Summer Flowers It's All About Planning

Summer is a wonderful time for flowers, yet many gardens start to look bare of color or simply wilt when the summer heat strikes. That's because gardeners often plant for a spring flush. Those flowers that bloom in spring fade off by summer because the extra heat does not suit them.

Yet there are many beautiful blooms that come into their own with that extra summer heat, so adding these to your planting will keep your garden looking a riot of color throughout summer. Both annuals and perennials bloom beautifully in the summer heat so choose some of each.

Annuals must be planted every year as their name suggests. They are usually only good for one season, so require a bit more work. But occasionally you will get an annual to come up the second year. Sunflowers, cosmos, salvia and marigolds are favorite annuals for summer flowers. Snow in summer; coxcomb and the globe amaranth are three less common flowers that thrive in the heat of summer, while angelonia, perilla and the sun coleus also make good choices.

Perennials are those plants that last for more than one season. Some last for two years, while other types last for several years - or are permanent. If you choose perennials with a long blooming season you will get more enjoyment out of them. Not all perennials are as showy as annuals, but some, like azaleas are a mass of bloom, albeit for a short period of a few weeks.

Longer blooming perennials include Astilbe, purple coneflower, Gaillardia, Rudbeckia and various daylilies - but there are many more. Many times you can cut perennials back after the first bloom and they will bloom again. Tradescantia, perennial geraniums, salvias and veronicas will do this.

If you have a fence or trellis to cover, you could add some of those fantastic flowering vines for lush summer flowers. Black-eyed Susie with its cheerful orange flowers and jet black eyes will brighten up any garden, while the blue/mauve trumpets of the morning glory vine add a lovely blue haze. The night blooming moonflower will fill your garden with a glorious fragrance - there are many more to delight the heart of every gardener.

Bulbs need a whole book to describe their many delights. Dahlias come in all shapes, sizes and colors, from tiny, neat-pedaled balls to huge, shaggy flower heads and everything in between. They are hardy too; so don't pass up a chance to pop a dahlia tuber into your garden. Cannas, gladiolus and tuberose love sunny spots.



By Hans Dekker