Now that the heat of summer has arrived, you might notice that your lush spring blooms have begun to look a little droopy. Many of your spring flowers might be nearing the end of their blooming period, so now it’s time to transition your flower beds to summer. Short of ripping flowerless plants out and starting from scratch, what else can you do?
Plant long-blooming perennials. These will bloom year after year, meaning a lot less work for you. Plus, many of them begin blooming around the time that short lived spring annuals fade.
Pair your plantings appropriately. As spring perennials come to the end of their blooming stage, the yellowing foliage won’t be the most attractive thing in your yard. You can distract from that effect by pairing your plantings, so that as one perennial fades another is blooming to compensate. Pair bulbs according to when they bloom; just watch out for overly invasive species that might take over the garden entirely.
Structure your garden. If you planted only one annual flowering plant in your beds, you would enjoy blooms for only a portion of the year. Instead, arrange your beds with an array of evergreens and colored foliage, and then include pockets of flowers that can be rotated seasonally.
Take advantage of height. Flowering shrubs like hydrangeas, azaleas, or lilacs lend bursts of color to your garden at varying times of the year. As with evergreens, these shrubs add structure and a focal point to your garden, so that you can rotate smaller seasonal flowers in other spots.
Add summer bloomers to edges of beds. Select a few summer-blooming flowers, like marigolds or calendula, and add them to edges of tired-looking beds. These will instantly cheer up your garden without a lot of work.
Include ornamental grasses. Many varieties of ornamental grasses look their best in summer, just as spring blooms fade. Consider these when designing your beds, keeping mature heights in mind.
Use potted plants. In a pinch, simply move a few lovely potted plants into the vacant spaces. You can instantly liven up your beds, without a lot of work.
Use garden art. As some spaces begin to look bare, fill them with garden art such as ceramic orbs, figurines, or simple water features.
If your spring flower beds are reaching the end of their peak beauty, come visit our nursery to explore your options. We can help you structure your beds with a variety of plantings so that you can enjoy them year-round.
