Blooming Shrubs Spark Up The Summer Border

While spring blooming shrubs usually hold center stage, even if for a short time, mid-summer has it’s bragging right also.  Spring lilacs, spirea, showball bushes and flowering crabapples get the gardener off to an early start and into high gear.  In a good lilac spring, my gardening goals for the year spike to the red zone.  But when the ground is dusted with “snow” from the Spring Snow crabs and the lilacs are fading , is it over?  Heavens, no! The summer beauties are waiting in the wings.  Right now the Althea or better known as the Rose of Sharon, crape myrtle and butterfly bushes are in full strut. And don’t forget the Annabelle hydrangea whose huge dried blossoms in an antique bucket bless us all winter long.

Growing hydrangeas in western Kansas can be a bit tricky. Almost all hydrangeas freeze back to the ground in a usual High Plains winter and must grow new branches from the ground each season. That means you always have “new wood”, referring to the current season’s growth.  Many hydrangeas bloom on two year old wood only, something you rarely get in our area.  That’s why Annabelle works so well for us…it blooms on new wood or the new growth each season.  This beautiful shrub loves a bit of shade but I’ve killed several by planting them in an area that was too shady.  Annabelle blooms a huge ball of white, one blossom at the end of each stem.  Let them mature in the garden, cut them including a long stem, and bring them in the house to decorate the Christmas tree (lovely sprayed gold) or displayed in an old bucket.

Crape myrtle may be another delightful summer shrub you have ignored because it dies down over the winter.  It breaks dormancy later than most plants so mark the spot and don’t disturb the area until regrowth occurs.  Crape myrtle thrives in full sun and the colors include white, pink, hot pink and several shades of red.

Photo by Patch of Green

Althea or Rose of Sharon is a reliable winter hardy summer bloomer. It can grow twelve to fifteen feet tall although dwarf varieties are better choices for some areas.  It is available in single and double flowers and deserves a spot in every landscape.

An absolute must for any landscape, whether formal or the cottage garden or even an entry garden is a butterfly bush.  A guaranteed butterfly attractor, this shrub needs to be pruned down to a foot or less each spring.  Fertilize at spring green up and stand back for a summer long parade of flying flowers.  Hummers love it also.

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