down to your favorites while also keeping bulb-snacking critters in mind. Some dependable bulbs that naturally repel voles, mice, chipmunks and squirrels include Snowdrops, Siberian Squill, Snow Glories, Hyacinth, Daffodils and Alliums.
SPREAD COMPOST around your plants to nourish and protect both new and established gardens. Adding nutrient-rich compost will greatly improve the quality of your soil and help retain moisture during dry summers. Good quality bagged compost is available at any garden center or start your own pile now: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting
CELEBRATE THE SEASON and be sure to give thanks for another bountiful gardening year!
All photos by Nancy Marie Allen except where noted
With fall planting season just around the corner, late August is the perfect time for evaluating our flower gardens and planning for any changes we’d like to see next season.
Start by taking a good look at your garden space(s), preferably with a notebook in hand, and jot down what you liked about this year and what needs changing. Ask yourself a few questions: What were your best performers this year and would you like to add more? Is it time to divide some overgrown perennials? Would you like to attract more birds, butterflies and bees? Do you need to focus more on xeriscaping with plants that require minimal water? And, what about adding some spring bulbs to extend your garden season with early color? Defining your garden goals and writing them down provides a convenient checklist to work from.
Now is also a good time to think about garden color, whether you grow perennials, annuals, or a combination of both. Do you love bright pops of red, orange and yellow or is a soothing pastel palette more your style? If you’re like me, you may want to use all of these colors over the season. For example, my earliest spring flowers and those that bloom through June tend to be pale yellows, pinks, purples and blues, while July through September blooms lean towards bolder and warmer colors.
When cool and warm colors are used together, they can really enhance one another such as the blue hardy geranium with golden Rudbeckia in the photo above. I also like to use white as it adds softness and elegance to any color scheme. Looking at a color wheel for reference will help you easily find colors that work together, whether analagous and side by side in the same color family or complementary at opposite ends.
As you dream about next year’s colorful flowers, don’t forget the importance of having good garden soil. Try to get into the habit of adding compost to your garden every fall for its valuable nutrients and moisture-retentive qualities. You can just layer it on top of your garden, around existing plants, and let the rain and snow of winter do the rest of the work. In the spring, add a generous layer of shredded bark mulch. Trust me, if you do these two things every year, it will make the difference between a garden that’s just surviving and one that’s thriving!
Successful gardening requires devotion and commitment, but even with all that enthusiasm, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer work involved in dividing and moving plants, improving soil, creating new flower beds or restoring old ones. However, by writing your goals down and prioritizing what’s most important, you can tackle one task at a time over months or even years, eventually ending up with the beautiful garden you’ve always wanted!
When we think about drought-tolerant plants, shade perennials rarely come to mind. In fact, we tend to think of shade plants as being especially reliant on water since many are native to moist woodlands, but although these plants certainly appreciate regular rainfall, they can survive long periods without it.
Typically, the well-watered areas where these plants thrive in spring become exceedingly dry by late summer. To make matters worse, where plants grow under the shade of large trees or shrubs, light rain showers are unable to penetrate the canopy of leaves, making some shaded areas the driest in our gardens.
Despite these harsh growing conditions, many shade perennials cope with hot and dry summers as well as their sun-loving cousins, so let’s take a closer look at a few of these remarkable plants and learn how we can help them beat the heat!
Hosta ‘Dancing Queen’ is a chartreuse beauty that holds up well in dry conditions (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
HOSTA
Hostas, also known as Plaintain Lilies, are stunningly beautiful foliage plants with broad leaves in varying shades of green, blue and gold, as well as many with contrasting borders and other variegations. Because of their bold appearance, they make excellent landscape plants for large areas, but what makes hostas really stand out amongst other shade plants is that they bloom abundantly in summer!
Hosta ‘Aphrodite’ (Photo courtesy of Thirkettle Nurseries)
Hosta flowers are as different in size and appearance as the plants themselves! Some gardeners cut the flower stalks off, preferring their hostas purely as foliage plants, but many hosta flowers are quite beautiful and even fragrant, and the bloom season stretches over the summer months into early fall. With enough different hostas, you can potentially have blooms all season long.
Hosta Lancifolia (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
The hosta known as August Lily blooms in late summer with large white flowers that are both striking and sweetly fragrant. One such variety is ‘Aphrodite’ which is just another plain green-leaved hosta until those flowers emerge, turning it into a ‘scentsational’ exotic beauty. If you’re considering this variety, be sure to plant it where you can appreciate its perfume whenever you pass by.
