It’s that time of year when early-season flowers may be past their best and some plants appear to be running out of steam. However, with a few well-placed additions and a little maintenance, your garden can soon look its best again.
Cutting Back Perennials
Flower stems and spikes may now be turning to seed. Cutting them back can give plants a new lease of life and encourage a second flush of flowers later in the season. Salvias, Nepeta and Achillea will benefit from having one-third to one-half of their growth removed. Hardy Geraniums, Leucanthemums and Delphiniums can be cut back to ground level.
Deadheading and Feeding
For plants that flower successively, regular deadheading helps them direct their energy into producing new blooms. A regular feeding schedule will also ensure they have the nutrients they need to keep flowering.
Grasses
Interplanting perennials with ornamental grasses is a great way to maintain soft height throughout the summer. Grasses can also disguise recently cut-back plants or areas of bare soil. Their movement and gentle sound create a tranquil, prairie-style effect that complements many planting schemes. Try Miscanthus, Stipa or Panicum for soft shapes and attractive seed heads.
Structural Evergreens
If your planting scheme is still developing, or you have space available, adding a few evergreen shrubs will provide a continuous green display and shift the focus away from tired plants. Pittosporum provides a relaxed, rounded shape with densely packed, little leaves, while Euonymus comes in a range of green, gold and cream varieties to suit the garden style.
Instant Impact
Plenty of plants are just coming into their own and can be added to existing borders to brighten the display. They will also provide valuable late-season colour in future years. A mixture of Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Sedums and summer-flowering Alliums could keep your garden colourful well into autumn.
Refresh Pots and Baskets
Hot, dry weather may have proved too much for some summer bedding displays, so it could be worth replacing them with plants that will take you through autumn and into winter. Colourful Asters, Campanulas, Heuchera and Pansies will give containers and baskets a vibrant new look.
