It’s all about summer perennials the first big wave of
herbaceous colour or the first hot hit as geum Totally Tangerine strikes out in
fabulous contrast against blue geraniums and yellow daisies making up for the
loss of what have been fabulous tulip displays followed by a brazen early wave
of grand purple alliums.
What are the top perennials in my border as we complete the first flush in June and
transcend into July before we flow into the late summer garden which will be
glowing with asters and anemones to compliment the hydrangeas but that is not
quite yet.
We are all guilty of having favourites and I am no
exception.
Mid Summer Perennial recommendations:
 |
| Anthemis tinctoria Hollandaise Sause |
Egg yolk yellow prolific flowers. My top favourite in my border for the last few years. Don't crowd it give it space and sunshine and amid border position. It wont thrive if it is crowded and shaded. I planted a cluster of small plants together and as you can see each clump is magnificent.
 |
| Achillea Teracotta Flat heads of achillea what ever the colour really add to the form of a border. You need the variety of flowers to make the planting work. Teracotta is a great warm colour and looks good with all the yellows oranges and reds. This is a mid border perennial. Good for cutting. |
 |
| Geranium Rozanne Here is the celebrity the winner of umpteen awards. Not just any blue geranium a Rozanne blue geranium that will flower and flower! I love this geranium and I grow it everywhere. I noticed it look particularly pretty with a silver leaved brunera planted in front in a wooded garden. You may want to exercise the Chelsea chop when its been in a few years if it is starting to get over tall. Generously feeding perennials with too much nitrogen will encourage them to grow tall and floppy and then they need support. Every 3 years is usually more than enough. I do like to mulch round them in the spring to help keep the moisture in. |
 |
| Echinacea Mooodz Awake Did you know echinacea enjoy a very cold winter on the Prairies and sometimes our winter are not cold enough to kill of the problems. Lots of us struggle to get echinacea through the winter but I have recently been advised keeping the crowns well drained with a top layer of gravel might do the trick. They like sunny open position and not too muck crowding though they still mix so well with grasses and perennials like Verbena bodnariesis, asters and anemone. They are almost or perhaps are the stars of the Prairie planting style garden and a wildlife delight as the cone is the most perfect landing pad for bees. How about this unusual one Mooodz Awake with extra large blooms. Theses have an orangey pink flower. |
 |
| Alchemillia mollis The perfect edging plant. Who doesn't love this acid yellow frill around a cottage border. It always gives a cottage garden vibe and when you add the foxgloves, ragged robin, fleabane the whole story instantly come together. |
 |
| Leucanthemum Madonna |
Daises not just for the border they are also perfect for the cut garden. They look grand and are so important in the overall border. It must have spikes or candles such as lupins, verbascum,veronica, delphiniums, campanula, sisyrichium, It must have flat head such as the achillea and it must have daisies.
 |
| Lupins These are like a designer brand of plant all on there own. I call them pre-madonna plants. Tall mid height bold candles of colour. Once established they can grow in some really odd rough places. I have actually seen them in the pavement. These are best planted in big clumps with plants slugs don't like neighbouring them. Mulch them up when you plant them and perhaps think about slug pellets and an aphid spray. more information: |
 |
| Eryngium bougatii Silvery stems and foliage with a frosted silver thistle that matures into a slivery blue. This is wonderful texture. |
 |
| Cirsium rivulare Everyone's favourite thistle flower perhaps because its such a great colour. |
 |
| Sisyrinchium striatum |
| This can stand proud and ridged at the front of a border |
 |
| Centrantus rubra Snowcloud Valerium is a plant that appear to seed it's self in my garden. Ornamental vallum! I love its cottagey appeal. I particularly like the white varieties popping up repeatedly throughout my border and I my happy for it to replicate. I've seen it grown really well in formal gardens under roses confined by a box hedge border. Keep removing the finished flower heads and it will produce more.  Nepeta |
I have some Walkers Low sitting quiet naturally under my roses, its a staple plant in all my borders. Both Six Hills Giant and Walkers low both quiet similar make excellent edging plants. To stop them flopping onto the grass you can chop some of the front stems and they will go stiff and straw like acting as supports. This is such an easy plant to grow and you can cram it between things and chop it when ever you like. It gives you all the joys of lavender but it is totally suited to our soils and climate. Of course most cats love it. I've seen Norman feasting on it, but I love cats so that's not a problem.