One of my favorites, old-fashioned Hosta Lancifolia is another fragrant late summer bloomer with abundant lavender bell flowers of delicate appearance. One in full bloom is a sight to behold!
Brunnera in Spring (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
BRUNNERA
Brunnera, Siberian Bugloss or False Forget-Me-Not is one of the most useful plants for lighting up dark shade. It blooms with tiny blue flowers reminiscent of Forget-Me-Nots in early spring but it’s the striking silvery foliage that makes this plant a season-long stunner.
Brunnera ‘Jack Frost’ (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
Brunnera is enchanting with tulips and late-season daffodils in the spring and makes a stellar companion for other shade plants which are only enhanced by its glowing leaves. In the photo above, you can see how Brunnera combines beautifully with a Blue Angel hosta and variegated Solomon’s Seal.
By late summer, when there is little flowering in the shade garden, silver and gold-foliaged plants such as Brunnera add glamor and much-needed contrast to what can be a sea of green. Light Up Your Garden with Silver and Gold Foliage has more about using these plants in your garden design.
Over time, Brunnera can spread to fill vacant spaces which also makes it valuable as a groundcover. Some popular varieties include ‘Jack Frost,’ ‘Silver Charm,’ and ‘Diane’s Gold.’
Solomon’s Seal in the shade garden (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
SOLOMON’S SEAL
Polygonatum or Solomon’s Seal is an extremely versatile plant that every gardener should get to know. With arching stems reaching two to three feet, this tall beauty makes a strong architectural statement whether used as a companion plant in garden beds or planted by itself en mass as a groundcover.
In spring, Solomon’s Seal is covered with tiny white bell-shaped flowers on the underside of the stems which are sometimes followed by small dark berries that are a treat for birds. The foliage remains fresh looking all season long, and is especially striking with white variegation. Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’ is one such variety with the added bonus of fragrance.
Solomon’s Seal in full sun with Asters and Lamb’s Ears (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
Although Solomon’s Seal is typically used in shade gardens, it can also be grown in full sun as a vertical accent. In addition, these plants turn a lovely shade of gold come fall, providing us with three seasons of interest to enjoy.
Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’ (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
AJUGA
Ajuga, also known as carpetweed or bugleweed, is one of the best mat-forming groundcovers for sun and shade gardens alike. A vigorous spreader via stolons or horizontal roots, ajuga quickly forms colonies of close-packed rosettes, making it nearly impervious to weeds. Here in New England, escaped plants from long ago often appear in lawns and are only noticed because of their lovely blue or white flower spikes in May.
Although ajuga will grow in full shade, half a day of sun intensifies the colorful foliage, especially in those varieties with purple shading. The spring flowers are quite showy but not very long-lasting, so ajuga is best planted for its eye-catching foliage which stays colorful through fall.
Ajuga ‘Black Scallop’ (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
Ajuga grows well just about anywhere including dry shade under trees, on slopes, in containers and between stepping stones. Some newer varieties to try are ‘Chocolate Chip,’ ‘Burgundy Glow’ and ‘Black Scallop,’ all with stunning blue flowers in spring.
Hay-scented Fern (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
FERNS
Ferns add elegance and airy movement to any garden and, since they’re non-flowering, it’s all about those graceful, and sometimes colorful, fronds. Although ferns in general tend to be moisture lovers, our native Lady Fern, Eastern Wood Fern and Hayscented Fern tolerate hot and dry conditions better than most. In the photo above, Hay-scented Ferns grows in full sun!
Additionally, I’ve found that Japanese Painted Ferns hold up well through hot dry summers, especially when planted closely with companions that shade the soil and help hold in any moisture. These unusual ferns add striking color to any shade garden and I highly recommend giving them a try!
Japanese Painted Fern showing burgundy ribbed fronds (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
The key to success with keeping shade perennials happy through the dry summer months begins with planting. Always amend your soil with plenty of organic matter such as compost or leaf mold before you add any plants. In this way you’re mimicking their natural woodland habitats where leaves accumulate and slowly break down over years, continuously feeding and enriching the soil.
Keep in mind that most shade plants enjoy some morning sun with afternoon shade. Also, as I mentioned above, placing plants fairly close to one another helps shade the soil and retain valuable moisture. Once planting is completed, mulch your plants each spring with a layer of fine shredded bark.
By following these tips, you can be assured that your shade perennials will thank you with beauty and vigor for many years to come!
