Topic: Need advice please

[Val]

I generall have a lull in the flowers about July/Aug, can anyone suggest something that will brighten up the borders around then, preferably perennials. Thanks.

[Georgie]

Val, can you say a bit more about the aspect and soil conditions as well as the size and colour you require?  Only about three quarters of my perennials would fit the bill but I don't want to be typing for hours.   ;)

G xx

[Val]

yep sorry , clay soil, akaline to neutral, full and part sun, I want to have  some more colour around the garden, I've got loads in spring and autumn, but its middle summer, it seems to have a waiting feel for the next flush and I thought this year I'd try to get them in early, we have trouble with dryness, we don't have any rain, can't use the hosepipe and by then the water butts are empty. I've put loads of mushroom compost around so hopefully it will help.

[Georgie]

Okay here's a few suggestions.  For the semi-shade how about Alchemilla Mollis, Honesty and Polemonium caeruleum and for the sun you could try Lavender, Agastache anisata, Buddleia, Dianthus crimsonia, Echinops, Evening Primrose, Festuca, Fuchsia, Petrorhagia, Phlomis Tuberosa or Verbena bonariensis.  All of these coped well in quite dry conditions in my garden last year but a word of warning.  I'm not certain about their tolerance to alkaline soil conditions so you will need to check that out.

Hope this helps.

G xx

[Val]

Georgie thanks for the help but I do have a lot of these plants, honesty flowers before the lull, verbena after, in fact most of those named fall into these 2 groups...must be my garden I'm thinking, something that flowers from June to Sept. I'll just have to keep noseying in neighbours gardens. Thanks anyway. ;D

[christine]

Penstemons for the sunny bits?

They prefer a well-drained soil, but should be O.K. if you dig in some compost.   Flower from June/July to Nov/Dec, non-stop colour all summer and autumn.  I've got about 20 different varieties...   :)

[Georgie]

Oh well, at least I chose plants you like.   ;D  I'm often surprised about the varying flowering times of plants and usually expect to be a couple of weeks ahead of others given my fairly sheltered London garden.  But I was talking to Eric in chat last week and happened to mention my dwarf irises were just out.  He said his were done and dusted and he's a lot further north than me. 

Just had another thought.  I know you said perennials but what about some Nicotiana?  Mine were in flower from July til October and smelt divine in the evenings.  So many beautiful colours and the hover flies love them.   :)

G xx

[Rosa_Mundi]

Japanese anemones? Various pretty cultivars, resistant to drought, but invasive - best planted in a bottomless tub.

[froglets]

Phlox?  The border types rather than alpines.

[Mimi]

I had a similar problem Val.  I tried with Japanese anemone and I am sure when they mature a bit the will really fit the bill.  Gorgeous plants.  Have you thought about dahlias ......I bought some random ones going cheap last year in Lidl or Aldi (cant remember) and they flowered their little hearts out right up until the frosts came, which was around end of October here.  My Bishop of Llandaff also did very well.  Would look gorgeous with that lovely bronzed foliage and that glorious red flower ;D

[rosebud]

Go for Dahlias, as Mimi said they certainly do flower ther socks off and you can get such beautiful colours i like red and orange together they look brilliant. Good luck with whatever you choose.

[jennym]

Not too good with flowers, but in my garden the following appears mid summer:
Lavatera, Dahlias, Sweet Williams, Feverfew, some Penstemons, Gaillardia 'Kobold', Abutilon'Kentish Belle' and several Geraniums - actually, if you chop some geraniums back after they've put on a bit of growth, say 6", but before flowering, they flower later so you can control the timing. Worth a try.

[simon404]

Potentillas are nice (I"m thinking of the perennial not the shrub), geums, heucara and some climbers look good that time of year like the viticella clematis and perennial sweet pea.

[Val]

Thanks folks a few ideas there, BTW japenese anemones flower quite late in my garden as do dahlias...can't understand these different flowering times, haven't tried phlox and I've only a couple of penstemens so might give them a go I think I'll google summer flowering flowers, see if I can get a list. I knew you'd all come up trumps.thanks folks.

[cardinalflower]

Hows about the following, nothing can kill these plants, they're real tough boots and come up year after year ...

Crocosmia (orange flower)
Elephants ears - (lovely foliage)
Cardinal Flower - (Lobelia Victoria)
Day Lily (flowers non stop from summer through to sept)

 :D