Choosing Perennial Plants for Summer
Perennials are favorites with gardeners because they come back every year, they come in so many different varieties, they add interest to beds, and they are often native plants that support the local ecosystem. A downside is that perennials don’t always bloom for as long as annuals. Pairing the right plants together in beds can give you more continuous blooms, but you can also find summer blooming perennials that will give you longer-lasting flowers.
Long Lasting Perennials for Summer Gardens
While most perennials bloom for three to four weeks only, or some even less than that, there are season-long perennial flowers that you can choose to give your garden beds more continuous color. Here are just a handful of perennials that will color the garden throughout summer: Spiderwort. Spiderwort is a tuberous plant that will multiply and spread to fill in a space. The flowers are generally purple to blue or magenta, and bloom each afternoon through the late summer. Cut them back at this time for more blooms. Astilbe. A great choice for long-lasting blooms in a shady spot is astilbe, also known as false spirea. It produces pretty foliage, reminiscent of ferns, as well as feathery flowers that may be white, red, or pink. These flowers won’t last all summer, but they will bloom from early summer to about the beginning of August. Stella d’Oro daylily. This is a popular variety of daylily because unlike most others, it re-blooms. The flower stalks are shorter than those of other daylilies, but they will produce pretty golden yellow flowers over and over again. Double hollyhock. Like many types of hollyhock, these Alcea hybrids grow up to 7 feet (2 m.) tall, thrive in full sun, and will give you large, show-stopping yellow, pink, or red flowers. Clematis. For a climbing flower that blooms all season long, choose clematis. This vine produces colorful flowers. It likes to be in the sun, but grows best with the roots in the shade. Make sure it has something to climb, like a fence. There are a number of varieties to choose from, including clematis that specifically bloom in summer. Purple coneflower. Also known as Echinacea, purple coneflower is a tall perennial that produces light purple flowers. You can expect to get the flowers throughout the summer and into fall. Black-eyed Susan. Similar to coneflower, black-eyed Susan produces blooms in the summer and into the fall. They grow tall and bloom in deep golden yellow with dark brown centers. Shasta daisy. With evergreen foliage in many areas and cheery summer blooms, you basically cannot go wrong with Shasta daisy plants. Keep them deadheaded and they will reward you with continual flowers on up into early autumn.