In Northeastern Massachusetts where I live and garden, we’re sadly experiencing a severe drought this summer. On a daily basis I check the extended 10 day weather forecast, searching for any showers or thunderstorms that may be heading our way, but every time rain is predicted it often fizzles out before reaching us. This lack of adequate rainfall, coupled with searing temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s, has created a harsh environment for our flower gardens.
Since drier summers and water restrictions have become the norm in many parts of the United States, it’s a good idea for flower gardeners to familiarize themselves with drought-tolerant perennials that will grow well in their particular hardiness zone – plants that can be counted on to perform reliably when the going gets tough!
If you’re thinking about adding sun perennials to your garden, planting in autumn is a great time to do it. Roots will benefit from more regular rainfall and plants will get a good headstart on growth for the following year. In this way, they’ll be more robust and better able to withstand whatever the dog days of summer throw at them!
Here are a few remarkably heat and drought-tolerant perennials you can plant in your garden this fall:
Echinacea and Friends (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
CONEFLOWERS
Modern varieties of Echinacea, also known as coneflowers, come in a rainbow of colors and heights so it’s easy to find one to fit any flower garden. The common Echinacea purpurea is a tall pink/purple native with dark golden centers that attact butterflies, beneficial wasps and bees. The large seed heads also provide nourishing food for birds come fall, so don’t be in a hurry to deadhead these beauties! Echinacea are prolific summer bloomers with some repeat bloom into early fall.
Yarrow ‘Pink Grapefruit’ (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
YARROW
Lacy-foliaged Yarrow is a native wildflower here but there are many modern cultivars now available in a variety of colors. These versatile plants have a long history of medicinal applications including use in the battlefield to staunch bleeding from wounds. In addition, yarrow is beneficial in the garden as it attracts a variety of pollinators and enriches the soil with nutrients making it a great addition to the compost pile. Yarrow grows well in poor soil and shrugs off the heat with ease; it’s also tolerant of both dry and wet conditions.
The older blooms of yarrow soften in color with age (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
Each yarrow bloom is actually made up of many tiny flowers clustered together. The color of each cluster changes through the season as older flowers fade and new ones emerge bright-colored. This creates a lovely effect of many color shades being present on one plant at the same time. Here in Zone 6, yarrow begins to bloom in June with repeat bloom throughout the summer.
Shasta Daisy ‘Becky’ (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
SHASTA DAISY
My favorite daisy is the cultivar known as ‘Becky’ whose pure white blooms with yellow centers bring classic cottage garden looks to any flower bed. Lovely with daylilies, catmint and roses, she also combines beautifully with native wildflowers.
Becky is one robust daisy with strong stems and a long bloom period that begins here in late June. She makes an excellent cut flower and regular deadheading will promote repeat blooming.
Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’ (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
RUDBECKIA
Black-eyed Susans are native to North America and are as common on windswept prairies as they are at the edge of woodlands. Dark centers contrast boldly with their golden yellow flower petals, so bright that the eye is instantly drawn to them! They provide a long season of bloom from summer to early fall and are beloved by pollinators and birds.
Perovskia or Russian Sage (Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com)
PEROVSKIA
Native to high elevations and harsh environments, rugged Russian Sage tolerates a wide range of growing conditions. Blooming in the garden at a time when many flowers are flat or disc-shaped, Perovskia sports long, graceful wands of powdery blue, adding a desirable element of airy movement while also providing cooling contrast to hot summer colors such as yellow, orange or red. If you prefer softer colors, a lovely and simple pastel vignette can be created using blue Russian Sage with pink and white Echinacea!
Perovskia atriplicifolia tends to be a large, sprawling plant that is best placed in the back of the flower garden. More compact varieties include ‘Denim n Lace’ and ‘Little Spire.’
Nepeta ‘Montrose White’ in early bloom (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)
NEPETA
Nepeta or Catmint adds a softness to the garden with its gray-green foliage and blue, pink or white wands of flowers. Taller nepetas like ‘Six Hills Giant’ are great ‘filler’ plants for any open spaces and shorter varieties like ‘Little Titch’ make a lovely edging. The foliage of catmint is aromatic when brushed up against and repels aphids and Japanese beetles, thus making it a perfect companion for roses! Although most nepetas flower heavily in June, they repeat bloom over a long season.
‘Montrose White’ is a stunning summer blooming variety that will provide dainty sprays of cool white blooms through fall. An added bonus is that this catmint attracts honey bees and other pollinators like nothing else in the garden!
Of course, this is but a short plant list for there are many other heat and drought-tolerant perennials out there. Choose varieties and colors that appeal to you and fit into your garden space and look forward to enjoying their care-free beauty for many summers to come!
