The Best Summer Plants For A Vibrant Garden This Season
If you have been wanting to upgrade your garden, now is the perfect time to get outdoors.
The summer is one of the best times of year to start gardening, as the weather is warmer and the days are longer. Additionally, many plants and flowers enter their complete blooming phase during this season, so you can clearly see the results of your work.
This season brings plenty of opportunities for colour, scent and texture to bring your garden to life. As premier landscape gardeners, Landesigns understands what it takes to maintain a beautiful outdoor space and is sharing these seasonal tips with you in this post.
We are going to share the best summer plants for all kinds of gardens to add vibrancy and appeal throughout the season.
Ideal For Summer Heat: Drought-Resistant Summer Plants
One of the best places to start when it comes to summer gardening is with plants that thrive in this hot, dry climate. Summer is usually a warm season for homeowners across the UK, which means it is a great time to get outdoors. However, extended periods of sun can dry out your garden, causing the need for more watering and expense.
By planting drought-resistant shrubs and flowers, you can reduce this need for excessive watering without compromising the appeal of your landscape. Some of the best summer plants within this category include:
- Lavender: A staple of many British gardens, lavender is a stunning plant that survives dry spells and infrequent watering, offering lush purple flowers and a soothing aroma
- Salvia: With their upright, jewel-toned flowers, these summer plants continue blooming late into the season to offer long-lasting colour and interest to your garden
- Coneflowers: These summer plants bloom best in sunny areas, producing colourful petals in shades of pink, purple, and red.
- Geraniums: ideal for vibrant summer borders, geraniums offer bold colours and lush petals throughout the spring and summer months
- Verbena: With their small purple and pink flowers, these summer plants thrive best in warm, well-lit areas of the garden.
While these plants do not require as frequent watering as many others during the season, you still need to ensure that they remain hydrated and the soil is well-drained to aid their growth this season.
Complement And Contrast: Vibrant Summer Plants
Summer is a vibrant season with the bright sunshine, blue skies and plants in full bloom, so why not reflect this within your garden? Various summer plants can add bold pops of colour to flower beds, borders or containers as the season progresses.
Mixing a variety of plants and shades allows you to add some personality to your garden design this season and reflect your personality. Whether you opt for complementary colour palettes, where the same shades or tones are used throughout, or go wild with contrast, there are various summer plants to consider.
Some of the best combinations of summer plants include:
- Yellow Rudbeckia with Purple Verbena: This pairing works because it relies on complementary colours based on the colour wheel. The high-contrast shades of yellow and purple are eye-catching, and the varying structures of both summer plants balance the volume and height of your seasonal displays.
- Orange Geums with Blue Delphiniums: The appeal of these contrasting summer plants comes from the combination of warm tones, through the orange Geums, and the cool blue of Delphinium petals, which is ideal for borders.
- Red Salvia with White Cosmos: Relying on a traditional colour scheme, these summer plants offer contrast in both shade and form to create vibrant displays in the garden this season. The vivid red Salvia will be the focal point, with the crisp white Cosmos offering softening and elegance not only with its colour, but also the soft petals of the flowers.
- Pink Echinacea with Lime Green Nicotiana: This is a very on-trend pairing which can be used to add colour to containers, hanging baskets or flower beds this summer through the contrasting warm and cool tones of each flower.
On-Trend Edible Summer Plants For The Season
One of the biggest gardening trends this year is edible landscaping, which allows homeowners to become more self-sufficient and experiment with different plant types in the garden. Edible planting does not mean you have to sacrifice your garden for a vegetable plot, as various summer plants can be added to your preexisting displays for unique textures and scents.
Edible planting is a great trend for the season as it combines practicality with beauty. It can also be a wonderful activity for the whole family, encouraging even the youngest gardeners to get outside and keep track of their plants’ progress.
For simple but effective additions to your summer garden, consider plants such as:
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Strawberries
- Salad Leaves, such as Kale or Spinach
- Herbs, such as mint or basil
They can be planted alongside colourful flowers or ornamental grasses to fill out displays or add new textures. Herb gardens are a great starter to edible planting and can be customised to suit your garden size or shape, with options for pots, containers and shelving. Edible summer plants like these recommendations encourage you to try something new and look outside of the box for colour, scent and texture in the garden this season.
Summer Plants For Containers, Pots And Hanging Baskets
Container planting is a great option for gardens of varying sizes, as well as those seeking a low-maintenance outdoor space.
Container plants are usually easier to take care of, as they are well-drained and maintain better soil conditions, so you have less work to do in the garden. Containers, such as hanging baskets and pots, can also be used to add colour to even the smallest outdoor spaces, as they can be fitted to structures such as fences, retaining walls or the side of your home.
Those desiring flexibility within their garden design may also want to consider potted plants, as these can be moved around the garden with ease whenever you desire. This means you do not have to commit to a certain layout or planting design, but instead can adjust whenever you see fit.
Not all summer plants are suited to containers and pots, but you can design stunning displays with options such as:
- Calibrachoa: These perennials offer bright little flowers in the summer, and maintain their foliage throughout the seasons, making them a great option for hanging baskets in both the front and back garden.
- Petunias: Petunias are classic summer plants for UK gardens and thrive in containers or hanging baskets, producing delicate petals in shades of pink, purple, red and white throughout the season.
- Fuchsias: These summer plants are a great way to add colour to your garden and are ideal for hanging baskets due to their trailing structure.
- Lobelia: For lasting colour and appeal in your garden, these summer plants produce fine flowers in bold shades of blue and purple that can continue to bloom until the autumn with frequent watering and care.
Conclusion
With these summer plants, you can make the most of your outdoor space this season and create stunning displays of colour and texture. From edible plants to vibrant flowers and evergreen foliage, you can experience a complete range of colour this season by planting well.
Landesigns is a premier landscaping company that offers high-end services to bring out the best in your garden, no matter the season. We can help recommend the best planting solutions and placement for your outdoor space to create a garden you’ll love.
Contact Us Today
Are you ready for a vibrant summer? Contact us today to learn more about our services or to request a quote.
