Summer Blooms

Do you love the brightness and color the summer season brings?

Sunny, blue skies with puffy, white clouds and colorful flowers and plants – can brighten any mood!

If you are day dreaming about your flower bed and are wishing it had some of the mood-boosting color; we can help! This blog has a variety of plants that are native to the central Pennsylvania area that would be easy to maintain in your garden as well as provide some dimension and curb appeal to your outdoor space.

When adding new plants to your flower bed, there are some initial things to think about. Do you know your soil type? Is your garden in the sun or shade? Does your soil dry out quickly after a heavy rain or does it keep its moisture?

The Penn State Extension recommends planting perennials in the spring, early summer and fall. Completing a soil test is always a great way to start so you know exactly which type of soil and the level of nutrients that are present. This is a service we offer and recommend completing prior to receiving lawn application treatments.

Native plants are very easy to purchase from a local greenhouse. Penn State says that this is the best option versus collecting them from the wild as doing so would disrupt the ecosystem that is already in place.

Ready for some plant details? Let’s start with the Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa).  These unique looking blooms can grow to be 1-2′ tall. They bud and open in to this beautiful orange color from June and July as they like the dry heat and lots of sun. Butterflies are obviously a fan of this plant and it makes for a great pollinator in your garden.

Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) is white in color and blooms during the months of July and August. A turtlehead will thrive in a partially shaded outdoor space and can grow between 1-4′ making it a beautiful and eye-catching choice to have in your garden. This plant likes moist to wet soil so during the hot, summer months it is important to make sure it stays well watered.

Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum) is another white plant (pictured right) and blooms from May to June. With the potential to grow up to 5′ tall, this delicate looking plant will add visual interest to your garden. Solomon’s seal plants need moist to dry soil and grow best in a shaded area.

A New England aster (Aster novae-angliae) can grow up to 6′ tall! Their beautiful petals are a mix of lavender and pink! They bloom starting in August and can sustain until the first frost of the season. They like wet to dry soil and will do well in both sunny gardens and those with partial sun. These are a great addition to any flower bed.

The Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida), pictured left, will add just the pop of sunshiny yellow your garden needs. This common native needs moist to dry soil and likes lots of sun! We love Black Eyed Susan’s as they will bloom during the summer and take you all the way into the fall months (July – October). They can grow anywhere between 1 – 3′ in height.

Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum) will bloom from July to September with pink and lavender hues. Butterflies also love these beauties and they can grow to be anywhere from 2′ to 7′ in height. Joe-pye weed likes wet to moist soil and can thrive in either sunny or partially shaded outdoor spaces.

If you are needing assistance in deciding which plants are best for your space or with designing your landscape, contact us today! We have decades of experience and are here to help.

Do you have a favorite native, summer bloom? Comment below!