Bordering on MAGIC
PLANT THESE EASY-CARE SHRUBS AND WATCH THEM EXPLODE INTO LIFE IN THE HOTTER MONTHS
THERE’S a whole category of plants we tend to undervalue and not take much notice of until they put on their annual performance. I was driving through towns and villages in the South of England last weekend and it was these overlooked plants that really stood out.
Summer flowering shrubs create some structural background in the garden for much of the year but when they shine they dazzle.
Not all of us have the time to manage herbaceous borders but you can still have colourful and fragrant flowers in your garden at the height of summer by introducing these shrubs.
Generally, they are low maintenance with just an annual mulch and feed, trim or prune to stop them growing too big and to ensure optimum flowering.
Hypericum is one such shrub which forms a pleasant but nondescript evergreen bush most of the year, but when it is clothed in bright yellow flowers, it is so cheerful. It’s also known as St John’s wort and has been used herbally for centuries to alleviate symptoms of depression.
It’s a most undemanding plant that will grow in almost any soil and the only maintenance it will require is an annual good chopping back, almost to ground level in April. Even this isn’t necessary but it will help to keep its shape and promote more flowering.
‘Hidcote’, with its daffodil yellow flowers, is the most commonly grown variety. But I’d also recommend ‘Rowallane’, which has deeper more golden flowers.
The hardy fuchsia is also in full bloom now, hedgerows dripping with its jewel-like ruby red and purple flowers.
It’s a lovely choice for an informal hedge and is also available in pale pink and white if you prefer a calmer colour scheme.
Another exotic shrub but not so hardy as fuchsia is Callistemon, the bottlebrush shrub. Best planted in coastal areas or perhaps in the protection of a city courtyard garden, this Australian native looks pretty ordinary most of the year, but right now is covered in spikes of crimson red flowers that look just like a bottlebrush.
Because of its unusual appearance, it could jar in a pastel cottage garden scheme of pale blue campanulas and white rambling roses. I think it would be more at home in a tropical colour scheme, paired with orange day lilies, scarlet crocosmia and yellow kniphofias, for example. Lightly prune flowers off after flowering.
Buddlejas divide opinion among gardeners. Some associate all buddlejas with the invasive B. davidii seen across railways and derelict buildings, while others will swear by its wildlife-friendly nature.
Also known as the butterfly bush, there’s no doubt that its nectar is irresistible to moths and butterflies – what nicer sight on a hot summer’s day than watching them flutter around your garden? They’re so easy to grow and will only require a good cutting back in spring. If you have the space, go for strong colours like ‘Royal Red’ (a dark red-purple) or ‘Black Knight’, the darkest flowering buddleja.
But you can also get dwarf versions such as ‘Buzz’ which will be compact enough for a pot on a balcony or patio. Remove flowers when spent as they look messy once they’re finished.
Lavateras are a superb way of filling your empty spaces and providing lots of summer flowers with almost zero maintenance required.
Perfect in a cottage garden, at the back of a border or as a summer hedge, there’s every shade of pink from the palest ‘Barnsley’ (which is also available in dwarf form ‘Barnsley Baby’ for the container garden) through to a deep, rich pink provided by ‘Burgundy Wine’.
Other mid-summer shrubs you could plant for easy-care gardening include lavender for its scent and a haze of purple blue flowers, Caryopteris Heavenly Blue, and some curry- scented Helichrysum.
So if the many tasks of the herbaceous borders such as lifting and dividing, staking and deadheading aren’t for you, consider some of these lovely shrubs instead and put on a bright summer show.