Hey there! Summer is here, isn’t it?!! The temperatures have gotten H-O-T, and sun-lovin’, heat-lovin’ shrubs and flowers are relishing it (as long as they’re staying watered!!). Below are some pics of the garden in July along with descriptions about each plant shown.
This is one of my personal favorite Butterfly Bushes- ‘Grande Peach Cobbler’. I love its peachy color that has hints of purple and orange in it too! If you’ve never had a butterfly bush, I’d highly suggest one! As you can see, butterflies love them, they tolerate hot temperatures well, bloom all summer, and come in many colors varying from white to pink to purple! They are a fun addition to your yard and are overall easy to care for.
Japanese maples are going strong! I planted this one last fall and the dark red leaves you see is new growth that came up late this Spring. Japanese maples are typically slow growing and love shadier spots verses all day full- on sun. We offer many beautiful varieties at Riverbend Nurseries, as well as different sizes (and price ranges!). They are ornamental trees that really help your yard take shape if you make one a focal point.
‘Limelight’ Hydrangeas and ‘Little Lime’ (the dwarf variety) are really showing themselves off in my front yard this Summer! We’ve been adding a lot of landscape since we moved into our home a few years ago, and these were added last Summer. Summer is usually not the ideal time to plant shrubs, but if you commit to keep them well watered every couple days, you can plant still in the heat of Summer (just keep a close eye on your new little beauty for signs of stress!). I’ve heard some customers say their hydrangeas are taking longer to bloom this year than normally; we’ve had such cold winters the past two winters and with the late ice we had in March, that could explain why if yours is slow to bloom!
Limelights can get to be around 7 feet tall if you don’t trim them back in late Winter. Little Limes usually top out around 5 feet, and these two varieties are two of the only hydrangeas that will tolerate more sun than other types.
Who loves Summer annuals?! While I love perennials for the fact that you don’t have to re-buy them every year and they multiply awesomely (is that a word?), I adore annuals for the punches of color they put out ALL Spring and Summer, as well as the wide variety of heights and colors they come in! I love planting perennials that I love, and then each year I can add a new color palette to my beds depending on what I like at that time. This Summer, I am doing a lot of purple (like this Salvia pictured above!) and pink annuals in my front yard! I think the fact that I am having a baby girl soon dictated my color choices for the front yard this year- celebrating her impending arrival with the sweet girly colors! In the back yard, I did more reds and whites. A tip you may already know- white flowers look beautiful in the evening, so if you like to enjoy your back porch in the Summer evenings, if you add white flowers back there, they really stand out as the sun is going down and look lovely.
Do you love container planting? I planted caladiums, begonias, and creeping jenny in one of mine this year that receives a lot of shade. I love the different shades of bright green mixed in with the sunny pop of yellow (especially in an already shady spot).
There’s some of what’s going on in the garden during July! We’d love to see your garden pics- tag us in a post thru Instagram or Facebook!
We hope you’re enjoying these Summer months!