Perennials perk up the summer garden
What heat? These tall, showy plants add colorful interest
Rain finally eased summer’s dry, searing heat, bringing a much welcomed perk-up in our garden.
But the hot weather is not going anywhere in the weeks ahead. Tall perennials can add colorful interest during summer’s onslaught. Here are four to use back-of-the border in the garden.
Rudbeckia
Come midsummer, cutleaf rudbeckia, Rudbeckia laciniata, tops tall perennials I’ve long treasured.
This good-looking native rudbeckia’s branched, leafy 5-foot-plus stalks show off dense bouquets of glowing yellow blooms from July-September.
A distinguishing difference from other rudbeckias is this low-care beauty’s greenish-yellow centers, which darken with age. Hence the common name, green-headed coneflower. Slightly back tilted bright-yellow petals skirt the cone-shaped center.
The thick clumps of handsome dark-green foliage are long-lived and spread easily, eventually providing a sizable groundcover for a sunny, well-draining area in your garden. When a 10-foot stand is in bloom, you’ve got yourself a show.
The dark-green clumps are easily divided to replant in other beds and share with friends.
Snails may like the leaves, but damage has been minimal over the many years I’ve enjoyed this impressive perennial. The big bonus: Butterflies love the flowers. Though other great rudbeckias generally are easy to find, you’ll likely need to ask your nurseryman about availability of cutleaf rudbeckia. It may be found at online nurseries.
Summer phlox
Summer phlox, Phlox paniculata, is one must-have summer perennial; it’s a fragrant butterfly magnet. I love the fragrance and the colors of these low-maintenance perennials. The oldfashioned 3-foot-tall magenta is a hall-of-famer in my opinion, but most phlox are worthy in my eye. Look for mildew-resistant types. ‘John Fanick’ phlox is a Texas Superstar.
Philippine lily
Despite July’s awful heat, Philippine lily, Lilium formosanum, delivered its annual
promise — large white trumpets proudly topping 4-foot stalks.
This is one tough naturalizing bulb. After the pure-white blooms fade, this perennial offers a wealth of seed to scatter around the initial planting and to share with friends.
Philippine lily is best in sun to part sun and an organically enriched, well-draining soil.
Tubeflower
Tubeflower, or Iochroma cyanea, is a towering, velvety-leaf shrubby perennial vigorously growing up and out. I prune ours, but try to avoid too much at risk of reducing the lovely dangling umbels of long, narrow tubular purple flowers.
When I first saw an iochroma in bloom, I had to have it, but once planted, I quickly found this happy camper needs lots of space. It reminds me of the related brugmansias (trumpet flowers) trying to hog other beds in our garden. I keep our big vase-shaped iochroma staked to keep it off surrounding plants. Currently, it’s pushing 8 feet.
Otherwise, it’s easygoing in a sunny, well-draining spot near the fence, flowering off and on for months each year. The top may freeze in an extended freeze, but ours always has bounced back in spring.
Royal Queen ‘Purple’ is a Proven Winners selection.